Technically, this honey love should have come on or before Valentine's Day since the National Honey Board media dinner that I attended featured recipes that you're supposed to be able to cook for your loved one on that special day. But the way I see it, these honey recipes created by Chef Ricardo Zarate were so good, why limit them to just one day of the year?
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This particular meal took place at the Mercado Paloma, where Chef Zarate's restaurant Mo-Chica currently resides. Before the eating began, I was able to take a peek in the kitchen and take a couple behind-the-scenes photos.
Many Angelenos have already enjoyed Chef Zarate's food, both at Mo-Chica and also at Test Kitchen. In March 2011, he will open Picca Restaurant as well as a new Mo-Chica in Downtown Los Angeles. If you're unfamiliar with Zarate, he's been cooking for over 15 years and is a Peruvian native who eventually left his hometown of Lima to pursue his culinary dream. For 12 of those 15+ years, he has held various positions with top restaurants and hotels in London before moving to Los Angeles in the summer of 2009 when he opened Mo-Chica. Since then, Mo-Chica was voted the Best New Restaurant in Los Angeles in 2009 and was recently voted the 4th Best Restaurant in Los Angeles in 2010. Chef Zarate definitely has the food chops and that was reflected in our entire meal.
When it came to the recipes, Zarate said that it was a challenge to come up with so many honey-based recipes, but all I tasted was delicious. Our meal started with a Pisco Sour, which is a traditional Peruvian drink. Made from lemon juice, egg whites and grape brandy, it's a drink that's usually drunk at the beginning or the middle of meal.
After enjoying the Pisco Sour Apertif, it was time for the Uni Crostini with Tomato Compote and Topped with an Aji Amarillo Honey Vinaigrette. What I liked about the honey is that cut a little bit into the ocean-y richness of the uni and I appreciated the tomato's acidity.
Zarate is well-known for his ceviche creations and he didn't disappoint with his Sea Bass Ceviche with Coconut Milk, Honey, Garlic, Red Onion, Celery, Lime, Aji Amarillo Paste, Peruvian Corn (choclo) and Peruvian Fried Corn (cancha). Wow, this was definitely a unique dish. At first, I wasn't sure about coconut milk and honey with raw fish, but I actually loved the creamy sweetness that came about with these two ingredients and I enjoyed the undercurrent of heat that came from the red serrano chili oil.
Before our next course, we enjoyed a Bee's Knees Cocktail with honey, gin, lemon juice and lime juice. The tartness of the drink was a great palate cleanser.
You can see our wonderful bartender hard at work below.
Our third course was an Organic Chicken Breast with Honey Blue Cheese Sauce. Crispy chicken skin is always a good thing in my book and while I love the taste of pungent blue cheese, the honey did a nice job of rounding the flavors of the sauce. However, having said that, I thought the honey also made the dish a little too sweet for my palate, but that's something that can be adjusted in the recipe, if you feel the same way.
The last savory dish of our meal was the Honey Lamb Ribs with Quinoa Risotto. I had earlier said Wow about the Sea Bass Ceviche, but this dish was a Double Wow. That lamb literally melted off the bone. It was so tender and the way it was cooked really gave the surface a wonderful glazed texture that I couldn't get enough of.
For dessert, we were served Picarones with a Honey Fig Compote. Picarones are like a donut or a fritter with the primary ingredients being yam and squash. The texture of the Picarones was stretchy for a lack of a better description and not light and fluffy or dense and cake-like. I didn't dislike it, but the texture didn't do much for me. On the other hand, that honey fig compote was amazing. When I stuffed that compote into a Picarone and ate that like a sandwich, I enjoyed it eaten that way better than when I ate one on its own.
Overall, this was a delicious meal. Zarate's use of honey, or specifically wildflower honey, for the dishes that he created just for this media event really showed why he's one of LA's hottest chefs. If you'd like a chance to cook these dishes for yourself, whether it's for your sweetie, your family or your friends, check out the recipes below. And remember, showing your love by cooking doesn't have to always fall on a holiday. Happy Belated Valentine's Day to everyone!
Recipes
Bee’s Knees Cocktail
Makes 1 drink
Ingredients:
1 tbs honey
½ jigger of gin
1 tbs freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 tbs freshly-squeezed orange juice
Note: The orange juice is optional. Bars in Los Angeles and New York that serve the Bee’s Knees omit it.
Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients and shake well with ice. Strain into a glass.
Note: When made as directed, the honey often forms into a giant ball in the middle of the shaker. To avoid this, combine three parts honey to one part hot water and stir together until completely mixed, then continue with the recipe.
Uni Crostini
(8 portions)
Ingredients:
For the tomato compote:
1 tbs pure honey
6 tomatoes
1 tbs olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
For the crostinis:
1 French baguette, sliced into ¼” to ½” slices
3 tbs olive oil
For the aji amarillo honey vinaigrette:
¼ cup honey
1 tbs aji amarillo paste
¼ cup lime juice
¼ cup olive oil
For the sea urchin:
1 lb sea urchin (uni)
Notes: You can find the sea urchin at any Japanese store. If you cannot find sea urchin, you can substitute with raw scallops or salmon. Aji Amarillo paste is a yellow Peruvian chili paste available in Latin supermarkets.
Preparation:
- Crostini: Brush the slices of French baguette with the olive oil and toast in the oven at 350° F until lightly crisp.
- Tomato Compote: In a small pot, boil enough water to cover the tomatoes, then blanch the tomatoes for 20 seconds. Remove the tomatoes from the water. Peel and slice them, then use a spoon to take out the seeds before putting them on a flat tray. Drizzle the tomatoes with 1 tbs of honey and 1 tbs of olive oil. Put in the oven and roast them for 15 minutes at 350° F. Crush the tomatoes and add a 1 tbs of balsamic vinegar.
- Aji Amarillo Honey Vinaigrette: In a bowl, mix together honey, aji amarillo paste, lime juice and olive oil.
- Uni Sea Urchin Crostini: Spread the tomato compote on the French baguette slices. Top with a piece of uni and dress with aji amarillo honey vinaigrette.
Ingredients:
For the ceviche sauce:
1/3 cup honey
4 garlic cloves
1/4 red onion
4 stalks of celery
1/8 lb fresh sea bass
1 cup lime juice
½ cup coconut milk
1 tbs aji amarillo paste
For the ceviche:
1 lb fresh sea bass, diced
½ red onion, sliced
1 tbs cilantro, chopped
Red serrano chili (to taste)
Salt & pepper (to taste)
Peruvian corn aka choclo (to taste)
Peruvian fried corn aka cancha (to taste)
Notes: Aji Amarillo paste is a yellow Peruvian chili paste available in Latin supermarkets. You may also use any chili paste of your choice. You can substitute the serrano chili for jalapeño or habanero chili.
Preparation:
In a blender, blend all the ceviche sauce ingredients together. Mix the ceviche sauce with all the ingredients of the ceviche and let them marinate for 15 minutes before serving.
Organic Chicken Breast with Honey Blue Cheese Sauce
(4 portions)
Ingredients:
For the chicken breasts:
4 whole organic chicken breast halves
2 cloves of garlic, chopped
Touch of olive oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
For the saikio miso sauce:
2 cups honey
2 cups apple vinegar
8 tbs aji amarillo paste
3 cups saikio miso paste
½ cup olive oil
For the honey blue cheese sauce:
1 cup honey
1 lb blue cheese
1 ¼ cup apple vinegar
For the vegetables:
Root vegetables (fresh veggies of the day such as baby carrots, potatoes, etc)
5 tbs olive oil
Salt and pepper (to taste)
2 tbs pure honey (for glaze)
2 tbs butter (for glaze)
Notes: Aji Amarillo paste is a yellow Peruvian chili paste available in Latin supermarkets. You may also use any chili paste of your choice.
Preparation:
- Chicken Breasts: Marinate the chicken breasts with salt, pepper, chopped garlic and touch of olive oil. Grill them until cooked and golden brown.
- Saikio Miso Sauce: In a pot, mix the honey, apple vinegar, aji amarillo paste, saikio miso paste and olive oil until sauce boils. Cool down.
- Honey Blue Cheese Sauce: Blend the blue cheese, apple vinegar and honey in a blender.
- Season the root vegetables with salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast them in the oven at 300° Farenheit for 20-35 minutes. Glaze with honey and butter. The smaller the vegetables or vegetable pieces, the faster they will cook.
- Plating: Top each chicken breast with one tablespoon of honey blue cheese sauce then place on the roasted vegetables. Final touch, add the saikio miso sauce to the chicken.
Ingredients:
For the lamb ribs:
1 cup honey
3 lbs lamb ribs (can be substituted for pork ribs or beef ribs)
½ cup soy sauce
4 tbs olive oil
1 red onion, sliced
2 stalks of clean celery
2 tomatoes
1 cup red wine
Salt and pepper (to taste)
For the quinoa risotto:
1 lb quinoa
2 cups chicken stock
2 tbs sour cream
¼ lb parmesan cheese
8 garlic cloves
1 tbsp aji amarillo paste (optional)
Notes: Aji Amarillo paste is a yellow Peruvian chili paste available in Latin supermarkets. You may also use any chili paste of your choice.
Preparation:
- Lamb Ribs: Roast the lamb ribs with salt, pepper and olive oil at 500°F for 20 minutes. In a pot, sauté the tomatoes (cut in four), garlic, celery and the red onion with a touch of olive oil. Once brown, add a cup of red wine. Add the ribs and cook for 45 minutes over medium heat. Skim the excess fat with a spoon, strain the liquid in the pot and reserve the stock and ribs. Place the ribs in a separate pan; add the stock, the honey and the soy sauce. Bake/roast at 400° F in the oven for 1 hour and a half. Take out the lamb ribs and reduce the sauce over low heat to a semi glazed consistency (approximately 40% of the liquid will remain).
- Quinoa Risotto: Boil the quinoa with chicken stock (the chicken stock should cover the quinoa about 1.5 inches) until al dente, approximately 15 minutes. Strain the stock and let the quinoa cool down. Reserve the stock. In a pot, mix the quinoa with 1 cup of the chicken stock, let it warm then add the sour cream and the parmesan cheese until you get a risotto consistency. For a spicy kick, add the aji amarillo paste (optional).
- Plating: Place the lamb ribs on a bed of the quinoa risotto. Top with the glazed sauce.
Ingredients:
For the picarones:
1 lb red yam
1 lb kabocha squash (can be substituted for any seasonal squash)
1 ½ lb all-purpose flour
3 tbs yeast
2 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
3 tbs granulated sugar
Pinch of salt
2 eggs
For the honey figs compote:
1 cup honey
1 lb black figs (can be substituted for pineapple or other seasonal fruit)
2 cups water
Preparation:
- Picarones: Boil the red yam and the kabocha squash with the cinnamon stick, and the cloves, until cooked, approximately 30 minutes. Discard the cinnamon sticks and cloves. Drain and puree the squash and the red yam. Let it cool down. In a bowl mix the puree with the eggs, the yeast, the sugar and the salt. Add the flour and make a dough with it. Let it rest in a clean large bowl for one hour. Heat oil in a deep-frying pan. Shape dough into little balls (approximately ½ inch in diameter) and drop them into the hot oil and cook until golden brown.
- Honey Figs Compote: In a pot, heat the water and the honey. Let it boil before you add the black figs, then reduce over low heat until the figs are fully soft (approximately 40 minutes).
- Plating: Put a couple of picarones in the middle of the plate and drizzle with the reduction. Serve warm.
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