Watch CBS News

Brian Malarkey brings scallops & celeriac to The Dish

Chef Brian Malarkey's career took a few twists and turns before attending culinary school
Chef Brian Malarkey brings his unique culinary skills to The Dish 04:43

Top Chef Brian Malarkey is a culinary force to be reckoned with. In just four years, he created seven wildly successful restaurants across the United States and plans to expand to even more this year. Time magazine called Searsucker, Malarkey's San Diego homage to his love of the ocean and coastal cuisine, the country's No. 2 hottest restaurant.

Here's how to cook a few of his signature dishes: scallops and celeriac with bourbon herbed brown butter cherries, beet and brussels and endive with marcona almonds and ricotta salada and tangerine vinaigrette, carb-free crab cakes with chervil and charred meyer lemon aioli, cauliflower steak and kumquat jam, coconut-filled brownies and a Peter Rabbit cocktail to drink!

Scallops & Celeriac with Bourbon Herbed Brown Butter Cherries

1 pound Scallops - The Bigger The Better!

1 TBSP Canola oil

For the celeriac puree:

1 bulb Celery root "celeriac" - peeled and cubed

1 cup Heavy cream

4 TBSP Butter

3 Garlic cloves

For the cherries:

1 cup Bourbon or Whiskey

1 TBSP Sugar

1/2 Cup Dried tart cherries

For the Bourbon Brown Butter:

2 TBSP Butter

1/4 Cup Smoky almonds - chopped

1 pinch Rosemary

1 pinch Orange zest

1 TSP Lemon juice

Salt & Pepper

Clean scallops and pat dry with a paper towel. In a small saucepot bring the celeriac, cream, garlic and 4 TBSP butter to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and simmer until celeriac is fork tender (10 to 15 minutes).

While keeping the cream, strain out the celeriac/garlic and hand mash or blend slowly in a blender - slowly incorporate enough cream for a smooth puree texture. Set puree aside and keep warm, discard leftover cream.

In a small saucepot add the "booze" and burn off alcohol - bring to a boil and light a match and JUMP back! When the fire goes out the "booze" is burnt off. Turn off the heat and add the sugar and cherries, let steep (rest) for 20 minutes. Strain the cherries out and reserve the syrup for garnish.

In a large sauté pan sauté over high heat add the canola oil. Sprinkle scallops with salt and pepper and sear until golden brown on each side (2 minutes per side). Remove the scallops.

To make the Bourbon Brown Butter - toss 2 TBSP butter into the hot sauté pan until it turns golden brown (2 to 3 minutes). Then add the cherries, almonds, rosemary, orange zest and lemon juice. Toss a few times - season with salt and pepper.

On a large platter put the celeriac puree down in the middle, top with the scallops and spoon on the cherry brown butter sauce. Garnish with some greens like arugula leaves or parsley leaves.

Beet & Brussels & Endive with Marcona Almonds & Ricotta Salada & Tangerine Vinaigrette

2 each Red beets - large

2 each Golden beets - large

2 bunch Red endive

2 bunch Golden endive

2 cups Brussels sprouts, sliced thinly

1/2 cup Marcona almonds - toasted and chopped

1/2 cup Ricotta Salada cheese- crumbled

1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/2 bunch Italian parsley - leaves removed

1 TSP Dijon mustard

3 Tangerines - segmented

Sea Salt and Cracked Pepper

Peel and halve red and golden beets and wrap in parchment paper. Microwave on high for about 7 minutes or until tender. Once cooled, slice into wedges.

Segment each tangerine and squeeze membranes over a bowl to extract leftover juice. Whisk in oil and mustard until well combined and season to taste. Ultra healthy and delicious dressing!

Chop each bunch of endive on an angle and mix with raw, sliced Brussels sprouts. Arrange on platter and drizzle with half of dressing. Top with beets, cheese, segmented tangerines, almonds and parsley and drizzle remaining dressing on top.

Carb-Free Crab Cakes with Chervil & Charred Meyer Lemon Aioli

For the crab cakes:

1 pound Crabmeat of choice - I prefer Dungeness or King

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1 TSP Dijon mustard

1 TSP Old Bay seasoning

2 large eggs

1 Meyer Lemon

For the aioli:

1/2 cup Mayo

1 TSP Chervil - chopped

1 Meyer lemon - halved

1 squirt Tabasco

Salt and Pepper to taste

These carb-free crab cakes are the easiest and best bites or meal for entertaining. I suggest muffin pans for baking - finger food in a small muffin pan, bigger crab cakes in larger muffin pans.

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray each cup on a mini-muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray.

Zest lemon and squeeze juice into bowl. Combine lemon zest and juice, crabmeat, mayo, eggs, mustard and old bay seasoning and stir gently until combined. Spoon 1 TBSP of crab mixture into each of the mini muffin cups and bake 25 minutes or until crisp, golden brown and set.

Heat a grill pan over high and place both lemon halves, cut sides down, in pan. Grill until well marked, about 3 minutes. Zest lemons and squeeze juice. Combine mayo, lemon zest and juice, and chopped chervil and mix until well combined. Season to taste.

Plate crab cakes and serve with charred Meyer lemon aioli - yum!

Cauliflower Steak & Kumquat Jam

1 Head Cauliflower - Cut into 4 large "steaks" from top to root

1 TSP Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 TSP Balsamic Syrup

Salt and Pepper to taste

For the kumquat jam

1 Cup Kumquats - seeded and chopped

1 Cup White Wine - Chardonnay or full bodied

1 TBSP Honey

1 each Shallot - small dice

1 TSP Chives - sliced small

1 TSP Thyme - finely chopped

1 TSP Mint - finely chopped

In a large pot of salted boiling water cook the cauliflower steaks until just fork-tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and pat the steaks dry. Over a grill on medium heat grill the steaks until you get nice grill marks (3 minutes on each side) Set aside!

In a medium saucepan over medium high heat add the Kumquats, white wine and honey and slowly boil until kumquats start to break apart (3 to 5 minutes). As the jam thickens stir in the shallots and herbs - cook for one more minute and remove from heat. Let cool for a few minutes.

Plate the cauliflower steaks and spoon kumquat jam over the steaks. Drizzle EVOO and balsamic syrup around the plate. Again its party time and around the world vegans rejoice!

Coconut-filled Brownies

For the filling:

4 cups Shredded coconut

14 oz. Condensed milk

1 cup Milk

For the batter:

2 sticks Butter

2 cups Granulated sugar

Four Eggs

1 TBSP Pure vanilla extract

2 cups All-purpose flour

1⁄2 cup Cocoa powder

1 TSP Baking powder

Pinch kosher salt

Preheat oven to 325° F and grease an 8-by-14-inch baking pan. In a medium bowl, stir together shredded coconut, condensed milk, and milk. Set aside.

In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one and beat until combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients to combine well and then add to the butter mixture. Beat on slow speed until well combined.

Spread 2/3 of the batter evenly into the bottom of the greased pan. Spread the coconut filling evenly over the batter. Top with the remaining brownie batter -- it will be thin, but you just want to cover all the coconut so it does not burn.

Bake for about 20 minutes, until the edges are firm but the center is still soft. Let cool completely before serving -- unless you want to serve it warm with ice cream. It's way messier that way, but it's sooooo good!

Peter Rabbit Cocktail

For the simple syrup:

3 cups Sugar

3 cups Water

Pinch of salt

For the basil-lemon essence:

1 TBSP Fresh basil leaves

1 cup Freshly squeezed lemon juice

Finishing touch:

2 ounces Pimm's

Pickled carrot

Fresh basil leaf

In a pot on medium heat, whisk the water and sugar until all the sugar is dissolved. Let cool.

Combine the basil and lemon juice in a blender and blend on high for 1 minute. Strain to remove any solids.

In a shaker, combine the Pimm's with 1 ounce of basil-lemon essence, and 1 ounce of simple syrup over ice. Shake, and strain into a rocks glass with ice. Garnish with a pickled carrot and basil leaf. Cheers!

View CBS News In
CBS News App Open
Chrome Safari Continue
Be the first to know
Get browser notifications for breaking news, live events, and exclusive reporting.