SAY AGAIN? "GARDE MANGER"

Tonight we're back in Garde Manger for our second time around. We've finished our tour through the stations on this new menu for Level Four and this will be our last chance with these dishes before the menu is changed again in a few weeks. Then as I understand it we'll be studying to make these dishes for the final while preparing dishes from the new menu in class. Sound confusing? The finish line is in sight...

More on class on the jump...


DISH: Tomato Soup With Basil and Garlic-Sauteéd Scallops, Soupe De Tomates Au Basilic Et Saint-Jacques Sautées À L'Ail

RECIPE:

The Soup
100 ML Blended Olive Oil (Slightly Less Than ½ Cup)
1 Small Onion, Émincé
1 Small Red Bell Pepper, Émincé
2 Garlic Cloves, Smashed
75 G Tomato Paste
125 ML White Wine (Slightly More Than ½ Cup)
1 KG Ripe Tomatoes (Slightly Less Than 2¼ LB)
Bouquet Garni, With 2 Whole Cloves & Small Basil Branch
2 L Chicken Stock (½ Gallon)
150 G Cooked Rice

The Aioli
4 Garlic Cloves, Puréed
Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper
Juice of 1 Lemon
3 Egg Yolks
2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream
150 ML Blended Olive Oil (~2/3 Cup)
8 Fresh Basil Leaves, Minced

The Garnish
225 G Scallops, Cleaned and in Macédoine
Blended Olive Oil, For Sautéing
Tiny Basil Sprigs, For Garnish

Procedure:

SOUP Heat the oil in a small marmite, Add the onion and bell pepper and sweat them until softened. Add the garlic and tomato paste and cook for a few minutes, achieving some color. Deglaze with the wine and evaporate. Stem and chop 900 grams of tomatoes and add them to the pan, along with the bouquet garni. Simmer for 30 minutes. Add the rice and cook 15 minutes more. Remove and discard the bouquet, and purée the soup in batches with a blender. Strain through a medium-hole china cap. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

AIOLI Place the garlic, seasoning, lemon juice, and yoks in a bowl or the jar of the blender and whisk or blend until incorporated. Whisk or blend in the cream, and then incorporate the oil as if making mayonnaise. Taste and adjust the seasoning and add the basil. Set aside.

FOR GARNISH AND SERVICE Mondez the remaining tomatoes, seed them, and dish the flesh in macédoine. Per serving: Sear approximately 2 tablespoons of the scallops in the oil, adding a bit of the dice tomato and seasoning towards the end. In a bowl, mix the scallops and tomato mixture with some aioli to bind. Arrange a small mound of the scallops in the center of a warm shallow soup bowl. Ladle the soup around and decorate with a basil sprig.

DISH: Steamed Clams With Roasted Red Pepper, Almonds, And Ham, Casserole De Palourdes À La Catalane

RECIPE:

3 Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
1 Small Ancho Chile Pepper
2 KG Manila Clams (4 & 4/10 LB)
1 Red Pepper, Roasted, Peeled, and Seeded
75 ML Olive Oil (Slightly Less Than 1/3 Cup)
100 G Onion, Ciselé
4 Garlic Cloves, Finely Minced
Pinch of Saffron Threads, Pulverized
125 ML White Wine (Slightly More Than ½ Cup)
500 ML Chicken Stock (2 & 1/10 Cup)
30 G Hazelnuts (About 32), Lightly Toasted & Finely Chopped
50 G Serrano or Proscuitto Ham, Thinly Sliced & Cut Paysanne
Salt
2 Teaspoons Eau De Vie or Grappa
2 Tablespoons Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley

Procedure:

Pour 250 ML boiling water and the vinegar over the chile pepper and soak overnight. Rinse the clams and soak them in cold salted water for 20 minutes. Drain, rinse, and keep refrigerated until service time. Simmer the softened chile in its soaking liquid until tender. Remove the stem and the seeds, cut the flesh in brunoise, and set it aside. Cut the roasted pepper in large brunoise and set aside. Heat the oil in a sautoir, add the onion, and gently sauté until tender but with coloring. Add the brunoise of chile and roasted pepper, the garlic, and the saffron, and continue cooking for a few minutes more. Pour in the wine and stock and simmer briefly to blend and develop the flavors. Place the mixture with the hazelnuts in the bowl of a blender and pulse for a few seconds until a chunky paste forms. Pour the sauce into a suitable container and add the ham.

At service time and per order, place approximately 250 G of clams in a sautoir with 150 to 175 ML of the sauce. Cover and bring to a simmer, shaking the pan a bit. Remove the clams as they open and trasfer to a warm, wide, shallow bowl. Adjust the salt level in the broth, if necessary, and add about ¼ teaspoon liquor to the sauce. Pour the sauce over the clams, sprinkle with the chopped parsley, and serve hot.