Private Party August 26, 2024
Roasted Blackberry Tenderloin
Gnocchi with browned butter sage sauce
Cacio De Pepe Brussel Sprouts
Brownie Trifle
Fresh Potato Gnocchi
yield: 2 servings
1 pound russet potatoes
½ cup all-purpose flour
½-1large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Kosher salt for pasta water
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Pierce each potato 3 times with a fork and bake on baking sheet at 400 degrees for 35-50 minutes, depending on size of potatoes. Use a fork to test potatoes and return to oven if still hard in the center. Remove from oven when done.
While potatoes are still very hot, split each and cupping in a clean towel over your hand, scoop insides into a small mixing bowl. Scoop potatoes into a potato ricer and press through.
Sprinkle flour and salt over riced potatoes, then drizzle eggs and oil over mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until cohesive dough forms. Dough will cool significantly during mixing. Turn dough onto a clean work surface or silicone mat and knead by hand until smooth. If the dough is sticky, add flour 1 tablespoon at a time until dough is only slightly tacky.
Let sit for 10 minutes.
Roll dough into a ball, then using both hands, roll it into a cylinder. Continue to roll until the dough is a rod ½ inch in diameter. Using a bench scraper, cut dough into ½ inch long chunks, lightly dusting with flour if necessary to prevent sticking. Pick up each piece and lightly roll it down a textured gnocchi board onto a lightly floured baking sheet. Gnocchi should all be of similar size for even cooking.
Generously salt water and bring to a low boil (water should be as salty as seawater). Add all gnocchi at once for even cooking. When gnocchi floats and water returns to a boil for 1 minute, strain through a colander for 2 minutes, then sauce and serve immediately.
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Brown Butter and Sage Sauce
yeild: 2 servings
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in ½ inch cubes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut in half and chilled
1 tablespoon fresh sage leaves, chopped
½ tablespoon sherry vinegar
Fine sea salt and ground black pepper
Melt 6 tablespoons butter is a medium skillet at medium-low heat. When butter melts and foam subsides, increase heat to medium. Continue to cook, stirring constantly, until butter begins to brown and takes on a light brown color and nutty aroma. Add sage and vinegar.
Beef with blackberry sauce
Yield 2:
Beef tenderloin
Salt and pepper
oil
Blackberry Sauce
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup roasted blackberries
¼ cup beef stock
2 tablespoons butter
Season Beef with salt and pepper. In a pan over medium high heat, add oil and beef. Cook until desired internal temp is reached.
Remove from pan and add red wine, roasted black berries, beef stock and reduce down by half. Add butter and swirl to melt. Once melted turn heat off and serve on beef.
CACIO E PEPE BRUSSELS SPROUTS
INGREDIENTS
- 1tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- 3/4teaspoons freshly ground pepper
- Crushed red pepper flakes
- 7ounces shredded Brussels sprouts
- 1/2teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2cupfreshly grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for serving
- Zest of 1/2 lemon
- 1/4cup toasted hazelnuts or pecans, roughly chopped
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the olive oil, pepper, and red pepper flakes together until toasted, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- Add the Brussels sprouts and cook, without stirring, until they begin to soften, about 2 minutes.
- Season with the salt, and cook until the Brussels sprouts just begin to char, about 2 minutes.
- Remove the skillet from the heat and add the Parmesan, lemon zest, and hazelnuts.
- Serve warm, topped with more fresh Parmesan, if desired.
Toffee Brownie Trifle
Yield: 8
1 (18 ounce) package brownie mix (9×13 pan size)
2 1⁄2 cups cold milk
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package cheesecake flavor instant pudding or (3 1/2 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding
1 (3 1/2 ounce) package instant white chocolate pudding
16 oz whipped cream or cool whip
2 -3 Heath candy bars, chopped (can also use packaged toffee bits)
Optional toffee sauce
Prepare and bake brownies as directed on package.
Cool completely, and then cut into 1-inch cubes.
Beat milk and pudding mixes on low speed 2 minutes.
Fold Cool Whip into pudding.
Place 1/2 brownies into dish, cover with 1/2 pudding mixture.
Repeat layers.
Refrigerate until needed.
Top with toffee sauce and sprinkle with Heath bits just before serving.
Nick’s Supernatural Brownies
1/2 pound/2 sticks/227 grams unsalted butter, cut into 12 pieces
1/2 pound/227 grams dark chocolate (60% is perfect), cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1 cup/200 grams firmly packed dark brown sugar
1 cup/200 grams granulated sugar
1 cup/135 grams unbleached all-purpose flour (spoon flour into dry-measure cup and level off)
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups/about 200 grams pecan or walnut pieces, divided (optional)
9×13 pan
- Set a rack in the middle level of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees.
- In a medium saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Let the butter start to sizzle and get very hot. Off heat add the chocolate. Shake the pan to submerge the chocolate and wait a minute. Whisk smooth.
- Place the brown sugar, granulated sugar, flour, and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix with the paddle on medium speed until the mixture is very fine and powdery, 2 or 3 minutes.
- Add the eggs, one at a time, beating to incorporate between additions, followed by the vanilla.
- Remove the bowl from the mixer and thoroughly fold in the butter and chocolate mixture. Fold in three quarters of the nuts, if using.
- Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts, if using.
- Bake the brownies until they are slightly firm and no longer liquid in the center of the pan, about 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack, then wrap in plastic and wait until the next day to cut them—they are still too soft immediately after cooling. To rush the process, chill the cooled and wrapped brownies for a couple of hours before cutting the brownies into 2-inch squares.
Toffee sauce
½ cup unsalted butter
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup brown sugar, packed
2 teaspoons unsulphured molasses (teaspoons, not tablespoons)
pinch salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- In a medium saucepan, melt the butter. Add the cream, brown sugar, molasses, and salt. Bring the mixture to a simmer, whisking occasionally, and simmer for 5-8 minutes. Whisk in vanilla and set aside to cool slightly; it will thicken as it cools.
