Chef On A Shoestring: A Party For Peanuts

Here's A Party Plan That Won't Break The Bank

(CBS)  Chef Gavin Kaysen of the El Bizcocho restaurant at the Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego knows how to make a little look like a lot. While staying on a tight budget, he dreamed up a menu of three courses for six people for just under $60 (minus the alcoholic beverages).

And we're not talking tamales here: After a delicious salad of heirloom tomatoes served with deep-fried goat cheese croquettes, he serves grilled steak — the tri-tip cut, which gets a long marination to make it tender — with a mix of mushrooms, onions and corn. For dessert — a nectarine cake topped with whipped cream.

Kaysen, who was recently named one of the nation's top 10 Best New Chefs by Food and Wine magazine, is just 27, but he's already carved out a reputation as a chef who'll take chances. A graduate of the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier, Vt., Kaysen worked in the Napa Valley and then in Switzerland before heading off to London. He returned to the U.S. five years ago and began working at El Bizcocho, working under chef de cuisine Patrick Ponsaty.

HEIRLOOM TOMATO SALAD WITH GOAT CHEESE CROQUETTES

Ingredients:
6 ounces goat cheese
Salt and pepper
Fleur de sel (optional)
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (preferably a nice aged vinegar)
1 bag panko bread crumbs
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups eggwash (2 eggs plus 1/2 cup milk)
6 heirloom tomatoes — all different varieties
1 bunch basil
Olive oil for drizzling
2 quarts oil for frying

Method:

1. To assemble the goat cheese filling, begin by placing the goat cheese in a bowl with the salt and pepper to taste and balsamic vinegar. Mix together and forms small balls. Chill.
   
2. In a traditional breading method, dip the goat cheese balls in the flour, the egg wash and then the panko breadcrumbs. Deep fry at 365 degrees until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper and drain on a paper towel.
   
3. Slice all the tomatoes and place on a cookie sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper. Pick the basil leaves, wash them and place them aside for final presentation.
   
4. For the final presentation, place the tomatoes on the plate with the sprigs of basil sticking out of the tomatoes in various areas. Then place the fried goat cheese around the plate, drizzle with the olive oil, fleur de sel and serve.

GRILLED TRI-TIP STEAK WITH A RAGU OF CORN, PEARL ONIONS, MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:
2 pounds tri-tip steak
2 cups cabernet sauvignon
4 shallots, minced
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1 bunch thyme
6 each corn on the cob; cut corn off the cob
1 bag clean red pearl onions
1 pound cremini mushrooms
1 bunch parsley
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and Pepper

Method:

1. Combine the red wine, 2 minced shallots, peppercorns and 3 sprigs of thyme into a sauce pot. Reduce the 3 cups down to 1½ cup. While still warm, place the marinade mixture into a ziplock bag with the tri-tip and 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Marinate in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours.
   
2. To cook, remove the steak from the marinade; reserve marinade. Place the tri-tip on the grill, 4 minuets for one side and 3 minuets for the other.
   
3. Remove steak from grill and let it rest for 10 minuets. Slice when ready to serve.
   
4. In a sauté pan, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil; add the mushrooms, salt and pepper, cook for about 4 minutes. Next, add the pearl onions, then the corn, and continue to cook for about 3 minutes. Add about three tablespoons of the reserved marinade from the bag, along with 3 tablespoons of butter, and cook until there the mixture is a nice glaze. Add chopped parsley to taste.
   
5. Place the corn ragu on the platter and the sliced tri-tip arranged around it; finish with a fresh sprig of parsley in the center, enjoy!

UPSIDE-DOWN NECTARINE CAKE

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons butter
8 tablespoons brown sugar
6 nectarines, cut into wedges
3 each egg yolks
8 tablespoons sour cream (whisked)
1 teaspoon vanilla
10 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon cake flour
10 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon sugar
¼ teaspoon baking powder
¼ teaspoon baking soda
8½ tablespoons softened butter
¼ teaspoon salt
1 cup heavy cream
¼ cup sugar
¼ cup water
5 sprigs thyme

Method:

1. Combine the yolks, vanilla and 2 tablespoons of the sour cream. Set aside.
   
2. Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda with the remaining sour cream, then mix with the whisk attachment of an electric mixer.
   
3. Add the 8 1/2 tablespoons of softened butter to the mixture and whisk, making sure to scrape the sides as needed.
   
4. Add the yolk mixture from step one in three separate stages, making sure to combine with the whisk and scraping in between each time. Set the batter aside until ready to bake.
   
5. Heat the 4 tablespoons of butter and brown sugar until the sugar is dissolved.
   
6. Pour that into the bottom of a non-stick 8-inch cake pan.
   
7. Place the quartered nectarines on top on the melted sugar mixture in the pan.
   
8. Pipe the batter on top of the nectarines, until the pan is about three-quarters full, and bake on high at 325 degrees for 15 minuets. Turn the pan and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until the cake bounces back when touched.
   
9. Cool well before removing from pan. When cool, turn out onto a large plate so the nectarines are on top.
   
10. Place the ¼ cup of sugar, water and thyme in a sauce pot and bring to a boil. Cool and set aside.
    
11. In a mixer with the whisk attachment, whip the cream, adding the thyme sugar water to taste. Place a nice dollop on each slice of cake before serving.