Oscars Food: Eat Like the Stars
Carl Bell and Wolfgang Puck show you how to make food the Oscars stars are eating
Sunday, Feb 26, 2012 | Updated 1:49 PM PDT
Carl Bell and Wolfgang Puck show you how to make the Oscar Governor's Ball dish, chicken pot pie.
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Carl Bell and Wolfgang Puck show you how.
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Below are recipies for food at the Governor's Ball.
CHICKEN POT PIE
(recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck, adapted from "Wolfgang Puck Makes it Easy," Rutledge Hill Press, 2004)
Yield: Serves 4
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 1/2 pound organic red-skinned potatoes, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1/2 pound organic carrots, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 sprig thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 cup white wine
- 2 cups organic chicken stock
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 1/4 cup dry sherry
- 1/2 cup shelled or frozen peas
- Approximately 1/2 pound frozen puff pastry, defrosted following package instructions
- 1 cage-free egg
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and toss in a mixing bowl with 2 tablespoons of the flour until evenly coated. In a large skillet over high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil. Add the chicken pieces, reduce the heat slightly, and sauté, turning them occasionally, until light golden and thoroughly cooked, about 5 to 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside. Add the remaining oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter to the pan, then add the potatoes, carrots, and onions and sauté until they begin to look glossy and bright, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium, stir in the garlic, red pepper flakes, thyme, and bay leaf, and sauté, just until the vegetables begin to color slightly, 2 to 3 minutes more.
Add the wine, turn up the heat, stir and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan deposits, and simmer until the liquid reduces by about half, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the chicken stock and the 1 cup of cream. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat slightly, and simmer briskly until the liquid reduces by about half again and is thick and creamy, about 15 minutes. Remove the sprig of thyme and the bay leaf.
Stir in the reserved chicken pieces and the sherry. Stir together the butter and remaining flour and stir this paste into the mixture. Season the sauce to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer to 4 large individual ovenproof 2-cup soup bowls, 4 ramekins of the same size, or a 2-quart baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until the filling is cold, at least 1 hour.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Make sure the puff pastry is no thicker than 1/4 inch. With the tip of a sharp knife, cut the pastry into 4 circles that will overhang the rim of the serving bowls or ramekins by about half an inch; for a single large baking dish, cut 4 circles that will cover its top, or use one large sheet.
In a small bowl, beat together the egg and the remaining 1 tablespoon cream to make an egg wash. Brush the tops and outsides of the rims of the bowls. Place the bowls, ramekins, or baking dish on a baking tray and place the puff pastry circles on top, pressing them gently over the sides of the dishes . Pierce the tops with the tip of a paring knife. Brush the top of the pastry with egg wash. Carefully transfer the baking sheet to the oven and bake until the filling is bubbling hot and the pastry is a deep golden brown, 25 to 35 minutes. Serve hot.
CRAB CAKES WITH REMOULADE SAUCE
(Recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck)
Yield: Makes 12 3-ounce crabcakes – serves 6
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
- 1 tablespoon sweet paprika
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil
- 3/4 cup of brunoise of red onion
- 1/2 cup of brunoise of organic red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup of brunoise of organic yellow bell pepper
- 2 cage-free eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 pound lump crab meat
- 2 fresh organic jalapenos, brunoise
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh tarragon leaves
- 2 cups panko, ground to a mealy consistency, divided
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup clarified butter
In a saucepan, combine the heavy cream, garlic, rosemary and paprika. Reduce by half. Allow to cool to room temperature. In a sauté pan, heat the peanut oil. Sweat the onions, red and yellow bell pepper until glossy. Transfer to a plate and allow to cool to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs, crab, jalapeno, basil, parsley, tarragon, 1 cup of ground panko, salt, white pepper, reduced cream and sautéed vegetables. Carefully mix until well blended.
Scale the mixture into 3-ounce portions. Shape into round, slightly flattened cakes, about 3-inch diameter by 1/2 –inch thickness. On a baking sheet, combine the remaining 1 cup of ground panko and flour. Coat the crab cakes generously.
In a sauté pan, heat 1/4 cup of clarified butter. Pan fry 6 crab cakes at a time, until golden on one side. Turn and transfer to preheated oven and bake for 2 minutes. Repeat the process with the remaining butter and crab cakes. Serve with Remoulade Sauce.
BAKED MACARONI AND CHEESE WITH BLACK TRUFFLES
(recipe courtesy Wolfgang Puck)
Yield: Serves 4
- 8 ounces elbow macaroni
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 3 tablespoons flour
- 3-1/2 cups milk
- 1/2 medium white onion
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Pinch cayenne
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped black truffles
- 10 ounces sharp aged white cheddar, grated
- 3 ounces Gruyère cheese, grated
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese, grated
- 2 drops black winter truffle oil
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 cup brioche bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons chopped parsley
- Sliced fresh black truffles for garnish (optional)
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In large pot of boiling salted water, cook the macaroni to al dente (approximately 7 minutes). Strain and place on a lightly oiled sheet pan.
While the macaroni is cooking, in a separate pot, melt the butter and whisk in the flour. Continue to cook over low heat for 4 minutes stirring constantly. Add the milk, chopped truffles, onion and bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes. Remove onion and bay leaf.
Turn off the heat and add 3/4 of the aged cheddar and all of the other cheeses. Season with salt and black pepper and fold in macaroni. Pour into a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with remaining cheddar.
Melt the butter in a sauté pan and toss bread crumbs and parsley to coat. Top the macaroni with bread crumb mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Remove from the oven let stand for about 5 minutes. Serve with fresh shaved black truffles.
