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Rhode Island - Nicholas (Nick) Rabar
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At age 15, Nick began his career working on local farms and in owned eateries in the famed Hudson Valley where he grew up. He continued with this career, and attended The Culinary Institute of America, graduating in 1998. Nick held various Sous Chef positions before leading the team at the prestigious 111 Chophouse, a 250-seat New York style steakhouse in Massachusetts.
Rabar moved to Rhode Island for the opportunity to work with Providence restaurateur John Elkhay, at Ten Prime Steak & Sushi where he was named as the Chef d' Cuisine. Recognizing talent and passion, Elkhay quickly named Rabar Executive Chef at both Ten Prime Steak & Sushi and his signature restaurant, XO Steakhouse (now Café Noir).
In 2004, Rabar was named corporate executive chef for Chow Fun Food Group, where he is responsible for developing menus for all the restaurants and oversees the culinary team. In addition to Ten Steak and Sushi and Café Noir, Chow Fun Food Group owns and operates Citron Wine Bar & Bistro, Chinese Laundry and Rick’s Roadhouse.
When he is not in the kitchen creating the menus for Chow Fun Food Group’s latest ventures –Nick is the affable host of Stir It Up, a cooking show produced and aired locally by Cox Communications.
In 2003 Nick was named one of “America’s Hottest Chefs” by Spirit, the in-flight magazine of Southwest Airlines, as well as the “Chef of the Year” by the Rhode Island Hospitality & Tourism Association. Additionally in 2007, He has cooked for numerous celebrities including Robin Williams, Elton John, Billy Joel, Jessica Simpson, and Will Smith, as well as Bill and Hillary Clinton.
Nick has appeared on many television shows, including New England Living, Phantom Gourmet, The Loop, Chronicle, TV Maitre D’, Rhode Island Magazine, On the Menu, Let’s Dish, and will soon be featured on Rachel Ray’s Tasty Travel’s on Food Network this spring.
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Competition Recipe
New England "Clam Bake"
Ingredients
Baked Clam
4 ea. 1.25# Lobsters (Point Judith)
4ea. Littleneck Clams (Great Salt Pond)
4ea. Mussels (Narragansett Bay)
4ea. Steamers (Narragansett Bay)
1cup White Wine
1cup Clam Broth
1 T Olive Oil
6oz. Butter, Unsalted
1/2ea. Shallot, minced
1ea. Lemon
2T + 1tsp. Salt
Corn Coulis
2 ears Sweet RI Corn
2 cups + 1/2 cup Milk
4oz. Butter
1T Salt
2oz. Cold Pressed Olive Oil
Potato Puree
1.25# Creamer Potatoes
4oz. Butter
1/2 cup Light Cream
3T Salt
Chourico Oil
1/4 cup Canola Oil
1/8t Paprika
1/8t Old Bay
8oz. Chourico
Cooking Method
Baked Clam
In a large Stock Pot in boiling salted water, submerge lobsters and cook for 6 minutes. Drain and cool. Remove meat cleanly, rinse to clean, place all meat in an air tight bag with 1/2 a lemon, 1 tsp of salt and 4 oz of butter. Reserve
In a sauté pan over medium high heat, add olive oil, shallot and cook until soft. Deglaze with white wine, add stock and reduce by half, add butter and 1 tsp salt.
Lower heat to a simmer, add in this order, littlenecks, then steamers, then mussels. Cook until all are open but still very tender. Remove immediately when they open.
Corn Coulis
Remove corn from its cob. Boil in 2 cups Milk until soft. Strain. In a food processer, puree with whole butter, 1/2 cup of milk, salt and olive oil. Strain through a Tammy or Chinois.
Potato Puree
Peel potatoes and boil in salted water (2T). When soft, remove and place back in pot to remove excess moisture. Add in cream and butter, season with salt and mash until no potato solids are left.
Chourico Oil
Cut Chourico up into chunks. Simmer over medium heat for 30 minutes. Season and strain.
Garnish
4ea. Cipolinni onions (peeled)
2oz. Micro Celery
Cook onions on one side on a sizzle pan until golden.
Dress Celery with lemon juice, salt and olive oil.
Plate
(Cook all seafood at the last minute). Submerge lobster pouches in simmering water for 4 minutes prior to plate up. Place potato Puree in center of the plate, surround with corn coulis. Remove buttery lobster from the bag, place on potato puree, drizzle some of the butter on top.
Surround with lobster with 1 piece of each shellfish. Drizzle Chourico oil around the plate and on the seafood. Garnish plate with onion onion and micro celery.
Chefs Favorite Easy to Prepare Seafood Recipe
Bacon Wrapped Mussels
Swiss Chard, Pine Nuts, Whole Grain Mustard Sauce
Ingredients
10ea. Point Judith Mussels, Lightly Poached, Removed From Shell
5ea. Strips of Bacon, Lay Flat, Cherry Smoked
1cup White Wine, Pinot Grigio
½ cup Chicken Stock
1.5 Tbls. Whole Grain Mustard
1ea. Leek, White Only, Cut Medium Dice
6ea. Large Swiss Chard Leaves, Julienne
¼ cup Toasted Pine Nuts
1/2ea. Shallot, Sliced
3 cloves Garlic, Minced
1Tbls. Flat Leaf Parsley, Coarse Chop
1/8 Stick Butter
½ tsp. Salt
1pinch Black Pepper
1Tbls. Olive Oil
Cooking Method
Individually wrap each mussel with a half piece of bacon. Use a toothpick to hold them together. In a sauté pan over medium high heat, add olive oil and sauté the bacon wrapped mussels until browned evenly and bacon is cooked.
Remove from pan and place on plate. Add shallots, garlic and leeks and sauté until translucent. Deglaze with white wine and reduce by half. Add chicken stock and mustard and reduce again by half. Add butter and lower heat to medium low. When butter has almost fully dissolved, add pine nuts, Swiss chard and parsley.
Season with salt and pepper and pour over mussels and serve. Can be accompanied by grilled crostinis and garnished with fried leeks.
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