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Cold Avocado Soup with Bacon Lardoons

May 17, 2013 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Cold Avocado Soup with Bacon Lardoons

Cold Avocado Soup with Bacon Lardoons

Summer has finally arrived! It’s time to start cooking outside on the grill, and experimenting with cold soups and fruit dishes. One of my favorite summer-time soups is made with ripe, oily avocados. This thick, rich soup will cool your palate and ignite your taste buds.

Cold Avocado Soup with Bacon Lardoons

Serves 6-8

Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

6 large ripe avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons butter

½ cup chopped Vidalia onion

½ cup chopped celery

½ cup chopped carrots

3 cups heavy cream

1 quart chicken stock

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 pound cooked thick cut bacon cut into ¼ inch strips

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Delicious Avocados

Directions:

Place a large stainless steal soup pot on the stove over medium heat- add the extra virgin olive oil, and butter. Put the chopped onions, celery, and carrots in the pot. Cook this mixture for 8-10 minutes, until the veggies become slightly brown and caramelized. Add the heavy cream and chicken stock. Let the soup cook for 20 minutes, or until it reduces by 1/3.

Put 2 of the avocados in a blender. Carefully ladle 2 cups of hot mixture into the blender and mix on high for 30 seconds. Return the blended mixture to the soup pot. Continue this process until all of the avocados are used, and all the cooked veggies have been blended.

Place the soup in the fridge in a shallow container and let cool for at least 4 hours.

Remove the chilled soup from the fridge. Add the lime and lemon juice, cayenne pepper, salt, fresh cracked black pepper, and chopped cilantro- mix thoroughly.

Ladle the mixture into soup bowls and garnish with sour cream, or crème fraiche, bacon lardoons, olive oil and chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

pittsburghhotplate.com

*bacon lardoons are small pieces of cooked, fatty bacon

Filed Under: Recipe of the Day Tagged With: avocado soup, avocados, bacon, bacon lardoons, bacon recipes, cold soups, soup recipes, summer dinner ideas, summer recipes, summer soup ideas, summer soups

Salmon Oscar Style

May 15, 2013 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Salmon Oscar Style

Salmon Oscar Style

Some of my favorite ingredients to work with are rich buttery sauces, asparagus, salmon and lump crabmeat. Put all of these components together and you have Salmon, Oscar Style. This is an extremely rich, delicious dish.

Salmon Oscar Style

Pre-heat Oven or Grill to 350 Degrees

Serves 6

Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

6 pieces of fresh salmon, 6 oz. each

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 dozen pieces of trimmed, peeled, fresh asparagus

1 can lump crabmeat

2 tablespoons butter

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste

Directions:

Massage the salmon fillets with olive oil, and season with a liberal amount of salt and pepper. Place the salmon fillets in a 350-degree oven on a greased sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes. You may also grill the salmon for this dish- the cooking time will remain the same.

Season the asparagus with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. The asparagus can go in the oven or on the grill- cook for 2 minutes.

While the salmon and asparagus are cooking, put 2 tablespoons of butter in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Once the butter is melted, add the lump crabmeat. Cook for 1-2 minutes, just until the crab is heated throughout.

For the Béarnaise Sauce:

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves

2 shallots, minced

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

1/4 cup dry white wine

4 egg yolks

1 stick butter, melted

Salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Directions:

In a small saucepan, combine the tarragon, shallots, vinegar and wine over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.

Whisk the yolks until they become light and fluffy- add the béarnaise reduction and continue to mix. Continue whisking at a steady pace while adding the melted butter. Continue this process until an emulsion forms, and all of the butter is gone.

Season with salt and fresh cracked black pepper.

Set the sauce aside in a warm place.

To Assemble the Dish

Place the grilled asparagus on a clean dinner plate. Next, put the cooked salmon on top of the asparagus. Spoon a few ounces of crabmeat on top of the salmon. Finish the dish with a large ladle of the béarnaise sauce.

Garnish with chopped parsley, paprika, and lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Recipe of the Day Tagged With: asparagus, bernaise sauce, butter, butter sauces, cooking salmon, crabmeat, dinner, dinner recipes, fresh salmon, hollandaise, lump crabmeat, lunch, lunch recipes, preparing butter sauces, salmon, salmon oscar style, salmon recipe, salmon recipes, seafood dishes, seafood recipes

Salmon Kebabs with Sweet Citrus Butter

May 9, 2013 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Salmon Kebabs with Sweet Citrus Butter

Salmon Kebabs with Sweet Citrus Butter

Summer is right around the corner and if you’re like me, most of your cooking will be done on the grill outside. Salmon is a meaty fish that lends itself well to kebabs. Try skewering different veggies and fruit with your fish- the possibilities are endless!

Salmon Kebabs with Sweet Citrus Butter

Pre-heat your grill to 350 degrees

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

3 pounds of fresh salmon cut into 1-inch cubes

1 zucchini cut into 1-inch cubes

1 squash cut into 1-inch cubes

1 sweet onion cut into 1-inch cubes

12 Campari tomatoes

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon Kosher, or sea salt

2 -dozen wooden kebab skewers soaked in water

Directions:

Place the cubed salmon and veggies in a bowl- coat with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Begin building the skewers- place a piece of salmon on first then rotate the veggies until all of the kebabs are ready for the grill.

Draw a veggie-oiled cloth across the grates then carefully place the skewers on the hot grill. Let the salmon cook for 3-4 minutes a side. Once the skewers have finished cooking, remove them from the grill and set aside.

Sweet Citrus Butter

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

zest of 1 lemon

zest of 1 lime

2 tablespoons organic honey

1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 teaspoon Kosher or sea salt

Directions:

Place the above ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Paint the citrus butter on the salmon skewers with a pastry brush.

Serve immediately with lemon and lime wedges.

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Recipe of the Day Tagged With: basil, basil cream sauce, basil sauce, butter, citrus butter, cooking salmon, cooking with fish, cooking with panko, dinner ideas, dinner recipes, fish recipe, fish recipes, fresh seafood, panko, panko breadcrumbs, salmon, salmon kebabs, salmon varieties, seafood, seared salmon

Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops with Spicy Remoulade

May 8, 2013 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops with Spicy Remoulade

Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops with Spicy Remoulade

One wouldn’t think that bacon and seafood goes well together, but in this case it does. The natural sweetness of the sea scallops provides a surprising flavor balance when served with thick slabs of bacon.

Bacon Wrapped Sea Scallops with Spicy Remoulade

Serves 6-8

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Prep time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

10-12 large fresh sea scallops

10-12 pieces thick cut bacon

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 tablespoon fresh cracked black pepper

1 dozen toothpicks

Directions:

Place the fresh sea scallops in a large metal bowl. Coat the scallops with the extra virgin olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Wrap each scallop with a slice of the bacon. Once the bacon has overlapped itself, secure it to the scallop with a toothpick.

Sear the scallops in a non-stick pan on medium high heat with a small amount of olive oil. Once the scallops are brown, and the bacon is lightly cooked, transfer them to a baking sheet and place in a 350-degree oven for 4-6 minutes. Remove from the oven and set aside.

For the Remoulade

Ingredients:

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup Greek Yogurt

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro

1 tablespoon chopped flat leaf Italian parsley

zest and juice of 1 lime

zest and juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons fresh cracked black pepper

½ teaspoon sea salt

Directions:

Place all of the ingredients in a medium sized metal bowl. Mix thoroughly with a whisk.

Serve the bacon wrapped scallops with a liberal amount of the spicy remoulade. Garnish with lemon and lime wedges.

Enjoy!

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Recipe of the Day Tagged With: aioli, aioli recipe, aioli recipes, appetizer, appetizers, bacon, bacon recipe, bacon recipes, dinner ideas, fritter, fritter recipes, fritters, lunch ideas, prawns, ramaki, scallops, shrimp, shrimp appetizer, shrimp appetizers

Salmon Cakes

April 23, 2013 By Chef Chuck Leave a Comment

Salmon Cakes

Salmon Cakes

Salmon Cakes are a delicious alternative to crab cakes- if you’re looking for something new and flavorful, these will surely perk up your tastebuds.

Prep-time: 30 minutes

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients:

2 ½ pounds of cooked salmon

3 eggs, beaten

1 cup of mayonnaise

zest of 2 lemons

juice of 1 lemon

2 cups unseasoned breadcrumbs

¼ cup of chopped Italian parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive Oil and Butter for frying

Directions:

Crumble the salmon and place it in a bowl. Add the beaten eggs, mayonnaise, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Next, add the breadcrumbs, chopped parsley, and salt and pepper. Fold these ingredients together with the salmon mixture using a spatula. With a scoop or busher, place balls of the salmon mixture onto a baking tray. Form the balls into patties.

Place a non-stick frying pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add a few tablespoons of olive oil and butter to the pan. When the oil becomes hot, place the salmon cakes one at a time into the pan and fry until golden brown on each side. Remove from the pan onto a paper towel to remove excess oil. Place the salmon cakes on a baking sheet covered with aluminum foil and sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes until heated throughout.

Serve with homemade tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

Chef Chuck Kerber

chefchuck@pittsburghhotplate.com

pittsburghhotplate.com

Filed Under: Recipe of the Day Tagged With: dinner recipes, fresh seafood, salmon cakes, salmon cakes recipe, salmon cakes recipes, salmon recipes, seafood, seafood recipes