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by Debra C. Argen
Executive Chef John H. Connor, Jr. of Capriccio at Resorts, Atlantic City shares 3 of his marvelous recipes with LuxuryWeb readers. Capriccio, located at Resorts Atlantic City, 1133 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, New Jersey, www.resortsac.com features Northern and Southern Italian cuisine as well as Mediterranean cuisine. (Read our article on Resorts new tower, Rendezvous in a previous edition, and our article on Capriccio in the current edition of LuxuryWeb.com.)
Lobster Marsala with Saffron and Herb Baked Polenta
Serves 4:
3 ounces olive oil
2 ounces shallots
8 ounces shiitake mushrooms
8 lobster tails (each 4 ounces) shelled and large diced
4 ounces Marsala wine
16 ounces marinara sauce
6 ounces roasted red peppers
6 ounces heavy cream
2 ounces butter
8 polenta rounds
4 sprigs basil
4 ounces Parmesan cheese
Saffron and Herb Baked Polenta
6 cups chicken stock
1 ¾ cups course ground corn meal
2 ounces butter
½ ounce thyme, chopped fine
½ ounce basil, chopped fine
½ ounce oregano, chopped fine
½ ounce parsley, chopped fine
12 threads saffron
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Heat oil in a pan. Add shallots and sweat them, add shiitake mushrooms and sauté. Add meat from 1½ lobster tails. Deglaze with Marsala wine. Add marinara, roasted peppers, heavy cream and simmer for 5 minutes. Finish with Plugra butter; meanwhile heat 2 polenta rounds and stack on plate. Arrange remaining lobster and sauce over top. Dust with Parmesan cheese and basil.
Method of Baked Polenta
Bring chicken stock to a light boil. Add saffron, stir in corn meal, and cook for 10 minutes. Corn meal should pull away from sides of pot. Fold in herbs and butter and pour into a 2” pan and cool. Cut out round shapes with a cookie cutter.
Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Limoncello Jelly and Fresh Raspberries
Filling
2 cups buttermilk
1½ teaspoons unflavored gelatin (Knox brand)
2/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup confectioners 6x sugar
raspberries or other assorted seasonal berries
Limoncello Jelly
½ cup Limoncello liqueur
1¼ teaspoons unflavored gelatin
¼ cup sugar
1 cup water
Caramel
1 pint water (16 ounces.)
24 ounces sugar
5 ounces corn syrup
Boil on stove until desired golden color. Ladle carefully into ramekin – ¼” thick.
Method
Bring cream and sugar to a boil (scald). Add gelatin to buttermilk, then add hot cream and sugar mixture to this until gelatin dissolves. Strain and pour into caramel lined ramekins, ½” from top. Chill 4 hours. Prepare Limoncello jelly, pour on top and chill. To serve – run paring knife around edge of ramekin to unmold onto a plate and garnish accordingly with raspberries or other assorted seasonal berries.
Valentine’s Day Chocolate-Strawberry Napoleon with Vanilla and Strawberry Mousse with a Sour Cream Sauce
Serves 4
Chocolate Cookie Dough
14 ounces shortening
14 ounces sugar
¼ ounce baking soda
¼ ounce salt
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pound all-purpose flour
4 ounces cocoa powder
Vanilla Whipped Cream
8 ounces heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla
Strawberry Whipped Cream
8 ounces heavy cream
1 tablespoon sugar
¼ cup frozen strawberries, thawed, puréed, and strained
(Reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish.)
½ pint fresh sliced Strawberries
Sour Cream Sauce
½ cup sour cream
¼ cup heavy cream
Method: Chocolate Cookies with Heart Shaped Cookie Cutter
To prepare the chocolate dough: cream the shortening, sugar, baking soda, salt and vanilla in mixer with paddle attachment until light and fluffy. Add the egg, and then mix until combined. Next, add the flour and cocoa, and then mix until combined into a smooth dough. Roll the dough out on a table to ⅛” thick and cut with heart shaped cookie cutter to make 12 cookies. Bake in a preheated 350-degree F oven for 5 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for later use.
Method: Vanilla and Strawberry Whipped Creams
Prepare strawberry whipped cream by whipping 8 ounces of heavy cream with the sugar until thick. Fold in the puréed strawberries, using a rubber spatula.
Prepare the vanilla whipped cream the same way as above, but omit the strawberry purée.
Fill 2 pastry bags, each with star tips, with the separate flavored whipped creams.
Assembly
Assemble the Napoleons by piping the strawberry cream on a cooled cookie. Place several thinly sliced fresh strawberries on the cream. Top with another cookie, and then pipe vanilla cream on cookie. Top with another cookie, and then lightly dust with confectioners sugar.
Presentation
Place assembled chocolate Napoleon on a plate. Pipe sour cream on plate next to Napoleon using a squeeze bottle, and garnish with a little of the reserved strawberry whipped cream.
©July/August 2004. All rights reserved.
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