Ahwahnee's Signature Recipes

Yield:  6 portions

Ingredients
1 lb cut into 6 portions Sturgeon Filet, skin off

Rice

Ingredients
1 cup Calrose rice
1 cup Water
1 cup Orange juice, fresh
2 Tblsp Scallion, sliced thin
2 tsp Red bell pepper, small dice
2 tsp Green bell pepper, small dice
1 tsp Black sesame seeds, white if not available
1 tsp Canola oil
½ tsp Salt, kosher or sea

Method

• Steam rice in water, salt and orange juice for 30 minutes.  If there is no way to steam it, place liquid, salt and rice in an appropriate size sauce pan and cook over low heat or use a rice cooker.  When completely cooked remove from heat and let rest for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
• Saute bell peppers in oil over medium heat until slightly limp.  Reserve.
• Combine all ingredients and let cool slightly, enough to handle.
• Mold in a cookie cutter or a loaf pan.  If using a loaf pan, spray with pan release and press firmly to stick the rice grains together.  Let cool to room temperature and turn the rice out of the pan.  Slice a ¼ inch to ½ inch thick.
• For service, pan fry in a little canola oil over medium low heat.

For Poaching Liquid

Ingredients
3 stalks Lemongrass, roughly chopped
6 oz Ginger, unpeeled, roughly chopped
1 tsp Dried chili flakes
1 tsp Sriracha Sauce, or chili paste
¼ cup Lime juice
¼ cup White wine
¼ cup Onion, large dice
¼ cup Celery, large, diced
3 Garlic cloves, whole, bruised
¼ cup Salt, kosher or sea
1 ½ qt Water

Method

• Combine all ingredients in a sauce or stock pot, boil for 25 minutes.
• Strain through a fine mesh strainer to remove solids.
• To poach, you want to have the liquid deep enough to place all portions of fish.  Bring the liquid up to 175', or where you can see just a couple of bubbles (not boiling but almost).
• Poach fish completely submerged for 6 minutes.

For Lemongrass-Chili Emulsion

Ingredients
2 hearts Lemongrass, roughly chopped
2 cloves Garlic, roughly chopped
1 tsp Dried chili flakes
1 cup Coconut milk
2 Tblsp Mayonnaise
2 tsp Lime juice
½ tsp Salt, kosher or sea

Method

• Combine all ingredients into a blender.  Blend on high for 1 minute until smooth, strain through a fine mesh strainer.
• Refrigerate until ready to use.  Drizzle directly over the fish.
  

Mustard Crusted Seabass
Rock Shrimp Capellini Cake, Fine Herbs Salad, Asparagus, Lemon Saffron Brodo

Serves 4

Ingredients
4 ea Seabass, Corvina or Striped, 5 oz boneless/skinless portions  
2 Tblsp Honey Mustard       
1 Tblsp Mustard Seed, Dry Toasted, Cracked     
to taste Sea Salt        
to taste Black Pepper, ground       
4 ea Rock Shrimp Capellini Cakes (Recipe Follows)   
2 cups Lemon Saffron Brodo (Recipe Follows)    
16 spears Asparagus, peeled, cooked      
½ cup Bulls Blood Beet Greens, Micro     
12 ea Chervil, pluches       
12 ea Tarragon Leaves, Fresh      
12 ea Chives, cut into 1 inch sticks      
12 ea Parsley, Flat, Whole Leaves      
splash Rice Wine Vinegar       
as needed Olive Oil or Clarified Butter      

Method

• Preheat oven to 400'.
• Preheat a frying pan with an oven safe handle over medium high heat.
• Season Fish with sea salt and ground black pepper as desired.  Add 1 Tblsp oil or butter to pan.
• Place fish skin side up.  Sear until desired golden brown color is achieved.  Flip with a spatula.
• Spread honey mustard over fish and sprinkle crushed mustard seed over honey mustard.
• Place frying pan in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest in the pan for 2 minutes.
• Heat cooked asparagus in a steamer basket.
• Using large pasta style bowls, place 4 pieces of asparagus in the center of the plate. Place 1 capellini cake on top of asparagus. Ladle 4 oz of brodo over cake.  Place cooked fish on top of capellini cake.
• Toss beet greens, chervil, tarragon, chives, and parsley with rice wine vinegar, plate a small bit of salad on top of fish. Serve.

Rock Shrimp Capellini Cake Batter
Yield:  4 each 3 oz cakes, or 6 each 2 oz cakes
Ingredients
8 oz cooked Angel hair pasta, broken then cooked    
1/8 cup Red bellpepper, small dice ¼”x ¼”     
¼ cup Green bell pepper, small dice
2 Green onions, thinly sliced
½ cup Rock shrimp, steamed or quickly sauteed
1 Egg, Beaten        
2 Tblsp Heavy cream        
pinch Marjoram leaves, dry       
2 pinch Dill, dry        
¼ tsp Parsley, fresh chopped
pinch Salt
1 Tblsp White pepper
1 Tblsp Flour, all purpose
Oil, or clarified butter

Method

• Combine all ingredients and mix until completely incorporated.  Make a small taste test cooked in a non-stick pan with a small amount of oil or clarified butter, adjust seasoning if necessary.
• For the full sized portions, heat a griddle or non-stick pan over medium heat.  Add oil or clarified butter.  Place a heaping tablespoon (approximately 2 oz) of batter and press lightly on the top to flatten to a ½ inch thick.  Cook on one side for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping and cooking on the other side for the same amount of time.
• Remove from pan to a plate or container with absorbent paper toweling, let rest for 1 minute prior to serving, or keep in a warm place until service.

Lemon Saffron Brodo
Yield: 4 Portions (1 pint)

Ingredients
1 ½ pint Lobster, shellfish or fish stock
1 ½ oz Lemon juice
pinch Saffron threads
1 Tblsp Pernod
1 oz Parmesan rind, cut in 1 inch cubed
1 oz Onion, large diced (1”x1”)
½ oz Carrot, large diced
½ oz Leek, large diced
½ oz Celery, large diced
3 ea Parsley stems
4 ea Peppercorns, black, whole
2 ea Garlic cloves, bruised
pinch Salt
1 Bay leaf

Method:

• Place all ingredients in a sauce pot.  Bring slowly to a simmer.  Simmer for 2 hours.
• Remove and strain through a chinois or cheesecloth.  Keep hot for service.
  

Serves 8 – 8 oz. portions

Ingredients
½ cup Onion, fined diced
1 tablespoon Garlic, minced 
6 slices of Bacon, diced
1 tablespoon Butter
½ cup all-purpose flour
1.5 quarts Vegetable broth
1-12 oz. bottle Sierra Pale Ale Beer
2 cup Heavy cream
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Prepared horseradish 
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 Bay leaves
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste  
½ lb. Shredded cheddar cheese

Preparation

• Heat a 6 qt. stockpot over a medium heat and add the diced bacon. Cook until bacon is 2/3’s done. Add the butter, onions and garlic and continue cooking an additional 3 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
• When ready, mix in the flour to make your roux, cook for additional 3 minutes.
• Using a whisk, slowly add the vegetable stock and heavy cream until it has all been incorporated.
• Bring contents of stockpot to a boil; add the Worcestershire sauce, mustard, horseradish and bay leaves. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the ale and cheddar cheese, whisk soup until smooth and all the cheese has melted and has been thoroughly incorporated.
• Remove the bay leaves, adjust the seasoning, and keep hot until you are ready to serve.
  

For our gala Bracebridge Dinner, we prepared this recipe multiplied by 40 to accommodate an average 325 guests.  The garnish was a beautifully prepared cold set polenta, diced into cubes and deep fried until crispy, wonderful sliced winter truffles from Perigord, France and to contrast the color, a first cold pressed olive oil infused with chives.  The earthy tones of all the soup components will serve as a great marriage to the ambiance of this historic Winter Celebration in the Great Bracebridge Hall.

Yield:  2 quart, 8 – 8 oz servings

Ingredients
2 heads, or 2 oz, roasted Garlic
Olive oil as needed
5 oz Yellow onion, diced
2 oz Butter, unsalted, diced
2 oz, Parsnip, peeled & diced 
1 lb Celery root, peeled & diced
5 oz Russet potato, peeled & diced
3 oz Marsala Wine
1 ea Bay Leaf, dry
1 tsp Thyme, fresh, chopped
1 star Star Anise, whole
 3 cups Vegetable stock
½ cup Heavy cream
¼ tsp, to taste White Pepper
1 Tblsp, to taste Salt       

Method

• Preheat oven to 400 F.  Roast garlic by slicing off the top of the whole head.  Place in the center of a 8”X12” piece of aluminum foil.  Drizzle a teaspoon or so of olive oil over the sliced area.  Bring the corners of the foil up together and gather them up into a cone.  Place in oven for 30 minutes.  Remove and let cool.  Simply squeeze the roasted garlic cloves or pulp out of the garlic head and reserve for remainder of the recipe.
• Preheat a 4 qt sauce pan over medium heat.  Sweat diced onions in whole butter until the onions turn translucent, without browning.  Add marsala and cook for 3 minutes.  Add remaining ingredients except heavy cream.  Bring to simmer and cook for 30 minutes or until vegetables are very soft.
• Remove from heat.  Remove star anise and bay leaf and blend with a hand blender until smooth.  Strain through a fine meshed strainer.  Season with salt and white pepper to desired taste.  Place back into sauce pot and keep warm.
• Just before serving, add heavy cream and stir until incorporated.  Adjust seasoning if necessary.
• Serve garnished with a nice extra virgin olive oil, sliced truffles, sliced chives, sourdough croutons or crostini, a dollup of crème fraiche or a drizzle of white truffle oil. 
  

There are a few cold sauces that work well with this, we are serving it with Sauce Verte, or a green mayonnaise that is fruitfully flavored with shallot, tarragon, parsley and chive.  Remoulade, tartar, louis, and even traditional seafood cocktail work well with the delicate seafood flavors.  Simple salads and crackers are a perfect accompaniment to complete the experience.

Yield:  12 #  mousseline appareil or 4 triangle terrines

Ingredients

Mousseline
8# (1 can) Scallop, dry pack, ground     
2½ cups Heavy cream 
¾ cup Egg white
8 slices Soft white bread, no crust 
4 teaspoon Kosher salt 
¼ teaspoon White pepper

Garnish:
2# Lobster Meat, lightly cooked, large dice   
4 tablespoon Chive, finely minced 
2 teaspoon Tarragon, finely chopped
2 tablespoon Parsley, finely chopped
3 tablespoon Lemon zest, finely chopped 
3 tablespoon Lobster roe or Tobikko Caviar

Method

1. Place all mousseline ingredients together in a high speed food processor and blend on high for 1 minute.  Remove lid and scrape down sides with rubber spatula, blend again for 1 more minute.
2. Fold in garnish using a rubber spatula until thoroughly incorporated.
3. Spray a terrine mold with pan spray (to allow the plastic wrap to release).  Place a sheet of plastic wrap inside the terrine mold, making sure there are no air pockets.  Place enough mousseline in the mold to come up even to the top surface, spread with rubber spatula and giving it a firm push down to fill out any air pockets in the mousse.
4. Fold plastic wrap over the surface and poke a couple of holes in the top (to release steam).  Bake in a 300' oven for 35 minutes, or until the internal temperature is 130'.  Remove from oven and water bath.
5. Place a flat sheet pan on top of terrine and add some weight.  Canned food products work well here.  Place in refrigerator overnight.  Remove from mold and plastic and slice appropriately for serving.

Ahh!!!  Talk about Yuletide Traditions at The Ahwahnee.  For over 75 years, the Plum Pudding has graced the tables of Ahwahnee guests during Christmastime.  It has been the “piece de resistance” for the famous Bracebridge Dinner Celebrations since the early years of then director, Ansel Adams.  Enjoy this warm, rich bread pudding with vanilla ice cream, vanilla crème anglaise or more traditionally, hard sauce.

This recipe takes approximately 3 weeks to complete, as the flavors need to develop for 2 weeks before cooking, and at least a week after cooking.  Please be patient!!!

Yield:  15 Small Puddings

Ingredients
9 oz Raisins, golden       
9 oz Currants, black       
5 oz Candied orange peel, diced small, ¼ inch    
5 oz Candied lemon peel, diced small, ¼ inch    
5 oz Candied ginger, diced small, ¼ inch     
¼ bottle Dark rum      
¼ bottle Brandy         
4 oz Pecans, medium pieces, toasted     
2 cups Granny Smith apples, medium sized, peeled, diced small, ¼ inch 
5.5 oz Brown Sugar        
5.5 oz Kidney fat, (Suet), cleaned & ground or chopped fine  
4 bottles Dark Beer, Guinness or Heineken Dark    
¼ tblsp Salt         
¼ tblsp Nutmeg, freshly grated      
¼ tblsp Cinnamon, freshly ground      
4 oz Hazelnut paste        
6 oz Bread crumbs, fresh       
1 oz Bread flour        
3 ea Eggs, whole, large       

Method

• Mix together all ingredients except bread crumbs, bread flour and eggs.  Cover with plastic wrap and set aside in a refrigerator for 10 days.
• Grease timbale molds, or traditional plum pudding molds with butter and then sugar them so that they release easily.
• Preheat oven to 350'.
• Remove refrigerated mix, add bread crumbs and bread flour.
• Whisk the whole eggs loose and add to the mix.
• Scoop the mix in the molds.
• Place molds in a square cake pan, batter side up.  Pour water into the pan until you reach ½ way up the molds.  Cover tightly with aluminum foil.  Bake in oven for 1 hour.
• Remove and let cool.  Store in the refrigerator for at least a week.
• To reheat, place in a steamer basket and steam until the center is warm, approximately 30 minutes. 
• Serve.

Yield:  ½ gallon, 8  -  8oz portions

Ingredients
1qt Apple juice
1qt Cranberry juice
5oz Port wine
4ea Whole clove
1 Star Anise seed
1 tblsp Dried Hibiscus
Dried orange rind from ½ an orange
1 Cinnamon sticks
½ oz Ginger, grated      

Method

• Place all ingredients into a sauce pot and simmer for 30 minutes. 
• Serve warm in a coffee mug.
• Don’t forget to sing WASSAIL!