7/10 Chef in the Market Demo: Paul Folkestad, Le Cordon Bleu
July 10, 2010 Chef in the Market Demonstration by:
Paul Folkestad: Chef Instructor, Ambassador at Le Cordon Bleu
Recipe:
Salad Bretonne
Makes 4-8 portions, either as an entree or salad size
Ingredients:
7 oz white beans
6 artichokes
3.5 oz flour
2 oz lemon juice
Salt to taste
14 oz mussels, cooked and out of shell
8 medium shrimp
2 Shallots
1 oz butter
3.5 oz white wine
Bouquet garni (thyme sprig, bay leaf and parsley sprig wrapped in a 1” green leek piece and tied)
1.75 leek whites, small dice
1.75 oz celery, small dice
¼ bunch parsley, cleaned and chopped fine
½ head cauliflower cut into florettes
3.5 oz cream
½ t saffron
½ oz mussel cooking juice
1.75 oz cooked white beans (part of above)
4 garlic cloves, chopped fine
1.75 oz red wine vinegar
3.5 oz olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
4 roma tomatoes, peeled, seeded,diced
Directions:
• Steam the artichokes whole and preserve the hearts (you can serve the ‘leaves’ as an appetizer).
• If you choose to cut the leaves from the artichokes and cook them raw, coat them in juice from ½ a lemon before cooking to prevent browning. Then dissolve the flour into cold water in a large pan, add the remaining lemon juice and season with salt. Add the peeled artichoke hearts to the water/flour mixture, bring to a simmer, and cook until tender and easily pierced with a skewer or paring knife (Keep them in the fridge for later use).
• Soak the white beans in cold water for at least 12 hours, then drain and place in a stockpot with double the amount of cold water. Bring water to a boil, and reduce to a simmer, cooking for 40 minutes until beans are tender. Drain the beans and set aside. (This portion can be done at least one day ahead).
• Clean and de-beard the mussels and rinse them at least twice in cold water.
• Heat the butter in a large pan over low heat and cook the shallots until soft. Add the white wine and bouquet garni and simmer to reduce by two-thirds.
• Add the cleaned mussels (still in the shell), and increase the heat. Cook until the mussels have opened, about 5 minutes. Let the mussels cool, discard any unopened mussels. Remove the mussels from the opened shells. Strain the cooking liquid and set aside.
• Peel and de-vein the shrimp and place them in a medium pan with the leek whites, shallots, celery and parsley. Pour in the cooking liquid from the mussels and cook over low heat for 5 minutes or until pink. Strain and reduce the cooking liquid by 1/2, allow the shrimp to cool in the refrigerator.
• Cut the cauliflower into florettes and cook in a large pot of boiling, salted water for about 2 minutes, then pull them from the boiling water and shock them in ice water for 2 minutes. Remove them from the ice water and put in the refrigerator.
• To make the vinaigrette, simmer the cream with saffron on low heat for 5 minutes. Strain and place in the fridge.
• Press 1.75 oz of the cooked beans through a fine mesh sieve using a plastic scraper, and stir this puree into the cream. Then add the garlic, vinegar and seasoning. Whisk in the olive oil in a thin stream until thoroughly mixed.
• Making sure no choke remnants remain on the artichoke hearts, reserve 4 of the nicest bottoms (cut them in ½ if you want to make 8 portions for a salad size). Cube the remaining artichokes and combine them with the remaining beans, cauliflower, tomatoes, mussels and shrimp. Season with the vinaigrette and parsley. Using the artichoke bottoms as a base, artfully arrange these ingredients as if they were flowing out of the base. Decorate with fresh herbs and drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.
