Celebrate spring with this catch of the day

Warm 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large saute pan over medium heat. Add shallots, sauté, stirring for 2 minutes, then add garlic, sauté one minute more, then add mushrooms and season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring for 2-3 minutes, then add stock. Cover pan, and allow mushrooms to braise for 6 minutes, until the mushrooms are softened. Remove mushrooms from pan using a slotted spoon, return stock to stove and reduce, for approximately 4 minutes, just to concentrate flavors. Pour into a small bowl and set aside. 

Combine sliced potatoes, mushrooms, in a small sauté pan, set aside. In a small saucepot, combine ramps, fiddleheads and peas. Add 1/4 cup water and 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil.  Season with salt and pepper, cover and set aside.

Warm remaining olive oil in a large sauté pan, set over medium heat. Season halibut on both sides with salt and freshly ground white pepper.

Cook Halibut until golden brown, approximately 4 minutes, depending on thickness. Turn fish, lower heat and cook 2 minutes more.

While the fish is cooking, set saucepot, containing peas, ramps and fiddleheads over medium low heat.  Gently stream the vegetables until just heating them through.

Place sauté pan with potatoes and mushrooms over low heat to gently reheat.

Mound vegetables in the center of the 4 large, warmed bowls.  Place fish on top.

Then spoon vinaigrette over and around fish, and sprinkle with chopped herbs, pass remaining vinaigrette on the side. 

To make the vinaigrette:
In a small bowl, combine mushroom stock, lemon juice, zest, and shallots.  Slowly whisk in olive oil, season with salt and pepper.

Stack beet slices together and cut into 20 small circles using a small circle cutter. Line slices inside of the 4 martini glasses — allowing 5 per glass. If slices are thin enough the beets will easily adhere to the glass. Set aside and refrigerate.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine celery, beans, lobster and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Add ginger dressing, a spoonful at a time, until ingredients are lightly coated.  Spoon salad into a chilled martini glass and garnish with caviar, if using, and herb sprigs.

Grate ginger over a small bowl. Gather grated ginger in a clean kitchen towel and squeeze out juice into a bowl. Ginger should yield 2 tablespoons of ginger juice.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, lime juice, ginger juice and Dijon mustard.  Gradually whisk in the oil until the vinaigrette has emulsified.  Season with salt and cayenne pepper. Taste.  Add the additional lime juice or ginger juice to balance the dressing, if needed.

Just before serving, toss the frisée and herbs with the vinaigrette, and season with salt and pepper.

To prepare the tuna, work quickly and think of slicing, not chopping, the delicate tuna. Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife and an impeccably clean cutting board, slice the tuna into a 1/4-inch dice. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Just before serving (otherwise the vinaigrette will “cook” the tuna), mix the tuna, shiso leaves, scallion, and vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.

Assembly: Large seedless cucumber, unpeeled, elongated ends trimmed off croutons, made from baguette slices cut on an extreme bias.

Place the ring mold in the center of a chilled large dinner plate. Using the zester, remove strips of peel about 1/2-inch apart down the entire length of the cucumber, working around the circumference. Using a mandolin (or a very sharp knife and a steady hand), cut the cucumbers into paper thin slices. Using the outside edge of the mold as a guide, make a ring of overlapping cucumber slices.

Spoon the tuna tartare into the mold, pressing it down lightly. Stand 3 croutons into the top of the tuna tartar. Pile the dressed salad into the center of the croutons. Carefully lift the ring mold up and off of the plate. Repeat with the remaining ingredients and plates.

Everyday Presentation: This dramatic-looking dish is one of Gotham's most popular, so I am hesitant to change it too much. However, one could mound the tuna tartare on chilled plates, served with the salad and cucumbers alongside, and the croutons on the side.

Variations: Shiso leaves are available at Japanese food stores and many produce markets. Their distinctive taste has a refreshing, citrus-like flavor. If you can't find them, use basil leaves.

At Gotham, we use chervil, chives, parsley, and cilantro in the Herb Salad. You may use any greens and herbs you prefer. For example, if you have trouble locating chervil or chives, double the amounts of cilantro and parsley.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the lime juice, ginger juice, and hot pepper sauce. Gradually whisk in the oil until the vinaigrette has emulsified. Whisk in the shallot and garlic. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add additional lime juice or oil to balance the dressing, if needed.

Put the shrimp in a bowl. Make the marinade by pouring ¼ cup of the grapeseed oil into a small bowl.  Add the garlic, paprika, ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper, orange zest, and cracked black pepper.  Stir together, set aside 1 tablespoon of the mixture, and pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp.  Toss, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 6 hours. 

Make the vinaigrette by whisking together the reserved tablespoon of marinade, the lime juice and zest, mustard, 1 teaspoon of salt, and a pinch of cayenne. Slowly whisk in the remaining ¼ cup of grapeseed oil, then the extra-virgin olive oil. Season to taste with salt and white pepper. 

Put the avocado, onion, mango, and lettuces in a large bowl. Dress lightly with ½ cup the vinaigrette, or more if necessary, and season with salt and freshly ground white pepper.  (Extra dressing can be spooned over the shrimp). Set aside.

Heat the oil in a sauté pan set over medium-high heat. Season the shrimp with salt, add the shrimp to the pan, sear quickly, just over 1 minute on each side. Remove them from the pan and cover to keep warm.

Mound the salad in the center of a platter and surround it with the shrimp.  Serve family style from the center of a table, passing any extra dressing alongside. 

Pairing: Grilled Swordfish with Summer Vegetable Compote

Variations: At the Gotham, we make a version of this dish with Spanish mackerel. Sliced scallions (white parts only) would be a fine alternative to the onions in the salad.

The marinade is also delicious for grilled chicken wings

Flavor building: Diced papaya or pineapple would be logical additions to the mango in the salad.

Preheat the oven to 325º F.  Lightly bitter the inside of a 10-inch round cake plan.  (You can use a springform pan, if bottom is right-fitting.)  Line the bottom of the pan with a circle of parchment paper. 

In the top part of a double boiler or in a large metal bowl set over a medium saucepan of simmering, not boiling water, melt the bittersweet and unsweetened chocolates with the coffee. 

Meanwhile, in the bowl of a heavy-duty electric mixer, whisk the eggs and sugar.  Set the bowl over a medium saucepan of simmering, not boiling, water, and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.  Rub a little of the mixture between your thumb and finger to test it.  Attach the bowl to the mixer and beat at medium-high speed until light and almost tripled in volume, about 3 minutes.  Reduce the speed to medium-low and continue beating for another 2 minutes.  Set aside. 

In a chilled bowl, beat the cream just past the soft peak stage, until it dollops nicely and holds its shape when dropped from a spoon onto a plate.  If the whipped cream is too soft, the cake will be airy.  If too firm, the cake may be dry.

Fold a quarter of the egg mixture into the chocolate mixture. Fold this lightened chocolate mixture back into the remaining egg mixture. Fold in the whipped cream. Transfer to the prepared pan, smooth the top, and tap the filled pan lightly on the work surface a few times to settle any air pockets. 

Place the pan in a larger baking pan and put in the oven. Add enough hot water to the baking pan to come halfway up the sides of the cake pan, Bake for 30 minutes. Open the over door for 30 seconds to release any excess moisture that builds in the oven. Continue baking until the center of the cake feels somewhat firm when pressed lightly with your fingers, another 20 to 30 minutes. Let the cake cool in the turned off oven for 2 hours.

Run a warm knife around the inside of the pan, and carefully un-mold the cake onto a 10-inch cardboard round or an ovenproof serving platter. Peel off the parchment paper. Wrap the cake tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate until well chilled and firm, at least 4 hours or over night.

Using a thin-bladed slicing knife dipped in hot water, cut the chilled cake into 12 wedges. Wipe the knife clean between slices. Do not separate the slices. Rewrap the entire cake in plastic wrap and refrigerate or freeze.

Remove cake from refrigerator or freezer and allow it to return to room temperature (allow 4 hours if frozen). At least 1 hour before serving the cake, preheat the over to its lowest setting, (or lower the temperature if you have used the oven for other cooking.) Place the plastic-wrapped cake on a baking sheet. Transfer it to the oven and let the cake slowly warm through, at least 30 minutes and up to 3 hours. It will remain perfectly fine in the oven throughout dinner and be ready when needed.

Assembly: Unsweetened cocoa powder, for garnish. Toasted almond ice cream.

Variations: Other ice creams may be substituted for toasted almond. At the Gotham, we sometimes use espresso ice cream, but feel free to use your favorite flavor. Whipped cream or Crème Angliase may be used in addition to or in place of the ice cream.