[Shanghai] Jean Georges Cooking Demo & Luncheon (2)

Jean Georges Cooking Demonstration & Luncheon

Add: 4/F, Three on the Bund, 17 Guangdong Lu 广东路17号, 外滩三号4楼
Tel: 6321 7733
Website: www.threeonthebund.com
Price: 428 RMB + 10%/person
Visited: Nov 2011

…and he’s back! Those of you who have read this post know that Jean-Georges Vongerichten was in Shanghai 7 months ago and demo’ed three dishes to an eager audience. This time, he has returned with his latest cookbook, “Home Cooking with Jean Georges: My Favorite Simple Recipes” and showcased yet another 4 of his delicious creations. What I loved most about this particular cooking class – the dishes are actually simple enough to be recreated at home. Gasp.

Mise en place, with each plate clearly labeled “for cod”, “for salad”, “for toast,” etc.

Here’s the carrot salad in progress. It got passed around the audience and stirred up plenty of oohs and aahs with its alluring fragrance.

After the demo, we all filed downstairs to Jean Georges the restaurant, where we were served the exact four dishes the chef has demo’ed.

Crab Toasts with Sriracha Mayonnaise

Sriracha Mayonnaise

• 1 large egg yolk
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 3/4 cup grape seed or other neutral oil
• 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
• 2 tsp sriracha

Whisk together the yolk, mustard, and salt until well blended. Continue whisking while adding the oil in a slow, steady stream to emulsify the mixture. Whisk in lemon juice and sriracha until well blended. The mayonnaise can be refrigerated for up to 2 days.

To Serve

• 4 slices of good sourdough bread
• 3 tbsp sriracha mayonnaise
• 8 ounces of picked lump crabmeat, preferably peekytoe, picked over for bits of shell
• crushed chili flakes, optional
• 1 lemon, cut into wedges

Toast the bread until golden brown. Cut each slice into 2 inch pieces. Gently fold the mayonnaise into the crabmeat until well blended. Spoon the crab mixture into a serving bowl and set inside a a  larger serving bowl filled with ice to keep cold if desired. Garnish with chili flakes if desired. Serve with the lemon wedges and toasts.

Carrot and Avocado Salad with Crunch Seeds

Cumin and Citrus Roasted Carrots

• 1 pound of medium carrots, peeled
• 3 garlic cloves
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1/4 tsp crushed red chili flakes
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, plus more to taste
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 1/2 oranges
• 2 lemons, halved

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Bring a wide pot of water to a boil. Add the carrots and cook until a knife pierces them easily, about 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a mortar and pestle, pound the garlic, cumin, thyme, chili, 1 1/2 tsp salt, and 3/4 tsp pepper until crushed the pasty. Add the vinegar and 1/4 cup of the oil and continue pounding until well mixed. Alternatively pulse in a food processor or blender until pasty.

Drain the carrots and arrange in a medium roasting pan in a single layer. Spoon the cumin mixture over. Cut the whole orange in half. Arrange the orange halves and 2 of the lemon halves over the carrots, cut sides down. Roast for 25 minutes or until the carrots are golden brown. Transfer the carrots to a platter.

When cool enough to handle, squeeze 2 tbsp juice each from the roasted orange and lemon into a small bowl. Squeeze 2 tbsp orange juice from the remaining orange half as well as 2 tbsp lemon juice from the remaining lemon. Whisk in the remaining 2 tbsp oil to emulsify. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle over the carrots.

To Serve

• 1 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp pumpkin seeds
• 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
• cumin and citrus roasted carrots
• 1 avocado, halved, pitted, peeled, and cut into thin wedges
• 4 cups of sprouts, preferably a mix of radish and beet
• 1 tbsp plus 1 tsp of sour cream
• edible flowers for garnish, optional

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Spread the sunflower, pumpkin, and sesame seeds in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, until lightly toasted and golden, but not golden brown, about 7 minutes. Cool completely.

Arrange the carrots on a serving platter, reserving the accompanying sauce. Put the avocado and then t he sprouts on top. Drizzle with the reserved sauce.

Dollop the sour cream over the top, then sprinkle with the seeds. Garnish with flower if desired. Serve immediately.

Poached Cod with Cabbage and Seaweed Butter, Green Chili and Mint

Cod

• 4X4 1/2 oz cod portion
• 2 liters of konbu tea in pot, boiling it to almost boil
• fleur de sel

Put fish in hot tea and cook for 3-5 minutes until fish is just cooked through. Remove from tea, blot and season with fleur de sel.

Konbu Tea

1st set

• 9 cups of water
• 50 g konbu

2nd set

• 1 1/2 cups thyme, bottom 1/3 removed, bruised last minute
• 1 cup rosemary, bottom 1/3 removed, bruised last minute
• 1 1/2 cups mint, bottom 1/3 removed, bruised last minute
• 5 pieces green thai chili split

Combine 1 set in a medium size pot and bring to a summer. Put 2 set in a medium baine and pour water and konbu over. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain through a chinois pushing for total extraction. Reserve konbu. For 7 1/2 cups tea, season with 14g salt.

Cabbage

• 1 piece savoy cabbage, large bits removed
• 7 1/2 cups water
• 1/8 cup salt
• 1/8 tsp baking soda

Bring water, salt, and baking soda to a rapid boil and blanch cabbage without losing boil until tender; shock in plenty of ice water, drain and squeeze out excess water.

Croutons

• Semi freeze bread then slice 1 inch thick. Cut slices into 1 inch wide strips, then slice as thinly as possible.
• 1 cup sourdough slivers
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Heat extra-virgin olive oil until smoking in a large saute pan; add bread and stirring vigorously fry until golden. Transfer to a small pot and keep warm.

To Serve

1st set

• 1 cup cabbage
• 4 tbsp konbu tea
• 2 tbsp butter

2nd set

• 1 tbsp chili paste
• 2 tbsp mint, medium chiffonade, then lightly chopped
• 2 tbsp konbu, 1 inch long julienne
• 2 tbsp scallions, sliced thin

3rd set

• 2 tbsp croutons
• 1 each lime wedge

Combine 1 set in a saute pan and cook until cabbage is slightly glazed. Add 2 set and mix well. Spoon into the center of a hot bowl and place fish on top. Scatter croutons over the surface of the fish. Serve with lime wedge on rim of bowl.

Pear Clafouti Tart with Pear Sorbet

Shortbread Dough

• 500g cake flour
• 280g butter
• 150g icing sugar
• 60g almond flour
• 2 eggs

Whisk 2/3 of the cake flour with the icing sugar. Beat in the butter until mix together. Add in almond flour and eggs. Beat until well-combined. Add in the rest of 1/3 four. Beat until corporate. Pour out the dough. Wrap with plastic cling film. Rest in the refrigerator for about 3-4 hours.

To Serve

• Sourbread dough
• 5 tbsp clover honey
• 8 very small or 4 medium pears, peeled, quartered, and cored
• 2 large eggs
• 2 large egg yolks
• 1/2 granulated sugar
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 cup heavy
• 1 cup sliced blanched almonds
• confectioners’ sugar, for serving

Preheat the oven to 375F.

Form t he shortbread dough into a disk and center in a 10-inch-round fluted tart pan with a removable bottom. Use your palm to gently press the dough into the bottom of the pan, then use your fingers to press it up the sides. (The dough will be very thin.) Refrigerate the dough for 5 minutes.

Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the honey in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat until bubbling. Add the pears in a single layer and cook, carefully turning the fruit, until they’re almost translucent and very tender, about 7 minutes. Almost all of the honey will have evaporated.

Whisk together the eggs, yolks, and granulated sugar until pale and foamy. Whisk in the cornstarch until no lumps remain, then whisk in the cream until the mixture is smooth.

Arrange the pears in the crust in a single layer, then pour the egg mixture over them. The tart shell will be very full. Sprinkle the almonds on top. Bake until the custard is set and the top is dark brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool completely on a wire rack, then remove the tart ring.

Dust with confectioners’ sugar and serve immediately.

Compared to the menu from the last luncheon, I was even more satisfied with the dishes this time as they are actually things I can attempt to make at home (note the emphasis on “attempt”). But whether I succeed in recreating these dishes is besides the point…It was lovely to just be able to see Jean-Georges Vongerichten in action again. So chef, when are you coming back to Shanghai next time? I’m marking my calendar.