SEARED AHI TUNA STEAK ROASTED FENNEL, OLIVE AND ORANGE SALAD

Makes 4 servings

• 4 small fennel bulbs, top stalks and coarse outer leaves trimmed, tender fronds reserved for salad. Cut the bulbs in half lengthwise. Reserve 6 fennel bulb halves for roasting. Thinly shave the 2 remaining halves on a mandolin, and reserve for the salad.
• 1/ 4cup fennel-scented olive oil (recipe follows)
• fennel salt (recipe follows)
• 2 tablespoons of Dijon mustard
• ¼ cup Meyer lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons Lemon Balsamic vinegar (substitute white balsamic vinegar)
• ½ cup lemon oil
• Aleppo salt (recipes follows)
• ½ cup Picholine olives
• 2 blood oranges, segments removed and reserved
• 4 square tuna steaks, about 6 ounces each, trimmed

Roast the Fennel:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lay a large piece of aluminum foil on your counter.  Place 6 fennel bulb halves in the center.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of fennel oil.  Generously season with fennel salt.  Fold the foil over, crimping the edges to seal the fennel into a pouch.  Place on a baking sheet and onto the lower rack of the oven.  Cook until tender, about 45 minutes as tested by inserting a skewer into the fennel and getting no resistance.  Remove from the oven and reserve in foil packet unopened.

Make the Fennel Emulsion:  

In a high speed blender combine 2 roasted fennel halves, mustard, lemon juice, lemon balsamic vinegar and Aleppo salt.  Process until very smooth.  Drizzle in the remaining fennel oil and 6 tablespoons of lemon oil.  Adjust the seasoning to your taste.  Add half of the tender fennel fronds blending just to chop.  Reserve under refrigeration until ready to serve.

To Serve:

Rub the surfaces of the tuna with a few drops of the lemon oil.  Season the surfaces of the tuna with Aleppo salt allowing excess to drop off.  In a medium non-stick skillet, heat a few drops of olive oil over high heat.  Add the tuna, cooking each side until well seared but not blackened, about 1 minute per side for rare.  Turn the heat down to further cook if you prefer the tuna to be more well done.  Remove the pan from the heat.  Transfer to a cutting board to rest while starting to assemble the plate. 

Position the warm fennel bulb halves in the center of the serving plate.  Slice the tuna and slightly fan atop the fennel. 

In a small bowl, toss the shaved raw fennel, remaining fennel fronds, olives, orange segments and the remaining lemon oil.  Season with a little fennel salt and position atop the tuna and on the plate.  Artistically drizzle the tuna and salad with the fennel emulsion.  Serve immediately.

© Jimmy Schmidt

Morgan’s in the desert – La Quinta Resort, California 

ROASTED RED CAULIFLOWER, BURATTA, AND CELERY ROOT RAVIOLI

Makes 4 Servings

• 1 small head of red or orange cauliflower, florets removed
• 1 cup sliced shallots, ½ cup reserve for garnish
• 1/2 cup sweet smoked paparika oil
• Sweet smoked paprika salt
• Freshly ground black Tellecherry Pepper
• 1/4 cup wild flower honey
• 1 cup diced butternut squash
• ½ cup Buratta cheese
• 1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 small celeriac or celery root, cleaned and trimmed

Emulsion

• ½ cup reserved roasted cauliflower-squash mixture
• 1/4 cup Lemon Balsamic Vinegar (substitute Meyer Lemon Juice to taste)
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup Paprika Oil

Garnish

• Grape seed or Carotino oil to fry in
• Fine corn meal to dust
• ½ cup Magenta micro herbs or Baby Mizuni lettuce
• Meyer Lemon Oil optional to silken

Oven Roast Cauliflower and Squash:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lay a piece of aluminum foil on your counter.  Place the cauliflower florets and half of the shallots in the center.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of paprika oil.  Season with paprika salt and black pepper.  Fold the foil over, crimping the edges to seal into a pouch.  Place on a baking sheet and onto the lower rack of the oven.  Cook until tender, about 45 minutes as tested by inserting a skewer into the cauliflower with no resistance.  Remove from the oven and reserve in foil packet.

Meanwhile, lay the butternut squash in the center.  Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of paprika oil and honey.  Season with paprika salt and black pepper.  Fold the foil over, crimping the edges to seal into a pouch.  Place on a baking sheet and onto the lower rack of the oven.  Cook until tender, about 30 minutes.  Remove from the oven and reserve in foil packet.

In a medium bowl combine the roasted cauliflower, shallots and butternut squash.  Reserve ½ cup of the mixture for the emulsion.  Add the Buratta and half of the Parmesan cheese mixing until just combined.  Adjust as necessary with paprika salt and pepper to taste.  Chill until ready to build ravioli. 

Prepare the celeriac “pasta”:

With a mechanical slicer or mandoline, cut the celery root into 16 large thin slices that resemble round pasta ravioli sheets.  In boiling sea salted water, blanch the celeriac slices until al dente, tender but not ripping, about 1 minute.  Transfer to oiled parchment covered sheet pan.  

Divide a generous spoon of the cauliflower filling onto the center of 8 of the celeriac slices.  Top the filling with another slice of celeriac gently molding over to form a “ravioli”.  Repeat to form 8 ravioli.  Brush the tops with paprika oil. Reserve until ready to serve.

Make the emulsion:

In the high speed blender, add the ½ cup reserved cauliflower mixture, vinegar and mustard, pureeing until smooth  While running, drizzle in the remaining paprika oil until emulsified.  Adjust the seasonings with salt, pepper and additional vinegar or a splash of wine if necessary.

To make the garnish: Heat a small pot with the grape seed oil or medium heat to 325 degrees F.  Dust the remaining shallots in fine corn meal just to absorb any remaining moisture.  Carefully add to the oil cooking until crisp and brown, about 4 minutes.  With a slotted spoon transfer the crisp shallots to paper towel lined plate to drain.

To Serve: In a preheated 400 degree over, place the ravioli on the top shelf cooking until thoroughly heated about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl combine the crispy shallots, Magenta or Mizuni lettuce and remaining Parmesan.  Drizzle with a few drops of lemon oil or paprika oil to moisten and a sprinkle of paprika salt.

Transfer 2 ravioli to the shared center of each large, warm plate.  Spoon a little emulsion over and around the ravioli.  Position the salad atop the ravioli.  Serve.

© Jimmy Schmidt

Morgan’s in the desert – La Quinta Resort, California