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January 16, 2002
Atlanta has grown much
since I was there last. Oriental stores are more
prevalent and the Dekalb farmer's market is a
"playground" for any chef wanting fresh
vegetables, fruits, herbs, bread or fish first thing in
the morning. Limes the size of small oranges as well as
fresh key limes for your next pie were available in
abundance.
The competition I entered a few weeks ago was extremely
intense. Chefs from up and down the East Coast wheeled in
tubs and tubs of pots, pans, knives, sheet pans, food
processors and every other piece of kitchen equipment one
could possibly ever imagine.
Six 24-foot tables were set up with fresh vegetables,
herbs, spices, rices and pastas, as well as vinegars,
wines and oils. Every chef got one "signature" fish (different
for every chef) and two of the same seafoods. On Monday,
everyone got shrimp and mussels while Tuesday, all chefs
got scallops and oysters.
Each chef had 90 minutes to prepare one entree for four
judges (three were chefs and one visitor). Once six chefs
had completed their dishes, the judging chefs gave a
final analysis to assist the chef in improving his or her
dishes, not only for judging, but also for the customer
to eat.
And, no matter the outcome of the judging, each chef
learned something from the experience in order to assist
him in next year's competition as well as the next night in his
restaurant.
One thing I learned was that, as far as the American
Culinary Federation is concerned, what a chef wears is as
important as, if not more to some, what the chef cooks.
Chef wear has changed over the years and while bright
colors do well in individual restaurants, some
"old-school" chefs do not recognize these
uniforms as being acceptable to wear.
Enjoy this recipe that was presented to the judges while
wearing a denim blue chef's jacket and green tie-dyed
chef pants (I thought I matched pretty well myself, but I am a chef,
not a fashion designer - go figure) and Bon Appetit!
CAJUN BLACKENED RED SNAPPER WITH SESAME SEARED SCALLOPS
AND
LOW COUNTRY ROASTED OYSTERS
Served over Lemon Pepper Linguine with Shitake Mushroom and Wasabi Cream
Sauce
Sounds more complicated than it was, really.
4, 6-ounce red snapper fillets
Cajun spice
16 scallops
Sesame oil
Black and white sesame seeds
8 whole oysters
1 pound lemon pepper linguini
Olive oil
Sesame oil
1 pound Shiitake mushrooms
Wasabi powder
10 cloves chopped garlic
1 quart heavy cream
4 ounces cream cheese
Salt
Pepper
Dust a 6-ounce red snapper fillet per person with a mild Cajun spice and let
marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to an hour. Marinate scallops (4
per person) in 4 ounces sesame oil and a judicious amount of black and white
sesame seeds. Refrigerate the scallops for 30 minutes to an hour.
Spread 2 whole oysters per person on a sheet pan, cover with damp towel, and
place in preheated 350 degree F oven. Check often to make sure the towel
stays damp, re-wetting as necessary, until oysters open.
Boil 1 pound lemon pepper linguini, per 4 people, according to package
directions. Drain well, cool off under running water and mix with olive oil
to coat. Set aside. Stem shiitake mushrooms (1 pound per 4 people) and
julienne the caps. Set aside.
Mix 4 ounces Wasabi powder with just enough water to form a thick paste.
Sauté 10 cloves chopped garlic and shiitakes in 2 ounces olive oil until
golden brown.
Add 1 quart heavy cream; simmer 5 minutes. Whisk in 4 ounces cream cheese,
1/2 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon black pepper. Taste for seasoning and
adjust as desired. Whisk in Wasabi paste and adjust for seasoning as
desired. Simmer until sauce consistency is achieved.
Place two sauté pans over high heat, one with olive oil and the other with
sesame oil. In the olive oil pan, sear the red snapper fillets, skin side
up, 2 minutes, flip and place in the oven with the oysters, for 5 minutes
(or until done in the middle, depending on the thickness of the fillets).
In the sesame oil pan, sear the scallops 3 minutes on each side, making sure
they are golden brown on each side before flipping. Remove from heat and
keep warm in the oven. Remove oysters from the oven and open. On the half
shell, top each oyster with 1 tablespoon of the shiitake sauce and place
back in the oven to finish baking. Mix remaining sauce with linguini to heat
through.
Place linguini in the center of each plate. Top with red snapper fillet.
Place two oysters on the side of each fish plate. Place four scallops around
the plate and sprinkle black and white sesame seeds over all for garnish.
Serve immediately. Serves 4.
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