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Upscale Comfort Food

CBS News Correspondent Richard Schlesinger takes a look at a new dining trend – upscale comfort food. Look for recipes at the end of this article.


There's always been something comforting about this kind of food: corndogs, burgers. Plain as a Midwestern accent, simple as a pair of jeans -- until now.

"Comfort food is absolutely moving upscale,'' says Danny Meyer, who made his name way up the scale with some of New York's best restaurants. Now he, like other restaurateurs, is discovering there's a big market for down market food.

Meyer owns a New York barbeque joint called Blue Smoke, where rich people eat the same food as anyone else -- except it's different.

Meyer asks, "Who ever wrote the rule that champagne isn't gonna be as delicious with ribs as beer would be?"

And who ever wrote that cheese fries can't be made with three different kinds of gourmet cheese.

"I'll bet you this cheese didn't come out of a can,'' observes Schlesinger.

Said Meyer: "Well I'll bet the stuff that came out of the can doesn't even qualify as cheese."

So how much of a market is there for this fancy, common food? Well, they're lining up for dolled up hamburgers and hotdogs at another snack bar run by Meyer in a nearby park. It's the only hamburger stand with a wine list.

Danny Meyer's hamburgers are almost as fancy as Chef Charlie Palmer's Corn Dogs.

"We put it on a stick, just like the corndogs in the fair, you know,'' said Palmer.

But it should be noted that the stick is about the only thing similar to a corn dog that Palmer does.

Chef Palmer makes his corn dogs without the dogs. He uses lobster meat, and a mousse, to make an "appare." When's the last time you made an "appare?"

"You're just going to fry them until they're golden brown,'' said Palmer.

They come out looking like corn dogs. But that's where the similarity ends.

Was there something wrong with regular corn dogs that made Palmer feel like he had to improve upon it?

"Well, yeah, they were made with hotdogs," he says.

But the lobster corn dogs are a hit.

"They ARE good," says one diner.

A new twist and a high price: $9 each. Compare that to the $3 an average real corn dog costs. It proves some comfort food … is only for the truly comfortable.


Next page: Lobster Corn Dog recipe


Lobster Corn Dogs with Grain Mustard Dipping Sauce

Makes 10 Corn Dogs

For the filling:
8 oz Shrimp, cleaned and shelled
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 pound Lobster meat, coarsely chopped
2 Tbsps. fresh chives, chopped
To Taste. salt and freshly ground white pepper

For the Batter:
1 ½ cups AP(all purpose) flour, sifted
1 ½ cups cornstarch
1 Tbsp. baking soda
¼ cup sugar
2 cups corn meal
pinch salt
1 3/4 cups soda water

For the Sauce:
1 cup Grain mustard
1 cup whipped crème Fraîche

Additional:
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water

To Prepare the Filling:

1. Puree the shrimp with cream until smooth; season with salt and pepper.

2. Transfer to a chilled mixing bowl; using a spatula fold in the lobster meat and chives, season with salt and pepper.

3. Lay plastic film wrap out onto a clean working surface; using a pastry bag, or a plastic zip-lock bag with one of the corner tips cut, pipe the mixture along one edge of the film wrap. Note: The mixtures diameter should be approximately ¾ of an inch wide.Carefully roll the mixture into a long cylinder. Use butchers' twine to tie each end and at 4 inches increment in between to form links. Repeat until entire mixture has been used.

4. Poach the lobster "sausages" in gently simmering water for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to an ice water bath to cool.

5. Remove the ties and film and skewer each link. Transfer to refrigerator to store while the batter is made.

To Prepare the Batter:

1. Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl; add the soda water and stir until completely mixed.

To Prepare the Sauce:

1. Using a spatula, fold the whipped crème Fraîche into the mustard.

Assembly:

Dip the lobster dogs in the batter and deep fry in 350 degree oil. Remove the corndogs from the oil when they are golden brown; transfer to a plate lined with absorbent toweling. Serve with the mustard dipping sauce.

Next Page: Blue Smoke Black Pepper Beef Ribs


Blue Smoke Black Pepper Beef Ribs
Serves 4

Ingredients

Ribs:
2 Racks of Beef Ribs

Rub:
2 Tablespoons Butcher Ground Black Pepper
1 Tablespoon Kosher Salt
1 Tablespoon Dark Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon Spanish Paprika

Directions

- Mix all of the Rub ingredients together in a bowl.

- Be sure to mix well, to break up the brown sugar.

- Remove the skin from the back of the beef ribs with a knife (or ask your butcher to do it for you).

- With the rub, coat both sides of the beef ribs evenly.

- Place ribs in a 200-degree oven or smoker (preferably Hickory) and cook for 6 to 61/2 hours or until tender.

- Serve ribs immediately or wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.

- Refrigerated beef ribs will last up to 2 days in the refrigerator. To serve, simply reheat in the oven or on the grill.

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