5 Courses Recipe
2 appetizers, 1 seafood course, 1 meat course, 1 dessert
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Ingredients
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Appetizer 1 — Whipped Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini with Honey & Pistachio
Appetizer 2 — Seared Scallops with Citrus Beurre Blanc on Pea Purée
Seafood Course — Pan-Roasted Branzino with Fennel & Orange, Salsa Verde
Meat Course — Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Reduction & Root Vegetables
Dessert — Chocolate Pots de Crème with Sea Salt & Orange Zest
Method
Appetizer 1 — Whipped Herbed Goat Cheese Crostini with Honey & Pistachio
- 1
Prepare crostini
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Arrange baguette slices on a baking sheet. Brush lightly with 1 tbs olive oil. Bake 8–10 minutes or until edges are golden and crisp. Cool slightly.
- 2
Whip cheese
In a bowl or food processor combine goat cheese and cream cheese with 1 tbs olive oil, chopped chives, thyme leaves, lemon zest, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Pulse until smooth and airy, scraping down sides as needed. Adjust seasoning to taste.
- 3
Appetizer 2 — Seared Scallops with Citrus Beurre Blanc on Pea Purée
- 4
Make pea purée
Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil. Add peas and blanch 2 minutes if fresh (1 minute for thawed frozen). Drain and immediately shock in ice water to preserve color. Drain and transfer to blender with mint leaves, 1 tsp olive oil and 1 tsp salt. Purée until smooth, adding up to 1–2 tbs water if needed. Keep warm or reheat gently before plating.
- 5
Prepare beurre blanc
In a small saucepan over medium heat, sauté minced shallot in 1 tbs butter until translucent. Add dry white wine and reduce until nearly dry. Add lemon juice and heavy cream and reduce slightly. Off heat, whisk in cold butter (remaining 5 tbs) piece by piece to emulsify into a glossy sauce. Keep warm on very low heat (do not boil) and season to taste.
- 6
Sear scallops
Pat scallops very dry with paper towels and season both sides with sea salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over high heat until shimmering. Add a thin film of neutral oil. Sear scallops 1.5–2 minutes per side until a deep golden crust forms and opaque through center. Remove from pan and let rest briefly.
- 7
Seafood Course — Pan-Roasted Branzino with Fennel & Orange, Salsa Verde
- 8
Prep fish and vegetables
Pat branzino dry inside and out. Season cavity and skin with 1 tsp kosher salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper each (total 2 tsp salt, 1 tsp pepper distributed across both fish). Toss sliced fennel with 1 tbs olive oil and a pinch of salt.
- 9
Make salsa verde
Combine chopped parsley, capers, minced garlic, 1 tbs olive oil, orange zest (or lemon zest) and a squeeze of orange juice from the segmented orange. Mix and season to taste. Set aside.
- 10
Pan-roast fish
Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat with 1 tbs olive oil. When hot, place branzino skin-side down and sear until skin is crisp, about 3–4 minutes. Flip and add sliced fennel and orange segments around fish. Transfer skillet to a 400°F (200°C) oven and roast 6–8 minutes until flesh flakes and internal temp reaches about 125–130°F for moist fish. Remove from oven and rest 3 minutes.
- 11
Finish & serve
Spoon salsa verde over each fish and arrange fennel and orange alongside. Serve whole or portioned, with extra sauce on the side.
Meat Course — Herb-Crusted Rack of Lamb with Red Wine Reduction & Root Vegetables
- 12
Season and sear lamb
Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Pat racks dry and season generously with 2 tsp kosher salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Heat 2 tbs olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over high heat. Sear racks, fat side down, 2–3 minutes until browned, then sear the other sides briefly. Remove to a rack on a sheet to cool slightly.
- 13
Make herb crust and roast
Mix chopped rosemary, thyme, minced garlic, panko breadcrumbs and 3 tbs Dijon mustard. Brush the fat/exposed bone side of each rack with additional Dijon, then press the herb-panko mixture onto the mustard-coated surface to form a crust. Place racks bone-side up on a roasting pan and roast in the preheated oven 15–20 minutes for medium-rare (internal 125–130°F), or longer to desired doneness. Rest 10 minutes before slicing into individual chops.
- 14
- 15
Prepare red wine reduction
In a small saucepan, sauté 1 chopped shallot in 1 tbs butter until translucent. Add 1 cup dry red wine and reduce by two-thirds. Add 2 cups beef or veal stock and reduce until sauce coats the back of a spoon (about 10–15 minutes). Strain, then whisk in 1 tbs butter off the heat for shine and season to taste.
- 16
Plate
Slice each rack into chops. Arrange 3–4 chops per plate with roasted vegetables and spoon red wine reduction around. Garnish with a sprig of thyme or rosemary.
Dessert — Chocolate Pots de Crème with Sea Salt & Orange Zest
- 17
- 18
Heat cream and chocolate
In a saucepan, combine heavy cream and whole milk and heat until just simmering (do not boil). Remove from heat and add chopped dark chocolate. Let sit 1–2 minutes, then whisk until smooth.
- 19
Temper yolks and bake
In a bowl, whisk egg yolks with granulated sugar and vanilla until slightly thickened. Slowly whisk about 1/3 cup of the hot chocolate-cream into yolks to temper, then whisk yolk mixture back into the saucepan until fully combined. Stir in orange zest and 1/4 tsp sea salt. Divide mixture among ramekins. Pour hot water into the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins (bain-marie). Bake 30–35 minutes or until edges are set and centers still slightly wobbly.
- 20