Xavier salomon - Ritz-Carlton

From the pages of
Xavier Salomon
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
Farmer John’s Pumpkin Soup
Serves 6
1 medium pumpkin, about 4 pounds
1 tablespoon butter
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 apple, chopped
6 cups water
1 cup heavy cream, plus ¼ cup for garnish
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
1 pinch cinnamon
1 large pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375ºF (190ºC).
Halve the pumpkin from top to bottom (remove the seeds and discard) and place it, cut side
down, on an oiled baking sheet. Bake until the pumpkin is soft for about 45 to 60 minutes. Cool for
about 20 minutes.
With a spoon, scrape the pulp and discard. Melt butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the onions
and apple, and cook, stirring occasionally until the onions and apples are soft. Add the pumpkin
and water, and simmer for about 30 minutes. Let cool.
In batches, purée the soup in a blender on high speed, about 3 minutes per batch, until very
smooth. Strain through a fine mesh into a pot and add the cream. Bring to a boil. Adjust seasoning
with salt, pepper and nutmeg.
Whip ¼ cup cream to soft peaks and add cinnamon. Ladle the hot soup into bowls. Add 1 spoon
of cinnamon cream.
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From the pages of
Xavier Salomon
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
Half Moon Bay Artichokes Barigoule
Serves 6
6 medium artichokes (or frozen artichoke hearts)
2 cups water
2 cups dry white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1½ cups olive oil
2 lemons, halved
1 cup peeled and sliced bunch carrot
1 cup sliced fennel
2 cups sliced onions
5 ounces diced slab bacon
3 tablespoons minced shallots
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon minced garlic
¾ tablespoon salt
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
In a large container, mix together the water, wine, stock and 1 cup of the olive oil.
If using fresh artichokes, clean the artichokes by removing the tough outer leaves, cutting the topthird
off and cutting off the tops of the leaves above the meaty portion, about ½ inch above its base.
Use a pairing knife to cut off the dark green parts of leaves at the bottom and expose the tender
heart. Remove the fuzzy choke using a spoon to scrape the heart clean. Squeeze lemon juice over
the artichoke and submerge into the stock mixture.
Heat the remaining ½ cup of olive oil in a pot large enough to create one layer of hearts. Add the
carrots and cook over medium heat for 2 to 2 ½ minutes. Add the onions, fennel, shallots, garlic and
bacon, and cook for 4 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Remove the artichokes from the liquid
and position the artichoke hearts stem side up over the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt, cover the pot,
and cook for 10 minutes.
Pour the reserved liquid over the vegetables and add the fresh herbs. Place a clean towel over
the top of the artichokes to keep them submerged. Cook at a slow simmer for 15 minutes. Cook the
artichoke for an additional 15 minutes, or until there is no resistance when a heart is poked with the
tip of a knife. Reserve in the stock overnight.
To serve, cut artichokes in quarters. Mix with all the vegetables. Reduce the cooking stock in half.
Add to the mix with chopped fresh herbs (chives, parsley and thyme). Drizzle with extra virgin olive
oil. Artichoke Barigoule can be served with any seared fish, like halibut.
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From the pages of
Xavier Salomon
The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay
Strawberry-Rhubarb Cobbler
Serves 4
Cobbler:
2 pints strawberries
2 cups rhubarb, peeled and cut into cubes
¼ cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
Juice and zest of 1 lemon
Syrup:
1 vanilla bean, split
2 cups sugar
2 cups water
Juice of 1 lemon
Topping:
1 cup soft butter
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
3 cups flour
1 ½ cups cooking oats (not instant)
¾ tablespoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
Prepare syrup by heating equal parts sugar and water, along with vanilla bean and lemon juice.
Once sugar has dissolved, cook the rhubarb in syrup until soft. Strain and let cool. Mix cooled rhubarb
and strawberries together. Add dry ingredients, as well as lemon zest and juice. Spoon mixture into individual
oven-safe dishes.
To prepare topping, mix butter and sugars together. With your fingers, add flour, oatmeal, vanilla and
salt until it crumbles. Do not over mix. Crumble topping over each of the fruit dishes. Bake at 350°F (175°C)
until topping is light brown.
Serve with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream.
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From the pages of
Greg Howe
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
Tomato Salad
Serves 4
Pickled Onion:
1 spanish onion, sliced thin in rings
1 habanero, seeded and sliced thin
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
2 cups white vinegar
4 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons sugar
Serrano-Apple Vinaigrette:
2 cups green apple juice, reduced by ¾ and
cooled
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 egg yolk
2 serranos, seeded and minced
1 tablespoon roasted garlic
1 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lime juice
Salt and pepper to taste
Salad:
4 small heirloom tomatoes, cut into 4 pieces each
1 avocado, cut into 8 wedges
1 small Spanish white onion, sliced and pickled*
2 cups requeson cheese, in all
1 tablespoon crème fraîche
4 squash blossoms
Tempura batter
1 large bunch epazote, leaves julienned
1 cup apple-serrano vinaigrette
2 cups balsamic vinegar, reduced to a syrup and
cooled
Salt and pepper to taste
Prepare pickled onion mixture first by mixing all ingredients together. Let sit for at least 12 hours.
To prepare vinaigrette, place all ingredients except olive oil in a blender. Blend on high until incorporated.
While blender is running, slowly add in olive oil until all of it is incorporated. Season with salt and
pepper, and reserve.
For the salad, start by preparing squash blossoms. Mix together half of the requeson cheese with the
crème fraîche, whipping until thoroughly combine. Remove the stamen from each blossom and stuff with
the cheese-crème fraîche mixture. Dip each squash blossom in the tempura batter, and fry in vegetable oil
until crispy. Reserve blossoms in a warm place.
On 4 chilled serving plates, spoon equal amounts of the dressing across the center of the plate. Lay one
slice of each tomato and two slices of avocado on each serving plate in whatever design you choose. Top
each plate with the pickled onions, the remaining requeson cheese, a squash blossom, epazote and a
drizzle of the balsamic syrup.
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From the pages of
Greg Howe
The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel
Achiote Salmon
Serves 4
Achiote Marinade:
2 garlic cloves
1 cup kim chee base
2 cups olive oil
2 cups achiote paste
½ cup water
Chipotle Aioli:
2 tablespoon chipotle aioli
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon lime juice
1½ cup kewpie mayonnaise
Achiote-Ponzu Sauce:
5 cups water
¼ cup dashi stock
1 large sheet kombu seaweed
3 cups mirin
6 ounces achiote
1½ cups fresh orange juice
1 cup soy sauce
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup mirin
¼ cup sake
¼ cup yuzu
Salmon:
4 6-ounce organic king salmon
filets in marinade
2 chayote squash, peeled and julienned
2 cups assorted wild mushrooms
4 ounces bacon, diced and cooked
until crisp
4 tablespoons chipotle aioli
8 ounces achiote-ponzu sauce,
reserved hot
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Begin by preparing marinade. Blend water and achiote paste
in a blender. When smooth, add garlic, kim chee base and
olive oil into blender, and blend until smooth. Reserve.
Mix ingredients for chipotle aioli and achiote-ponzu
sauce. Reserve.
The salmon in this dish can be grilled, baked or broiled.
Be sure not to overcook the salmon, as it can dry out. Ideally,
grill salmon on each side about 3 minutes to achieve a nice
medium rare.
Meanwhile, bring a large sauté pan to high heat. Add the
oil into the pan and sauté the chayote and mushrooms until
the chayote softens. Add the bacon to the pan at the last
minute. Season mixture with salt and pepper, and reserve.
In 4 large warmed serving bowls, add equal portions of the
chayote-mushroom mixture, and top with salmon filets.
Spoon equal amounts of the chipotle aioli on each fish, and
pour sauce into the bottom of the bowl. Serve immediately.
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