Fruits and Roots Recipes

Duck Breast with Roasted Apples and Pears in a Grillotine Sauce

Serves 4

You'll need:
2 carrots
2 parsnips
1 turnip
1 rutabaga
1 Golden Delicious apple
1  pear
4 duck breasts (6-7 ounces each)
1 teaspoon thyme fresh chopped
3 tablespoons honey

Sauce:
4 shallots
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup cherries in brandy or Grillotine
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 cup veal stock or chicken stock

Directions:

In a sauté pan, season and sear the duck breast skin side down after having made small incision on the skin side, on high heat.

Reduce the heat and let the duck fat slowly melt. After 15 minutes, turn the breast on the other side, and place it in a oven pan with fresh thyme and 2 tablespoons of honey.

In the same frying pan, removing some oil, sauté the root vegetables, then the fruits with the remaining honey.

Using the same frying pan, sauté the shallots and garlic with the remaining duck fat, deglaze with the cherry in brandy, add the vinegar, let reduce and then add the stock

Finish the duck breast in a 375 degree oven for few minutes, and served on a bed of fruits and roots and the sauce

Golden Beet and Red Beet Carpaccio, Served With Orange Sorbet

Serves 4

You'll need:
2 golden beets
2 red beets
1 cup interesting other beets
2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar glaze
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 cups arugula leaves
1 tablespoon basil leaves

To roast beets: After the beets are trimmed of the stems and leaves and washed, place them aluminum foil) and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle w/ kosher salt and a few cumin seeds.

Roast beets at 400F for an hour.

When cool enough to handle, peel the skins off the beets and set aside.

With a very sharp knife or mandolin, slice the beets in the thinnest slices possible.

Start layering the beets on a platter, alternating colors, drizzling w/ white balsamic vinegar and olive oil after each layer.

Sprinkle with sea salt and chopped basil.

Serve with orange sorbet and arugula leaves.

Parsnip soup with cinnamon brioche croutons

Serves 4

You'll need:

1/2 cup onions -- diced
1 clove garlic
1/2 cup celery -- diced
1 sprig thyme
1 each bay leaf
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound parsnips -- diced
3 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 slices brioche -- diced
3 tablespoons butter -- melted
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

In a heavy saucepan, cook the onion, garlic, celery and thyme in butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until the onion is softened.

Add the parsnips and the broth, bring the liquid to a boil, and simmer the mixture, covered, for 15 minutes, or until the vegetables are very tender.

Purée the soup in a blender, with the heavy cream and return to the pan.

Use enough water to thin the soup to the desired consistency if necessary, and salt and pepper to taste.

Toss the brioche croutons with the melted butter and the spices, toast in your oven until golden, served as a garnish with the soup.

Root Vegetable Savory Tart Tatin

Serves 4

You'll need:

2 carrots -- peeled and diced
1 turnip -- peeled and diced
1 parsnip -- peeled and diced
1 rutabaga -- peeled and diced
1/4 cup butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons sugar
salt and pepper.
2 quarts water

Syrup:
2 ounces butter
2 tablespoons maple syrup
4 tablespoons brown sugar
feta cheese or goat cheese, arugula leaves

1 puff pastry sheet

In a large pot of salted water, sugar butter, add the carrots, turnips, and parsnips to the pan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat but keep the mix at a slow boil. Add the rutabagas and cook for another 5 Minutes and chilled the root vegetables

Next, prepare the caramel in a sauce pan. Melt the butter until it reaches a golden color, add the sugar and the maple syrup, keep on low heat until you have a nice brown caramel color.

Place the caramel on the bottom of your baking dish, place the root vegetables as tight as possible, and place the puff pastry over it, with a fork poke the dough.

Bake the tart tatin in a 375 oven for about 30-35 minutes.

Served chilled with goat cheese, arugula leaves and a light vinaigrette.

Seared Rockfish with a Celery Apple Puree and Radish Salad

Serves 8

You'll need:

2 tablespoons olive oil
8  rockfish filets, 6 oz each
1 cup assorted radishes -- sliced
1 each frisee lettuce -- yellow only

2 pounds celery root -- peeled and diced
8 ounces Yukon Gold potato
3 Golden Delicious apples
1/2 cup apple cider
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 tablespoons butter
salt and pepper

For the citrus vinaigrette:
1 grapefruit
2 tangerine
 lime juice
1 orange
1 teaspoon sherry vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 pinch salt
1/4 pinch ground piment d'Espelette
1 teaspoon tarragon -- chopped

For the celery apple puree:

Melt the butter over medium heat in a shallow pot or large sauté pan. add celery root, potatoes, apples, 1 1/2 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Sauté the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they begin to soften, about 4 to 5 minutes. Add the cider and tightly cover the pot. Simmer over low heat (I pull the pot halfway off the heat) for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are very soft. If the vegetables begin to burn or they seem dry, add another few tablespoons of apple cider or some water.

When the vegetables are cooked, add the cream and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer the mixture to a food processor but the texture will be smoother than with the food mill, Taste for salt and pepper and return to the pot to remove excess water and make the puree firmer.

For the vinaigrette:

Cut off the rind from the citrus fruit with a knife so to reveal all the fruit but removing all the skin and the white pith. Using a paring knife, cut out the sections and then cut these into medium pieces, about 3/4 inch diced. Work over a bowl so you can save any juice you may get from doing all this. Your goal is to have sections of citrus and some juice to add to the sauce
Toss the diced citrus pieces, any saved juice, lime juice, red wine vinegar, olive oil, salt and piment d'Espelette, trying to not break up the pieces of fruit. Use a fork to toss so to avoid breaking up the fruit but still giving enough of a stir to mix the vinaigrette. Set aside.

Season and sear the fish in a frying pan with the olive oil, skin side first and then flip over.

Serve with the puree, the radish frisee salad, and the citrus vinaigrette