The Dish: Chef Michael Mina
Chef Michael Mina’s path to culinary fame and fortune was unusual. He was born in Cairo, Egypt, and raised in the suburbs of Seattle. He describes his mother as an “incredible cook,” and as a young man, managed a small French restaurant in his hometown.
He now owns the Mina Group, with more than two dozen restaurants in 11 cities, including San Francisco’s award-winning Michael Mina Restaurant, plus Stripsteak, Pabu, Bourbon Steak and Bardot Brasserie.
Here are some of Mina’s signature recipes.
Brussels Sprouts ‘Agrodolce’
Serves 4 -6
Ingredients
2 pounds apricots
.6 cup Dijon mustard
.6 cup yellow mustard seeds
3/4 cup honey
.8 cup white wine vinegar
2 cups dry white wine
Kosher salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste
2 lbs Brussels sprouts, quartered
Canola oil for frying
2 tablespoons Saba
Directions
- In a large pot combine apricots, wine, vinegar, honey, and mustard seeds. Add enough water to cover mixture.
- Cook two hours on low heat, stirring often until the apricots have plumped up and flavors have melded.
- Remove from heat and stir in Dijon mustard. Season to taste with Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper.
- Transfer mixture to storage container to cool to room temperature.
- In a large heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer, heat oil to 350º F.
- Fry Brussels spouts quarters in batches until crispy and golden brown.
- Drain on paper towels, season with Kosher salt.
- In a large mixing bowl, place 3/4 cup of mostarda around the bowl. Place the Brussels sprouts in the bowl and fold to combine, glazing the sprouts evenly with the mixture.
- Divide the mixture evenly and serve and serve in bowls, drizzling the Saba around the bowl to garnish.
Panini-pressed brioche stuffing
Serves 8
Ingredients
1 10-15 lb turkey (breasts removed and reserved for another use)
For the brine
Ingredients
6 quarts water
1 cup salt
1/3 cup honey
2 cloves
2 bay leaves
Zest of lemons
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
4 garlic cloves
For the braise
Ingredients
Grapeseed oil
8 oz bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch dice
Half head celery, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 medium onions, cut into 1/2 inch dice
6 cloves garlic
1 cup beech mushrooms
1/2 cup tomato paste
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups dry white wine
2 bay leaves
1 small bunch thyme
1 sprig rosemary
8 leaves sage
1 small bunch parsley
3 quarts low-sodium chicken stock
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the panini filling
Ingredients
Braised turkey parts in braising liquid
1 tablespoon minced fresh sage
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
8 (½-inch thick) slices of brioche (brioche crusts removed)
½ cup softened butter
Reserved braised turkey leg mix (with vegetables and gravy mixed in)
2 eggs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions - make the brine:
Heat water along with all other ingredients except ice in a large stock pot.
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Using a sharp butcher’s knife, take the legs and wings off the turkey. Place the crown in a large stockpot or food-safe bucket. Reserve the legs, thighs, neck, wings and gizzards for sauce and stuffing.
Pour the brine into a pot with cold water in order to cool hot brine liquid. Then place turkey crown in the cooled brine until the crown is submerged. There may be a little extra brine depending on the size of your bird or your container. You can discard this.
For the braise, set a roasting pan over medium-high heat on the stovetop. Add enough grapeseed oil to just coat the pan. Pat the drumsticks, thighs, wings, neck and gizzards dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper. Place all of the turkey parts, besides the crown, in the pan. Depending on the size of your pan, you may have to brown the parts in batches in order to brown each part entirely.
Transfer the turkey parts to a plate. Once all of the parts are browned, return the roasting pan to the stove and add enough grapeseed oil to just coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the bacon and cook until golden brown. Add the carrots, celery, onions, garlic and mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Sweat on medium heat until aromatic, about 10 minutes.
Add the tomato paste. Stir with a wooden spoon to coat the vegetables with the tomato paste. Cook down until the tomato paste is tacky, about 4 minutes. Add the flour and stir to combine. Add white wine and reduce until dry. Cook for another 5 minutes, stirring constantly or until the flour is golden brown and has been absorbed by the fat in the pan.
Add chicken stock and place bay leaves, thyme, rosemary, sage and parsley to the pot. To make retrieving herbs easier, place herbs in a piece of cheesecloth that is tied to make a sachet and add to the pot. Whisk ingredients together. Season to taste.
Bring the mixture up to a simmer and pour over the browned turkey parts in a large Dutch oven. Cover with lid and place in oven.
Cook in the oven for 3 hours or until the meat falls easily off the bone.
Remove braising pot from the oven. Cool legs in the braising liquid.
When the turkey legs and browned turkey parts are cool enough to handle, remove them from the braising liquid. Pick the meat off the bone and shred it finely.
Strain the braising liquid through a fine-meshed strainer. Do not press the vegetables. The liquid is now the gravy. Pour gravy liquid into large saucepan for warming later.
Reserve all the vegetables and the gravy. Reserve the herbs and the gravy separately.
In a bowl, mix the shredded leg meat, strained vegetables and 1/2 cup of the gravy. Season with additional salt if necessary.
Line a 6-inch by 10-inch plastic rectangular container with plastic wrap. Spread two-thirds (about 3-4 cups depending on the size of the turkey parts) of the mixture out in the bottom of the rectangular container. Reserve.
Spread an even layer of softened butter on one side of each slice of brioche. Place buttered brioche bread in the refrigerator for about 10 minutes until the butter firms up.
Lightly beat the eggs and mix them into the leg and vegetable mixture. Divide the mixture evenly between four slices of bread (on the non-buttered side) to create for sandwiches. Top with the other four slices, butter side out. Place filled brioche bread and place in the refrigerator until you’re ready to cook.
Heat a panini press to medium-high heat or 330°F. Next, pre-heat your oven to 350°F. If you do not have a panini press, you can use a cast iron pan heated on medium high heat. Place your brioche stuffing sandwich on the pan and press another heavy pan on top to put pressure on the bread. Make sure to pay attention that your brioche is not burning as the pan can become hot very quickly. Keep a careful eye on the pans.
Toast the sandwiches in the panini press until they are golden brown and hot in the center. This should take approximately 4-5 minutes.
To ensure that the center of the sandwich is cooked through and hot, transfer the panini to a baking sheet lined with a rack and place them in the pre-heated oven. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the sandwich comes out warm to the touch. Take panini out of the oven and let cool slightly. Before serving, use a serrated knife, slice each panini into one to 4-inch slender sandwiches. When you are ready to serve, you can reheat the sliced sandwiches in the oven at a low to medium temperature.
Hay-smoked prime rib
Serves 4
Ingredients
2 quarts loosely packed hay
2 single rib standing rib roasts (about 2 pounds each)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Grapeseed oil
Note: Hay can be purchased at a feed store or most pet stores
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Bring the roast to room temperature by taking it out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you begin cooking. Pat the meat dry with paper towels. Season generously with salt and pepper on all sides.
- Set a large sauté pan over high heat. Once hot, add just enough oil to coat the pan.
- Once the oil starts to shimmer, place one seasoned prime rib into the pan and sear on all sides, until well browned, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer the meat to a rack. Repeat process to sear the second prime rib.
- Place the baking dish into the oven and roast at 425°F for 10 minutes. Lower the oven temperature to 325°F and continue roasting for 20 minutes to 1 hour and begin taking the temperature after 20 minutes. Continue checking every 10 minutes until the thermometer reads 120°F.
- Let rest for at least 15 minutes. Brush off excess hay. Slice meat off of bone and serve.
Roasted Cauliflower with Uni Aïoli
Serves 4-6
Ingredients
1 cup frozen sea urchin
2 free range organic egg yolks
3 Tbsp freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon Zest (one medium size lemon), reserved
1 ¼ cup Canola oil
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, smashed into paste with mortar and pestle
4 oz Maldon Sea Salt flakes
4 Tbsp. Grapeseed oil
1 lb ciabatta bread loaf, cubed
3 Tbsp garlic clove, minced
1 tsp thyme leaves, picked and minced
1 cup duck fat
½ teaspoon kosher salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350ºF.
2. In a small mixing bowl, zest the lemon using a microplane grater. Fluff zest with fork. Divide in half, reserving the latter half. Let rest for 10 minutes and fold in Maldon salt flakes. Reserve.
3. Juice the remaining lemon and strain, reserve.
4. In a food processor, place the egg yolks, and turn it on. While on combine sea urchin, lemon juice and remaining ½ of lemon zest, until smooth in consistency, the add the mustard and garlic paste to combine.
5. Stream the oil in a thin stream. Once all of the oil has been added, stop the processor, scrape the sides into the mixture with a spatula and process again until well blended.
6. Season to taste with Kosher salt. Reserve refrigerated.
7. In a small sauce pot on low heat, melt duck fat.
8. In a food processor, place cubed bread and pulse until medium size crumbs form.
9. In a large mixing bowl, pour ½ the melted duck fat around the bowl. Fold in the breadcrumbs, fat thyme, garlic, salt and pepper while drizzling the remainder of duck fast while folding to coat evenly.
10. Spread breadcrumb mixture evenly onto a non stick sheet pan and toast at 350ºF in oven until golden brown.
11. Remove, cool, place in food processor and pulse lightly again to form even crumbs. Reserve.
12. In another large mixing bowl toss cauliflower florets with grapeseed oil to coat evenly.
13. Spread florets on a sheet pan and roast for 25 minutes or until light golden brown.
14. Toss the cauliflower with lemon Maldon salt, chili flakes, chopped parsley, and breadcrumbs in a medium sized mixing bowl.
15. Plate cauliflower into small individual bowls and garnish with small dollops of aioli and serve.
Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Luxardo Cherries
Serves 6
Ingredients
1 ¾ cups quarts Buttermilk
1 ¼ cups quarts heavy cream
7 Tbsp. granulated sugar, white
1 ½ tsp. gelatin, bloomed
One lemon, zested
½ pod scraped vanilla bean
¼ tsp. kosher salt to taste
1/2 luxardo cherries, strained
2 ea. ripe Fuyu persimmons, tops and bottoms removed, cut into segments of 6
2 amaretto cookies, crushed
2 Tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp. pomegranate seeds
Directions
1. Bloom the gelatin in cold water for 8 minutes, ensuring gelatin is completely dissolved.
2. In a medium pot heavy cream, sugar, salt, lemon zest, and scraped vanilla beans.
3. Bring up to about 150’F stirring every so often, until sugar is dissolved, then cut heat and stir in buttermilk.
4. Allow to cool at room temp to 115ºF.
5. Squeeze the water out of the gelatin and whisk it into the panna cotta mixture.
6. Taste and adjust as necessary.
7. Strain the panna cotta mixture through in a fine mesh strainer into a large bowl.
8. Measure 2/3 cup into each serving bowl and allow to set undisturbed under refrigeration at least 4 hours. For optimal results, it is best to set panna cotta overnight.
9. To plate: On each Bowl, place alternating pieces of cherry, persimmon segments, cookie crumbles, pumpkin seeds and pomegranate seeds in a half moon pattern around one rim of the panna cotta inside the bowl and serve immediately.
The Prospector
Ingredients
2 oz Larceny Bourbon
.75 oz Averna Amaro
.5 oz Alvear Px Sherry
2 dashes Angostura bitters
Directions
- Combine all ingredients in a mixing glass and add ice.
- Stir for about 10-15 seconds.
- Strain into a small cocktail coupe.
- Garnish with an orange twist.
