Compliments of Alessandro Cartumini, Executive Chef, Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore
For the maple sherry vinaigrette:
• 1 C salad oil
• 1 tsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp chopped and roasted shallots
• 1/3 C aged sherry vinegar
• 2 Tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dijion mustard
• Tt salt and pepper
Mix in a bar blender until well emulsified.
For the calamari and to finish:
• 12 oz fresh calamari cleaned and cut into rings
• 1 C ap flour
• 1 C corn starch
• 4 hand full watercress, washed
• 2 hand full frisee, washed and picked
• 1 meyer lemon, thinly sliced and grilled
Mix flour and corn starch, toss calamari into flour mix. Shake off excess flour. Fry calamari in frying oil at 340F for about 5 minutes, until cooked and crispy. Remove from oil, strain and lay over paper towel to absorb excess oil. Place calamari with watercress, frisee, grilled meyer lemon slices in a mixing bowl.Season with vinaigrette and salt and black pepper to taste. Serve, enjoy.
Four Seasons Resort The Biltmore Santa Barbara
fourseasons.com/santabarbara
Compliments of John Downey, Owner of Downey's
Serves 6 for a light lunch.
• 3 whole fresh Rock Crabs. Or 12 large crab claws. (Available at the Saturday morning Fisherman's Market near the Breakwater)
• 2 ripe Hawaiian papayas
• 1 oz. pine nuts, toasted
• 2 nice limes
• 1 cup fresh ginger-lime dressing (see recipe below)
• fresh basil (green, opal or both)
Cook the crabs by placing them in cold water which has been seasoned with a little salt, pickling spices and a splash of vinegar. Cover the pot and bring it just to a boil. Remove the crab from the pot and cool it down under cold running water. Refrigerate until you are ready to use it.
To clean the crab, remove each of the claws and legs. Discard the body as the very little amount of meat inside is difficult to remove. This can be a messy job so be sure to do it over the sink! Crack the claws and the larger sections of the legs with a mallet or the back of a heavy knife. Pick out the crab meat being sure to remove all pieces of shell. Set meat aside in refrigerator.
Peel the limes using a small sharp knife. Remove all zest and white pith. Cut out the segments carefully and set aside.
Peel the papayas using a vegetable peeler, cut them in half and remove the seeds. Cut into thick slices and arrange on six plates.
Divide the crab among the plates, garnish with a sprinkling of toasted pine nuts, a little finely-shredded basil, the lime segments and splash the lime-ginger dressing lightly all over.
Enjoy this with a nice local Chardonnay.
Fresh Ginger-Lime Dressing:
• Zest from 1 lime
• ¼ cup lime juice
• ½ oz fresh, finely-grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 cup pure olive oil
• Salt & pepper to taste
• Dash of cayenne
Combine all ingredients and let stand for 30 minutes. Correct the seasoning and use as needed. Use with crab salad or watercress with fresh strawberries.
Downey's
downeyssb.com
Compliments of John Downey, Owner of Downey's
• 1 medium yellow onion - peeled and chopped
• 2 stalks celery - chopped
• 2 medium carrots - peeled and chopped
• 1 ounce butter
• 4 bay leaves
• 1 teaspoon thyme - dried or fresh
• ½ teaspoon anise seed
• 1 teaspoon marjoram
• 2 green apples cut in quarters.
• salt and white pepper to taste
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 4 ounces fresh cranberries
Puree the soup in a food processor fitted with steel blades or a blender. Pass through a fine strainer. Return to a clean saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in the cream. Correct salt and pepper to your taste.
Warm the cranberries gently in a little butter until they just start to split their skins.
Serve the soup in hot bowls garnished with warm cranberries and a little chopped fresh marjoram if available.
Note: May also be garnished with a little whipped cream to which some freshly-grated ginger has been added.
Downey's
downeyssb.com
Yields about 7-8 portions about 4 oz. each
• 2 1/2 cups milk
• 2 cups cream
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 4 ea. sheets silver gelatin, bloomed in cold water (or 6.7 grams powdered gelatin, dissolved over 2 tsp water)
Scald milk, cream, sugar and beans. Add extract. Strain and measure liquid to ensure that you have 4 1/2 cups of liquid. Add more milk if needed. (Sometimes some of the liquid can evaporate during scalding) Stir in bloomed gelatin, that has been squeezed of its moisture (or whisk in powdered at this point). Chill over an ice bath until mixture begins to thicken. Pour into 4 oz. ramekins and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
Coast Restaurant at Canary Hotel
canarysantabarbara.com
Compliments of Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe
• 1 wedge brie cheese (3 inches at the top)
• 1 piece 4 x 4 puff pastry
• ½ cup toasted hazelnuts, chopped
• 1 egg beaten
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• ½ bottle Port wine
• ½ cup sugar
Method for Brie:
Cut the brie in half horizontally. Sprinkle half of the hazelnuts onto one side of the brie and sandwich back together with a little pressure. Roll out the puff pastry to 6 x 6. Place the brie in the middle of the dough so the tip of the cheese is pointing towards a corner of the pastry. Fold the pastry around the brie like a present. Apply the egg wash at any seams. Add the cinnamon to remaining egg wash and brush the pastry completely. Put seam side down in an oiled, nonstick pan and place in a 400 degree oven till golden brown, about 10-15 minutes.
Method for Port Syrup:
Add the sugar and Port together in a non-reactive, small pot. Bring to a boil and then reduce to simmer. Reduce the liquid to a syrupy consistency. Chill.
Serve the baked brie with the port syrup, a petite salad, the reserved hazelnuts and freshly toasted crostinis.
Los Olivos Wine Merchant & Cafe
losolivoscafe.com
Serves 8
For Pork Tenderloin:
• 2 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ½ cup orange juice, fresh
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, chopped
• 2 Tablespoon rosemary, fresh, chopped
• ½ cup olive oil
• To taste - salt & pepper
• 4 each pork tenderloins, cleaned of excess fat
Combine all ingredients except pork in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the marinade over the Pork Tenderloin and refrigerate 4 to 8 hours until ready to cook. Remove from the marinade and pat dry. When the BBQ is ready, grill for 12 to 18 minutes turning as needed until desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper when grilling.
For the Apricot Pineapple Salsa:
• 1 pound fresh apricots, seeded and diced
• ¼ cup fresh pineapple, diced ¼"
• 2 tablespoons red onion, diced ¼"
• 2 tablespoons green bell pepper, diced ¼"
• 2 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced ¼"
• 1 tablespoon green onion, thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
• ¼ cup orange juice
• To taste - salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Check seasoning and set aside until ready to use.
Presentation:
After letting the meat rest for about 10 minutes, slice into ¼ inch slices. Place the slices out on each plate and top with Fresh Apricot Salsa.
San Ysidro Ranch
sanysidroranch.com
Lavender Honey, Arugula, Goat Cheese Cream
Compliments of Jaime West, Executive Chef at San Ysidro Ranch
Serves 4
Ingredients:
• 6 each black mission figs, ripe
• 8 slices prosciutto di parma, cut into ½ inch strips
• 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• ½ each sweet melon such as charantais peeled and sliced very thinly
• ½ cup goat cheese, crumbled
• 2 - 4 tablespoons milk
• to taste - salt and freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ cup lavender honey
• 1 cup arugula - loosely packed
• 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• To taste - salt and freshly ground black pepper
To Prepare the Figs:
Cut each fig in half, wrap each half in a slice of Prosciutto. Drizzle with olive oil and grill over medium heat until warm (1-2 minutes).
For the Goat Cheese Cream:
Place goat cheese in a bowl, slowly whisk in milk until it is the consistency of sour cream, place in a squeeze bottle.
To serve:
Line the bottom of each plate with the melon slices. Place a small handful of arugula in the center of each plate and arrange the figs, 3 halves per serving, around the arugula. Drizzle with lavender honey, goat cheese cream and a little balsamic vinegar. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.
San Ysidro Ranch
sanysidroranch.com
Flageolets, wilted Mizuna and Ginger Emulsion
Compliments of Chef Robert Perez from Seagrass Restaurant
• 6 ea. U10 diver scallop
• 3 Tbsp. clarified butter
• Pinch sea salt
• Fresh ground white pepper
For the ginger emulsion:
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 oz. bysus (or beard) meat from the trimmed scallop
• 1 shallot, peeled and diced
• 2 Tbsp ginger, peeled and finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, peeled and crusted
• ½ rib celery, diced
• 1 tsp. coriander, cracked
• 4 Tbsp. dry sherry
• ½ c fish fumet
• ½ c heavy cream
• 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
On high heat, allow your sauce pan to get hot. Add the oil, and then sear the beard meat and allow to lightly brown. Add the dry ingredients and sauté until golden brown. Deglaze the pan with the sherry and reduce till dry. Add fumet, bring to a boil, and finally add the cream. Bring slowly to a boil and reduce by half. Squeeze in the lemon juice. Strain through a fine mesh strainer into a metal bain-marie and keep warm.
• 8 leafs basil
• Sea salt and fresh ground white pepper
• ½ tsp xanthan gum
Blanch fennel in a pot of salted filtered water until tender, add basil and allow to return to a boil. Remove the fennel and basil from the water and place in an ice bath. Remove as soon as it is cold and puree with the xanthan in the blender. Season to taste, and strain through a sieve. Refrigerate.
For the wilted mizuna:
• 2 oz. mizuna
• 1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and fresh ground white pepper
Warm the olive oil in a sauté pan and quickly toss the mizuna just to wilt. Season with salt and pepper.
Garnish:
• 12 urchin gonads (corals)
• 2 oz. fresh flageolets, blanched then warmed in butter
• Maldon sea salt flakes
• Chives, finely cut
• Basil oil
To Finish:
In a hot frying skillet, pour in the clarified butter. Lightly season the scallops on both sides and carefully place them in the pan. It is very important not to over crowd the pan. This will also allow you to keep the heat up on each pan in order to achieve a proper sear. Sauté the scallops until golden brown on one side, turn of the heat and turn the scallops over. Allow to warm on the bottom and remove from pan and place on paper towels.
Spoon a small amount of fennel basil puree in the center of the plates with a spoon and run the spoon through the puree to create a ribbon. Spoon the wilted mizuna onto the plate and then the warm flageolets. Place a scallop as well as two pieces sea urchin coral on each plate. Squeeze a little lemon juice over the scallop and urchin and sprinkle lightly with Maldon salt.
With the help of a squeeze bottle, squeeze some basil oil on each plate. With a Bamix (staff mixer), foam the emulsion and sauce the dish. Sprinkle with chives and serve.
Seagrass Restaurant
seagrassrestaurant.com
