James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

Three Delicious Ways to Watermelon — All Summer Long

CRaux — Thu, 05 Jul 2018 05:24:20 +0000

Three Delicious Ways to Watermelon — All Summer Long CRaux Thu, 07/05/2018 - 01:24 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/dmitry-bayer-348230-unsplash.jpg.webp?itok=OBxTR0FD Dmitry Bayer To help you squeeze in as much watermelon as possible this summer, Chef James shares three fresh watermelon recipes July 5, 2018

By James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

I’ll spare you the standard “When I was kid … summertime/hot day … watermelon juices dripping down my chin … aww, memories” introduction. Instead, I’ll proudly tell you that watermelon is the first food I ever grew myself. Okay, this might still fall under the category of a “When I was a kid” intro, but bear with me.

Nearly 30 years later, I still remember digging a small hole in the sandy lot behind our house in Florida and carefully placing the seeds I had saved from a watermelon that my mom brought home from the supermarket. I also remember the excruciating patience it took seven-year-old me as I watered, watched and waited for that vine to produce my favorite fruit in the world.

Since then, my tastes have not changed. In New York City, I don’t have a backyard for growing watermelons, but you might catch me pushing a stroller down the sidewalk with a watermelon crammed into the seat next to my son (they don’t fit beneath).

While I have been known to simply crack a watermelon open and eat the entire thing with a spoon in a matter of hours, this tactic for watermelon enjoyment ignores the awesome versatility of this summertime staple. If you want to do more with your watermelon than eat it straight off the cutting board in a sloppy mess, read on and we’ll get watermelon into everything on your table, from cocktails to salads.

Watermelon Cocktails

I had you at cocktail, right? Watermelon juice is the perfect mixer for almost every type of drink. In fact, whenever we shake up some watermelon cocktails at home, the kids get their own watermelon mocktails with soda water and a twist of lime.

Watermelon juice is incredibly simple to make, but keep in mind that it should be used the same day it was made. The flavor of the juice changes noticeably after just 24 hours. Feel free to make a big batch early in the day and enjoy it that afternoon or evening. If you have any leftover (though I can’t imagine you would), finish it off at breakfast—maybe with a splash of Prosecco!

To make the juice, simply cube or scoop out the watermelon’s pink flesh, making sure to not scoop too close to the rind—the light colored flesh has very little flavor. Toss the watermelon cubes into a blender or food processor and blend on low.

Puréeing the fruit at high speed can pulverize seeds making the juice bitter or break down the pulp too much, which could lead to a gritty texture. Once blended, pour through a fine mesh sieve. Mezcal gives this drink a smoky kick and jalapeño adds the spice, but if smoky isn’t your thing, mix it with tequila or vodka.

Pickled Watermelon

With a watermelon cocktail in hand, you might be staring at all the leftover rinds and wondering: what now? Pickles, that’s what. To make watermelon pickles, you need to trim the tough green skin from the rind. A sharp knife is the best way to accomplish this: simply shave down the side of the melon, keeping the white rind.

With all the green skin removed, cut the watermelon into slices, then cube them. You’ll want a bit of the pink fruit still on the white rind. From there, make an aromatic pickling liquid and bring the cleaned rinds to a boil to help tenderize them. Then, transfer the rinds and the liquid to clean jars and cool to room temperature before covering with a lid and placing in the refrigerator.

Twenty-four hours later, they’re ready to go (plus, they’ll stay good in the fridge for up to one month)! Scratching your head over how to use them? Try out your watermelon pickles with these ideas:

Thai-style salad – Cut pickles into thin slices and toss them with shredded carrots, scallions, sliced cucumbers, peanuts, cilantro and mint. Then dress the mixture with a splash of fish sauce and lime juice. Serve with or without grilled meats.
Straight from the jar – Serve pickles on a platter with cheeses, olives and charcuterie for the perfect summertime cocktail hour nibbles. (Maybe while enjoying a watermelon cocktail?)
With bacon – It’s never a bad decision to add bacon. Wrap the cubes of watermelon pickles in bacon and secure with a toothpick. Then broil or grill to crisp the bacon for a dead-easy hors d’oeuvre.
Taco Tuesday – Thinly sliced or minced watermelon pickles are an awesome topping for tacos—especially grilled shrimp tacos!

Watermelon Relish/Salad

I learned to make this recipe when I was working for Frank Stitt at Highlands Bar & Grill in Birmingham, AL. When Alabama watermelons were at their peak, we would dice them up, add grilled onions, mint, vinegar and olive oil and then spoon it over grilled steak. (Skirt steak is the best option here, IMHO.)

It’s a recipe I still make today, beefing up the ingredients a bit to make it equal parts topping and salad (so no meat is required). Go ahead and make it your own by adding even more ingredients: cucumbers, arugula or some cooked and toasted grains could turn this into a full-fledged meal. Now get out there and show those watermelons some love!

Three Ways to Watermelon:

Spicy, Smoky Mezcal Cocktail
Pickled Watermelon Rinds
Watermelon and Charred Onion Relish

Spicy, Smoky Mezcal Cocktail

1 lime wedge
2 slices jalapeño pepper
1 ounce triple sec
1 1/2 ounce mezcal or tequila
2 ounces fresh watermelon juice (see directions above)
Soda water

Place the lime and jalapeño slices in the bottom of a glass; crush with a muddler to release the lime juice and lightly crush the jalapeño.
Add the triple sec, mezcal and stir. Then, stir in the watermelon juice and top with soda water if desired.

Pickled Watermelon Rinds

Ingredients

Rind from one half of a five-pound watermelon (approx. 1 pound)
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 ounces fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
4 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick
2 star anise pods

Directions

Scoop out the melon, leaving about 1/4- to 1/2-inch of pink flesh. (Use the rest of the flesh for the watermelon cocktail or salad recipes!)
Peel off the outer green rind with a knife or vegetable peeler and cut the rind into 1-inch cubes.
Bring the apple cider vinegar, water, sugar, ginger, salt and spices to a boil over medium-high heat in a medium 2-quart saucepan. Hold the boil for 60 seconds and then carefully add the watermelon rinds. Return to a boil and turn off the heat. Remove the saucepan from heat and cool mixture for 30 minutes.
Remove the pickles to jars. Pour over as much of the pickling juice as possible. Let cool to room temperature and then cover with lids.
Refrigerate overnight and eat within a month. Pickles must stay refrigerated.

Watermelon and Charred Onion Relish

Ingredients

2 cups watermelon, diced
1 medium red onion, sliced
1/2- to 3/4-inch thick rounds
1 tablespoon fresh mint leaves, torn into pieces
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
1/4 cup olives, pitted and halved
1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Brush the sliced onions with oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. Cook on a hot grill until charred on both sides. Remove from the grill, let cool and dice.
In a bowl, combine the watermelon, diced grilled onion, mint, tomatoes, olives, feta cheese, vinegar and olive oil and mix gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Serve alone as a salad or spoon over grilled meat.

Ready to study Culinary Arts with Chef James? Click here for information on ICE's Culinary Arts program.

Summer Cocktails Recipe Condiments

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The Best Kitchen Gadget for DIY Gin

ohoadmin — Fri, 26 Jan 2018 21:13:00 +0000

The Best Kitchen Gadget for DIY Gin ohoadmin Fri, 01/26/2018 - 16:13 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/oscar-soderlund-373354-unsplash.jpg.webp?itok=hSiIG4_g No Still Required! January 26, 2018

By James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

The Sonicprep Ultrasonic Emulisifer by PolyScience is a piece of equipment that has fascinated me for a few years, but I never had the opportunity to use one. Until now. The Sonicprep is the latest addition to the Culinary Technology Lab here at ICE. The lab’s equipment spans from when man just learned to harness fire (our hearth oven, tandoor and rotisserie) to the most cutting edge cooking appliances in the world (sous vide and precision temperature induction).

This latest addition may look more suited to a research lab than a kitchen, but its ability to help ICE chefs and students innovate with food (and flavor experimentation) is exactly why it belongs right where it is. At this point, you may be wondering:

What the heck is it?

Good question. PolyScience tells us that the “Sonicprep emits ultrasonic sound waves or ‘sonicates’ to extract, infuse, homogenize, emulsify, suspend, de-gas or even rapidly create barrel-aged flavor. By applying low heat vibrations of sound energy, this new PolyScience machine provides you an incredible range of techniques.” (Emphasis added.)

In other words, the Sonicprep is the key to creating, extracting, infusing and developing both flavor and texture in the fastest, most efficient and unique manner ever seen in a kitchen. Sonic waves force interactions between ingredients without the shearing, chopping or breaking that would be caused by a blender, so extracting or infusing flavors can become incredibly precise.

From something as simple as a new stove to an innovative, modern tool like the Sonicprep, there is always a learning curve when working with a new piece of equipment. When testing out a new stove, I always prepare something familiar, like a fried egg, to get my bearings. So for my first run with the Sonicprep, I also chose something I know well… alcohol. I have long been a fan of infusing alcohol to create unique flavor combinations.

For the past few years, in my sous vide courses, I’ve taught students how combining vodka + spices + heat + time = custom-flavored gin. While testing out the Sonicprep, I realized that there was the ability to create these same infusions without the high temperatures used in sous vide, meaning fresh items like herbs and citrus zest could retain their maximum aromas.

For our maiden voyage with the Sonicprep, I decided to transform vodka into gin. I loaded up a jar with vodka, crushed juniper berries, cardamom, coriander, black pepper, fresh cucumber and citrus zest. I set up a second infusion with some of the same spices, but also ventured to ICE’s hydroponic garden to harvest basil flowers to add herbaceous and floral aromas to the mix. The machine was set to run a cycle of just three minutes of constant sonic pulses. The speed and quality of the result was like nothing I had ever seen before with any other technique. The aroma of the herbs and spices in the jar became bright and full.

Since it was a Friday afternoon, a few taste testers and I were able to sample both batches. The first jar yielded a product quite similar to gin, but more accurately described as gin-flavored vodka, meaning the transformation wasn’t quite complete. The second batch with the garden’s basil had an intense flavor, which wasn’t as reminiscent of gin but was delicious nonetheless. I’d say the latter is a strong front-runner to become my summer drink of choice, topped with sparkling water and a squeeze of fresh lime juice.

Though it was fun to experiment with the boozy potential of the Sonicprep, it’s so much more than a tool to use to up your mixology game. Now that we are more familiar with the machine and its variety of uses, new projects and goals are starting to take shape. One that is especially intriguing to me is emulsion and homogenization.

I hope we can manipulate fats and liquids into formulations to mimic common kitchen products — specifically butter and whipping cream. Imagine the possibilities if you could create your whipping cream from, say, rendered bacon fat or dashi, or make a butter substitute from olive oil or soy milk. Check back on the blog and follow ICE on social media to keep up with the latest developments from the Culinary Technology Lab!

Want to study the latest culinary technology with Chef James? Click here for more information on ICE’s career programs.

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The Best Kitchen Gadgets for Your Favorite Foodie This Holiday Season

ohoadmin — Mon, 04 Dec 2017 12:33:34 +0000

The Best Kitchen Gadgets for Your Favorite Foodie This Holiday Season ohoadmin Mon, 12/04/2017 - 07:33 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/chocolate-lab-Tomric.jpg.webp?itok=iQ8P1171 December 4, 2017

By James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

Gifts are the best and worst part about the holiday season. Receiving = the best. Finding that perfect something-they-don’t-already-have gift for the special person on your list = the worst. For the foodie on your shopping list, we’re here to make your gift search a painless victory. Though stores and online catalogs are filled with hundreds of “must-have” kitchen gadgets, only some of them are actually worth it — others not so much. To help you cut through the clutter and find the best of the best, the following is my list of recommended essential kitchen gifts.

Sandwiches with Juicy, Sous Vide Steak

For the foodie who has (almost) everything: Sous vide

Sous vide has long been a favorite technique of top chefs across the globe. Sous vide helps chefs prepare Michelin-quality meals night after night. At home, the sous vide method delivers the most perfectly cooked steaks, chicken, veggies, eggs and more, and with much less effort than you’d expect. For years, sophisticated sous vide equipment carried a price tag that made it inaccessible to home cooks, but today they’re less expensive than a stand mixer. There are many options out there for sous vide cooking, but one of my favorites is the Polyscience Immersion Circulator. Polyscience is the first name in modern cuisine equipment. Venture into any top kitchen in the U.S. and you’re likely to find a piece of their equipment occupying prime real estate. Bonus gift: Should you or your special someone want a little extra info on the art of sous vide cooking, register for Intro to Sous Vide taught by yours truly at ICE!

The whipping canister: It’s for more than just dessert

You might know the iSi Whipping Canister as a whipped cream maker, but it is oh-so-much more! In the kitchens at ICE, we use whipping canisters to turn silky vegetable purées into delicate mousses in professional plating classes. It can also be used to create rapid infusions like instant pickling or to make your own customized gin (combine vodka in a canister with juniper, rosemary and coriander, and infuse). They can even be used to make a cake in under a minute.

This is the piece of equipment that pro chefs are freaking out about right now.

For the exhibitionist

Another one of my favorite tools from Polyscience is their Smoking Gun. It’s the perfect way to add a subtle, smoky flavor to nearly any food — from meats to vegetables to cheese. Plus, the smoking gun creates smoke with “generating,” heat, so it can be used to smoke delicate items like lettuce, chilled seafood, even chocolate or cocktails. It takes seconds to set up and produce smoke and fits into a space smaller than a shoebox. The smoking gun can also be used to create dramatic presentations — simply place an upside-down bowl over your plate, pipe a little smoke into the bowl and carry it to the table. When you lift the bowl, your food will be revealed from under a puff of smoke — foodie magic!

Because everyone loves a sharp knife

A knife might be the oldest of cooking tools, but one company is taking a modern approach to the craft. After raising over $1 million on Kickstarter, Misen is one of the hottest new knife makers. Their knives are praised for their perfect design, with balance that makes them both easy to use and beautiful to admire. Misen knives are made with high-quality steel, meaning a sharper, harder edge so this blade can be a kitchen workhorse. Not to mention, they’re priced well below any other quality knife on the market.

The splurge: The Control Freak

The Control Freak is the latest and greatest development from the folks at Polyscience. This is the piece of equipment that pro chefs are freaking out about right now. It combines the precision of sous vide temperature control with the convenience of an induction cooktop — truly remarkable. The Control Freak simplifies the process for nearly every complicated kitchen process, from poaching eggs and making hollandaise to tempering chocolate and perfectly searing a steak. It’s the top item on my list this year — I hope Santa takes note!

Want to get into the kitchen with Chef James? Click here to learn more about ICE’s Culinary Arts program.

Christmas Tools

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Forget Roasting — How to Make the Juiciest. Turkey. Ever.

ohoadmin — Thu, 16 Nov 2017 12:30:12 +0000

Forget Roasting — How to Make the Juiciest. Turkey. Ever. ohoadmin Thu, 11/16/2017 - 07:30 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/fried-turkey-edited.jpg.webp?itok=WZrdgwe6 November 16, 2017

By James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

Your Thanksgiving turkey has a secret; and I’m here to tell it: that bird HATES being roasted in the oven. I know it, your turkey knows it and deep down, you know it, too: roasting a whole turkey in the oven just isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. It consumes a massive amount of time, space and energy, none of which I would be against if the results were impeccable. However, the sad truth is that roasting turkey in the oven is inefficient and the end product is imperfect.

I blame Norman Rockwell. Ever since he painted that famed portrait of an American family gazing lovingly at Mom as she places that large, bronzed bird on the table, the whole, roasted turkey has been the Thanksgiving gold standard.

I can only imagine how dry the breast of Rockwell’s turkey must have been — he should have painted a 50-gallon drum of gravy in the background because I bet the family would have used every last drop of it.

Whole roasted birds have an inherent problem: for optimal flavor, tenderness and juiciness, the breast and legs need to be cooked at different temperatures for different lengths of time.

At times like this, I like to channel Alain Senderens, one of my favorite rebel chefs and one of the fathers of Nouvelle Cuisine. Chef Senderens balked at the way that tradition trampled innovation in French cuisine.

So this Thanksgiving, join me as I thumb my nose at tradition and invite innovation to my pumpkin-spice themed Friendsgiving. Two words: sous vide. I have spent years extolling the tender, juicy and delicious virtues of cooking chicken sous vide.

That led me to think, if sous vide makes the best chicken I’ve ever tasted, it will surely make the greatest turkey, too. All I had to do was figure out a way to cook turkey sous vide, yet make sure it still looked like a turkey when it arrived at the table, lest my family think I’m a total failure in annual fatherly duties (thanks for nothing, Rockwell).

I decided to use a technique that I learned from Bryce Shuman at Betony, where they always cooked sous vide chicken breast with the bones in, so it would retain its natural shape. I applied the same method to the turkey breast, which I fit into a large, gallon-sized zip top bag. I zipped the legs and wings inside a separate bag and was on my way to a glorious Thanksgiving revolution: perfectly cooked legs and breasts with a classic presentation. This just may be the type of thing that makes everyone around the table happy this Thanksgiving.

Check out the recipe below.

Sous Vide Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients:

2 teaspoons dry sage
2 teaspoons ground fennel seed
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 cup kosher salt
1 whole turkey, about 10-12 pounds
4 ounces melted butter

Preparation:

Start by making a dry brine — combine the sage, fennel seed, pepper, sugar and salt in a small bowl. Mix thoroughly to combine.
Fabricate the turkey into a bone-in breast by removing the back-bone with a chef’s knife or kitchen shears. Separate the wings from the breast by cutting through the wing joint. Remove the legs from the body, cutting through the thigh joint and leaving the thigh and drumstick attached.
Use a Polyscience immersion circulator to heat a water bath to 66˚C (151˚F).
Generously season all of the pieces with the dry brine on both sides. Place one leg and one wing in each of two large, gallon-sized zip top bags. Add 1 ounce of melted butter to each of the bags. Place the seasoned breast in the refrigerator while the legs cook.
Fill a large pot or bowl with room temperature water and lower the open zip top bag into the water. The water pressure will push the excess air out of the bag. When the top of the bag reaches the level of the water, seal the bag. Transfer the sealed bags to the water bath and cook for six hours. Remove the bags and cool immediately in an ice bath. When chilled, transfer to the refrigerator and store for up to seven days before serving.
Reduce the water bath to 62˚C (143.5˚F). Place the turkey breast into a large, gallon-sized zip top bag and add the remaining 2 ounces of melted butter. Use the method above to remove the excess air from the bag and seal. Transfer the sealed bag to the water bath and cook for four hours. Add the chilled turkey legs to the bath and cook 40 minutes longer to reheat. Or, if not serving immediately, remove the bags and cool immediately in an ice bath. When chilled, transfer to the refrigerator and store for up to seven days before serving.
When ready to serve, heat a water bath to 62˚C and add the sealed bags of breast and leg to the bath and leave 40 minutes to reheat.
To serve, heat the oven to broil and arrange the turkey pieces on a baking pan and place on the middle rack under the broiler until golden brown.

You, too, can become an expert chef — learn more about our Culinary Arts career training program.

Culinary Arts Recipe Thanksgiving

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The Ultimate Make-Ahead Tailgate Sandwich

ohoadmin — Wed, 11 Oct 2017 11:30:16 +0000

The Ultimate Make-Ahead Tailgate Sandwich ohoadmin Wed, 10/11/2017 - 07:30 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Sous_Vide_Steak_Sandwich_10.20.16_edited-3.jpg.webp?itok=yUyBSEtl Sous Vide Peppercorn Crusted Flank Steak October 11, 2017

By James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

Sous vide cooking is one of the fastest growing trends in modern cooking, among restaurant chefs and home cooks alike. Despite the fact that sous vide was first used in restaurants around the same time that microwave ovens hit the market for home cooks, it’s still viewed as a very new technology. But one thing that has really changed about sous vide over the past 40 years is the price.

Sous vide equipment used to carry a price tag (around $1,000) that put it out of reach for most cooks. Today, the average home cook (or professional for that matter!) could be expertly equipped for sous vide cooking for $200 or less. And once you go vac, you’ll never go back. (See what I did there? Sous vide translates to under vacuum. Vac, vacuum...get it?)

The three main reasons for cooking food sous vide are: precision, consistency and convenience. At its core, sous vide cooking is all about precision temperature control — foods are cooked to the exact temperature of their desired doneness.

For example: say you like your steak medium-rare. You could do one of two things: One, throw your steak on a grill that is somewhere around 375˚F and leave it there, watching closely, trying to anticipate the moment when the center of that steak is approaching 128˚F and quickly remove the steak to let it stand while the still-searing-hot surface continues to raise the steak's internal temperature (aka, carryover cooking).

Or, you could heat a container of water to exactly 128˚F, place a steak inside a plastic bag (no need for special equipment, a zip top bag is fine) and cook it for anywhere from 45 minutes to four hours (since the outside temperature is the same as the internal, your steak is never going to overcook). And once you decide your favorite temperature for steak doneness, you can cook it consistently to that exact temperature.

Sous vide cooking also eliminates the need to precisely time when things finish cooking. Once cooked through, sous vide foods can be held in the hot water for up to two hours before serving. Or, if properly chilled after cooking and kept refrigerated, foods could be cooked more than two weeks in advance with zero decline in flavor or freshness.

I have been teaching sous vide cooking to students, professionals and home cooks at ICE for over five years, and my wife and I do a lot of sous vide cooking at home. If sous vide seems like too much effort for a home cook with a full work schedule and a family, let me persuade you to consider otherwise: With a busy schedule and two kids, the convenience and quality cannot be beat.

What's more, the sous vide method is easier than you think. Additionally, for roughly the same amount of time, I have been part of The Official Jets Cooking School — helping Jets fans (and football fans in general) take their tailgating game to the next level. I’m a lifelong football fan and have always loved a good tailgate.

As a chef, I don’t mess around when it comes to the food, which is why I love bringing sous vide to the tailgate. I cook my steak, even bacon — trust me on this — at home a day or two before the game. Then I quickly chill the cooked meat in an ice bath before holding it in the fridge or packing it in the cooler and heading for the stadium.

If you’ve had the pleasure of participating in a proper tailgating experience, you know that sometimes the liquid pursuits at the tailgate can lead to, shall we say, “inattentiveness” at the grill.

That’s never the case with sous vide: Because everything is already perfectly cooked, you show up and all you need to worry about is heating things up and learning how to humbly accept all the compliments that will be coming your way.

Here, I’m sharing with you my favorite tailgating recipe: Sous Vide Peppercorn Crusted Flank Steak and Bacon Sandwiches — take that, overcooked burgers!

Sous Vide Peppercorn Crusted Flank Steak

Servings: makes enough for 8 sandwiches

Recipe note: Cooking bacon sous vide may seem unnecessary, but if you’ve ever tried to cook bacon over a live fire, you know what a dangerous prospect this could be. Precooking bacon eliminates some of the fat that causes flare-ups and minimizes the time you need to have the bacon on the grill, which reduces your chances of burning it!

For the brine

Ingredients:

1 quart water
¼ cup kosher salt
2 tablespoons light brown sugar
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
2 teaspoons black pepper, freshly ground

Preparation:

Combine the water, salt, brown sugar, smoked paprika, garlic and pepper in a bowl and whisk until dissolved.
Transfer the brine to a one-gallon zip top bag; add the steaks, squeeze out any air and seal. Refrigerate overnight or for a minimum of 4 hours.

For the steak

Ingredients:

1 piece flank steak, about 2 pounds, cut into 4 pieces
Black pepper, coarsely ground
12 slices extra thick cut bacon
Horseradish cream (recipe below)
Watercress or arugula, as needed
Rolls, toasted

Preparation:

Remove the steaks from the brine and discard the liquid. Pat the steaks dry and coat on both sides with black pepper.
Return the steaks to the zip top bag. To seal the bag, submerge the bag with the steaks into a bowl of room temperature water, pushing the steaks below the surface of the water to force any air out of the bag. Continue lowering the bag into water until just the sealing strip remains above water. Press the bag closed and remove the steaks from the water — they should be tightly sealed. If any air remains in the bag, repeat the process.
Repeat the above-described process with the bacon, sealing the bacon in a separate bag.
Heat a water bath to 57˚C (134.5˚F). Add the steaks to the water and cook for two hours.
When the steaks are done, remove from the water and transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water to cool quickly. Leave the steaks submerged in the ice water for 30 minutes, then store refrigerated for up to two weeks or frozen for up to six months.
Increase the temperature in the water bath to 66˚C (151˚F) and add the bacon. Leave the bacon to cook overnight (8-12 hours). When the bacon is done, remove from the water and transfer immediately to a bowl of ice water to cool quickly. Leave the bacon submerged in the ice water for 30 minutes, then store refrigerated for up to two weeks or frozen for up to six months.
To serve, allow the steaks and bacon to reach room temperature (they are safe to sit out for up to three hours since both are fully cooked) or quickly reheat both — still sealed in the bag — in a pan of warm water. Quickly sear the steaks and bacon on a hot grill (about one minute per side for the steaks and just 30 seconds per side for the bacon). Thinly slice the steak against the grain and serve on toasted rolls with the bacon, horseradish cream and watercress.

For the horseradish cream

Servings: makes about 1 pint

Ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
½ cup crème fraîche or sour cream
¼ cup prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon Sriracha

Preparation:

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Season to taste with salt and add more hot sauce if desired.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to two weeks.

Want to get in the kitchen with Chef James? Click here for more information on ICE's Culinary Arts program.

Sandwiches Recipe

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An Irresistible Bacon-y Shrimp and Rice Recipe from the Gulf Coast

ohoadmin — Mon, 09 Oct 2017 11:30:24 +0000

An Irresistible Bacon-y Shrimp and Rice Recipe from the Gulf Coast ohoadmin Mon, 10/09/2017 - 07:30 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Fish-Seafood-Shrimp-4_FB-crop-edited.jpg.webp?itok=Xs10dXMx October 9, 2017

By James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

The role of a chef goes far beyond preparing food. Be it in a restaurant, culinary school, test kitchen or anywhere else, great chefs find a way to educate, inspire and create connections. They may seem secondary to the job of cooking, but these duties of a chef can often be more important than the meals themselves.

As Director of Culinary Research here at ICE, I find myself spending more time in these roles than I do behind the stove. Not that I’m complaining — it’s this part of the job that has taken me around the world, and recently brought me back home.

Since its inception four years ago, my wife Brooke and I have hosted The Wharf Uncorked, an end-of-summer food and wine festival on the Alabama Gulf Coast, right next door to our hometown of Pensacola, Florida.

It has become a very important weekend to us for multiple reasons. First and foremost, it’s an amazing event that raises money for local charities. Secondly, it’s a fun day at the beach with a talented group of chefs. Finally, it’s a celebration of Gulf seafood — the food that both my wife and I grew up eating.

Ever since an oil spill devastated the fisherman of this area, it has become increasingly important to let the world know that the Gulf of Mexico is open for business. Gulf seafood — shrimp, oysters and fish of all varieties — is both clean and delicious. In fact, the seafood from this region is some of the best I’ve ever tasted.

But nothing is more tasty and unique than royal red shrimp, a lesser-known species that’s very popular with local chefs.

Royal red shrimp hit their peak, in terms of flavor, from the end of summer through fall. Unlike brown and pink species of shrimp, royal reds prefer the cool deeper water far from shore. They can be found up to 60 miles off the coast and their flavor is reminiscent of a fellow cold-water crustacean: the lobster.

At this year’s festival, royal red shrimp were not only a secret ingredient in the Chef Showdown — a live one-hour cook off between four of the area’s top chefs (luckily, I have retired my competition apron and get to play host, judge and taste-tester for the evening), they were also a feature ingredient for my main stage cooking demo.

Below is the recipe that I prepared so you can taste for yourself (sadly, you won’t get to experience all the terrible dad jokes that accompany my live cooking). Don’t worry if you don’t have royal red shrimp at your local seafood market — this dish is delicious with any variety of shrimp.

I hope you are inspired to try this Gulf Coast favorite, and if you do, tell us in the comments how it turned out!

Bacon-Basted Royal Red Shrimp with Low Country Rice

Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups long grain rice (like Carolina Gold)
24 pieces royal red shrimp
12 bamboo skewers
Barbecue rub, as needed
2 tablespoons water
8 strips thick cut bacon, sliced into lardons (small strips)
1 yellow onion, minced
2 red bell peppers, small dice
2 jalapeños peppers, ribs and seeds removed, small dice
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
2 cups canned tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons butter
Juice of ½ lemon
Hot sauce, to taste

Preparation:

Preheat a grill or broiler.
Start by cooking the rice. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add the rice and stir once to make sure rice doesn’t stick.
When the rice is just tender, pour it through a colander and quickly rinse with cold water — this prevents overcooking and separates the grains of rice.
Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the heads on 12 if possible. With these 12, make three small (about ¼-inch deep) incisions on the under side of each shrimp tail. This will allow you to straighten the tail and thread each shrimp onto a skewer so that the tail is completely straight and in line with the head. Lightly dust the shrimp with your barbecue rub of choice and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.
Remove the heads from the remaining 12 shrimp. Chop the tail meat and reserve.
To prepare the rice, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and water, and cook until the water evaporates and bacon is browned and crisp, about 12 minutes. (Note: cooking bacon in water may sound surprising, but the liquid helps to render the fat and the result is crispier bacon.)
Keeping the bacon in the pan, drain all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan and reserve.
Add the onions to the bacon pieces and fat in the pan. Sauté onions until just tender, about three minutes. Add bell peppers and jalapeño and cook two minutes more.
When the peppers are slightly tender and fragrant, add the garlic and cook until lightly toasted, about one minute. Add the chopped shrimp meat and cook one minute more, so the shrimp has just turned white on the exterior.
Stir in the chopped tomatoes, bring to a boil and cook two minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, to desired consistency. Finish with the cilantro, butter, lemon and hot sauce to taste. Cover the rice to keep it warm while you prepare the shrimp.
Brush the shrimp skewers with the reserved bacon fat and place on a grill over high heat. Cook for two minutes on one side. Just before flipping, brush the shrimp with more bacon fat, then turn and cook for two minutes on the second side. Brush again with bacon fat before removing from the grill. Rest on a rack for a few minutes after grilling.
Divide the rice between bowls and top with grilled shrimp skewers (three per bowl). Serve immediately.

Ready to study the Culinary Arts with Chef James? Get more information on ICE's career programs.

James Briscione Fish & Seafood Recipe

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Recipe steps

Step 1 - Preheat a grill or broiler;

Step 2 - Start by cooking the rice. Bring a large pot of salted water to a rapid boil. Add the rice and stir once to make sure rice doesn’t stick;

Step 3 - When the rice is just tender, pour it through a colander and quickly rinse with cold water — this prevents overcooking and separates the grains of rice;

Step 4 - Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the heads on 12 if possible. With these 12, make three small (about ¼-inch deep) incisions on the under side of each shrimp tail;

Step 5 - This will allow you to straighten the tail and thread each shrimp onto a skewer so that the tail is completely straight and in line with the head;

Step 6 - Lightly dust the shrimp with your barbecue rub of choice and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use;

Step 7 - Remove the heads from the remaining 12 shrimp. Chop the tail meat and reserve;

Step 8 - To prepare the rice, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the bacon and water, and cook until the water evaporates and bacon is browned and crisp, about 12 minutes;

Step 9 - Note: cooking bacon in water may sound surprising, but the liquid helps to render the fat and the result is crispier bacon;

Step 10 - Keeping the bacon in the pan, drain all but one tablespoon of the bacon fat from the pan and reserve;

Step 11 - Add the onions to the bacon pieces and fat in the pan. Sauté onions until just tender, about three minutes. Add bell peppers and jalapeño and cook two minutes more;

Step 12 - When the peppers are slightly tender and fragrant, add the garlic and cook until lightly toasted, about one minute. Add the chopped shrimp meat and cook one minute more, so the shrimp has just turned white on the exterior;

Step 13 - Stir in the chopped tomatoes, bring to a boil and cook two minutes. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly, to desired consistency;

Step 14 - Finish with the cilantro, butter, lemon and hot sauce to taste. Cover the rice to keep it warm while you prepare the shrimp;

Step 15 - Brush the shrimp skewers with the reserved bacon fat and place on a grill over high heat. Cook for two minutes on one side;

Step 16 - Just before flipping, brush the shrimp with more bacon fat, then turn and cook for two minutes on the second side;

Step 17 - Brush again with bacon fat before removing from the grill. Rest on a rack for a few minutes after grilling;

Step 18 - Divide the rice between bowls and top with grilled shrimp skewers (three per bowl). Serve immediately;

How to Make the Best Grilled Ribs. Period.

ohoadmin — Sun, 02 Jul 2017 11:30:39 +0000

How to Make the Best Grilled Ribs. Period. ohoadmin Sun, 07/02/2017 - 07:30 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/Ribs_James_Briscione_5.18.16_edited-4.jpg.webp?itok=YT-IOVLI July 2, 2017

By James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

Ready to take this weekend's cookout to the next level? Let's talk ribs. The secret to the best ribs ever to come off your grill is… your oven! Slow roasting your ribs in the oven before finishing them on the grill is the best method we’ve found for juicy, falling-off-the-bone ribs that don’t require an expensive smoker or low temperature grilling set up.

But before your ribs hit the oven, they need a little bit of prep.

First, remove the membrane from the bone side of the ribs. This tough sheet of connective tissue can not only leave your ribs chewy, but also prevents the meat from absorbing the seasoning and spice of the rub.

Now, about that rub. We’ve been through many different formulations here and have settled on the below recipe. Smoked salt and paprika enhance the flavor of the finished meat, but you could use regular salt and paprika if necessary.

The sugar in the rub is crucial. Think of it like micro-brine; the sugar works with the salt to help retain more moisture. The bottom line: sugar in the rub makes your ribs juicier.

2 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 tablespoons salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

To prep the ribs for the first stage of cooking (in the oven), lay them over a large sheet of aluminum foil, fold up the sides and pour in 1.5 fl oz (3 tablespoons) of cider vinegar.

Then seal the foil, leaving enough room for the packet to fill with steam as it cooks. The vinegar helps tenderize the meat, while keeping it moist. Cook in a 325˚F oven until the meat is tender, about 90 minutes.

Remove the ribs from the oven, open the foil and allow the meat to cool. Baste the meat occasionally with the juices collected in the foil as it cools. Cut the ribs into potions and reheat on the grill, brushing with BBQ Sauce as they cook.

Want to study the culinary arts with experts like Chef James? Click here for more information on ICE's career programs.

Grilling Recipe

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Chef James Briscione Visited One of the Best Restaurants in South America

ohoadmin — Mon, 29 May 2017 12:00:48 +0000

Chef James Briscione Visited One of the Best Restaurants in South America ohoadmin Mon, 05/29/2017 - 08:00 Here's What He Ate May 29, 2017

By James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

This past March, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) invited me to Brazil to help launch a new campaign called #USfoodexperience which was developed to introduce American ingredients and dining traditions to the Brazilian market. As part of my visit, I created a menu of classic dishes from around the United States and served it to 100 of São Paulo’s top chefs and media. I also toured local culinary schools and hosted a series of demos at each school, sharing recipes for some of my favorite American foods. But for me, the highlight of the trip was our dinner at D.O.M., the #2 restaurant in all of South and Central America.

Chef Alex - photo courtesy of domrestaurante.com

If you’re a fan of the Netflix series Chef’s Table, (if you’re reading this blog, I assume you must be) then you already know about restaurant D.O.M. You also know its chef Alex Atala — the bearded, jiu-jitsu-practicing chef who seemed to spend as much time in a wetsuit exploring the Amazon as he did in a chef coat.

His restaurant ranks among the best in the world. So as soon as I found out that I would be spending a week in Sao Paolo, Brazil, nabbing a reservation at D.O.M. was a must. Like at many of the restaurants that populate the top of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list, dinner at D.O.M. is far more than a meal. Chef Alex crafts an experience — a journey through food that takes visitors on a tour of his native land. Different regions of Brazil are presented through a series of carefully crafted bites, smells and sips.

Sake cocktails served inside fresh chillies

Chef Alex grabs your attention from the very first bite. Our meal began with a sorbet made from fresh chilies. I expected it would be a cold bite that began sweet and ended with a spicy kick. Instead, the sorbet was savory, with plenty of salt and a barely detectable sweetness and fresh chile flavor that exploded on the palate, with no trace of heat whatsoever. It left you with nothing to taste but the incredibly complex fruity aroma of the chilies themselves.

The sorbet was paired with a small cocktail of sake and Brazilian sparkling wine served in a hollowed out chile. Small bites continued to flow from the kitchen: plump, freshly shucked oysters accentuated with dried mango and whisky, “ravioli” of puréed beet, cased in a sheet of local honey.

Chef Alex has the confidence and vision to serve a course of nothing more than watercress stems and mustard seeds. It is so perfectly crafted and presented that you wonder why these pieces are discarded in nearly every other restaurant in the world.

As a chef, my mind instantly went to the painstaking detail that goes into a bite like this — you must use tiny, surgically sharp scissors to mold the stems into the perfect shape, then switch to tweezers to carefully place mustard seeds and delicate miniature flowers. How many minutes go into the creation of something that is gone in a matter of seconds?

A plate full of umami arrived after that: a crispy tangle of crunchy caramelized onions, seaweed and puffed rice, anchored by creamy mushroom flan. My favorite plate of the entire meal arrived next. A tasting of pirarucu, the Amazonian fish that Chef Alex and his cooks are shown wrestling with on Chef’s Table.

Pirarucu is a monstrous fish that can grow up to 10 feet long. Back in the restaurant, Chef Alex demonstrated his mastery of one my favorite approaches to crafting a dish — showcasing great ingredients in different forms on the same plate. A piece of crispy fried fish skin was topped with a savory purée of banana and dried shrimp.

Another application showed the fish perfectly seared to emphasize its meaty texture and mild flavor. The fish sat on top of a few spoonfuls of açai purée that were so flavorful and complex that I had trouble identifying it as the same fruit found in trendy breakfast bowls and smoothies. Smoky and sweet grilled onions and peppers with a touch of heat rounded out the flavors on the dish.

Watercress stems with mustard seeds

The next dish arrived with several components as well. First, a shrimp head with its contents removed, seasoned, cooked and replaced was served with a single shrimp that could pass for a miniature lobster. The grilled shrimp was glazed in sweet Brazilian butter and sat on top of a pillow of finely shredded Brazil nut, dotted with segments of fresh citrus and mint leaf.

Two meat courses followed. The first was quail, which was served with portions of both the breast and leg with a savory jus and bitter Brazilian cocoa. Then arrived a succulent braise of lamb in red wine. The lamb braise was so perfectly constructed that I nearly argued with Chef Alex after the meal when he informed me that the only spice in the braise was toasted black pepper. I could hardly believe him — it tasted so distinctly of coriander, cinnamon and dried fruit.

With the savory courses complete, we enjoyed a simple dessert of mango, chocolate and cream flavored with puxuri, an Amazonian fruit grown for its aromatic seeds. The puxuri seeds are similar in flavor to cinnamon and star anise.

The true standout of the evening, however, arrived before the dessert. Strangely enough, one of the most memorable bites of the evening was our cheese course served in the form of the classic French aligote. If you’re unfamiliar with aligote, you’ve seriously been missing out. Aligote is technically a potato dish, though by ratio it actually contains more cheese and butter than potato purée.

Of course, at D.O.M. this classic preparation is given a Brazilian spin, made with a tender fresh cheese called minhas. Perfect texture, seasoning and flavor aside, the truly great part of this course is the way it’s served. Aligote typically looks like one of those ads for mozzarella cheese sticks, with an impossibly long strand of melted cheese connecting the two halves after it’s broken in half.

Our server picked up two very large spoonfuls of the aligote from the kitchen and began twirling the spoons as he walked out the door. Keeping the aligote in constant motion, it was basically suspended between the spoons as he made his way to our table. After stopping at the table next to ours, where he dropped two portions on the plates of our neighbors, with spoons still in motion, he came to our table where he twisted and twirled two more portions of these luxurious potatoes onto our plates.

Not only was it incredible theatre, but by the time the aligote reached our plate it was at the perfect temperature. The silken mixture had become just firm enough to “cut” with the edge of spoons and then melt into salty, cheesy perfection in our mouths. For me, D.O.M. was a dining destination, but for its chef and staff, the restaurant is a constant journey. Through a steady stream of thoughtfully prepared and beautiful dishes, they truly brought the best of Brazil to our table.

Ready to launch an exciting, international career in the culinary arts? Click here for more information on ICE’s career programs.

Travel Restaurants

In Season: Brazilian Seafood Stew ‘Moqueca’

ohoadmin — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 12:30:25 +0000

In Season: Brazilian Seafood Stew ‘Moqueca’ ohoadmin Mon, 03/13/2017 - 08:30 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/moqueca_3.jpeg.webp?itok=8hLc8-OL March 13, 2017

By James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

Chef James Briscione recently traveled to Bahia, a state on the northeast coast of Brazil. Through daily trips to the market, tasting indigenous ingredients and getting into the kitchen with local chefs, Chef James discovered Bahian cuisine.

Here’s one of Chef James’ favorite recipes from his Brazilian culinary exploration: UXUA moqueca — a rich, delicate seafood stew, with white fish, shrimp and creamy coconut milk. Balanced and delicious, this stew’s always in season.

UXUA Moqueca

Servings: 2

Ingredients:

6 ounces shrimp
6 ounces firm, white fish (like halibut or cod)
1 green pepper, diced
1 tomato, diced
1 white onion, diced 2
4 fluid ounces coconut milk
3 red chilies, diced Fresh parsley and fresh cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons palm oil
Juice of half a lemon
Salt and pepper

Preparation:

Season the shrimp and fish with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside.
Heat palm oil in a large pot. Add the onion, tomato and peppers, cook for a minute, then add the fish and sauté well. Add the coconut milk and simmer for about three minutes. Next, add the shrimp, chili, parsley and coriander. Stir gently and cook for around 10 minutes. Adjust salt and pepper to taste.
Reserve about 1½ cups of the cooking liquid to make the pirão (manioc cream).
Serve with white rice, plantain farofa (the above-pictured dish to the right of the seafood stew — see recipe below), manioc cream and pepper sauce.

Pirão or Manioc Cream

Ingredients:

1½ cups cooking liquid
¼ cup manioc flour

Preparation:

Place liquid in a small pot over low-medium heat.
While whisking constantly, gradually add manioc flour. Continue to whisk until consistency is firm and creamy like porridge.

Plantain Farofa

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons palm oil
1 tablespoon salted butter
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 small plantain, sliced
1½ cups manioc flour
Salt
Fresh parsley, chopped

Preparation:

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add butter and garlic and sauté for one minute. Add the plantain and sauté for another minute.
While continuously stirring with a spatula, add the manioc flour. Cook until the flour is well toasted, about three minutes.
Season with salt and finish with the parsley.

Explore the culinary arts with Chef James – click here for information on ICE’s career programs.

Food Culture Fish & Seafood Recipe

Brazilian Flavor: Chef James Finds Culinary Inspiration in Bahia

ohoadmin — Mon, 30 Jan 2017 13:45:57 +0000

Brazilian Flavor: Chef James Finds Culinary Inspiration in Bahia ohoadmin Mon, 01/30/2017 - 08:45 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/moqueca_3_0.jpeg.webp?itok=yTL2AHne January 30, 2017

By James Briscione — Former Director of Culinary Research

There’s always something new to learn — that is my usual response when people ask me what I like most about being a chef. I could spend the rest of my life in the kitchens here at ICE and learn something new everyday, continuing to better understand the ingredients I use on a daily basis. Sometimes, however, you’ve got to get away to gain new culinary perspectives.

Recently I had the opportunity to travel to Brazil with my wife, Brooke, and our two kids. We spent two weeks immersed in the food and culture of Bahia, a state in northeast Brazil on the Atlantic Coast.

Our home base was the incredible UXUA Casa Hotel and Spa in the town of Trancoso. Each day of our trip was spent in the kitchen with local chefs, learning traditional dishes — moqueca, the traditional fish stew of Bahia; bobó de camarão, a creamy dish of shrimp and coconut; acarajé, black-eyed pea fritters — all while drinking more than a couple caipirinhas.

Now that we're back in New York, we can share these amazing flavors with students. This past weekend, we welcomed 16 students into the kitchens at ICE for a new recreational cooking class: The Foods of Brazil. For a little glimpse of our adventure in Brazil, check out the video below.

Ready to broaden your culinary horizons with Chef James? Click here for more information on ICE’s career programs.

Food Culture James Briscione