WPRO Newsroom
Providence Restaurant Week is now through July 20, and you can sample some of the best food the state has to offer for a fraction of the normal cost. Dozens of restaurants in and around Providence are offering prix fixe three-course menus for only $14.95 for lunch and $29.95 for dinner.
Here’s a taste of what Providence’s restaurants have to offer. Check out these recipes and more here, and view a full list of participating restaurants here.
Cook & Brown’s Seared Rhode Island Fluke
Ingredients:
One 5-6 ounce piece of Fluke (what’s important is that it is the freshest fish available)
2 ears worth of corn kernels
3 egg sized purple peruvian potatoes (any small, new potatoes will work here but the bright purple color is a great addition) cut into 1/4 inch diced and simmered in salted water until tender
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and ribs removed, sliced into thin half moon shaped slivers
1 very ripe summer tomato or a handful of cherry tomatoes, roughly chopped
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Butter
Kosher Salt
Cracked Black Pepper
Instructions:
Place a medium sized, heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat and add enough vegetable oil to just coat the bottom. Season the fish on both sides with salt. When the oil begins to shimmer (just before it smokes), gently place the fish in the pan. Turn the heat down to medium and let it cook, without touching it, until it begins to form a light brown crust around the edges (3-5 minutes).
Meanwhile, place another medium saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil. Just before it begins smoking add the jalapeno and cook, stirring occasionally for 1-2 minutes. Add the corn and cook for another 2-3 minutes.
Finally, add the potatoes and season to taste with salt and pepper. Add a teaspoon or two of water at this point and set aside off of the heat. Place the tomatoes in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper and 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil.
When the fish has begun browning around the edges, use a spatula and gently flip the fish over. Turn the heat to low and add 1 teaspoon of butter to the fish pan.
Add another teaspoon of butter to the pan with the corn mixture and check for seasoning again, adjusting as necessary. Warm the mixture through.
Spoon some of the corn ragout on a plate, place the fish on top and finish with some of the tomato vinaigrette. Fresh herbs such as parsley, chives or basil are a great finishing touch at this point.
The Capital Grille’s Lobster Macaroni and Cheese
Ingredients:
Heavy Cream (1qt cream for 1lb pasta)
Campanelle Pasta
Salt
4 Cheeses of your choice
Lobster
Butter
Bread Crumbs
Steps:
We begin by warming heavy cream that is seasoned with a pinch of salt (think about 1 qt. of cream per pound of pasta).
We use campanelle pasta. We like the open ends because they hold the sauce. If you cannot find campanelle choose any short tube pasta that can hold the most sauce.
Undercook the pasta (not al dente, undercooked). Once the water has returned to a boil, we cook the pasta for only three minutes. If you cook the pasta too long, it will be mushy after baking.
Once the sauce has simmered, and thickened slightly, add some cheese. We use four types of our favorites: one is a hard, full flavored cheese, another is a firm sharp cheese, another is a soft tangy cheese, and the fourth is a cream cheese style. Any high quality cheese will give you results that you will be happy with.
We toss the cream sauce with the parboiled pasta and layer it into a casserole.
We top the macaroni with freshly poached north Atlantic lobster meat and buttered bread crumbs.
We bake it at 400 degrees until golden brown and crispy (about 8 minutes).
2 Pauls’ Eggplant Cakes with Spicy Marinara
Ingredients:
2 large eggplants, peeled and diced
1 c. grated romano cheese
1 onion, diced small
2 c. bread crumbs (Panko)
1 Tbl. crushed red pepper
2 eggs
1 bunch parsley, coursely chopped
All purpose flour, for dredging
Light olive oil
Steps:
1. Blanche the eggplant in salted water 3-4 minutes, until soft. Drain and set in a collander or strainer inside fridge to let excess water drip out. (20-30 min.)
2. Lightly press more excess water out of strained eggplant with hands.
3. Combine all ingredients to form an even mixture.
4. Form cakes of desired size and dredge in flour, shaking off excess.
5. Pan fry in the olive oil on medium heat, till light golden brown on both sides.
6. Serve with marinara and a little more grated cheese.
Hourglass Brasserie’s Yogurt Panna Cotta
Ingredients:
For Panna Cotta
250 ml Heavy Cream
250 ml Yogurt
1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar
4 Gelatin Sheets (or use powdered gelatin, 8 gm dissolved in some water)
For Citrus Segments
2 Grapefruit (ruby red variety), cut into segments
2 Navel Oranges, cut into segments
1 Lime, cut into segments
Reserved Juice from all three
For Cardamom Syrup
½ Cup Granulated Sugar
1 Cup Water
4 Green Cardamom Pods
For Garnish
Blackberries, raspberries and/or blueberries
Mint Sprig
For Panna Cotta: Place all ingredients, except for gelatin sheets, in a saucepan. Gently heat to dissolve sugar. Bloom gelatin by placing in a bowl of cold water for 5 minutes. Squeeze and whisk into yogurt mix. Remove yogurt mix from heat and strain through a fine sieve. Pour into desired molds and place in fridge to set.
For Citrus Segments: Top and tail citrus. Stand fruit on one of its ends and slice off outer skin in strips following the curve of the fruit from top to bottom. Remove all of the bitter white pith. Working over a bowl, cut supremes away from membrane. Once complete, squeeze the cut wheel of citrus to extract all of its juice. Slice supremes in threes. Mix well with juices and place in fridge.
For Cardamom Syrup: Place all ingredients in saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes to infuse flavor. Cool down and mix with citrus segments and juice.
To Assemble the Dish: Place cardamom infused citrus segments and juice in middle of bowl. Place panna cotta on top and garnish with berries and mint.
Gracie’s Apple Buttermilk Tart
Crust:
½ cup sugar
1 cup butter, cubed
1 ½ cup flour
½ t. salt
½ t. vanilla
2 eggs
1. Mix sugar, butter, flour, and salt until it has a sandy texture.
2. Add the eggs and vanilla and continue to mix until it forms a ball.
3. Roll out onto floured surface 1/8″ thick and fit into a tart pan.
4. Use your hands to press dough into all the corners and remove excess dough that hangs over the edge of the pan.
5. Chill for at least one hour in the refrigerator.
Filling:
5 apples (Macoun and Honeycrisp or other preferred combination of crisp apples) peeled and sliced into 6 slices
1 ½ cup buttermilk
2 eggs
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup honey
2 T. flour
¼ t. salt
¼ t. nutmeg
½ t. cinnamon
¼ t. cardamom
1/8 t. clove
1 t. ground ginger
1. Peel and slice apples, set aside.
2. Whisk remaining ingredients together until fully incorporated.
3. Add apples to filling and mix to coat.
4. Pour into prepared tart shell arranging the apples evenly in a flat layer.
Topping:
½ cup oats
½ cup sliced almonds
¼ cup flour
¼ t. salt
¼ cup candied ginger, finely chopped
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter, cubed
1. Mix all ingredients together until only very small pieces of butter remain and everything is fully combined.
2. Pour over prepared tart to coat the entire top.
3. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until lightly golden brown.
All recipes from www.goprovidence.com/visitors/restaurants/cooking-demos. Images from Flickr.
