Practicing For Competition – Pan Seared Chicken, Risotto, and Shrimp Louie Salad

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For our second competition practice, everyone makes the same series of recipes/ dishes. After all, we have to make this whole COOKING CLEAN & ORGANIZED a habit before you start trying to come up with your own plates.

For this practice, you will be paired with two other people (three to a team) and make two plates: pan seared chicken with a mont beurre sauce, seasoned mushroom rissoto, and Shrimp Louie – a composed salad with chilled, poached shrimp and an emulsified vinaigrette.

Here are the recipes:

ENTREE: PAN SEARED CHICKEN WITH BUTTER SAUCE AND MUSHROOM RISOTTO

There isn’t really a pan-seared chicken and pan sauce recipe – it is more a technique than a specific recipe. Here is a great video on the step-by-step process you WILL be following:

For the starch, I’m looking for a mushroom risotto. Here’s the recipe:

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Mushroom Risotto

Course Side Dish
Cuisine Italian

Ingredients

  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2½ tablespoon oil
  • 1 lb white mushrooms sliced thin
  • 1 shallot diced fine
  • ¾ cup arborio rice
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
  • 1 ½ tablespoons chives
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • ¼ cup grated parmesan cheese
  • 3 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

Instructions

  • Heat the broth over low heat.
  • In a large saucepan, heat 1½ tablespoons of oil and cook the mushrooms until soft, about 3 minutes
  • Put the mushrooms and the liquid in a bowl and reserve.
  • Add the remaining 1 tablespoons oil to saute pan, and cook the onions for 1 minute.
  • Stir in the rice, coating it with oil, and toast for about 2 minutes.
  • When the rice has taken on a pale, golden color, add 1/2 cup broth to the rice, and stir until the broth is absorbed.
  • Continue adding broth 1/2 cup at a time, stirring continuously, until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is al dente. Taste test the rice – it should be soft with just a touch of bite in the center.
  • Remove from heat and stir in mushrooms with their liquid, butter, and parmesan.
  • Stir in parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

You will notice that both recipes really need some COLOR. Put these two things on a plate alone? a sea of brown…. unappealing.

The garnish I’m leaving up to you. Come prepared with some options. Fresh herbs are always a good idea. But that only adds GREEN. Maybe some julienned carrot, dipped into boiling water to soften then chilled in an ice bath? Give the carrots a nice spin in the saute pan with a little butter, and garnish? Sounds deliviousness.

Shrimp Louie Salad

For the appetizer, you will be making a version of Shrimp Louie – a famous salad from the 1900’s that originated in San Fransisco. You will need to master an emulsified vinaigrette. Use this recipe (but cut in half first – you shouldn’t make 2 cups of vinaigrette for two salads!)

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House Vinaigrette

This is Samin Nosrat's recipe which she adopted from Via Carota, the charming West Village restaurant run by Jody Williams and Rita Sodi. It appears in the NYT and has become wildly popular as a "go-to" vinaigrette for all occassions. She writes "Drizzle this liberally over everything: boiled asparagus, farro salad, steak, fish or roast chicken. " She's right. It's good on EVERYTHING.
Course Salad
Cuisine American
Keyword Culinary 2, Dressings
Servings 2 cups

Ingredients

  • 1 shallot peeled and very finely minced
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp sherry vinegar
  • 1 Tbsp warm water
  • 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 1/2 tsp grainy mustard
  • 2 tsp honey
  • 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
  • 1 clove garlic minced to a paste

Instructions

  • Put the minced shallot in a fine mesh strainer and rinse. Drain well.
  • Put the drained shallot into small bowl, add the vinegar and warm water. Let sit for a few minutes.
  • Whisk in the oil, mustards, honey, thyme, garlic and some salt and pepper.
  • Taste and adjust salt, pepper, honey and vinegar. Store in a container with a tight fitting lid. Shake well before using.

Shrimp will be the star of your appetizer. Use this recipe:

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Poached Shrimp

Course Technique
Cuisine American
Keyword Culianry 3, Seafood

Ingredients

  • 6 extra large shrimp
  • 2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 8-10 peppercorns
  • 1 bay leaf
  • large handful of fresh parsley stems

Instructions

  • Fill a 2 quart saucepan 3/4 full of water.
  • Add salt. Squeeze the juice of the lemon into the pot and add the peel and flesh once squeezed. Add the peppercorns, parsley, salt, and bay leaf..
  • Bring the pot to a rapid boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for ten minutes.
  • Remove from the heat.
  • Add the shrimp. Stir. Put the lid on the saucepan. Cover the pot. Let sit for 4 minutes, until shrimp are opaque, pink, and semi-firm.
  • Meanwhile, prepare an ice bath: In a large bowl put two cups of ice cubes and fill halfway with cold water.
  • When shrimp are cooked, drain off the hot liquid and transfer shrimp (but not the aromatics) to the ice bath. Let them sit in there for a few minutes to fully cool off before draining.
  • Peel and use in shrimp cocktail or in salads (or wherever you might want to use cooked, chilled shrimp).

Pretty easy, right? Just artfully arrange some salad greens on a plate, pile on three shrimp per serving, and drizzle with dressing.

Wait!

In classic Shrimp Louie fashion, you can (and SHOULD!) add some additional ingredients – at least TWO. Here are a few options I highly recommend – though you are free to use your own judgment:

The traditional add-ons:

  • Parboiled and shocked green beans
  • Soft boiled eggs

The non traditional add-ons:

Parboiled and shocked asparagus – make sure you don’t overcook it and turn it slimy!

  • Avacado
  • Cherry tomatoes
  • Radishes
  • Hand-torn, rustic croutons

Don’t forget some colorful garnish! Brunoised red pepper (show off those knife skills), fresh herbs, or maybe some fresh lemon?