I’m just a cook, I aint no rocket surgeon

Here is what I was thinking:

Butter poached 1/2 lobster (which will include, tail,claw, legs)

Black Trumpet mushrooms : straight up saute’

Sauce will be made up of, fish stock, lobster body, saffron and hint of pickled ginger *and aromatics

smoked hazelnut milk and hazelnut powder from the actual oil

Cylindral potato cooked slowly sous vide with a chorizo and fennel consomme//or broth

garnish with lemon verbena

If there is still room in the competition, I will have to make one of these and take a pic to submit..so let’s see what happens.

Another competition is coming up. This would be my first time doing an ACF competition. The rules are very elaborate and you can’t miss a thing.  There are 18 spots open for this and although I have not signed up yet, I will next week. I am thinking of doing lobster. I would be using a 2lb lobster and use the whole lobster. 

My thoughts on what I’d do:  Steep the lobsters and pull open the meat. Using the Tail and claws for sous vide or poaching in buerre monte’.  I will use the body’s to infuse a rich veal stock or fish stock with saffron. I have not decided yet.  I know I want to use fingerling potato but am torn between what preparation to use. I am trying to get some lobster legs from a company up north because I know not many people are using them. They would be my “crunch” in the dish somehow.

Right now I have two dishes which I am working on.  I do not know if I should go classical or modern american. My gut and personal style tell me to go modern american with great technique. I want to showcase the lobster with different textures. Should I butter poach? confit?

For some reason I want to use hazelnut, whether its powdered, thickened oil, consomme’.  Hopefully I will have something in the next day or so. I will have to keep in mind, this will all have to be done in about an hour or so. All ingredients can be scaled out as well. This is something to keep in mind.   I’ll keep this updated.

I forgot I had this picture. This is a practice run of the Sweet Potato Gnocchi I did at home. In this version, I used trumpet royales. In the actual version I used morels. This dish was simple and I had to keep in mind that this recipe was for “everyone”. None the less I was only allowed to use 10 ingredients. 

On January 30th, 2009 I won best over all and grand prize  at the “Anything But Ordinary NC Sweet Potato” competition.  This was more than a competition, it was basically a full on video production. I guess it will be used in advertisements. We had mics and there was cameras and producers asking us questions and telling us to re-do things so they can get it on film.

I was also asked to be a part of a special luncheon/dinner at “SECOND EMPIRE RESTAURANT AND TAVERN” in Raleigh, NC which is a very nice and award winning restaurant. Thank you to everyone at NC Sweet Potato comission foundation for making this possible.

And yes…Representing Johnson and Wales…..someone has to do it!!!

With some of the winnings..I splurged at the cooking store and bought 3 Shun knives and my mom a panini grill.

1st course:  Sweet Potato gnocchi, with morels, parm reggiano, and brown butter

3rd Course:  Sweet Potato sorbet with a walnut struesel blueberry/balsamic redux and sage emulsion.

Reppin JWU