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Illinois - Michael Taylor
Asst. Chef T.J. Martin
Sazerac
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Sazerac
16 Plates
Six South Old State
Capitol Plaza
Springfield, IL 62701
http://16Plates.com
(Coming August of 2008)
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Head Chef, Sazerac, Springfield, Illinois, 2008. Head Chef, Charles & Limey’s, Springfield, Illinois, 2007 to April 2008. Contract Chef, The Pasfield House, Springfield, Illinois, 2006 to present. Chef, The Bayou Grill, Springfield, Illinois, 2007. Chef/Partner, Froggy’s, Springfield, Illinois, 2002-2004. Partner, Tuscany Italian Restaurant, Springfield, Illinois, 1998 to 2004. Guest Instructor, Lincolnland Community College.
I traveled to New Orleans frequently on business and fell in love with the cuisine. I became a frequent customer at Tin Bill’s in Chatham, the only local restaurant to offer anything authentic. When Tin Bill’s closed, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen with Ron, learning how he worked. This was the point at which I discovered the passion. When I quit the practice of law, I took several trips to New Orleans and talked myself into what were essentially unpaid internships (now I guess we call them stages) in three different restaurants (No, I cannot tell you where).These experiences broadened my understanding of the culinary arts, although I was still limited to Cajun/Creole/Old World styles. When I became a partner at Tuscany Italian Restaurant, I had a chance to work with chefs and cooks from different genres and I began to understand what makes a dish work and why it makes a dish work. My emphasis is on regional Creole and Cajun fare. The cuisine of Louisiana includes rich influences from Spain, France, Germany and Italy. The diversity of styles in Louisiana provides more than enough outlet for my creative needs. While I will put my own twist on regional classics, I will probably not stray too far from them. I have too much respect for the subtleties of great regional cuisine to indulge my ego by forcing together ideas for the mere sake of fusion. That is not to say that you will not find a Michaelangelo sauce with Louisiana seafood in it, or a creole influenced saltimbocca. But you will not see a Vietnamese fusion with my crawfish pie. My philosophy of cooking, to the extent that I have one: the ingredients of a dish lend themselves to numerous interpretations, preparations and presentations. The cook brings his passion and perspective to the parts (ingredients) to create a whole (the finished dish) that is greater than the sum of the parts. This is where a successful dish gets its soul and this additional essence or flair that is the reflection of the cook’s passion. At the same time, the passion of the cook should accent and complement the selected ingredients – not overwhelm them. Working with the best of seafood is definitely a situation where “less is more” – and too much chef influence at the expense of the seafood will actually decrease the quality of the product. It is vital to respect the food. God has given me spectacular ingredients to work with. I can highlight – not change it. |
Recipe Day 1
Trio Of Illinois Seafood
Illinois Seafood presented as Marachiara, Beurre Blanc and File Gumbo
Marachiara Illini
8 bundles or nests of angel hair pasta
3 quarts water
1 ½ teaspoons salt
3 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1/8 pound sockeye salmon, plus
1 cup strong seafood stock
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 cups crushed tomatos
Tomato paste (as needed to thicken)
1 teaspoon Oregano
2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon thyme
¾ pound of walleye pike filets, cut into thin slices or cubes
½ pound sockeye salmon, cut into thin slices or cubes
¾ pound Coho salmon, cut into thin slices or cubes
2 Tablespoons Parmesan Reggiano, plus additional for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Fresh basil leaves, for garnish
Bring the water to boil, with a teaspoon and a half of salt. Gently add the angel hair bundles and cook according to package directions, until just short of al dente. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and set aside to cool. It is important that the pasta is not completely cooked – it will finish cooking when the sauce is added. Reserve ½ cup of the pasta water.
Place a nest of angel hair pasta into a small (six ounce) bowl. Bring the sauce to a low simmer and spoon the sauce over the pasta. Sprinkle lightly with parmesan – reggiano cheese. Layer the top with some of each fish. Garnish with basil leaf and serve.
Beurre Blanc
1 cup dark balsamic vinegar, reduced by ½
3 cups black rice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon unsalted butter
6 cups water
¾ pound of butter, cut into tablespoon portions
500 ml of sparkling wine
1 ½ teaspoon sherry vinegar, or to taste
2 Tablespoon finely chopped shallots
3 Tablespoons strong seafood stock
1 teaspoon thyme
¾ cup fresh sweet corn
½ teaspoon paprika, plus ½ teaspoon for garnish
Salt and pepper to taste
Coho salmon filets, cut into 1 ½ inch squares and ½ inch thick
Striped bass filet, cut into 1 ½ inch squares and ½ inch thick
8 long chives, cut into ¼ segments
Add teaspoon of butter and salt to the water, bring to a boil. Add rice and reduce heat to medium, cover. This type of rice will take twenty five to thirty minutes to completely cook. When done, cover and set aside. Saute shallots in wine, vinegar, stock and thyme until reduced by ¼. Add corn and paprika and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to low. Add butter one piece at a time and whisk or swirl until well incorporated. Add bass to mixture and cook 2 minutes. Turn bass over and add salmon. Cook two minutes more.
Spoon a half cup of black rice (which will really be more of a purple shade) into a small bowl (six ounces). Ladle beurre blanc over the rice. Top with a piece of bass. Cover bass with a piece of salmon, rotated 45 degrees from the angle of the bass. Spoon a small drop of the reduced balsamic on top of the salmon, garnish with chopped chives.
Illinois Seafood Gumbo File
6 cups water
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon butter
3 cups long grain rice
¼ pound of butter
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
¾ cup shallots, medium dice
1 green bell pepper, medium dice
1 red bell pepper, medium dice
¼ cup celery, medium dice
¾ teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground
¾ teaspoon white pepper, ground
½ teaspoon black pepper, ground
½ teaspoon crushed cayenne
1 ¼ teaspoon basil
¾ teaspoon thyme
3 cups seafood stock
12 ounces crushed tomatos
½ teaspoon sea salt, plus additional to taste
2 Tablespoons gumbo file, plus additional for garnish and condiment
¾ pound walleye filets, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ pound sockeye salmon, cut into ½ inch cubes
¾ pound coho salmon, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ pound peeled crawfish tails, with as much fat as possible
Chopped scallions (tops only) for garnish
Bring water to boil. Add salt and butter to water. When water boils again, add rice, reduce heat to medium and cover. When water is absorbed, taste for doneness and flavor. Adjust as necessary and set aside, loosely tented with foil. Melt butter over medium heat and sweat garlic and vegetables until translucent. Add spices, increase heat to high and sauté for one minute. Add seafood stock, reduce heat to strong simmer and add tomatoes. Stir constantly for five minutes to prevent sticking. Add salt and file, simmer six minutes. Adjust seasonings to taste. Add water if needed to increase volume. Simmer another twenty minutes over low heat. Bring to boil, add walleye and cook one minute. Making sure that the gumbo is at least at a low to medium boil, add the remaining fish, cover and let poach for fifteen minutes.
Spoon rice into a small bowl (six ounces) and ladle gumbo over the rice. Sprinkle with file powder and garnish with chopped scallions.
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Recipe Day 2
Illinois Seafood Paella
Broth
3 pints water
5 small tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 whole head of garlic, coarse outer skin removed
2 cups seafood stock
1 shallot, quartered lengthwise, plus four chopped
¼ teaspoon saffron
16 spears of asparagus
In a gallon pot, bring water to boil and add one tomato, the garlic, the quartered shallot and the seafood stock. While the water is boiling, add asparagus and boil for 2 minutes. Remove asparagus and shock in ice water to stop cooking process. Continue to boil broth. Reduce to 5 cups, add saffron and keep very hot. If you have more than five cups, don’t worry about it.
Paella
The remaining chopped tomatoes and shallots from the broth preparation – 4 each
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
8 teaspoons olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
¾ teaspoon smoked paprika
3 cups short grained rice – preferably Spanish
1 cup Illinois sweet corn
1 pound coho salmon, cubed in ½ inch dice
¾ pound sockeye salmon, cubed in ½ inch dice
½ pound walleye, cubes in ½ inch dice
½ pound striped bass, cubed in ½ inch dice
½ pound peeled crawfish tails
Reserved asparagus from broth
Chopped scallion tops for garnish
This dish may be prepared in a large, flat, shallow skillet or pan, or in a large shallow casserole dish that can go from burner to oven and back – or it may be prepared in both. Saute the chopped shallots in the olive oil for one minute. Add chopped garlic and sauté another minute. When shallots begin to soften, add tomatoes and peppers and cook until tomato liquid is reduced to the point that the mixture is dry. Add more oil if necessary and add the rice. Sauté three minutes. Add the rice and bring to a boil. Keep on low boil for ten minutes, which should reduce the liquid by half Transfer the mixture to the baking dish or pan (if used) and add the fish and corn, folding them in gently. Put the paella into a 400 degree oven for another ten to twelve minutes until rice is tender and liquid is almost gone. Remove from oven, add asparagus and let rest five minutes. Place over medium burner to achieve socarrat (the crisped rice at the bottom of the pot). Rest another two minutes.
Sprinkle paella with chopped shallots and serve from the pot or pan, family style. |
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