New Year’s eats: 4 tasty small plates

In a small saucepan, combine pomegranate juice, sugar, lemon juice and zest and thyme. Simmer over medium heat until reduced to a syrup. Allow to chill.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Oil a heavy baking sheet pan with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Lay salmon, skin side down, on baking pan and season with salt and pepper. Brush generously with pomegranate glaze. Place in oven and bake for 25-30 minutes, until just cooked. Remove from oven and brush with remaining glaze. Using a small crème brûlée torch, caramelize the top of the salmon until golden brown. Serve.

In a heavy skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Season beef medallions with salt and cracked peppercorns. Place in skillet and brown well on both sides. Add shallots and thyme and cook, stirring until soft. Add brandy, flame and allow alcohol to cook out. Turn off heat and stir in butter. Set aside to rest.

In another skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, then vegetables. Add butter, honey and chives and allow to brown lightly. Season with salt and pepper and place on platter. Toss beef medallions in the sauce and place on top of vegetables. Serve.

For the sauce, combine all ingredients and simmer until it is reduced to syrup. Set aside.

For pot stickers: Grind Kobe beef. In a mixing bowl, combine beef, green onions, egg white, cornstarch, salt, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sesame oil and white pepper. Hold siu mai skin in hand. Place 1 tablespoon of mixture in center of skin. Bring edge of skin up side of filling, leaving top open. Repeat with remaining skins. (Cover filled dumplings with plastic wrap and refrigerate to keep them from drying out.)

When ready to serve, drop dumplings in hot water and cook about 3 minutes. Preheat skillet to medium-high heat, add a little sesame oil and allow to smoke lightly. Add dumplings and cook just until just brown on one side. Remove to towel and wipe off excess oil. In the same pan, sauté the shiitake mushrooms in sesame oil until brown. Add toasted sesame seeds and chives. Place on plate. Top with dumpling, drizzle with glaze and garnish with micro greens and serve.

For the wasabi cream, combine all ingredients and mix well. Chill.

For the tuna, season tuna loin with Chamberlain's seasoning. Heat sauté pan over medium-high heat until lightly smoking. Add olive oil, then tuna and sear for about 1 minute on both sides. Remove and set on cutting board. Slice into very thin slices.

To plate: Place wonton wrapper on plate. In a mixing bowl, toss slaw, rice vinegar and sesame oil. Place over wonton and drizzle with a little wasabi cream. Lay tuna slices over. Drizzle more wasabi cream over tuna. Garnish with micro greens. Drizzle plate with a little seracha hot sauce. Serve.