Voyage To Delicious Food

Scott Barton is a trained metalwork artist who has taken his talent and applied it to food. He is the executive chef at Voyage restaurant in New York City, which takes diners on a journey from South America to the American South.

Barton took our Chef on a Shoestring challenge to make a three-course meal for four for under $30. And he made a meal perfect for a cold winter night. His menu: an appetizer of Ravioli Nudi of Swiss Chard, Gorgonzola, Ricotta and Garlic Butter; an entrée of Brisket Pot-au-Feu with Roasted Carrots and Turnips served with Old-fashioned Spoon Bread; and for dessert, Walnut Toffee Tart.

Terminology:

Pot-au-feu (pot-toh-FEUH): Literally means "pot on fire" in French, pot-au-feu refers to a French dish of meat and vegetables slowly cooked in liquid . Barton uses a dry table wine for the braising liquid in his pot-au-feu. Traditionally, the rich broth is served with croutons or bread as a first course, which is followed by a second course of the meat and vegetables. You can use almost any combination of meat and vegetables. In France, the ingredients vary according to the region. Barton uses brisket, which is a tougher cut of meat, but the slow cooking brings out the flavor resulting in tender and flavorful meat. For his Chef on a Shoestring menu, Barton does a loose interpretation of Pot-au-Feu because he roasts the vegetables separately and adds them at the very end to the stew.

Brisket: A cut of beef taken from the breast section under the first five ribs. Brisket is usually sold without the bone and is divided into two sections. The flat cut has minimal fat and is usually more expensive than the point cut, which has more flavor and fat. Barton suggests the point cut. He says brisket is best for long, slow cooking methods and it is best when it is braised.

Spoon Bread: A pudding-like bread usually based on cornmeal. It is generally baked in a casserole dish and is usually served as a side dish. It is soft enough to eat with a fork or spoon.

Gorgonzola (gohr-guhn-ZOH-lah): A type of blue cheese named for a town outside of Milan where it was originally made. It's considered one of Italy's greatest cheeses. It's made from cow's milk cheese, and it has a savory and pungent flavor, but it can be stinky.

RECIPES

Naked Ravioli (Ravioli Nudi)
Yields 36 Pieces

Ingredients:
3/4 pounds spinach, washed and stems removed
3/4 pounds Swiss chard, washed and stems removed
1/4 pound ricotta cheese
1/4 pound sweet Gorgonzola, chopped
4 large egg yolks
1 cup grated Parmesan
salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
freshly ground nutmeg, to taste
1 cup all-purpose flour

1. Blanch Swiss chard in a pot of boiling salted water. Drain and plunge Swiss chard into ice water to cool. Drain and wring completely dry with a tea towel. Repeat the same process with the spinach. Coarsely chop all of the greens and reserve.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the cheeses, egg yolks and seasonings. Add the reserved chopped greens. Sprinkle flour over the cheese mixture and stir to blend.
3. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add salt. Using two spoons, carefully form quenelles (oval shapes) with the filling. Drop individually into the boiling water. When the quenelles float to the surface, remove them from the water with a slotted spoon. Drain briefly, and place each quenelle in a lightly oiled baking dish.
4. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Bake the naked ravioli for 10 to 15 minutes until they are lightly golden. Drizzle with garlic herb butter.

Garlic Herb Butter

Ingredients:
4 tablespoons sweet (unsalted) butter
2 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped fresh rosemary sprigs or sage leaves
1/2 teaspoon black pepper,
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Combine the butter, garlic, rosemary (or sage) and black pepper in a small saucepan. Heat until the butter is melted and the herbs are fragrant. Remove from stove, add olive oil and reserve until ready to use.

Ingredients:
2 pounds beef brisket (from the "second cut," which is from the smaller end of the brisket)
2 tablespoons canola oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 onion, split in half along its equator, brushed with oil and roasted until blackened
8 cloves garlic, peeled
4 cups dry red cooking wine

Bouquet Garni Ingredients:
1 teaspoon fish sauce (available in Asian markets and some supermarkets)
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon coriander seed
2 teaspoons herbs de provence
1 carrot, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 turnip, peeled and cut into wedges
1 carrot, peeled and sliced into half-inch rounds
1 teaspoon olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
fresh ground nutmeg to taste

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare the bouquet garni by wrapping all of the ingredients in cheesecloth, and reserve. The beef can be cut into individual serving pieces, or left whole. Season beef with salt and pepper to taste. In a Dutch oven or large saucepan, heat the oil until a haze appears. Add the beef and sear on all sides. Drain any excess fat. Remove from the heat and deglaze with the wine. Peel the onion halves and add to the pot. Add the garlic and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil. Skim any scum from the surface. Simmer until the meat is tender for approximately 90 minutes. Skim throughout the cooking process and add water as needed.

   Remove the meat from the pot and reserve covered. Skim any fat from the surface and discard. Remove the bouquet garni from the pot. Press hard on the bouquet to remove any accumulated juices. Discard the bouquet. Puree the broth with the onions and garlic. Strain and adjust seasoning. Return the beef to the pot. Allow it to cool. At this point the stew could be stored to be heated and served later.

   Toss the turnip segments and carrot rounds with olive oil, salt, pepper and nutmeg. You will roast the vegetables in the oven at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes. Place on a sheet pan and roast until slightly tender and lightly caramelized. Add to the stew and reserve. Prepare the spoonbread. While it is baking, bring the stew to a simmer. Adjust seasoning. Serve in bowls, garnish with spoon bread.

   Old Fashioned Spoon Bread

   Ingredients:
   2 cups whole milk
   salt and cayenne pepper to taste
   2 tablespoons sweet (unsalted) butter
   1 cup cornmeal, coarsely ground
   1/4 cup grated Parmesan or Swiss cheese
   5 eggs, separated
   1 tablespoon butter
   2 tablespoons cornmeal

   Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Bring the milk, seasonings and butter to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the cornmeal, cheese and egg yolks. Whip the egg whites to soft peaks. While the egg whites are being beaten, prepare either muffin tins, custard cups or a small loaf pan with butter and flour with the cornmeal. Fold the egg whites into the corn mixture. Fill the muffin tins or loaf pan, three-quarters of the way to the top with the spoon bread mixture. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes until golden, nicely puffed, yet soft in the center. Serve hot with the Brisket Pot-au-Feu.

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   Walnut Toffee Tart

   Pate Sucree Ingredients:
   2 cups all-purpose flour
   1/4 pound butter
   1/2 cup sugar
   pinch of salt
   1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, freshly squeezed
   4 egg yolks

   Toffee Filling Ingredients:
   1 cup cane sugar
   2 tablespoons corn syrup
   1/2 cup milk or half and half, hot
   1/2 pound walnuts, coarsely chopped, toasted and warm
   7 tablespoons sweet (unsalted) butter, diced and softened

   Egg Glaze Ingredients:
   1 egg yolk
   1 tablespoon milk

   1. Prepare the pie dough by placing the flour, salt and sugar in the work bowl of a food processor. Add the butter and pulse until the mixture looks like coarse sand. Add the lemon juice and egg yolks. If necessary, add enough ice water to allow the dough to come together. Remove from the machine, cover with plastic wrap and chill for 6 to 12 hours.

      Remove the dough from the refrigerator. Divide in half. Roll out the dough to make a thin crust. Line an 8- to 9-inch pie pan with half the dough. Roll out the other half of the dough. Cut a circle of dough large enough to fit over the pan as a top crust. Use a small knife to create a steam vent in the center of the circle. Place both crusts in the freezer. These can be prepared as much as 24 hours ahead of time. Whisk together the egg yolk and milk to make a glaze. Reserve, chilled, until ready to use.

      Once the crusts are frozen, preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. In a heavy bottomed non-reactive saucepan, combine the sugar, corn syrup and 1/3 cup of water. Cover and bring to a boil. Cook until the mixture turns a light golden caramel color. Remove from the heat. Carefully add the milk (or half and half), as the mixture may sputter and spit. Add the nuts and the butter. Cook, stirring contstantly, until the toffee reaches a soft ball stage (235 to 240 degrees F on a candy thermometer, or drop a small piece of the mixture into a glass of cool water and check to see if the mixture forms a soft ball). Once soft ball is achieved, remove the pan from the heat.

      Remove the frozen tart shell and dough circle from the freezer. Brush with the reserved egg glaze. Pour the hot molten toffee into the tart shell. Quickly and carefully place the top crust on the tart shell. Press to seal. Brush the top of the tart with the glaze. Cut off any excess. Place the tart in the oven. Immediately, reduce the temperature of the oven to 400 degrees F. Bake for 15 minutes. Briefly remove the tart from the oven. Brush the tart with egg glaze. Return the tart to the oven. Reduce the heat to 300 degrees F. Continue cooking for 20 to 25 minutes until the crust is nice and golden. Remove from the oven and cool to room temperature (this can take 3 hours). The tart will keep for several days.