Have you ever gone to dine out and had a great dish that you would like to make at home sometimes?
Well, I am always in search for the “best” recipe and when I see “Best-Ever” and “The Best” or “ The Famous,” it really piques my interest and curiosity.
Shrimp Bisque
Le Duc, Paris France
Serves 2
10 uncooked unpeeled large shrimp
1/2 cup fish stock or bottled clam juice
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
2 large carrots, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 large shallots, chopped
2 unpeeled garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 cup Cognac or brandy
1-3/4 cups heavy whipping cream
10 black peppercorns
8 fresh tarragon leaves or 1/8 teaspoon dried, crumbled
Pinch of cayenne pepper
12 snow peas, cut into matchstick-size strips
Peel and devein shrimp, reserve shells. Halve shrimp lengthwise, cover and refrigerate. Finely chop shrimp shells with stock in a food processor. Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. Add parsley, carrots, celery, shallots, and garlic and saute until vegetables soften, about 8 minutes. Add shrimp shell mixture and cook for 3 minutes. Add Cognac and stir for 1 minute. Add cream, peppercorns and tarragon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until soup is reduced to a thin sauce consistency, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes.
Season with pepper and cayenne. Strain soup through a fine sieve into a bowl, pressing on solids with the back of a spoon.
Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Butter two deep ovenproof soup bowls. Divide shrimp and half of the snow peas between the bowls. Bring soup to simmer. Pour into a bowl. Bake until shrimp are just opaque, about 3 minutes. Scatter remaining snow peas over and serve.
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Morton’s Steakhouse is located in Waikiki as well as many major cities such as San Francisco and Chicago. Here is their recipe for Caesar Salad.
Morton’s Steakhouse’s Caesar Salad
Serves 4
Blend in a food processor:
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
6 anchovy filets, minced
4 teaspoons minced garlic
2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white pepper
Add:
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 ounces)
Blend until combined. Cover and refrigerate.
Place in a large bowl:
1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces
Add enough dressing to season to taste and toss well.
Divide salad among plates. Sprinkle with additional cheese.
Top with: Croutons
Serve.
Best-Ever Caramel Cake
Chef Alan Cashion of Johnny’s Half Shell in Washington D.C. (Closed in 2020 during the start of the pandemic.)
Cake:
1 cup whole milk
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
2-1/4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups sifted cake flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons, softened
3/4 cup heavy cream
Icing:
3 cups sugar
3 tablespoons light corn syrup
1-1/2 cups whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 cup heavy cream
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter three 8-inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and flour the pans, tapping out the excess.
Make the cake: In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup of the milk with the egg whites and vanilla extract. In a bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, mix the flour with the sugar, baking powder and salt. Add the butter and the remaining 3/4 cup of milk. Beat at low speed until blended, then beat at medium speed until smooth, 1 minute. Beat in the egg white mixture in 3 batches.
In another bowl, using an electric mixer, beat the cream until soft peaks form. Stir one-third of the whipped cream into the batter, then fold in the rest. Divide the batter between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cakes cool on a rack for 10 minutes. Unmold the cakes and peel off the parchment. Invert the cakes and let cool completely.
In a saucepan, stir 2-1/2 cups of the sugar with the corn syrup and milk. Cook over moderate heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Keep warm.
Sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a deep, heavy saucepan. Cook the sugar over moderate heat, swirling occasionally, until the caramel dissolves. Stop stirring and cook until the caramel registers 235 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove from heat. Stir in the butter, vanilla, and 1/4 cup of the heavy cream. Strain the caramel into the bowl of a standing mixer. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Beat the caramel at medium speed, gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup of cream, until creamy, about 15 minutes.
Set 1 cake layer on a plate. Pour enough icing over the cake layer to cover the top. Top with a second cake layer and cover it with icing. Add the final cake layer and pour the rest of the icing over the top of the cake, letting it run down the sides. Working quickly, use an offset spatula to spread the icing gently around the cake. Let the cake stand for 2 hours to set the icing before serving.
Bon Appetit!