Enjoy!!  If you have any questions please feel free to call me at (626) 795-2478

Sincerely,

Damon Brady - Bistro 45

Bistro 45 Garlic Crusted Halibut

Ingredients

2 lbs. fresh northern halibut, cut into 8 ounce steaks

4 cloves peeled fresh garlic, sliced fine

1 cup Panko Japanese style bread crumbs

1 T. fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Sauce

1 ½ cups dry white wine

1 peeled shallot, chopped

¼ cup balsamic vinegar, from Modena preferably

¼ cup cream

1 stick butter, unsalted, cut into ½ inch cubes

Garnish

¼  pound Super Aborio Risotto

½  white onion, chopped fine

1 sprig thyme, cleaned and picked

½ cup dry white wine

1 T. olive oil

2 cups Chicken stock, brought to a simmer

½  stick unsalted butter, cubed and softened

1 bunch fresh water cress, leaves only,  chopped

1 small bunch Italian parsley, chopped

3 basil leaves, chopped

Salt and Pepper for seasoning

Mushrooms

2 large Portabella Mushrooms, stems removed and cleaned

¼ white onion, sliced fine

¼ cup balsamic vinegar, from Modena preferably

1 T. olive oil

Method

First, in a small frying pan over medium heat, sauté sliced garlic in olive oil until light brown. Remove from heat and add panko and parsley toss and place in oven proof container to toast lightly in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes or until light brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool. Place mixture in a food processor and pulse off and on for 1 minute until garlic and parsley are incorporated into the panko. Season halibut and crust the mixture on one side of each filet, refrigerate.

Next, to make sauce, place wine, shallot, and balsamic vinegar into a 2 quart heavy bottom sauce pot and reduce over a medium high heat until this liquid is ¼ quarter of its original volume. Add cream and cook until cream boils, then reduce heat and whisk in the butter in small amounts allowing the sauce to slowly incorporate together. Season and set aside in a warm place.

To make watercress butter, first blanch watercress, parsley, and basil in boiling water for 1 minute and then cool in ice bath. Next place softened butter into food processor with the blanched mixture and blend until smooth green butter appears. Set aside.

To make risotto, first sauté onion in a small sauce pot in olive oil until tender, but not brown. Stir in risotto and add white wine. Begin to reduce the wine and add thyme and then ½ the hot chicken stock. Cook over a medium heat and allow the chicken stock to be absorbed into the risotto and add more chicken stock as needed. When risotto is ready set aside and stir in desired amount of watercress butter until the risotto is smooth and creamy, seasoning as needed and keep in warm place.

In a large sauté pan over high heat sauté in olive oil the mushroom caps for 3 minutes on each side or until tender. Then add sliced onions and continue cooking until onions are tender but not brown. Next add balsamic vinegar and cook for 1 minute more, seasoning as needed. Set aside in a warm place and slice when cool enough to handle.

To finish this dish you will now sauté crusted halibut steaks on each side in a large sauté pan over medium/ low heat being careful not to burn the garlic crust on the filet. Then after both sides are nicely brown place into a 375 degree oven for 12 minutes or until the halibut is medium.

Arrange risotto in the middle of the plate then the halibut ( crust side up),on top of that, then the sliced mushrooms on top of the halibut. Spoon the sauce over and around the halibut and garnish with fresh watercress if desired. Serve immediately

Bon Appetit

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Bistro 45 corn and sage soup

Serves about 8-10

1 lb. of fresh white corn kernels (frozen can substitute)

½ small yellow onion, cleaned and chopped into ½ inch pieces

1 stalk of celery, cleaned and chopped into ½ inch pieces

1 piece of leek (white part only) cleaned and chopped into ½ piece

¼ stick butter or olive oil

1 tsp. chopped garlic

1 gallon of fresh, homemade chicken stock

¼ cup dry white wine

2 potatoes, peeled and chopped into ½ pieces (any kind you like)

½ cup of cream

leaves of fresh sage

salt and pepper to taste

Method

In large, heavy bottom soup pot heat butter or oil. Sauté on medium heat the onions, celery, and leek until tender (about 5 minutes) being careful not to brown them. Then add the corn and continue to cook another 5 minutes. Add wine, reducing it by half; next add chopped garlic and stock. Bring to a light simmer and add the chopped potatoes and let it return to a simmer. Cook until the potatoes are soft and add cream, sage and some salt and pepper. Remove from the heat and blend with a hand blender until smooth (you can also use a bar blender, but its more dangerous with a hot liquid). Now strain the soup and return to the pot and finish adding salt and pepper.

* If the soup is to thick add more chicken stock and if the soup is to thin you can adjust with instant mashed potatoes.

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Bistro 45 Organic Tomato Soup

serves 5-7

2 lbs. organic tomatoes, over ripe

1 bskt. Baby roma tomatoes, or cherry tomatoes

1 piece celery, cut up ½ inch pieces

1 piece leek, cut up ½ inch pieces

½ red onion, cut up ½ inch pieces

½ gallon chicken stock or vegetable stock

¼ cup olive oil

3 T. tomato paste

1 cup dry white wine

1 sprig tarragon, fresh

2 lbs. organic tomatoes, over ripe

1 bay leaf, dried

1 sprig thyme, fresh

1 tsp. crushed garlic

salt and pepper to taste

½ cup heavy cream (optional)

¼ cup crab meat, cleaned (optional)

Method

In a 5 quart, heavy bottom pot, sauté celery, leeks, and onions, in olive oil until tender. Add white wine, all the tomatoes, thyme, tarragon, and bay leaf. Cook until most of the liquid is evaporated and add stock, turn heat up to high and bring to a simmer, reduce heat and add tomato paste and garlic, cook for ten more minutes and season lightly. Blend with hand blender until smooth (about 5 min.) and strain. Season if necessary.

* add optional cream before blending and crab after straining

* if soup is too thick additional stock can be added