Culinary whiz kid Jeremy Salamon on his grandmother's Hungarian influence

Jeremy Salomon is a culinary whiz kid who's already making his mark. Born and raised in South Florida, Salomon started cooking at age seven and knew he wanted to become a chef by nine. At 13, started his own cooking blog to connect with other like-minded teens. 

He came to New York to attend the prestigious Culinary Institute of America, got jobs at top restaurants, and then at just 24 was named executive chef of The Eddy in New York's East Village showcasing food specialties from his family's Hungarian heritage. He's now earned a second executive chef position at Wallflower featuring French regional cuisine.

Here are some of signature recipes: 

Schnitzel with parsley butter

Ingredients

• 1lb 6oz-1lb 8oz, fillet of pork, cut at an angle into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 2 cups AP flour
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups finely ground panko bread crumbs
• 6 eggs, beaten
• Clarified Butter or Canola Oil, for frying

• For the parsley butter:
• 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and grated
• 8 oz , soft butter
• 1 bunch parsley, roughly chopped
• 1 tbsp lemon zest 

Directions

• Blend all the ingredients for the parsley butter in a food processor. Put on a sheet of greaseproof paper, roll into a log and chill.
• Place the pork fillet slices between two sheets of cling film and, using a rolling pin or mallet, gently beat until evenly flattened to about 1/4 inch thick.
• Mix the flour with a pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl big enough to dredge the pork in; in another bowl mix the breadcrumbs with 1/4 teaspoon of salt and pepper; and in a third bowl whisk the eggs together. Coat each piece of pork in the flour (dusting off excess), then into the egg, back into the flour, then back into the egg, and finally in the crumbs. Make sure they are well coated.
• Heat 1 cup of clarified butter or canola oil in a frying pan and fry the schnitzels in batches, adding more butter or oil when needed. Keep the cooked schnitzels, uncovered, in a warm oven while you cook the rest.
• Shingle the schnitzels on a wood board or large platter. Garnish with Maldon salt and cracked pepper. Serve with the parsley butter unwrapped in the parchment on the side. Accompany the pork with small bowls of jam, lemon wedges and fresh parsley. 

Tokaji pear salad

Ingredients

• 2 head of Castelfranco or a variety of bitter greens, cleaned
• Pecorino cheese, for grating
• Lemon juice for garnish
•  Black pepper for garnish

For finishing oil:

• 5 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 1 cup olive oil  

For pears: 

• 2 quarts water
• 2 cups Tokaji
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 grapefruit, halved
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 1 pound seckel pears, halved & cored with a melon baller
• 1 cup olive oil 

For dressing: 

• 6 anchovy fillet
• 3 heads garlic
• 3 egg yolks
• ¼ cup sherry vinegar
• 1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 cup canola oil  

Directions

• Combine all ingredients in a small sauce pan set over low heat. Cook the garlic until golden brown and fragrant. Take off the heat and let steep.
• Combine the first 5 ingredients in a medium pot and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and drop the pears in. Make sure the pears are fully submerged. Cover and poach pears for 10-15 minutes until tender but still a bit firm to the bite. Pull from the water and cool completely.  
• Blend the first 5 ingredients in a blender. While running on high speed slowly stream in the canola oil until dressing has thickened.
• To Plate: If serving communal style, arrange the lettuce on a platter. Tuck the pears in the salad. Grate pecorino over the top. Serve the dressing on the side in a gravy boat with a few lemon wedges. Finish the salad with a good amount of cracked pepper

Beet tartare 

Ingredients

• 4 large red beets
• 2 tablespoons ponzu
• ¼ cup cornichons, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons pickled shallot, finely chopped
• Salt and cracked pepper to taste  

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Wash the beets and remove the leaves and stems. Toss the beets with olive oil and salt. Place in a baking dish with a little water in the bottom of the dish.Cover with a lid or with foil and roast for about 50-60 minutes.Check the beets every 20 minutes and add water to the bottom of the pan if it looks dry.Beets are done when easily pierced with a fork. Remove the beets from the oven and allow to cool. Hold the beets with a paper towel and rub the skin off the outside of the beets-they should slide off quite easily.
• Cut off both ends of the beet. In a food processor, pulse the beets lightly until the beets are finely chopped. Empty the beets into a mixing bowl and dress.

Sacher torte 

Ingredients

● 6 large eggs, separated
● 115 grams all-purpose flour
● 20 grams almond flour
● 1/4 teaspoon salt
● 150 grams unsalted butter, softened
● 120 grams sugar + 90 grams sugar
● 38 grams cacao
● 6 grams baking powder  

Directions

• Preheat the oven to 375°. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and butter the paper. Dust the pan with flour, tapping out the excess.
• In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, whip the egg whites and 90 grams sugar at high speed until soft peaks form.
• In a small bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour with the almond flour and salt. With electric mixer, beat the butter and 120 grams of sugar until fluffy. Add the yolks, one at a time, and beat until fluffy. Beat in the chocolate, then beat in the flours. Beat in one-fourth of the whites, then, using a spatula, fold in the rest of the whites until no streaks remain.
• Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with a few moist crumbs attached. Let the cake cool on a wire rack for 30 minutes, then remove the ring and let the cake cool completely. Invert the cake onto a plate and peel off the parchment. Turn the cake right side up. Using a long serrated knife, cut the cake horizontally into 3 even layers.

Filling & glaze ingredients

• 1 ¾ cup apricot preserve
• ⅔ cup corn syrup
• 2 tablespoon rum
• 10 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
• Unsweetened whip cream, for serving

• In a small microwave-safe bowl, whisk 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves with 1/4 cup of water and microwave until melted.
• Set the bottom of the springform pan on a wire rack and set the rack on a baking sheet. Arrange the top cake layer, cut side up, on the springform pan. Brush the cake with one-third of the melted apricot preserves. Spread 1/2 cup of the unmelted apricot preserves on top and cover with the middle cake layer. Brush the surface with another third of the melted preserves and spread another 1/2 cup of the unmelted preserves on top. Brush the cut side of the final layer with the remaining melted preserves and set it cut side down on the cake. Using a serrated knife, trim the cake edges if necessary to even them out.
• In the microwave-safe bowl, microwave the remaining 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the apricot preserves until melted, about 30 seconds. Press the preserves through a strainer to remove the solids. Brush the preserves all over the cake until completely coated. Refrigerate for 20 minutes until set.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saucepan, whisk the corn syrup with the rum and 2 tablespoons of water and bring to a boil. Cook until slightly thickened, about 1 minute. Put the chocolate into a heatproof bowl and pour the hot mixture on top. Let stand until melted, then whisk until smooth. If the chocolate glaze is too thick to pour, whisk in another tablespoon of hot water. Let cool to warm.
• Using an offset spatula, scrape off any excess preserves from the cake so that it is lightly coated. Slowly pour half of the warm chocolate glaze in the center of the cake, allowing it to gently coat the top and spread down the side. Spread the glaze to evenly coat the torte. Microwave the remaining glaze for a few seconds and repeat pouring and spreading. Scrape up any excess glaze. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to set the glaze, then cut the torte into wedges and serve with the side bowl of whipped cream.

Stuffed cabbage 

Ingredients

• 2 heads savoy cabbage, peeled & blanched
• 1 cup breadcrumbs (plus a little Extra)
• 2 cup pecan, chopped
• 2/3 cup cooked rice
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1.5 cup milk
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 Tbsp sage, chopped
• 1 Tbsp parsley, chopped
• 3 Tbsp ponzu
• 2 cloves garlic, grated
• Pinch of crushed dried thyme
• Salt to taste
  

For pickled raisins: 
● 2 teaspoons yellow mustard seeds
● ½ cup sugar
● 1 cup water
● ¼ cup Champagne vinegar
● 1 tsp of chili flakes
● ½ pound golden raisins
● 2 rosemary sprigs
● 1 teaspoon kosher salt 

For rosemary garlic oil: 

• 5 cloves garlic, sliced thin
• 2 sprigs rosemary
• 2 cups olive oil

Directions

• Mix everything by hand, add more breadcrumbs to thicken. Don't make it too dry, but you don't want any unbound liquid running around either.
• Place a small amount towards the rounded edge of the blanched cabbage and roll like a burrito - making sure to tuck in the sides.
• In a large cast iron skillet set over high heat, sear the cabbage rolls in a little conal oil, seam side down. A little char is a good thing! Continue to sear in batches. Keep warm in oven. 
• In a small saucepan, toast the mustard seeds over moderate heat, shaking the pan, until the seeds just start to pop, 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer gently until the liquid has reduced by half, about 8 minutes. Remove/strain raisins from the pot with a slotted spoon and put in jar or bowl, leave pickling syrup behind in pot. Bring to a boil again to reduce until the consistency of honey and then add to jar. Cool before serving.
• Combine all rosemary garlic oil ingredients in a small sauce pan set over low heat. Cook the garlic until golden brown and fragrant. Take off the heat and let steep.
• Stack the cabbage rolls on a pretty oval platter. Garnish with pickled raisins & garlic-rosemary oil ( include sprigs of rosemary and sliced garlic from oil). Finish with a good sprinkle of maldon salt and freshly cracked pepper