Category: Low Carb or GF

Grilled Pork Chop, Luxardo Cherry Demi-Glace

Grilled Pork Chop, Luxardo Cherry Demi-Glace🐖 Grilled Pork Chop 🐖
🍒 Luxardo Maraschino Cherry Demi-Glace 🍒
🥬 Baby Bok Choy 🥬

The inspiration for this dish came from a new restaurant in my old stompin’ grounds. If I were still living in LA, I would definitely be dining down at the Port of Los Angeles regularly as Chef Dustin Trani’s food is fabulous!

Trani’s Dockside Station posted a mouthwatering image of their “Tomahawk Pork Chop with a Cherry Demi-Glaze” on Instagram. Having pork chops in the refrigerator, it took but a second to decide to make my own version here in Las Vegas. I also had a jar of Luxardo Maraschino Cherries and bottle of Luxardo Liqueur in my bar, and veal demi-glace in the pantry.

Luxardo Maraschino is a liqueur distilled in Italy from the leaves, pits, stems and skins of sour marasca cherries. It is not overly sweet and has an almond-like, subtly bitter complex cherry flavor. Luxardo Cherries are candied cherries soaked in Luxardo marasca cherry syrup, and they are sweet. I add a small amount of all three of these components to veal demi-glace just before serving to make an intriguing sauce for the smoky tender pork chops. And the no-brainer pairing for this dish was a merlot, seductive & velvety, iconic Duckhorn Merlot.

The meal was delightful. Thanks for the inspiration, Chef! Best wishes for super success with your new place!

(Read more about the Chef and my interpretation of another of his wonderful dishes exactly a decade ago, “Truffle Scented Tortellini, Veal Reduction” here).

Grilled Pork Chop, Luxardo Cherry Demi-Glace

Grilled Pork Chop, Luxardo Cherry Demi-Glace Recipe

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Maine Scallop Crudo

Maine Scallop Crudo

🌊 Maine Scallop Crudo 🌊
Maine Dulse Seaweed, Kumquat, Radish, Jalapeño, Lemon Ponzu, Cilantro

Maine’s long coastline and clean, cold waters inspired this dish featuring raw, buttery, day-boat Sea Scallops with their slightly sweet flavors; and Dulse (Palmaria palmata) a beautiful red seaweed that has a rich, meaty, umami flavor.

Crunchy peppery radish balance the tender scallop slices, jalapeños add vegetal spiciness, and seasonal kumquats add sweet tart notes. Lemon ponzu provides a base of sweet, sour, and salty flavors, where the olive oil adds a subtle richness.

When they’re raw, dulse flakes taste like briny ocean waters, but when sautéed, the smoky and savory characteristics emerge, giving dulse the nickname “bacon of the sea,” which pairs perfectly with this coastal crudo.

Lastly, a little mound of cilantro leaves brings the bright herbal notes, a sashimi style learned from Chef Nobu.

Maine Scallop Crudo

Maine Scallop Crudo Recipe

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Cream of Hatch Chile Soup

Cream of Hatch Chile Soup

🔥 Cream of Hatch Chile Soup 🔥
Garnished With
Tortilla Strips, Mexican Cheese, Jalapeño, Cilantro

With only three (3!) ingredients, this soup is astonishingly complex and flavorful. Chiles grown in the Hatch Valley have an ideal balance of smoky heat and sweetness. Their unique flavor is a result of the Southern New Mexico sun and terroir.

By the way, this soup is muy picante but the cream and shredded cheese help to temper the spiciness. The heat level is customizable though… the hot, medium, or mild chile ratio can easily be adjusted to taste.

And while Cream of Hatch Chile Soup could simply be served naked, garnishes take it to another level where home-made tortilla strips add crunch, while thin slices of jalapeño and cilantro leaves add fresh complementary flavors and visual appeal.

Cream of Hatch Chile Soup

Cream of Hatch Chile Soup Recipe

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Basque Matcha Cheesecake

Basque Matcha Cheesecake

Basque Matcha Cheesecake

With the addition of one single component, Japanese Matcha Green Tea Powder, the now-famous cheesecake has morphed into something completely different. Here, the cake has a gorgeous striking green color, and the flavor has also changed dramatically. The recipe brings together ingredients from Basque and Japanese cultures for a novel fusion dessert.

We’ve made Basque BURNT Cheesecake several times, and it is always a big hit. With no fruit topping, no crust and five simple ingredients – cream cheese, sugar, salt, eggs, and cream – it is astonishing how absolutely fabulous the original cheesecake actually is…it is baked in a very hot oven so the top and bottom caramelize where the insides remain soft and luxurious.

The cheesecake recipe was originally developed by Santiago Rivera, Chef of La Viña in San Sebastian, Spain. The Chef says, “Its popularity amongst our clients have become La Viña Restaurant’s Cheese Cream Cake a great classic of the San Sebastian cuisine.”

Matcha Green Tea has an intense and complex flavor profile with vegetal grassy flavors, a unique sweet nuttiness, and savory umami notes.

The vibrant green hue is due to the high concentration of chlorophyll in the leaves, a result of the bushes being covered up in shade for about 3 weeks before harvesting. The whole leaves are steamed, dried, and then finally stone ground to a fine powder.

Basque Matcha Cheesecake

Basque Matcha Cheesecake Recipe

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Crispy Skin Black Cod, Spinach Dashi

Crispy Skin Black Cod, Spinach Dashi

Crispy Skin Black Cod, Spinach Dashi

Here is a black cod dish inspired by Chef Nobu Matsuhisa, but probably not in the way one would think. The legendary chef’s arguably most popular recipe is Miso Marinated Black Cod. A preparation that is absolutely worth every accolade. We recently enjoyed his signature black cod fillet at Nobu Paris Las Vegas, along with several other incredible dishes.

But here, I am preparing Alaska black cod simply, sautéed with crispy skin. It is served over a complex broth inspired by Nobu’s cookbook Nobu West where he shares a soup made with watercress (or spinach), dashi, and soy milk.

Black cod’s silky-rich luxurious flesh and its contrasting crispy skin are complemented by the extraordinary broth where spinach brings bright earthy green flavor and color, dashi adds umami and hints of the sea, tamari for salty notes, soy milk for a light creaminess, and rice vinegar for acidity. Steamed white rice is served on the side, it is heavenly dipped in the spinach dashi. Micro watercress is a nod to Chef Nobu’s original recipe.

Crispy Skin Black Cod, Spinach Dashi

Nobu's Miso Black Cod @ Paris Las Vegas
Nobu’s Miso Black Cod @ Paris Las Vegas

Crispy Skin Black Cod, Spinach Dashi Recipe

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