HotmailSteal this recipe: Scallops & vanilla-beet puree
Chef Jeffrey Stout shares secrets from Alexander's Steakhouse in California
 Chef Jeffrey Stout |
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In this special weekly feature, TODAY food editor Phil Lempert brings you recipes “stolen” (with permission) from notable restaurants across America. See how much fun you can have (and money you can save) by cooking these dishes at home.
This week, we have "stolen" this recipe from Alexander's Steakhouse in Cupertino, California. This dish takes classic seared scallops and infuses it with the flavors of several varieties of a summertime favorite – beets. From the mild, golden beets to the sweet, peppery Chioggia (pronounced key-oh-juh) beets, this colorful presentation will surely brighten up your table (and your palate!).
About the chef: Growing up, Chef Jeffrey Stout was exposed to flavors that spanned the Far East, across Europe (via his father’s Danish heritage), and his home in the San Francisco Bay Area. His mother, a Japanese immigrant, would make homemade ravioli and manicotti at one dinner, and then serve broiled salted fish with Japanese pickles and rice at the next. Without knowing the difference, Stout’s palate and eventual cooking style developed to reflect his home life: Continental cuisine melded with Japanese influences.
The opening of Alexander's Steakhouse was the culmination of his experiences as a chef, staff manager, and researcher and developer of corporate menus. Reuniting with a former colleague, J.C. Chen, the two opened the restaurant to bring their love of pan-Asian cuisine and big, juicy steaks to the Bay Area, and in turn, break the mold of the traditional steakhouse concept.
At Alexander’s, Stout’s seasonally changing menu is rooted in traditional fare, while at the same time offering contemporary small plates for sharing and steaks finished with carefully reduced sauces, all allowing for constant culinary inspiration. “I would bet a year’s wages that in a blind tasting, my partner, J.C. [Chen] would be able to pick my dish from among other chefs,” says Stout. “Visually and tastefully, it’s signed.”
Alexander's Steakhouse
10330 N. Wolfe Road
Cupertino, CA 95014
(408)446-2222
www.alexanderssteakhouse.com
INGREDIENTS
Seared Hokkaido Scallops Ingredients
Vanilla-Beet Puree Ingredients
Caramelized Pineapple Compote Ingredients
Golden Beets Ingredients
Chioggia Beet Chips Ingredients
Seared Hokkaido Scallops Steal This Recipe® step-by-step Instructions
1. Heat half the butter and the olive oil in a sauté pan
2. Season the scallops with salt and sear approximately 2 minutes on each side, or until firm to the touch
3. Add the other half of butter and squeeze of lemon
4. Remove from heat, and allow scallops to rest on a paper towel
Vanilla-Beet Puree Steal This Recipe® step-by-step Instructions
1. Place beet in pot and cover with water with salt
2. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes, or until soft when pricked with a toothpick
3. Remove and allow to cool; reserve the cooking water
4. When cool, use a towel to rub the outside to remove skins
5. Place beet in a blender with a bit of cooking water to adjust consistency; blend to very smooth
6. Add scrapings from vanilla bean
7. Add salt
Caramelized Pineapple Compote Steal This Recipe® step-by-step Instructions
1. In a pan, add the sugar and caramelize to brown
2. Add the pineapple and the vanilla bean scrapings
3. Add water and allow to cook down, approximately 20 minutes over low heat, until chutney-like consistency is achieved
4. Allow to cool
Golden Beets Steal This Recipe® step-by-step Instructions
1. Place beet in pot, and cover with water with salt
2. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes, or until soft when pricked with a toothpick
3. Remove and allow to cool
4. When cool, use a towel to rub the outside to remove skins
5. Cut into cubes and squeeze lemon juice on cubes
6. Toss with chives and another pinch of salt
Chioggia Beet Chips Steal This Recipe® step-by-step Instructions
1. Slice the beets thinly using a Japanese mandolin or electric slicer
2. Fry in vegetable oil to make chips
3. Remove to paper towel; sprinkle with salt
MANAGE YOUR RECIPES
Want to nominate your favorite restaurant dish for a "Steal This Recipe" feature? Just e-mail Phil at Phil.Lempert@nbc.com (or use the mail box below) with the name of the restaurant, city and state, and the dish you would like to have re-created. Want to know more about Phil and food? Visit his Web site at www.supermarketguru.com.
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