Taste of Orange County

As a gift to start the new year on the right foot, Chef Dee Nguyen of the popular Break of Dawn restaurant in Laguna Hills shares a recipe for Vietnamese comfort food. This poached chicken with ginger and jasmine rice is healthy, so you don't have to break any resolutions to indulge. To learn more about Nguyen and how he cooks at home, visit this link to a story in the latest issue of Orange Coast. 

Gingered Poached Free-Range Chicken
with jasmine rice “pilaf” and ginger sauce
Yield: 4 serving

• 1 free-range chicken
  
• 1 onion, cut into quarters
  
• 2 pieces ginger, thinly sliced
  
• Water
  

For rice: 

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  
• 1 onion, diced small
  
• 2 cups jasmine rice
  
• 3 1/2 cups reserved liquid from chicken poaching 
  
• Salt and pepper, to taste
  

For sauce: 

• 2 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, diced small
  
• 3 tablespoons sugar
  
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (Sriracha)
  
• Juice of 1/2 lime
  

To finish: thinly sliced onions, Vietnamese tarragon

Procedure: 

1. To poach chicken: In a large pot, combine all chicken, water, onion and ginger with enough water to cover the chicken. Cover with lid and bring liquid to a boil. Turn off heat and let chicken poach for exactly one hour. Remove chicken from liquid and let it cool to room temperature. Cook remaining liquid over high heat to reduce, until you have about 3 1/2 cups.

2. To make rice: In a saucepan, sauté onion with oil on medium-high heat for 5 minutes. Add rice and continue to stir for additional 5 minutes. Add poaching liquid, salt and pepper, and reduce heat to medium-low. Cover pot and cook rice for about 20 to 22 minutes, until done. 

3. In mortar and pestle or food processor, pound or process the ginger and sugar until smooth. Add fish sauce, hot sauce and lime juice. 

4. To serve: Clean and shred the chicken into small pieces. Toss chicken with onion and Vietnamese tarragon until combined. Season with salt and black pepper. Serve chicken cold with hot rice and ginger sauce.

Black Truffle Mac ‘n’ Cheese

From: Chef Dave Martin

Yield: 6 to 9 main-course portions

• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1/2 cup shallots, minced
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped and cleaned from stems
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped and cleaned from stems
  
• 12 cloves of fire-roasted garlic
  
• 1/4 cup sherry
  
• 1/4 cup brandy
  
• 3 tablespoons black truffle shavings (canned, with liquid)
  
• 4 cups (1 quart) heavy cream 
  
• 1 egg, beaten (for liason)
  
• 1 pound cooked and drained Gemelli noodles 
  
• 1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
  
• 1 1/2 cups Fontina cheese, finely grated
  
• 1/4 cup white truffle oil
  
• 1 teaspoon Tabasco 
  
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
  
• 1 1/2-2 cups seasoned bread crumbs
  

Procedure: 

2. Add sherry and brandy to deglaze pan, making sure to scrape fond off of pan. 

3. Reduce heat to low and add truffle shavings and cream. Simmer for 30 minutes, or until cream is reduced and thickened. 

4. Ladle some of the cream mixture into a small bowl. Slowy whisk in beaten egg until fully incorporated. (This has to be done slowly, so the egg won’t curdle.) Add egg mixture to pot. 

5. Remove pot from heat. Add pasta, Parmesan and Fontina cheeses, truffle oil, Tabasco, salt and pepper to pot. Mix all ingredients thoroughly. 

6. Spoon mac and cheese into a greased 9x13 (larger if you have it) pan. Top with seasoned bread crumbs. Place in oven and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until bread crumbs on top are browned. Serve hot.

The ahi tuna burger with cucumber salad (recipe below).

Have you been to the Orange County Wine and Food Center yet? If you haven’t, it might be time to check it out. This place has so much potential for being a solidified meeting place for wine and food fiends alike, one of the reasons being its newly remodeled demo kitchen. Chef Paul Squicciarini and guest chefs teach reasonably priced (and sometimes free!) cooking classes, like the one I attended Monday on burgers. The class was is part of the center’s “Effortless Entertaining” series (The “Effortless” part is what drew me in).

Chef Squicciarini put a spin on classic burgers by using different meats and pairing them with complimenting dressings, sides and wines. The casual setting allows for students and chefs to sound off on ideas and techniques. In fact, some of the most helpful tips were in informal exchanges between attendees and Squicciarini. Some highlights from the conversation:

• One of the best places to get ground lamb is the Mission Ranch Market  in Mission Viejo.
• To cut goat cheese and fresh mozzarella, use a wired cheese slicer or unflavored dental floss. These work better than knives, which often stick to cheeses.
  
• Rielsing pairs well with spicy foods because of its residual sugar content. For the class, Squicciarini paired it with an ahi tuna burger and cucumber salad (recipe below).
• Roasting peppers: We all know you can roast bell peppers directly on an open flame until they turn black. But to easily remove its skin, place hot pepper into a covered container and let steam for a few minutes. This will loosen it up considerably and make it a breeze to peel.

The OCWFC will have Effortless Entertaining classes through the end of the year, with focuses on Moroccan (September), Asian (October), Steaks (November) and Hawaiian (December) cuisine. The center will also introduce hands-on cooking classes in the fall. Check the Web site for a schedule and more information. 1570 Scenic Ave., Costa Mesa. 714-641-9922. www.ocwfc.com 

AHI TUNA BURGER WITH WASABI OIL AND CUCUMBER SALAD

From Chef Paul Squicciarini of the Orange County Wine and Food Center

Yield: 4 servings

• For tuna burger:
• 1-1/2 pounds fresh ahi tuna
• 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
• 2 teaspoons scallions, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• For wasabi oil:
• 1 tablespoon prepared wasabi (powdered wasabi with water added)
• 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 egg yolk
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Salt and pepper, to taste
• For cucumber salad:
• 1 Hothouse cucumber, peeled, seeded and sliced thinly
• 1/2 cup seasoned rice vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups Napa cabbage, shredded
• 4 sesame seed buns

1. Make the tuna burger: Coarsely chop tuna until it resembles ground meat. Place in bowl with remaining ingredients, season with salt and pepper and mix well. Divide mixture into 4 evenly shaped burgers. Wrap each in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Make the wasabi oil: Place wasabi, vinegar, egg yolk and sesame oil into a blender With machine running slowly, drizzle in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

3. Make cucumber salad: Place rice vinegar and sugar in a bowl and whisk to dissolve sugar. Add cucumbers and toss well. Refrigerate for two hours. Drain. Keep chilled until ready to serve.

4. To assemble: On a lightly oiled non-stick pan or hot grill, place the tuna burgers on and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Place cabbage in a bowl and lightly dress with wasabi oil. Assemble burgers on top of bun and dress with napa cabbage and wasabi oil. Serve with cucumber salad on the side.

• Name: SOL Cocina
  
• Opening: Today (July 15) at 4:30 p.m. 
  
• Chef: Deborah Schneider
  
• Cuisine: Upscale-ish Baja 
  
• Sample dishes: Kobe carne asada street tacos, Fish Pibil (pan-roasted halibut on a banana leaf with diabla sauce or tequila-lime cilantro beurre blanc and pineapple-jicama salsa) 
  
• Drink to try: A Cucumber Jalapeno Margarita, made of muddled cucumber and jalapeno, Corzo Blanco tequila, lime juice and agave nectar. 
  

More: Chef Schneider is a 2009 James Beard award nominee for her latest cookbook “Cooking with the Seasons at Rancho La Puerta: Recipes from the World-Famous Spa.” So how does a born-and-raised Canadian become an expert in Baja food? “My husband is a surfer. Right after I met my him, we started going on these Baja trips,” she says. “We would trade beer for lobster and camp on the beach.” She fell in love with the cuisine, and honed her skills in San Diego restaurants before opening SOL Cucina, her first foray into the O.C. restaurant scene. 

SOL features more than 50 tequilas and most items are served small-plate style. There’s an open kitchen with counter seating for those who like to have a behind-the-scenes look. Items are moderately priced, with appetizers like the Guacamole SOL ($10.50), recipe below. 

GUACAMOLE SOL WITH MANGO, TEQUILA AND GOAT CHEESE
Yield: 6 servings 

• 2 ripe Hass avocados
  
• 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice (1 lime)
  
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  
• 1/4 cup finely diced white onion
  
• 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
  
• 1 Serrano chile, minced (optional)
  
• 2 tablespoons cored and seeded roma tomato, diced
  
• 2 tablespoons peeled ripe mango, cut into small dice
  
• 1 teaspoon good blanco tequila (clear)
  
• 1 teaspoon lime juice
  
• 1 tablespoon goat cheese, crumbled
  
• 1 tablespoon toasted pine nuts 
  
• Garnish: Cilantro sprigs
  

PROCEDURE:

1. In a bowl, split, pit and mash the avocado with the lime juice and salt. Stir in onion, cilantro, Serrano and tomatoes. Place in a serving dish.

2. Toss mango with tequila and lime juice.3. In same serving dish, arrange mango, goat cheese, and pine nuts in neat rows. Set a cilantro sprig on top and serve guacamole with fresh tostadas and limes.

Sol Cocina, 251 E. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. 949-675-9800, www.solcocina.com Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, with lunch served from 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The bar is open until 2 a.m. daily. There is a limited late-night menu available from 11 a.m, to 1 a.m. Thursday through Saturday. 

Eddie Gilbert keeps apologizing to me for his rambling. “I’m a rambler, I really hope I’ve given you what you need for the story,” says the former “Next Food Network Star”  contestant. I tell him not to worry, because ramblers can actually be a blessing for journalists. “I love it when people are all over the place,” I said. “It means they're thinking about their answers and not feeding me generic PR.”

Gilbert will be in town to head a cooking class at Sur La Table in Newport Beach on July 12, where he’ll demo things like grilled salmon with vanilla sauce and a sandwich that he calls “The Truth.” (See bottom of post for more class info.) But before being cast on the Food Network reality show, the former Huntington Beach resident used to work at a tech firm near Sunday’s demo site. “I used to work at Fashion Island, so it’s kind of funny I’m now making an appearance in the same shopping center,” Gilbert says.

Here’s what the 30-year-old rising culinary star has to say about O.C., the show and what he’ll tackle next.

C.F.: Do you have a favorite O.C. restaurant?

E.G.: Lou’s Red Oak Barbecue Grill  in Huntington Beach. I used to live right next door on Brookhurst.

C.F.: Are there any behind-the-scenes moments from the show that come to mind?

E.G.: The little private time we did have was well spent. Jeffrey [Saad] and I would spar at the end of the day. We’d come home and need to get excess energy out, so we would move the couches and shadowbox with each other. Jeffrey is a third degree black belt.

And we had family dinners. There were nights we would get home and cook for each other, and everyone sat down and had dinner. It was a great way to decompress. It was the time we all got to see each other for who we are naturally. The 10 of us still communicate and have amazing relationships.

There’s a guest post you wrote on a blog where you said that you didn’t think you deserved to go home when you did. What was your reason?

I think I might do one or two things differently. I definitely needed to be more consistent. But I felt that winning the challenge [the week before] should have at least counted for something. I totally respect the opinions of the judges, but I won a challenge and it should have proved that I could hang. But you just gotta roll with it; it is what it is. I didn’t finish the way I wanted to finish, and didn’t get to finish the way I could have finished. It’s something I deal with. I don’t blame anyone.

What are your plans after the demo tour?

Teddy [Folkman] and I have a very good friendship, and I’m going out to [Washington] D.C. to cook in his restaurants for eight or nine nights. I’m hoping to get back into restaurants. I’d really love to work anywhere where I can really absorb some new knowledge. I just want to act like a giant sponge. I also have a Web site and a private catering company. It’s more like a guy site. I know a lot of guys who don’t cook. You’re a guy, you should know how to play with fire and knives. That’s my excuse. I went to college, got some degrees, and I’m doing exactly what my mother told me not to do as a kid. It’s fun.

CLASS INFO: Gilbert will demonstrate how to cook grilled salmon with vanilla sauce, fried leeks, a ratatouille tower (recipe below) and "The Truth” sandwich. 2 p.m. Sunday, July 12. Sur La Table, 832 Avocado Ave., Newport Beach. $69 per person. Call 949-640-2330 or visit this link to sign up.  

EDDIE GILBERT’S RATATOUILLE TOWER

From Gilbert's Web site, www.food4dudes.com 

Yield: 4 servings

• 2 zucchini, cut into 1/4-inch round slices
• 1 eggplant, cut into 1/4-inch round slices
• 2 carrots, sliced
• 8 slices Halloumi  cheese
• 2 cups garbanzo beans, drained and dried
• 5 tablespoons canola oil
• 4 Portabella mushroom caps
• 1 bunch fresh mint, finely chopped 
• Salt and pepper, to taste

PROCEDURE:

1. In a large skillet, place sliced zucchini, eggplant and carrots. Sauté until vegetables have browned just a bit. Add a pinch or two of salt and pepper to the veggies while they are sautéing. In another skillet, sear Halloumi on both sides and set aside.

2. Add canola oil to another pan and heat over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add garbanzo beans and lightly fry until golden brown.

3. To serve: Place mushroom cap on a plate. Stack sautéed vegetables on top of mushroom cap and top with two slices of Halloumi cheese. Scatter fried garbanzo beans around the veggie stack and garnish with freshly chopped mint. Repeat for remaining three servings.

There’s an element of romance that goes with shopping at a farmers market. Maybe it has something to do with putting an actual farmer’s face behind your produce, or that the whole outdoor market is kind of an old-school, community way of shopping. Whatever it is, I can’t help but feel all dreamy when I’m wandering through the rows of fresh vegetables or sampling apple slices on a toothpick.

While at the Irvine Farmers Market  last week (the one across the street frm UC Irvine), I came across a ruddy little basket full of plump, beautiful peaches. Quite a few of them made it home with me that morning. I couldn’t bear to put them in a pie with all that added sugar, yet I wanted something more than just serving them sliced on a plate. The solution? Grill them.

If you’re having a barbecue this summer, try serving some grilled peaches for dessert. You can use almost any fruit this way, like pineapple or apricots – but make sure they’re sweet. The sugar will caramelize and help develop the beautiful grill marks on the fruit. Sprinkle your grilled peaches with cinnamon and top with ice cream or whipped cream (or both!) for a pie-like dessert without all the added sugar.

GRILLED PEACHES WITH ICE CREAM

Serves 4 to 6

1 pound white or yellow peaches

Cooking spray

1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Ice cream

Procedure:

1. While hot, clean grill of any residue.

2. Rinse and halve peaches, removing pit. Spray each peach half with cooking spray and place face down on hot grill. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until peaches develop grill marks. When done, remove from grill and place face up on plate. Sprinkle cinnamon over peaches.

3. While still warm, portion peach halves into individual bowls, top with ice cream and serve.

- Cynthia Furey