Great Chefs Cook Vegan - Linda Long [31]
Apple Chips
1 Granny Smith apple
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup pineapple juice
To make the Apple Chips: Preheat oven to 200 degrees F. Peel half of the apple and slice as thinly as possible (you need four good slices). Place apple slices in a shallow dish. Make simple syrup by heating the sugar and water together in a small pot. Once the sugar has dissolved, add the pineapple juice and return syrup to a boil. Pour syrup over apple slices; poach for 5 minutes, then remove apple slices and drain. Arrange apple slices flat and not touching on a Silpat on a baking sheet. Dry apple slices in a 200-degree F oven until crisp, about 1 hour. Store chips in an airtight container until ready to serve.
How to Plate: Cut eight 2-inch circles from the Apple Confit with a round metal cutter and place two circles on each plate. Arrange the Poached Dates and Apple Gelee along one side of the confit and place a scoop of the Apple Sorbet on the other. Finish with the Quince Ras el Hanout Purée and Apple Chip. Serve immediately.
Erik Blauberg
“It is so important that all chefs take the dietary needs of their customers seriously. Vegan dishes have been in demand a long time, and no longer will a plate of vegetables do. All diners should expect to have a dish as exciting as all the other items on the menu.”
Erik Blauberg’s fascination with food began at an early age when he would sneak into hotel kitchens in the Catskills and watch chefs at work. From his humble culinary beginnings flipping burgers, he traveled to the French kitchens of Paul Bocuse and Roger Verge and the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo and Kicho in Osaka. In New York, he sharpened his culinary skills at Bouley, La Cote Basque, Windows on the World, Tavern on the Green, and American Renaissance. After a stint at the five-star Jalousie Plantation Caribbean Resort and rave reviews from the New York Times and New York Magazine at Colors in New York, in 1996 Blauberg was recruited to be master chef at the world-renowned 21 Club in New York.
Blauberg is a culinary historian, an avid traveler, a truffle hunter, and an accomplished food photographer. He has been named One of the World’s Great Chefs in the Culinary Institute of America’s Great Chef Series, served as executive chef for the twelfth annual James Beard Holiday Auction, and was a Master Chef for a celebrated all-truffle dinner at the James Beard House with Charlie Trotter, David Bouley, and Jean Louis Palladin. He has been named One of the World’s Best Chefs by the Academy of Hospitality Sciences and received the Five-Diamond Award, and a special achievement Jay Walman award. He served on the advisory board of Syracuse University and frequently appeared on the Food Network, Regis and Kelly Live (ABC), and on television in Japan, Germany, and England. He is currently the owner and CEO of EKB Restaurant Consulting and is responsible for overhauling the food programs for several large venues in New York City.
Baby Frisée with Organic Wheat Berries, Winter Truffles, and Mustard Emulsion
Serves 4
Wheat Berries
2 tablespoons soy margarine or olive oil
1/4 cup finely minced onion
1/4 cup finely minced celery
1/4 cup finely minced carrots
1/2 cup organic wheat berries
Sea salt to taste
1 cup vegetable stock or water, divided
White pepper, freshly ground
To make the Wheat Berries: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt soy margarine. Add and sauté onion, celery, and carrots until softened. Add wheat berries and stir. Season with sea salt and cook for 5 minutes. Add 1/2 cup vegetable stock, bring to a simmer, and reduce heat to low. Once the stock is absorbed, add the remaining 1/2 cup and continue to simmer until completely absorbed.
NOTE: More stock might be needed if the wheat berries remain too firm. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste. Cool and reserve.
Truffle Mustard Emulsion
Juice of 1 lemon, strained
3 tablespoons