Ingredients:

6 black bass fillets

1/2 cup clarified butter for sautéing bass (or neutral oil)

Salt and white pepper, to taste

For Parsnip Puree:

8 parsnips, peeled and cut into 1-inch rounds

1 herb bundle (wrap in cheesecloth: 2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs thyme, 6 parsley stems, 8 black peppercorns, 8 coriander seeds)

3 Tbsp. butter

1 cup dry vermouth

1 pint vegetable stock

1 pint heavy cream

Salt and white pepper, to taste

For the Mushrooms:

1 pound mixed wild mushrooms (king oyster, chanterelle, beech, black trumpets, hen of the woods, etc.)

4  sprigs thyme

2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil (or neutral oil)

2 garlic cloves (whole)

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 pound arugula

For Red Wine Reduction:

2 shallots, peeled and sliced

3 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

6 black peppercorns

2 stalks lemongrass

4 cups medium body red wine

1 cup ruby port

4 Tbsp. butter

Salt, to taste

Directions:

Parsnip puree: Add parsnip rounds to medium pot, spread in one layer (do not pile) and sweat in butter for five minutes. Add herb bundle and vermouth, and cook until vermouth reduces almost all the way. Add vegetable stock, cream and a pinch of salt, then simmer until parsnips are tender (approximately 15-20 minutes). When parsnips are tender, remove cheesecloth bundle, transfer parsnips to a blender and add enough of the cooking liquid to get the blender to spin (if you add too much you will have parsnip soup instead of a puree). When pureed, taste and adjust seasoning, then pass through a fine mesh strainer and cool.

Mushrooms: Clean mushrooms thoroughly (peel stems if using chanterelles). If unable to get all the dirt off with a brush, wash mushrooms briefly in cold water, running your hands over them while they are in the water. Immediately remove from water and pat dry with paper towels. Once clean, sauté mushrooms in grapeseed oil. Heat the pan hot to just smoking. Sauté mushrooms 3-4 minutes until cooked and all have consistent color. Halfway through the cooking process, add the garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Garlic cloves should be whole, but crushed. Transfer mushrooms to a cooling pan, remove thyme and garlic.

Red wine reduction: Place all ingredients except butter into sauce pot and simmer until liquid is reduced to 1/2 cup.

Finish: Pat bass dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan to hot, then add clarified butter. As the butter begins to smoke, add the bass skin side down and press with a spatula until it stays flat. Cook three minutes on the skin side, then flip and cook one minute more. Heat parsnip puree in a pot, thinning out with either vegetable stock or cream. When hot, place a couple of tablespoons into the center of plates. Heat up mushrooms in whole butter on moderate heat. When hot, add arugula, then toss and season (arugula should be slightly wilted). Place mushroom and arugula mix over the parsnip puree and top with bass. Heat red wine reduction in a small pot, once it comes to a simmer, slowly whisk in the butter off the heat (if too hot the sauce will break). Spoon sauce around fish.

Optional garnish: Peel one parsnip and shave with a vegetable peeler into long strips. Fry strips at 300 degrees until golden brown and no bubbles in the oil. Transfer to a plate with paper towel and season with salt. Garnish the bass with a few fried parsnip chips.

Serves 6

Red Velvet Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream Frosting or Chocolate Glaze

Debbie Yee-Henen, pastry chef, Julia’s Kitchen

Red Velvet Cake

Sift together:

2 1/2 cups all–purpose flour

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. salt

2 Tbsp. cocoa powder

Whisk together:

1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk

2 eggs

2 Tbsp. red food coloring

1 tsp. distilled, white vinegar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

 Add the dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients and stir until just combined. Pour into three 9-inch greased cake pans (or two heart-shaped pans) and bake in a preheated, 350 F. oven for 35-40 minutes (or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean). Allow cakes to cool thoroughly before removing from their pans and frosting or glazing.

Cream Cheese Frosting

Cream together until fluffy, then frost cooled cake:

1 pound cream cheese, room temperature

1 cup butter, room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar, sifted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

Bittersweet Chocolate Glaze

In a 1 1/2 quart pan, whisk together until combined:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

Add in:

3 Tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Heat the mixture over low, stirring constantly until the butter melts and the mixture is smooth (about five minutes).  Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Pour warm glaze over cooled cake and allow to set before serving.

Seared Day Boat Scallops with Fennel Puree and Blood Orange Beurre Blanc

Jeff Mosher, executive chef,  Julia’s Kitchen

Ingredients

18 medium size day boat scallops

1/2 cup clarified butter for searing scallops (or substitute with a neutral oil)

Salt and white pepper to taste

For Fennel Puree

4 bulbs fennel, rough chop — reserve fennel fronds (green tops)

1 herb bundle (wrap in cheesecloth: 2 bay leaves, 4 sprigs thyme, 6 parsley stems, 8 black peppercorns, 8 coriander seeds)

3 Tbsp. butter

1 cup Pernod

1 pint vegetable stock

1 pint heavy cream

2 cups picked fennel fronds (no stems)

Salt and white pepper, to taste

For Fennel and Citrus Salad

1 large fennel bulb, shaved very thin on a mandoline (or cut with a sharp knife)

2 blood oranges, cut into segments

2 Tbsp. Meyer lemon juice (or substitute with regular lemon juice)

2 Tbsp. grapeseed oil or pure olive oil

2 Tbsp. chervil leaves

Blood Orange Beurre Blanc

2 shallots, peeled and sliced

3 sprigs thyme

2 bay leaves

6 black peppercorns

1 cup white wine

1 cup champagne vinegar

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 pound butter

1 cup blood orange juice, reduced to 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Directions

Fennel puree:  Rough chop fennel and sweat in butter for five minutes, add herb bundle and Pernod, cook until almost completely reduced. Add vegetable stock, cream and a pinch of salt; simmer until fennel is tender. While fennel is cooking, blanch fennel fronds in boiling salted water for 20 seconds. Place in ice water bath to cool immediately. When fennel is tender, transfer to a blender and add fennel fronds with enough of the cooking liquid to get the blender to spin (if you add too much you will have fennel soup instead of puree). Taste and adjust seasoning of puree, then pass through a fine mesh strainer and cool.

Fennel and citrus salad: Toss shaved fennel with lemon juice and oil (can hold for a few hours like this). When ready to serve, add citrus segments, chervil and a pinch of salt.

Beurre blanc: Place shallots, herbs, spices, wine and vinegar in a medium-sized pot. Simmer until wine and vinegar are almost totally reduced. Add cream, reduce by half and take off heat. Cut butter into 1-inch cubes. Slowly add butter and whisk into sauce base. As one butter cube melts and becomes part of the sauce add two or three more and keep whisking. When all the butter is incorporated, add reduced blood orange juice, taste and adjust seasoning. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and reserve in a warm location.

Finish:  Pat scallops dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper. Heat a large sauté pan. When hot, add clarified butter. As the butter begins to smoke add the scallops and cook on one side two minutes on moderate heat until they begin to brown. When brown, flip over and cook an additional two minutes, basting with whole butter. Cooking time should be adjusted based on the size of the scallops available. Do not overcook — they should be springy to the touch, not hard.

Heat fennel puree in a pot. When hot, place a couple of tablespoons into the center of plates and top with three scallops. Toss fennel, citrus segments and chervil together, and then place on top of scallops. Spoon beurre blanc around fennel puree and serve.

Serves 6