James Beard Semifinalist
Sometimes called the “Oscars of Food,” the James Beard Awards recognize outstanding restaurants and chefs. This year, Executive Chef Alan Sternberg of Cerulean was named a semifinalist for James Beard’s Rising Star Chef of the Year Award, given to a chef under 30 who is likely to make a significant impact on the industry.
Chef Alan made us a few dishes that are sure to please a crowd of many!
Here are today’s recipes:Foie Gras with Green Strawberries and Beets
Prepare the burnt bread powder:
• Toast some leftover stale bread in a salamander or broiler until it is very dark.
• Allow bread to cool. Transfer to a dehydrator and dry completely.
• Transfer to a dry blender or spice grinder. Grind into a fine powder.Prepare the foie gras torchon:
• Clean the foie, removing any veins. Cure with salt, sugar, brandy and white pepper.
• Refrigerate the foie and allow it to cure overnight.
• Poach the foie in water until cooked (about 15 minutes). Remove and cool slightly.
• Whip foie in a stand mixer until it reaches a smooth pate texture.
• Lay out a double sheet of plastic wrap. Place an even layer of the foie on one quarter of the plastic along the longer edge. Leave a few inches on the ends to tie the torchon.
• Dust with a layer of burnt bread powder.
• Roll the plastic wrap to form a long cylinder of foie. Make sure to pull the plastic wrap away from the foie to avoid rolling it into the pate.
• Fold the outside of the plastic wrap to seal the cylinder and roll tightly. Grab each end and roll the cylinder along a table to create a firmer roll. Tie off the ends to secure the torchon.
• Hang in a refrigerator until it becomes completely firm. This keeps the cylinder from forming a flat side by sitting on a tray or shelf.
Prepare the pickled green strawberries:
• Clean strawberries. Remove any debris or dirt.
• Cut off tops or leave strawberries whole if desired.
• Bring white balsamic, sugar, and salt to a boil. Pour mixture over the strawberries in a heat-safe container, then allow them to cool in an ice bath. Place a paper towel over the strawberries to help them stay submerged in the pickling liquid.
• Slice as desired for presentation.Prepare the strawberry beet consume:
• Combine red strawberries, beet juice, champagne vinegar, citric acid, salt, sugar, and honey. Simmer very gently over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes.
• Smash the strawberries with a spoon and strain through a coffee filter.Prepare the shaved baby beets:
• Wash baby beets. Trim the greens and peel any undesirable areas.
• Shave on a mandolin. Reserve in very cold water until ready to use.Prepare the toasted brioche:
• Shave very thin slices from a loaf of Pullman brioche. At Cerulean, we use Amelia’s Bread.
• Toast in a medium hot pan with a little butter or oil until golden brown. Season very lightly with salt.
• Garnish with garlic flowers and black sea salt or maldon saltAssemble the dish:
• Leave the cold foie gras in its plastic wrap and cut a slice. Remove the plastic and place in a shallow bowl or ridged plate.
• Pour some of the consume around the foie gras.
• Place the sliced strawberries around the foie gras.
• Salt the top of the foie with a little finishing salt and start layering the brioche crisps around. Continue with the shaved beets and finish with the garlic flowers.Maple Leaf Duck with Celery Root, Green Pea, and Grilled Maitake Mushroom
Prepare the duck:
• Start with a whole duck. Remove its breasts and legs, then cure the legs in salt and herbs for one to two days.
• Confit duck legs in duck fat until its skin starts to render up, exposing the bone. Remove from the oven and leave in fat to cool. After the duck confit has cooled completely, pull the meat off the leg in chunks. Reserve until you assemble the dish.
• Score duck breast in crisscross pattern, but do not puncture the meat on the other side of the skin. Trim the edges of the fat until it is slightly larger than the breast itself. Reserve until ready to cook.Cook the duck:
• Start with a medium hot pan. Do not put oil in the pan.
• Season duck with salt. You will cook the duck mostly with its skin side touching the pan to render the fat and form a crispy and delicious skin. If the heat is too high, the skin will burn.
• When the skin is golden and no fat remains on the skin side, put the pan in the oven to finish cooking to a medium or medium rare temperature. Be careful not to overcook the duck as it will begin to taste like liver.
• When the duck finishes cooking, remove it from the oven. Let it rest on a paper towel for half the time it took to cook. Turn the duck over halfway through the resting period for a juicier final product.
• Slice duck lengthwise and place on plate.
Prepare the green pea ragout:
• Heat water, salt, iota carrageenan, ascorbic acid, and whole milk to a boil until it forms a strong gel. Stir constantly to avoid burning.
• Transfer to the base of a blender. Add fresh green peas and blend on high until completely incorporated.
• Strain through a fine mesh strainer and chill immediately to set it. At this point, it should be a loose gel.
• When you are ready to prepare the dish, sauté some of the reserved duck confit. Add some fresh peas to the pan, then add enough pea puree to coat the confit and fresh peas. Heat only until the food is hot, then remove from heat to preserve the peas’ color.Prepare the celery root puree:
• Peel celery root and cut into large slices. Simmer in salted water until completely tender but not mushy. Transfer to a high-speed blender base and discard water.
• Puree, starting at a low speed and gradually increasing to the highest speed.
• Slowly add grape seed oil to the running blender to emulsify and slightly thicken the puree. Season with salt and lemon juice to taste.
• Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Chill over an ice bath or reserve hot for immediate use.Maitake mushrooms:
• Clean the maitakes of any debris with a dry brush.
• Toss with a little oil and salt
• Grill them until they become tender and slightly charred on the outside
Prepare the jus:
• To prepare chicken or duck stock, roast leftover chicken or duck bones until well-roasted (but not burnt). Place in a stock pot and fill with cold water. Allow to simmer for 24 hours, filling with additional water as needed. Strain multiple times through a fine mesh strainer to remove any debris.
• Reduce the stock until it is almost dry. Once you have extracted enough gelatin from the bones, the stock will start to thicken.
• As the stock nears completion, reduce some red wine with black peppercorns, sliced shallots, bay leaf, and fresh thyme. Cook until au sec or almost dry.
• Strain the reduction into the reduced stock. Cook until it coats the back of a spoon well enough that you can draw a line through it with your finger. Chill or reserve hot for immediate use.Prepare the pickled mustard seeds:
• Simmer yellow mustard seeds in a mix of vinegar, sugar, and salt until mustard seeds start to become tender and mixture start to thicken.Prepare the garnish:
• Add garnishes that accent the spring notes of the dish, such as red vein sorrel, radish shaved on a mandolin, red frills mustard greens, pickled mustard seeds, and/or pea shoots.Assemble the dish:
• Place a spoonful of the celery root puree below the center of a large round plate.
• Place some pea ragout on both sides of the celery root puree.
• Place the sliced duck breast on the other side of the plate, close to the puree and ragout.
• Place the grilled maitake mushrooms around the plate.
• Sprinkle plenty of pickled mustard seeds around the plate. These serve as an acidic undertone to balance the richness of the dish.
• Drizzle some of the jus in between the ragout, duck, and puree to fill in the plate’s negative space.
• Place the additional garnishes around the plate as you see fit. Season with finishing salt if desired.
Location:
In CityWay, right across from the YMCA and inside The Alexander HotelOpen:
Monday through Saturday for lunch and dinner as well as catered eventsABOUT CHEF ALAN AND CERULEAN:
Alan was the only chef from Indiana to be listed and one of only two from Midwest, excluding Chicago. He worked his way up to this after starting as a dishwasher at age 17, and he’s constantly working to learn more. He stages at Michelin-starred restaurants across the country to learn their techniques.
Cerulean serves clean food, locally sourced and artfully prepared. Its chef’s tasting menu is the largest in Indiana, and its involvement in the arts-from hosting shows during First Fridays to working with the IMA’s ARTx Grown-Up Summer Camp to participating in Creative Mornings-makes it a vital part of downtown.
Owner Caleb France and his wife Courtney opened Cerulean’s first location in Winona Lake 10 years ago, and Cerulean Indianapolis celebrated its third anniversary this year.
To learn more, visit www.ceruleanrestaurant.com/indianapolis/.