Work Smart, Not Hard, In Kitchen

Terrance Brennan's passion for simple yet flavorful cuisine has fueled the success of his two New York City restaurants Artisanal and Picholine. He also brings this passion to his cookbook, "Artisanal Cooking."

Brennan says many home cooks are under the impression that they need to spend a lot of money to make a great meal as well as a lot of time and effort. But that's not necessarily true. In fact, his motto in the kitchen isn't "work hard, but rather to work smart." Here are his basic rules:

Use the best ingredients: You want your dishes to have integrity, similar to what you would find in a great restaurant.

Respect the seasons: Buy what's out now. The benefit is that when you buy something in season, it's priced right and it tastes great.

Honor tradition. Then be creative: Time-honored dishes have been around for so long because they are structurally sound and produce delicious results. You can adhere to tradition and still be creative, Brennan says.

Hone your skills: You don't have to be a master chef but the more you cook, the better you get. Once you get a better hang of sautéing vegetables, the more confident you'll feel in the kitchen.

He visits The Early Show to demonstrate a few of his favorite 150 recipes found in his book.

Click on pages 2 and 3

Baked Sea Bass En Papillote With Fennel And Orange Olive Butter
Serves 4

4 cups water
Kosher salt
1 cup 1/8-inch-wide strips fennel, from 1 medium bulb
4 pieces parchment paper, 16 inches by 24 inches
2 eggs
1 tablespoon cold water
1/4 cup olive oil plus more for brushing parchment parcels
Black pepper in a mill
4 black sea bass fillets, 6 to 7 ounces each, with skin
2 tablespoons orange-olive butter, cut into 12 thin slices
4 sprigs thyme (optional)

Method:

1. Pour the 1 quart water into a heavy-bottomed pot, add 1 teaspoon salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the fennel and cook until tender, approximately 4 minutes. Drain the fennel, refresh under cold, running water, drain, and let dry.
2. One by one, fold the parchment pieces in half and cut them into half-heart-shaped pieces, 13 inches long at the longest point and 12 inches wide at the widest, starting at the bottom corner. In other words, when opened, the paper will be 13 inches long and 24 inches wide. (This will seem very large, but you will need all of that space.)
3. Make an egg wash by breaking the eggs into a small bowl and whisking with 1 tablespoon cold water.
4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Rub oil over the right half of the upward-facing side of the parchment paper and season the paper with salt and a few grinds of pepper. (This will season the underside of the fish when you set it on the paper.)
5. Put one fish fillet in the center of the right half of the paper, skin side up. Season with salt and pepper, then arrange some fennel, 3 slices of orange-olive butter, and a thyme sprig, if using, along the length of each fillet, stacking the ingredients neatly. Brush egg wash around the edges of the parcel. Seal the packet by making small, triangular folds along the edge in an overlapping pattern, starting at the top (rounded) end of the paper and finishing at the point. It's essential that the packets be very well sealed, so make as many small folds as possible, press down on them to compress the paper, and twist the pointed tip for good measure.
6. Brush the outside of the parcel with a light layer of egg wash, but do not brush the bottom.
7. Put two sealed packets on each of 2 cookie sheets, and bake until the paper turns a nice golden-brown, 10 to 12 minutes. If you have two ovens, cook two parcels in each oven, which will allow maximum room for the paper to puff up when baked. If using one oven, be sure there's six inches of space between the top of the parcels on the bottom rack and the upper rack, and switch the pans from one rack to the other after 5 minutes to ensure even cooking.
8. The paper should puff up and stay puffed; if it doesn't, then the paper wasn't sealed properly, but the fish will still be delicious.
9. Put the parcels on a large try or attractive cutting board and present to your guests at the table. Make an incision along the length of one parcel with a knife and twirl the paper towards the edges, gathering it around 2 forks, exposing the fish within. Carefully transfer the fish to a dinner plate and spoon the juices from the parcel over the fish. Repeat with the other parcels and serve.

Orange-Olive Butter
Makes about 1/2 cup

Ingredients:
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, slightly softened at room temperature
1/4 cup pitted, minced nicoise olives
1 tablespoon finely grated orange zest
2 tablespoons thinly sliced chervil (optional)
1/2 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon Grand Marnier (optional)

Method:

1. Put all ingredients in a bowl and combine well with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula, making sure all ingredients are well incorporated.
2. Wrap the butter and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Ingredients:
4 pounds cheese pumpkin, seeded, peeled, and quartered
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
Kosher salt
White pepper in a mill
1/4 cup Spanish onion, medium diced
2 tablespoons celery, medium diced
4 cups homemade vegetable stock or low-sodium store-bought vegetable broth or water
2 tablespoons mascarpone cheese, or 1/4 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
2 tablespoons finely diced shallots
1 cup porcini mushrooms, stems and caps separated, stems peeled and sliced into 1/4 inch thick, or chanterelles, halved or quartered based on size
Few tablespoons white chicken stock, if needed
Pinch ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon finely grated orange zest

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Put the pumpkin quarters in a bowl. Add 3 tablespoons of the softened butter, season with salt and pepper, and toss to coat the pumpkin. Spread the quarters out on a rimmed cookie sheet or baking sheet. Roast until tender to a fork-tip, 50 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven and, when cool enough to handle, scoop out the flesh. You should have approximately 3 cups of roasted pumpkin.
2. Put three tablespoons butter into a large, heavy-bottomed pot and warm it over low heat. Add the onion, celery, and a pinch of salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are softened but not browned, approximately 20 minutes. Pour in the stock and add the roasted pumpkin. Bring to boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Whisk in the mascarpone and pumpkin puree.
3. Put two tablespoons butter into a medium, heavy-bottomed sauté pan and warm it over medium-low heat. Add the shallots, and, if using porcini, mushroom stems and sauté for 1 minute, then add the caps and sauté for another minute 2 minutes or, if using chanterelles, add the pieces along with the shallots and sauté for approximately 3 minutes. If the mushrooms look dry, add a tablespoon or two of water or stock. Season with salt and add 3 grinds of pepper, or to taste. Set the mushrooms aside, covered, to keep them warm.
4. Do the following in batches: Put the soup in a blender and puree until velvety smooth. Season to taste with salt. Continue to blend until smooth. Strain the soup through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Add the nutmeg, orange zest, and 3 grinds of white pepper to the soup.
5. Divide the soup among 6 wide, shallow bowls. Divide the mushrooms equally among the bowls, scattering them over the surface of the soup, and serve.

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