Chef Sylvain Delpique brings duck breast to The Dish

The 21 Club is famous for its traditional American fare, an elegant institution in an old New York City setting. So how is it that a chef from Albertville, France became the club's executive chef? Sylvain Delpique is known for his French technique and innovative cooking, and brings both to the iconic restaurant.

Here is how to make some of his signature dishes: Four story hills duck breast with carrot-fennell puree and cherry gastrique, lobster gratinée, heirloom tomato and spring Vegetables, pommes soufflée, New York cheesecake with passion fruit coulis and almond streusel and a South Side cocktail to drink!

FOUR STORY HILLS DUCK BREAST

Carrot-Fennel Purée, Cherry Gastrique

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

Carrot-Fennel Purée:

Carrot 1 each

Butternut Squash 1 each

Light Brown Sugar 2 Tbsp

Whole Butter 6 Tbsp

Ginger (chopped) 1 Tbsp

Salt 1 Tbsp

White Pepper 1/4 tsp

Cherry Gastrique:

Fresh Cherries 8 oz

Honey 2 Tbsp

Sherry Vinegar 3 Tbsp

Veal Stock 1 cup

Shallots Diced 1 Tbsp

Glazed Baby Carrots:

Orange Juice 1/2 cup

Garlic cloves 1 each

Thyme Sprig 5 each

Rosemary Sprig 1 each

Salt 1 tsp

White Pepper 1/4 tsp

Butter 3 Tbsp

Baby Carrot 20 each

Duck Breast 10 each

Preparation:

For the Carrot-Fennel Purée:

• Peel the squash and the carrot then cut into medium dice. Combine all ingredients together and cook it in the oven cover with aluminum for about 40 minutes. Blend to smooth purée.

For the Glazed Carrots:

• In a rondeau, combine all ingredients together and cook till the carrots are tender (approx. 15 minutes).

For the Cherry Gastrique:

• In a pot, caramelize the honey then add the shallots and vinegar, cook by half. Add veal stock and the cherries and cook for another 25 minutes.

For the Duck:

• In the stovetop, cook on low heat skin side down for 4-5 minutes and slowly render out the fat.
• Then, put in the oven (still skin side down) at 350° for another 4-5 minutes. This will yield medium rare.

SIDE DISHES

Lobster Gratinée, Heirloom Tomato and Spring Vegetables, and Pommes Soufflées

LOBSTER GRATINÉE

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

Whipped Potatoes 2 qt.

Lobster Sauce 2 cups (recipe below)

Lobster 5 each (1.5 lbs. each)

Fines Herbes 2 Tbsp.

Gruyere Cheese 1 cup

Parmesan Cheese 1 cup

Butter 3 Tbsp.

Preparation:

• Warm up the lobster sauce in a sauce pan and whisk in the butter.
• Cut each lobster into 8 pieces and add to the lobster sauce and butter.
• Pour mixture into a baking dish. Top with whipped potatoes. Then top with cheeses.
• Place in the oven until the cheese becomes gratinée (golden brown).

Lobster Sauce

Ingredients:

Lobster Bodies 5 lbs. (chopped)

Olive Oil 3 Tbsp.

Fennel ½ each (sliced)

Onion 1 each (sliced)

Whole Garlic Heads 2 each (split)

Halibut Bones 2 lbs. (can be purchased from fish monger)

Ricard ½ cup

White Wine 1 cup

Clam Juice 1 cup

Canned Tomato 1 cup

Tomato Paste 3 Tbsp.

Cayenne Pepper ½ tsp.

Paprika 1 tsp.

Herbes de Provence 1 tsp.

Saffron 1 pinch

Salt to Taste

Sachet:

Thyme 5 sprigs

Bay Leaf 2 each

Fennel Seeds 1 tsp.

Black Peppercorn 1 tsp.

Preparation:

• Sauté lobster pieces in olive oil.
• Remover lobster pieces and add 1 cup of olive oil. Sweat fennel and onion until tender.
• Add lobster back and halibut bones. Add Ricard and reduce by half.
• Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.
• Blend with a big hand blender and cook for 1 more hour.
• Strain through a china cap and cool.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO AND SPRING VEGETABLES

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

Heirloom Tomatoes 6 each (variety of colors /diced large)

Yellow Pattypans 10 each

Green Pattypans 10 each

Baby Zucchini 10 each

English Peas 2 cups

Spring Asparagus 20 each

Shallots 3 each

Shaved Garlic 4 each

Thyme Sprig 8 each (chopped)

Rosemary Sprig 1 each (chopped)

Extra Virgin Olive Oil 2 cups

Fines Herbes 3 Tbsp.

Salt and Pepper To Taste

Preparation:

• Blanch all the vegetables and cut them into elegant random shapes.
• Shave the garlic really thin and combine with the extra virgin olive oil, chopped rosemary and thyme and bring to low heat for about 10 minutes
• Combine and mix gently all the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.
• Warm up on pick up and add fines herbs.

POMMES SOUFFLÉES

Servings: 10

Ingredients:

Russet Potatoes 10-15 each (peeled and washed)

Canola or Peanut Oil for Frying

Salt and Pepper To Taste

Preparation:

• Shape whole potatoes into an oval or egg shape with a knife.
• Slice the potatoes lengthwise into 1/8-inch thick slices on a slicer or a mandolin. Place slices in cold water. Pour off the excess water and replace it twice to remove excess starch. Remove the potatoes from the water and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Place a few potatoes at a time into the hot oil, the temperature should be about 320°. Stir the potatoes and cook until they puff slightly (about 5 to 7 minutes); do not brown them. Remove the slightly puffed potatoes from the oil and place them on a paper towel and drain off the excess oil. Using this method, continue to cook the remaining slices. The potatoes can be stored in the refrigerator until ready for use.
• If serving the potatoes immediately, allow to cool completely before continuing onto next step.
• When ready to serve, move the potatoes from the refrigerator. Reheat the oil to a temperature of 360°. Return the cooked potatoes to the oil a few at a time until they puffed up and turn golden brown, approximately 3 minutes. Place them on a towel and pat off the excess oil. Continue cooking the rest of the potatoes in the same fashion. Keep the previously cooked batches warm in a 200° oven. Serve immediately

NEW YORK CHEESECAKE

Passion Fruit Coulis and Almond Streusel

Yield: 8-10 individual cheesecakes

Graham Crust Ingredients:

15 Graham Crackers (crushed)

2 Tbsp. Melted Butter

Preparation:

• Crush the graham crackers (you can use a food processor, or just place them in a plastic bag and go to town with a rolling pin) and place in a bowl
• Melt the butter, pour over the crushed grahams and, using your hands, mix until the crumbs are slightly damp. If you squeeze a small amount with your hand, they mix should clump up.
• Prepare a 9" cake round (spring form if you have it: if you are using a spring-form pan, tightly wrap the outside of the pan with foil to avoid leakage from the water bath you'll be baking in) by greasing the bottom and placing a round of parchment paper down. Dump the graham cracker mixture on top and, using your hands or a glass, pack down the mixture to form the crust.
• Set aside and make the cheesecake batter.

Cheesecake Ingredients:

8 oz. Cream Cheese (soft)

3/8 c. Sugar

2 Eggs (at room temperature)

1 Vanilla Bean (scraped)

½ tsp. Vanilla Extract

1 Lemon Juice (fresh)

Graham Crust (recipe below)

Preparation:

• Pre-heat your oven to 325°F, and set a kettle to boil water for your water bath.
• Make sure that all the ingredients are at room temperature; this will ensure that there are no lumps in the final batter.
• Beat cream cheese with the paddle attachment in a stand mixer (or with a hand mixer) to soften it. Scrape the bowl with a spatula, then add the sugar and the vanilla scrapings.
• Scrape the bowl again to make sure all ingredients are well-combined, then add in the eggs, lemon juice, and vanilla extract. Beat until well-mixed, then pour onto the prepared crust.
• Place the pan in a larger baking dish (a casserole or brownie pan works nicely), then pour the boiled water (carefully) around the cheesecake tin. Place in the oven, and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until the center of the cake is no longer soupy (there will be a slight jiggle when you shake the pan, but it shouldn't appear to be liquid)
• Remove the pan from its water bath and allow to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate for at least two hours before attempting to remove it from the pan.

Passion Fruit Coulis Ingredients

8 oz. Passion Fruit Purée

1 ½ c. Orange Juice

1 c. Sugar

2 Tbsp. Pectin

Preparation:

This has a couple of specialty ingredients that are relatively easy to find these days: passion fruit puree can be found in the frozen food section of most grocery stores, usually near the international section (Goya makes a great option, and they have a whole section in most freezer aisles); pectin is available in most baking aisles, near the sugar, and is usually surrounded by products to make jams and jellies. Look for "classic pectin" or "apple pectin", rather than "instant"... you'll get a much better texture and flavor this way.

• In a small bowl, combine the sugar and pectin and mix together well (this will avoid lumps in your final product)
• In a pan, combine the passion fruit puree and orange juice over medium heat.
• Whisking constantly, slowly stream in the sugar/pectin mixture. Make sure not to just dump it in: you'll end up with clumps of uncooked pectin in your final sauce and no one wants that.
• Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture reaches a boil. The mixture will start to thicken nicely; keep whisking while at a boil, counting to 30 in your head. When you hit 30, cut the heat, and transfer the sauce to a small bowl.
• Cool the sauce quickly by placing that bowl into a larger bowl filled with ice water. Be careful that none of the ice bath drips into your sauce.

Almond Streusel

1 c. Butter (at room temperature)

1 c. Confectioners' Sugar

½ c. All Purpose Flour

½ c. Almond Flour

½ c. Sliced Almonds

Preparation:

• Pre-heat the oven to 325°F
• Using the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter with the confectioners' sugar until well-combined.
• Add in the all-purpose flour, almond flour, and sliced almonds. Mix until just combined, then spread the dough over a parchment-lined sheet tray, crumbling it with your hands.
• Bake for 15-20 minutes, until nicely golden brown. Depending on your oven, you might want to turn the tray halfway through baking to avoid burnt spots.
• Allow to cool completely before crushing up the streusel. You can make the pieces are large or small as you want, but we aim for pea-sized crumbs, using the "plastic bag and rolling pin" trick.
• Store in a container with a tight-fitting lid and reserve.

Southside COCKTAIL

Ingredients: 2 oz Tanqueray Gin 1 oz Mint Simple Syrup 4-5 Fresh Mint Leaves Juice of One Lemon Splash Soda

Preparation:

• Place all ingredients in a mixing glass, and shake vigorously to bruise mint leaves.
• Strain into a COLLINS glass filled with ice.