Iconic chef Bradley Ogden heats up THE Dish with Cornish game hen

Chef Bradley Ogden is one of the biggest names in the culinary industry. He has been crowned Chef of the Year and owns nearly 20 restaurants. Today, he brings his expertise to THE Dish with recipes for Cornish game hen, appetizers and even pudding for dessert. Prepare to take your family dinners up a notch.

Recipes:

Appetizer: Stone Blue Crab Bruschetta

Yield: 6 to 8 pieces

Ingredients

12 ounces of fresh cooked stone blue crab

1 cup sweet 100's tomatoes yellow and red, cut into little wedges

1/4 cup minced red onion

1/4 cup minced shishito peppers, seeds discarded

1/4 cup minced gypsy peppers, seeds discarded

2 tablespoons minced garlic

3 tablespoons chopped chives

8 slices country-style bread or baguette, brushed with evvo, cracked pepper and kosher salt, rubbed with garlic cloves

Salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar

1 lemon, juiced

1 cup baby arugula, washed and dried

Preparation

- rub bread with crushed garlic and drizzle with olive oil and grill or toast until crusty and golden brown.

- combine the crab, tomatoes, red onions, peppers, minced garlic and chives in a bowl. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Coat with olive oil, vinegar, and lemon. Finish by gently mixing in the arugula. Serve over the grilled bread.

Wood-grilled Cornish Game Hen

"BBQ Chipotle Glaze"

Makes 4 servings

4 organic cornish game hens (fresh)

2 teaspoons coarse sea salt

2 tablespoons grape seed oil

1/2 cup bbq chipotle glaze

1 small ripe tomato, chopped

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 roasted poblano chili, seeded and peeled

1-tablespoon ginger grated on a micro plane

Zest of 1 lime

- with poultry shears, remove the wing tips and cut out the back bone, press rib cage down to butterfly. - remove any excess fat and livers, rinse the bird under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.

- combine the bbq chipotle glaze, tomato, pepper, poblano, ginger and zest of lime in a bowl. Rub the marinade into hens.

- marinate hens for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator before grilling. Remove from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before grilling.

- preheat grill then place the bird over moderate hot coals for 15-18 minutes, basting occasionally with bbq chipotle glaze. Turn the bird once and cook until golden brown. Let rest 5 minutes before cutting. Cut into quarters and serve on a platter.

- finish with a swipe of the glaze and some chopped chives.

Entrée: Barbecue Chipotle Glaze For Wood Grilled Game Hen (ultimate dish)

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

1 tablespoon grapeseed or olive oil

1 small spanish yellow onion, peeled and cut in wedges

¼ poblano chili pepper, seeded and cut in strips

½ jalapeno pepper, seeded

8 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with the back side of a knife

2 medium tomatoes, cut in half

1/3 cup sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon canned chipotle or dry chipotle

1 tablespoon dijon mustard

2 cups ham hock broth or water

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Procedure

- in a 2-quart noncorrosive sauce pan, add the oil, onion wedges, and chiles and place over medium heat for a few minutes. Stir in the garlic cloves and cover.

- caramelize for 5-8 minutes stirring often and until lightly brown. Combine the rest of the ingredients except the cilantro.

- bring to a boil then reduce heat to a low simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, press through a fine strainer or chinois, and discard the solids from strainer. Stir cilantro into the sauce and serve.

- if you are not using the glaze immediately, it can be frozen or stored in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to four days.

Side dish: blue Corn Muffins

Yield: 2 dozen mini muffins

Ingredients

1 cup all-purpose flour

2/3 cup blue corn flour

1 cup or 2 ears fresh corn, shaved with back side of a spoon

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons honey, melted

½ teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ cup sour cream

¾ cup buttermilk

2 eggs

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

¼ cup butter, melted, plus more for muffin pans

¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

½ teaspoon white vinegar

- preheat oven to 375 degrees.

- lightly butter muffin pans or use paper liners.

- in a medium missing bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, stir together the wet ingredients including the melted butter and melted honey.

- fold the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just incorporated and do not over mix.

- fill the muffin cups two thirds full, place on sheet pan and bake for 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean from center of muffin.

Dressing For Grilled Apricot Salad: Apricot Broken Vinaigrette

Chef bradley ogden

Yield: 2 cups

Ingredients

1 cup or 3 apricots, ¼ inch dice

¼ cup red onion, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon garlic, peeled and minced

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Zest from 1 lemon

2 tablespoons chives, minced

2 tablespoon italian parsley, minced

To taste kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

- whisk all ingredients together, except for the apricots.

- gently fold in the apricots pieces.

- let sit for a half hour so flavors have a chance to incorporate.

- adjust seasonings if necessary and toss over salad.

For Grilled Apricot Salad: Honey Crunch Lavender Almonds

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup organic sugar

¼ cup water

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

¼ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper

Pinch of cayenne pepper

3 tablespoon honey

1 cup almonds

2 tablespoon lavender, chopped fine

Preparation

- preheat oven to 350 degrees.

- line the bottom of a sheet pan with parchment paper or a silpat.

- in a non-stick 10 inch sauce pan or skillet, combine all the ingredients except the almonds and lavender. Cook until the mixture is bubbling and the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the almonds and lavender and cook until the almonds are coated and the sugar has begun to lightly caramelize, about 3 minutes.

- pour out onto the lined baking pan. Bake in oven for 10 minutes then remove and cool completely before using. Place in a tightly sealed container until needed. Serve with grilled apricot salad.

Side Dish: Flageolet Bean Stew With Smoked Ham Hock and Kale

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

½ cup flageolet beans, soaked overnight in cold water

2 slices smoked bacon, cut into 1 inch pieces

2 stalks celery, thinly sliced

2 small carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch bias cut pieces

½ medium yellow spanish onion, peeled and chopped

8 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

2 tablespoons seeded and minced poblano chile

½ cup sweet bell pepper, roasted and diced into ½ inch pieces

1 cup water

2 cups tomato ham hock broth (recipe on page xxx)

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 ½ cup ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and diced

1 teaspoon lemon zest

6 ounces kale, washed well, stems removed and coarsely chopped

Sachet bag with ½ teaspoon dried chili flakes, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, ½ bay leaf and 2 sprigs of fresh thyme

To taste, kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

1 cup cooked, shredded smoked ham hock or if no leftovers, simmer beans with a smoked ham hock

Preparation

- drain the beans. Place beans in a heavy bottomed saucepan, cover with salted cold water and place over high heat. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat and drain. Cool immediately.

- add the bacon pieces to a saucepan and place over a medium heat. Cook the bacon until the fat has rendered and the bacon is slightly crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and set aside. Add the celery, carrots, onion, garlic, beans and peppers and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the water, stock and sachet bag and bring to a simmer. - - reduce heat, cover and cook for 40 minutes or until the beans are tender. Add water during the cooking time if needed. When the beans are tender add the vinegars and lemon zest. Remove the sachet bag and discard.

- in a large sauté pan add the reserved bacon and 1 tablespoon of olive oil and place over high heat and sauté for 1 minute. Add the kale and wilt lightly. Combine with tomatoes, bean stew and shredded ham hock. Adjust seasonings if necessary.

Dessert: Butterscotch Pudding

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

4 oz dark butterscotch chips

5 egg yolks

1 tablespoon brown sugar

½ vanilla bean, scrapped

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 ounces scotch

3 tablespoons water

Pinch of salt

Preparation

- preheat oven to 250 degrees.

- put heavy cream and butterscotch chips into a saucepan or double boiler. Split open vanilla bean and scrape the inside into the cream.

- bring all to a boil and set aside off the heat.

- mix the egg yolks in a large bowl. Slowly add the above cream mixture while whisking into egg yolks. Set aside.

- mix the brown sugar and water in a small saucepan over low heat and let mixture caramelize. Remove from heat and slowly pour in scotch. Return to heat and stir until all is melted. Pour this into the cream and egg base mixture. Add salt and vanilla extract.

- strain mixture into ovenproof ramekins and bake at 250 degrees in a water bath for 30-40 minutes or until the custard is set. Serve warm or cold.

Cocktail: Watermelon "Slush" Margaritas

Chef bradley ogden

Yield: 4 servings

Ingredients

6-8 cups organic red watermelon, seedless, cut into 2-inch cubes

½ cup fresh lime juice

½ cup fresh lemon juice

2 ounces triple sec

3 ounces cointreau

6 ounces tequila gold

2 cups crushed ice cubes

- freeze the cut up melon over night before using. Blend all ingredients in a blender and serve in chilled glasses. - garnish with a wedge of lime and sprig of fresh spearmint.

Note:

Best to keep all liquors frozen before blending