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Texas - Mark Holley
Asst. William Thompson
Pesce Restaurants
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Landry's Restaurants
3029 Kirby
Houston, TX 77098
http://www.pescehouston.com
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The talent behind the award-winning success of Pesce is none other than Chef Mark Holley. Born and raised in Dayton, Ohio, Mark was inspired to pursue a career in the culinary arts after experiencing the joy of helping Mom in the kitchen as she prepared recipes that had been passed down from generation to generation. His formal schooling began at Garfield Training Center in Ohio where he began as an apprentice at Odyssey Restaurant. As he gained experience, Mark developed a passion to explore and broaden his knowledge of classic French cuisine. His skills led him to Texas and the enviable position of working under some of the country’s best chefs as Saucier in two of Houston’s finest hotels – the Meridian Hotel and the Four Seasons Inn on the Park.
Mark’s quest to continually broaden his culinary range and skills led him to an apprenticeship with the renown Brennan’s family at their Houston restaurant. At Brennan’s, Mark learned the flavorful essence of a Creole kitchen under Chef Carl Walker. With an eye for talent, Chef Walker quickly assessed Mark as a rising star and furthered his career by sending him to work under Jamie Shannon as the Garde Manger and Sous Chef of the internationally recognized Commander’s Palace in New Orleans. After three years, Mark returned to Houston as Chef Walker’s Chef de Cuisine, contributing to many of the accolades Brennan’s received. During his tenure, Brennan’s became a member of the distinguished restaurants in North America and Mark, along with Chef Walker, participated in the creation of a special dinner at the James Beard House in New York.
On the merits of his formidable skills and reputation, Chef Holley was invited to open a new upscale seafood restaurant, Pesce, as Executive Chef. Under his culinary direction, Pesce has established itself as a leading restaurant in Houston, garnering media attention and recognition as well as several awards. In 2000, Pesce received the Best New Restaurant Award and in 2003, Chef Holley received the Best Chef of the Year award. In addition, Pesce has consistently been recognized as one of America’s Top Ten Seafood Houses by renown food critic Tom Horan
Married and the father of four children, Mark genuinely loves his profession; self-inspired to the point that he does not consider his job work, but rather a passionate hobby. Mark continues to set new standards and exceed all expectations. |
Recipe Day 1
Japanese Tempura Shrimp
served with a wasabi potato cake, seaweed salad, tobiko and a spicy chili sauce
Tempura Shrimp
24 each large shrimp, peeled & deveined
Tempura batter (recipe follows)
Dip shrimp in tempura batter and fry at 350 degrees until golden brown.
Tempura Batter
1 cup all purpose flour
½ cup corn starch
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ cup club soda
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
In a bowl add flour, corn starch, baking soda, salt and pepper. Mix well. Gently fold in club soda until mixed.
Wasabi Cake
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 egg, slightly beaten
2 Tablespoons wasabi paste
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
½ cup onions, small diced
½ cup leeks, small diced
3 pounds potatoes, baked & peeled
Kosher salt, to taste
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
All-purpose flour, as needed
In a bowl add heavy cream, eggs, and wasabi. Mix well. In a sauté pan over medium high heat sauté onions and leeks in oil for 2 minutes. Add this mixture to heavy cream mixture. Puree potatoes using a food mill (yielding four cups) and fold into heavy cream mixture until mixed well. Form into 8 - 4oz cakes. Dust potato cakes with flour and pan sear on both sides. Finish in oven until heated throughout.
2 cups mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 Tablespoons sambal paste
1 Tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Combine all ingredients and mix well. Pass through a fine strainer.
Sweet Soy Oil
¼ cup Sweet soy
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
Combine ingredients and mix well.
Seaweed Salad
½ cup carrots, julienne
¾ cup cucumber, julienne
¾ cup daikon sprouts
¾ cup seaweed salad
In a medium bowl add carrots, cucumbers, radish sprouts and seaweed salad. Mix well.
Plate Assembly
16 each Chive flowers, 3 inches long
Green tobiko, as needed
Place potato cake in center of plate. Drizzle soy oil & spicy chili sauce around the inside the rim of the plate. Arrange shrimp around potato cake then place carrot-cucumber mixture & tobiko on top. Garnish with chive flowers. |
Recipe Day 2
Texas Gulf Shrimp
Texas Gulf Shrimp
16 each Jumbo shrimp, peeled & deveined
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
kosher salt, as needed
black pepper, freshly ground, as needed
Tequila, as needed
In a sauté pan over medium high heat sear shrimp & deglaze with tequila.
Heirloom Tomato Relish
2 cups Heirloom cherry tomatoes, thinly sliced
1/3 cup Texas sweet onion, thinly sliced
1 Tablespoon serrano peppers, chopped
½ cup jicama, thinly sliced
½ cup lime juice, freshly squeezed
1 Tablespoon cilantro, sprigs
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
In a bowl add tomatoes, onions, peppers, cilantro & jicama, mix well. Add the lime juice. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.
Prickly Pear Gastrique
3 Tablespoons prickly pear jelly
1 Tablespoon honey
¼ cup cane vinegar
2 teaspoon cracked pepper flakes
In a sauce pan add all ingredients and reduce until syrup consistency.
Black Beans
½ pound black beans
2 each bacon
½ each onion, chopped
3 each garlic cloves
5 each epazote
Kosher salt, to taste
Black pepper, freshly ground, to taste
In a sauce pot add all ingredients except for salt & pepper. Cook until beans are tender or about two hours. Pour off excess liquid, holding back one cup. While beans are still warm puree in Cuisnart, until chunky. Adjust seasoning with salt & pepper.
Hominy Arepas
1 cup yellow hominy
1 ½ Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 each large eggs
¼ cup milk
2 ounces Texas mozzarella cheese, grated
¼ cup cornmeal
½ teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup all purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Vegetable oil, as needed
In a bowl combine, eggs, milk, hominy and butter mix well. In a separate bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until all lumps are dissolved. Fold in mozzarella cheese. Preheat a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a tablespoon of vegetable oil then add 2 ounces of mixture to the skillet. Let cook for approximately 1 ½ minutes on each side, until lightly browned. With a knife slice hominy cakes open face. Spread 1 tablespoon of black bean puree on bottom half. Set aside.
Plate Assembly
On a platter arrange 8 hominy cakes top with 16 shrimp, 2 on each and place tomato relish beside shrimp, drizzle with prickly pear gastrique on top of shrimp. |
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