Fresh, French Gourmet Meal, On A Budget
Chef Patrick Connolly is all about freshness, flavors and textures.
Connolly is executive chef of the New York City eatery Bobo, where he wows diners by using market-fresh ingredients to create modern French meals.
His challenge on The Early Show Saturday Edition? To create a three-course meal for four on a recession-busting budget of just $35, as our "Chef on a Shoestring."
He also threw his chef's hat into our "How Low Can You Go" competition. The "shoestring" chef who has the lowest total cost will get the chance to cook our big, blowout holiday dinner at the end of the year!
Connolly has brought Bobo a reputation of excellence and a menu that showcases a commitment to using the finest-quality ingredients from the area's most reputable local purveyors. His carefully crafted, inventive menu complements Bobo's vibe as a Bohemian holdout for the ultimate European dinner party.
MENU
FOOD FACTS
Paillard: An old term used to describe cuts of meat that are thinly sliced or lightly pounded into flattened pieces that are then grilled or sautéed very quickly. Today, the term more commonly used to describe this thin cut is cutlet. Paillards are made from boneless slices of chicken, turkey, veal, beef and pork.
Cauliflower: A type of cabbage with numerous buds known as florets that form a compact cabbage-like head. Like broccoflower, this vegetable is actually a flower that grows a single stalk or stem sprouting a bud covered by green leaves. High in vitamin C, the Cauliflower also provides other nutrients in the form of carbohydrates, dietary fiber, vitamin B, and potassium.
Panko Bread Crumbs: Japanese breadcrumbs made from the heart of the bread, not the crust. This type of breadcrumb has a coarse texture that resembles flakes in consistency, adding more of a crunch to breaded foods such as fish, pork, casserole toppings, and a variety of fried foods. Due to the flaked crumb, the texture is often considered more tender and lighter, yet crunchier for longer than a typical breadcrumb coating.
RECIPES
Creamy Potato Soup with Hazelnuts and Smoked Bacon
INGREDIENTS:
2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, sliced
1 clove garlic, shaved
1 quart milk
2 tablespoons mint
4 ounces smoked bacon
2 tablespoons hazelnuts
METHOD:
In a large pot, sweat the shallots and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until tender, about 15 minutes.
Add the potatoes and cover with milk. Cook on low/medium heat until potatoes are tender about 20-25 minutes.
In a blender, puree the soup and season with salt and pepper to taste
In a medium sauté pan over medium heat cook the bacon until crispy. Cut the bacon into a small dice and set aside.
Toast the hazelnuts in a dry pan until aromatic, about 3 minutes, and rough chop.
Cut the mint into a small dice.
Ladle the soup into bowls, then garnish with the bacon, mint and hazelnuts.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
Crispy Pork Paillard with Roasted Cauliflower
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound pork loin
2 eggs
2 cup flour
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
2 ounces canola oil
1 lemon
1 head cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons capers
4 eggs
METHOD:
Cut the pork loin into 4 equal pieces and pound the until ¼ in thickness. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
To bread the pork loin, dredge the pork in flour, then egg wash (using 2 of the eggs), then panko bread crumbs.
Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan on medium/high heat. Place the paillards in the oil and cook for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown. Squeeze half the lemon onto the pork to finish.
Remove the pork, add the butter to the pan and cook until it browns. Add the capers at the last minute and remove from heat
In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil on high heat until it ripples. Add the cauliflower in a single layer, season with salt and pepper.
Let the cauliflower sear for 30 seconds or so before flipping the pan to get a nice color.
Finish with the chopped thyme and a squeeze of lemon.
In another sauté pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium heat.
Crack the eggs into the pan & cook for 20 seconds.
Put into a 350 degree oven for 4 minutes to finish cooking evenly.
Roasted Pineapple with Whipped Cream Over a Spicy Mango and Hazelnut Salad
INGREDIENTS:
1 pineapple
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 mango, diced
2 tablespoons hazelnuts
1 lemon zest
1 red jalapeno, seeded and cut into small dice
1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugarpinch salt
METHOD:
Cut the pineapple into 1 large log.
Heat the oil in a large pan and sear all four sides of the log to a nice brown.
Cut the seared pineapple into a dice and divide into martini glasses.
In a large bowl, whisk the heavy cream and sugar violently until it forms hard peaks. Add the zest of the lemon.
Spoon the whipped cream onto the pineapple in the glasses.
In a small bowl, mix the hazelnuts, mango, jalapeno and hazelnuts, dress with lemon juice and spoon on top of the cream.
So, now did Connolly do with our $35 budget?
Potato Soup:
Yukon gold potatoes $2.78
Shallots .32
Garlic .39
Milk $1.19
Mint $1.49
Bacon $1.99
Hazelnuts $3.69
Total $11.85
Crispy Pork Paillard:
pork loin $4.99
bread crumbs $1.49
thyme $1.49
lemon .49
cauliflower $1.99
capers $1.69
eggs $1.49
Total $13.63
Roasted Pineapple:
Pineapple $4.99
mango $1.50
jalapeno .16
whipping cream $1.19
Total $7.84
Total Cost = $33.32!
And where does that put him in our "How Low Can You Go" competition? At the top!:
1. Patrick Connolly $33.32
2. Amanda Freitag $34.34
3. Michael White $34.37