Fall Menu

Chef Erik Blauberg
"21" Club
NY, NY

Menu:
Butternut Squash Soup
Chicken "Schnitzel" with Cucumber Salad
Apple Pie

Butternut Squash Soup
Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:
1 cup onion (minced, cooked)
1/2 cup celery (minced, cooked)
1/2 cup carrot (minced, cooked)
3 cups butternut squash (diced, cooked)
1/2 clove garlic (whole)
1 tsp ginger (grated fine)
4 cups chicken stock (double strength)
1/2 cup heavy cream
4 tbs toasted pumpkin seeds
4 tsp sour cream (or creme fraiche)

Method:

1. Place the onions, celery, carrots, butternut squash, garlic, ginger, chicken stock into an electric blender. Blend until ultra smooth. Then strain through a chamois.
   
2. Place into a sauce pan, add the heavy cream, bring to a boil, and let it simmer for two minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
   
3. Place into a cup or bowl, garnish with toasted pumpkin seeds and a spoonful of sour cream if you like. Serve hot.

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breasts (pounded thin)
1/2 cup flour (all purpose)
4 eggs whipped
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs (Japanese style bread crumb)
1/2 cup bread crumbs (unseasoned)
1/2 cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
salt to taste
pepper to taste
2 sage sprigs (optional)
2 tbs butter (sweet, unsalted)

Method:

1. Dredge the chicken breast into the flour, then shake off the excess so the breast has a light dusting on it.
   
2. Place the chicken into the eggs and lightly coat each side of the breast.
   
3. Next, mix the two bread crumbs together and place the breast into the bread crumbs and lightly coat.
   
4. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan. Season the breast to taste with salt and pepper.
   
5. Carefully place the chicken into oil, shaking the pan gently (carefully so that you don't burn yourself). Lightly brown the chicken, then turn over and continue to brown, add the sage (optional), and butter. Baste lightly, remove from the pan. Blot on a towel to remove the excess oil. Serve immediately.

Ingredients:
2 cucumbers (seeded, peeled, sliced thin)
1 red onion (thinly sliced)
1/2 cup California green olives (thinly sliced)
4 tbs dill (chopped)
8 tbs olive oil
2 limes (juice only)
2 tbs scallions (thinly sliced)
2 tbs parsley (chopped)
3 bulbs baby fennel or one large fennel (thinly sliced) (optional)
1 clove picked garlic sliced thin (optional)
Sea salt to taste
Fresh ground pepper to taste

Method:
In a mixing bowl, add all ingredients together, toss lightly. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Chef's tip: Save the fennel hair, coarsely chop it and add to the cucumber salad.

Apple Pie
Yield: One 8-inch pie

Ingredients:
2 tbs butter (sweet, unsalted)
7 apples (peeled, cored, cut into 8 wedges)
1 cup sugar (white granulated)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/2 lemon (juiced)
1/4 cup water
3 tbs cornstarch
1 8-inch pie shell (cooked)
1 8-inch dough (round)
1 egg beaten
1 tbs sugar (granulated)

Method:

1. Place the butter into a saute pan. Toss in the apples, coat lightly, add the sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cook for 3 minutes, and add the lemon juice, water, and corn starch.
   
2. Continue to cook for 7 minutes. Place the apple mixture into the pie shell. Cover with pie dough. Brush with egg and dust with sugar.
   
3. Place the pie into a preheated 375-degree oven and bake until golden brown (approx. 40-50 minutes)