Our Traveling Gourmet shares recipes from some of his favorite restaurants. Try them at home!
From The Artist in Bucharest, Romania
Cucumber Sorbet, Basil, Mint & Orange
- 200 ML Cucumber Juice
- 45 Gram Sugar
- 30 Gram Honey
- 1 Table Spoon Pasteurized Egg White
- Fresh Basil Leaves
- Fresh Mint Leaves
- Zest from Orange
Cucumber Sorbet, Basil, Mint, Orange (Photo by The Artist)
Method:
Mix in a pan the honey and sugar together with a few spoons of cucumber juice and bring to a boil.
Leave to cool and mix with the remaining cucumber juice, place in the fridge for 2 hours.
Chop some basil and mint and mix together with some orange zest.
Using a whisk mix in the pasteurized egg white and turn the mixture into a creamy sorbet using an ice cream machine, once the mixture is nearly ready mix in the basil, mint and orange zest. Reserve in the freezer for minimum of 2 hours.
From Tian Bistro
Melon Salad
Melon Salad (Photo by Ingo Pertramer)
From Restlos glücklich (Brandstätter Verlag), cookbook by Chef de Cuisine Paul Ivić
Ingredients
- 1⁄2 watermelon
- 150 g small champignon mushrooms
- 2 spring onions
- 30 g lemon verbena
- 1 organic lime
- 5 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- Salt
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
Peel the watermelon and cut into 2 cm cubes. (Do not throw away the rind, you can use it to make melon rind kimchi, for example). Clean the mushrooms and cut them into quarters or sixes. Wash the spring onions and cut them into fine rings.
For the marinade, wash the lemon verbena, shake dry, pluck off the leaves, put some aside for decoration, finely chop the rest. Wash the lime, rub dry, finely grate the zest of the lime and squeeze out the juice.
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From Tria Restaurant
Tria Duck Salad
Ingredients
- 2ea – Moulard Duck Breast
- ¼ cup - kosher salt
- ¼ tsp - ground allspice
- ¼ tsp – Ground Nutmeg
- ¼ tsp – Ground Gloves
- ½ tsp – Ground Black Pepper
- 2oz – Dijon Mustard
- 4oz – Red Wine Vinegar
- 2tbsp – Fresh Lemon Juice
- 4oz – Apricot Jam
- 2ea – sprig of mint – picked leaves
- 1 cup – extra virgin olive oil
- 1 cup – canola or vegetable oil
- 5oz - Baby Spinach
- 3oz – Grana Padano (Shaved with a peeler)
- 2oz – Roasted Pistachios (rough chop)
- 3oz – Poached cherries (substitute fresh quartered strawberries in spring/summer)
- 3oz – Citrus Mint Vinaigrette
- Kosher Salt and Black Pepper
Instructions
Prepare Duck Breasts by patting dry and scoring fat. Season duck with spice blend of kosher salt and ground spices (nutmeg, cloves, allspice). Duck should be seasoned generously with approx. 1tsp per side as a good amount will render off during cooking.
Starting in a cold pan over medium heat, place the duck skin side down to begin to render fat of the duck breast. When the fat is rendered to ¼ inch flip over and transfer to a 350 degree oven and cook to an internal temp of 130 for med-rare. Allow duck to rest for at least 10 minutes before slicing to serve.
While the duck cooks prepare vinaigrette – In a blender or food processor, combine mustard, vinegar, lemon juice, apricot jam and picked mint leaves. While processing slowly add oils until emulsified. Season with kosher salt and black pepper.
In a large mixing bowl, combine spinach, cherries, pistachios, and shaved cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Add the dressing and gently mix well until uniform with tongs. Arrange salad on plates. In the same mixing bowl, place the sliced duck and gently mix with tongs to absorb the excess vinaigrette. Arrange the duck on top of the salad.
- 1lb – Dried Tart Cherries
- 12oz bottle of Allagash White Beer
- ¼ cup – honey
- Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute and remove from heat and allow cherries to cool completely in liquid and chill.
Notes
This recipe uses Tria’s poached cherries which are a classic Tria cheese accompaniment and can be prepared before this recipe as they are best when chilled. Dried cherries or fresh cut strawberries may be substituted for the salad.
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