Chef On A Shoestring

Michael Otsuka
Executive Chef
Thalia restaurant

Spring asparagus salad with New Zealand cockle vinaigrette

1 pound Asparagus, pencil size
2 ounces Baby red mustard
1 bunch Scallions, bulb and green very fine sliced
3/4 pound New Zealand cockles, rinsed and drained
1 each Lemon, zest chopped and juiced
1/3 cup Dry white wine
1/3 cup Extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup White onion, sliced finely
To taste Togarashi, salt and white pepper

Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water until tender. Shock in ice water to fix color and stop cooking. Drain well.

Greens
Wash and spin dry baby red mustard greens.

Cockles
Discard any cockle that will not close tightly when touched.
In a two quart pot place white wine, onion and half of the scallions. Bring to a rapid boil and place the cockles in. Cover and continue to cook over high heat until all the cockles open. Remove cockles from the pot with a slotted spoon and allow to cool. Remove cockle meat from the shells and refrigerate until ready to serve. Strain cooking juice with a fine strainer.

Vinaigrette
Place 1/4 cup of the cooking broth into a bowl and whisk in the juice and zest of one lemon. Season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk in the olive oil.

To serve
On four chilled salad plates divide the mustard greens into four and place one fourth of the asparagus on each.
In a small bowl place cockles and just enough of the vinaigrette to cover. Taste and adjust seasoning and add 1 tablespoon of the remaining sliced scallions.
Spoon one fourth of the mixture over each plate and serve.

Roasted sweet pork sausage with aligot potatoes and choy sum

1 Pound Sweet pork sausage
1 1/2 pounds Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into small pieces
4 ounces Butter, sweet unsalted
1/2 cup Whole milk
1/4 cup Cream
4 ounces Provolone cheese, grated
1.5 pound Choy sum, washed, stalks separated at the base
2 tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

Pork sausage
Prick several holes in the sausage with a small knife. Place in a small pot with deep sides. Cover sausage with 1/2 inch of water and place on a medium flame covered with a lid for 6 minutes. Do not allow the pot to boil to rapidly. Take cover off and continue to cook until all the water evaporates and the sausage begins to sear in the rendered fat. Brown sausages evenly, remove from the pan and deglaze the pan with one third cup of water.

Aligot potatoes
Place potatoes in a pot and cover with cold water. Season water with salt and bring to a boil over a high flame. Cook until potatoes are very tender. Drain well in a colander immediately. Pass potatoes through a food mill or potato ricer. Place potatoes in a small pot and add 1/4 cup cream, 4 ounces of butter and 1/4 cup milk. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. Make sure that the potatoes are very hot. Slowly fold in the provolone cheese. Keestirring over a low flame until it melts and becomes a very gooey consistency. Keep hot.

Choy sum
Heat a large sauté pan and pour the olive oil in. When the oil begins to smoke carefully place the choy sum in and sauté until just wilted. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

To serve
On four warm dinner plates place a 1/2 cup serving of aligot potatoes. On each plate place a sausage and garnish with the pan juices and choy sum stalks.

Bartlett pears with caramel sauce

2 each Large Bartlett pears, firm but ripe
1 ounce Sweet, unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/3 cup Granulated sugar
1/4 cup Golden raisins
1/4 teaspoon white vinegar
1/4 cup Cream
1 each Cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon Powdered sugar

Method
In a small heavy saucepan place sugar and 2 tablespoons of water and 1/4 teaspoon white vinegar. Bring to a simmer and allow to caramelize slowly. When sugar reaches a medium blond color remove from the heat and add cream and 1/4 cup water to the pot. Return saucepan to the stove and melt sugar until it becomes a light sauce. Reserve warm until ready to serve.

Peel pears, quarter and remove the cores. Sauté pears in the butter with the cinnamon stick in the pan. Cook until the pears are golden colored and hot. Remove from the heat and add raisins and vanilla extract. Stir until evenly coated with the pan juices. Remove to four warm dessert plates and drizzle with the sauce. Using a small wire strainer sprinkle a light dusting of confectioners sugar.