2009 Inaugural Luncheon Menu & Recipes

SECOND COURSE
Duck Breast with Cherry Chutney
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ cup chopped onion (1 small)
• 3 garlic cloves, crushed
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon ground cumin
• Scant ¼ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
• ¾ teaspoon salt
• ½ cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper (½ medium)
• 1 plum tomato, coarsely chopped ӫ¼ cup dry red wine
• 1 ½ to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• ½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 can (3 cups) Bing cherries, quartered (Oregon brand)
• ½ cup Golden Raisinsӫ10 (6 oz.) boneless duck breasts with skin
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or chives

Method for chutney and glaze

1. Heat
   oil in a 2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but
   not smoking, then cook onion, garlic, and shallot, stirring
   occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes.
2. Add tomato paste, black pepper, cumin, hot pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
3. Reduce heat to medium and add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, untilsoftened, about 5 minutes.
4. Stir in wine, vinegar (to taste), and sugar and simmer approx 5 minutes. 
5. Stir in mustard, 1 1/2 cups cherries, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer 1 minute. 
6. Allow to cool slightly and reserve all but ¼ cup of the mix to the side. 
7. Place1/4
   cup mix in a blender and puree until very smooth, about 1 minute (use
   caution when blending hot liquids). Reserve for glazing duck. 
8. To
   finish the chutney, add the remaining 1½ cups of cherries, tarragon,
   chives and all the golden raisins. Note: This can be prepared one day
   ahead
9. Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. 
10. Score duck skin in a crosshatch pattern with a small sharp knife and season duck all over with salt and pepper.
11. Heat water in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over low heat until hot, then add duck, skin side down.
12. Cook
    duck, uncovered, over low heat, without turning, until most of fat is
    rendered (melted) and skin is golden brown, about 25 minutes. 
13. Transfer duck to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. 
14. Brush duck all over with cherry glaze and return to skillet, skin side up. 
15. Roast duck in oven until thermometer registers 135°F, about 8 minutes for medium-rare. 
16. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. 
17. Holding a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, cut duck into slices.
18. Serve with cherry chutney and molasses whipped sweet potato.

Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing
Yield: 10 portions

Ingredients

• 10 Pheasant breast, boneless, remove tenders and reserve for stuffing, cut small pocket in side of breast for stuffin
• ½ cup Olive oil with chopped rosemary, thyme and sage
• 1 lb. Wild rice, long grain
• 2 quarts Chicken stock or canned chicken broth
• 2 Carrots, diced
• ½ Onion, diced
• ½ cup Dried apricot, small diced
• 1 Tablespoon Salt and pepper mix
• 2 Tablespoons Garlic, roasted

Directions

1. Boil the rice with the chicken stock, cook until soft and most of the liquid is gone.
2. Add
   the onion, carrot, garlic and apricot. Cook until the vegetables are
   soft and all liquid has been absorbed. Refrigerate rice mixture until
   cold.
3. In a food processor, puree pheasant tenders to a paste consistency to use as a binder for rice mix. 
4. When
   rice is cool, add the pheasant puree to the rice until well mixed.
   Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and return to refrigerator until
   ready to stuff.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Make 10 small football shaped patties of the rice mix, stuff inside the pheasant, being careful not to overstuff the pheasant. 
7. Rub herb/oil mixture on top and bottom of the pheasant, season with salt and pepper. 
8. Place the pheasant on a heavy gauge roasting pan and then in a preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. 
9. Remove from oven and cover with lid or foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. 
10. Serve over sauté of spinach.
11. NOTE:Pheasant can be substituted with chicken.

Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes
Yield: 2 quarts

Ingredients

• 3 large sweet potatoes, about 3 pounds
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• ¼ cup orange juice
• ½ tablespoon of brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon of molasses
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin
• 2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.
3. Peel the skin off of the sweet potatoes while still hot.
4. By hand or mixer, smash potatoes until all large chunks are gone.
5. Combine
   the potatoes, butter, salt, orange juice, brown sugar, ground cumin,
   molasses and maple syrup in a large bowl. Continue to mix all together
   until all lumps are gone. 
6. Adjust any of the seasonings to your specific tastes. 
7. Note: This can be made the day before.

Winter Vegetables
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients

• 2 bunches Asparagus, green, bottom 1/3 of stem removed
• 2 lbs. Carrots, peeled, cut oblong or large dice
• 1 lb. Baby Brussel Sprouts, fresh,cleaned or frozen can be used
• 1 lb. Wax Beans, ends snipped
• 2 oz Butter
• 1 each Zest from orange
• 4 oz. Olive oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions
Asparagus:

1. preheat grill or large heavy bottom sauté pan.
2. Rub 2 oz of olive oil on asparagus and season with pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Lay flat on grill or sauté pan until lightly browned.
4. Using long fork or tongs, rotate the asparagus to brown other sides. Usually 2 or 3 minutes per side. 
5. The asparagus is done when you can use a fork to cut through. Do not overcook, this will cause asparagus to become stringy.
6. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Carrots:

1. bring
   3 qt salted water to a boil, add carrots to water and cook until fork
   tender, meaning a fork will easily pass through the carrot.
2. Drain the water from the pot and toss 1 oz butter and zest of orange and mix until carrots are coated.
3. Season with pinch of salt and enjoy.
4. Keep warm until ready to serve.

Fresh Brussel Sprouts:

1. Bring
   3 qt salted water to a boil, cut into the stem of the sprout with a
   pairing knife to create an X on the bottom, this will allow the stem to
   cook more evenly.
2. Place sprout in boiling water and allow to cook until bottom of sprout is tender and easily cut with a knife.
3. Preheat
   a heavy bottom sauté pan while the sprouts are cooking. Remove sprouts
   from water and allow all water to drain completely.
4. Add 2 oz
   oil to sauté pan and add the sprouts, season with salt and pepper while
   tossing the sprouts around to evenly brown in the pan.
5. If sprouts are too big, you can cut them in half.
6. Keep warm until ready to serve.

THIRD COURSE
Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake
Yield: 10 servings

Ingredients
Apple Filling

• 4 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• ¼ cup water
• 1/₃ cup granulated sugar
• 1/₃ cup apple sauce
• ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Grated zest from 1 lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Bread Crust

• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melt 10 of tablespoons
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 34 slices brioche bread (or white bread)

Equipment
10 Ceramic baking ramekins or metal molds (3″ diameter)

Sauce

• 2 cups caramel sauce(store bought)
• 2 cups granny smith apples, peeled, cored, diced small
• Pinch sugar
• Pinch cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon butter

Ice Cream
1 quart vanilla ice cream

Preparation Filling

1. Melt butter in 6-quart saucepan over medium-low heat.
2. Add apples and caramelize, add water, cook, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are completely soft. 
3. Remove cover and add sugar, nutmeg and salt.
4. Increase
   heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring apples frequently,
   until liquid has completely evaporated, about 10 minutes. 
5. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, apple sauce and vanilla. 
6. Set aside to cool while making crust. 
7. The filling can be made one day ahead

Making crust and assembly

1. Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F.
2. Grease 8 ceramic dishes with 1 tablespoon butter.
3. Sprinkle sugar in dish and tilt to coat bottom and sides. Tap out excess sugar and set aside.
4. Using a bread knife, remove crusts from bread. 
5. Center
   the bottom of mold over one of the bread squares. Cut around mold to
   form circle to use as the top. Make a total of 20 of these round
   pieces. Ten will be for the bottom and 10 will be used for the top. 
6. Dip each one in melted butter and place at the bottom of mold
7. Cut
   each of the 15 remaining slices of bread into four rectangular pieces.
   Dip one side of each strip in the melted butter and arrange strips,
   upright, around the inside of molds, buttered-sides against mold and
   overlapping by about 1/2″ to completely line mold. Use 6 rectangles to
   line the mold
8. Spoon the apple filling into bread-lined molds, mounding it slightly in center.
9. Take
   the remaining ten rounds of bread and dip pieces of bread into the
   melted butter and place on top of filling, buttered-sides up. Press
   down lightly.
10. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover top loosely with aluminum foil. 
11. Bake
    for an additional 15-20 minutes, until top is deep golden brown and
    side slices are golden brown (slide a thin-bladed knife between bread
    and pan to check). 
12. Remove from oven, uncover, and let rest for
    15 minutes on wire rack. Run thin-bladed knife around edges of molds to
    be able to flip the mold out onto serving plates.

For the apple cinnamon caramel sauce

• Sauté 1 cup of peeled and diced Granny Smith apples in butter
• Add a pinch of sugar and cinnamon.
• Allow to cook until apples are lightly browned and all sugars have dissolved.
• Remove from heat and add 2 cups caramel sauce to the apples and stir to coat apples.

To Assemble
Pour caramel apple sauce over warmed apple cakes and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.