Fish And Delicate Flavors

Chef Michael Anthony, co-executive chef at Blue Hill in New York City, is one of 11 best new chefs selected by Food and Wine magazine. On The Saturday Early Show, he created a delicious meal for four for just $30.

Food and Wine magazine has been selecting the food stars of the future for 15 years. To qualify for this award, they must have run a kitchen for less than five years and manage to dazzle critics with their creations.

This year, the magazine selected 11 best new chefs. Two are from the same restaurant: Blue Hill. Michael Anthony and his friend, Dan Barber (co-executive chef), were both selected for their take on new American cuisine with French/Asian influences.

Anthony will join the other best new chefs at the 20th annual Food and Wine Magazine Classic at Aspen. The chefs will join later in June to cook a special meal in Aspen.

MENU:
Asparagus Terrine
Poached Salmon with Spring Peas
Chilled Strawberry-Rhubarb Soup

Anthony is originally from Cincinnati, Ohio. He received his culinary education from Superieure De Cuisine Francaise in Paris. The 34-year-old earned his B.A. degree at Indiana University before moving to Paris.

His previous stints include March, Daniel (both in New York City) and Jacques Cagna in Paris.

Asparagus Terrine

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. bunches asparagus (standard size -- not the jumbo)
1 bunch flat leaf spinach
3 Tablespoons olive oil
3 bulbs fennel (you are using the bulb only)
3 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon coriander
2 pieces Star Anise
1 1/2 quart water
10 leaves gelatine (in the sheet form)
To taste Fleur de Sel and Pepper
OPTIONAL: 1 cup micro greens
3 oz. Goat cheese
Chef's Note: Terrine size should be roughly 3 inches wide by 10 inches long and 4 inches deep (the size is not as important as the depth; if the terrine is too "tall" it becomes difficult to serve intact).

Method:

1. Peel and cook asparagus in salted boiling water. When tender shock in cold water.
   
2. Blanch spinach quickly and shock in cold water. Set aside.
   
3. Chop thinly the fennel bulb and garlic. Sweat with - but be careful to avoid coloring the garlic and the bulb. We are using only the bulb because we want the stock to be clear as possible in color.
   
4. Add spices and water to the fennel and garlic. Simmer for approximately 45 minutes. Then strain using a fine china cap.
   
5. Soak the gelatin in cold water and then add to fennel stock.
   
6. Line terrine mold with plastic wrap. Line bottom of terrine with thin layer of spinach.
   
7. Add layer of asparagus, (here you can add goat cheese if you want), cover with fennel gelee. Alternate with spinach until mold is full.
   
8. Let terrine stand for 6 hours in a refrigerator. Slice and you may as an option add micro greens.

For the Poached Salmon
Ingredients:
Four 5 oz. salmon filets
3 quarts olive oil
To taste salt and white pepper

Procedure:

1. Heat olive oil to 110-degrees and maintain temperature.
   
2. Cook filet for 8 minutes. You will only cook one side. You should use a heavy bottomed sautoir (round with short straight sides) that will hold just enough oil to completely submerge the salmon. It is not necessary that the pan be non-stick, the heavy saucepans work better because they conduct heat more evenly.

Method:

1. Sweat thinly sliced shallot with garlic - make sure to avoid color.
   
2. Add half of the peas and continue to sweat on low heat for 3 minutes.
   
3. Add 3/4 of vegetable stock and bouquet garni. Cook until tender.
   
4. Remove the bouquet garni. Strain with a fine mesh.
   
5. Then puree in food processor until smooth, adding remaining vegetable stock until the desired consistency is reached.

Ingredients:
1/4 lb. basil
2 oz. of canola oil

Method:

1. Blanch basil in boiling water.
   
2. Cool rapidly in ice water.
   
3. Squeeze excess water out of basil.
   
4. Blend on high speed, adding canola oil gradually.

Chilled Strawberry and Rhubarb Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups red wine, preferably very dark red since you are using the wine primarily for color
1 cup confectioners sugar
1/2 stalk lemon grass
1 ounce fresh mint
1/4 teaspoon cornstarch
1 lb. rhubarb sliced into 1/4-inch slices
1 lb. strawberries

Method:

1. Cook the red wine and let it reduce by half. You will bring the wine to a boil and then reduce the heat to a moderate simmer.
   
2. Add sugar, cornstarch, and simmer until they dissolve.
   
3. Drop in the rhubarb and strawberries in the reduction, bring the reduction back to a boil, and then remove pot from the heat immediately, and let the rhubarb/strawberries cool in the liquid.
   
4. Tie mint and lemongrass together with butcher's twine. Add this to the liquid as it is cooling. You can leave it in the liquid while you chill it in the refrigerator. Cover the liquid tightly. This allows it to infuse the liquid with their flavor. When you are read to serve, remove the mint/lemongrass.
   
5. You may use some mint leaves for garnish if you wish.

Terrine: Traditional parlance says that when such mixture is cooked and served in a terrine, the dish is also called a terrine.

Gelee: A clear jelly made from meat or vegetable stock and gelatin, strained, cleared, and chilled; used to dress savory foods of all kinds by covering them in a mold or surrounding them, chopped into cubes, as a garnish; also used for sweet dishes, based on a fruit juice and gelatin aspic.

Poach: To cook food gently in liquid just below the boiling point when the liquid's surface is beginning to show some quivering movement. The amount and temperature of the liquid used depends on the food being poached. Meats and poultry are usually simmered in stock, fish in court-bouillon and eggs in lightly salted water, often with a little vinegar added. Poaching produces a delicate flavor in foods, while imparting some of the liquid's flavor to the ingredient being poached.

Infuse: To steep or soak herbs, spices, or vegetables in a liquid to extract their flavor.

Lemongrass: A type of grass with long, tapered, fibrous leaves, and small tender white bulb; much used in southeast Asia, where lemons do not grow, to impart its subtle but distinct flavor to curries, soups, and other dishes. Lemongrass can flavor indirectly, like bay leaf, when the stalk is removed before eating the dish or more pungently, when the thicker bulb is finely chopped or ground to a paste before being added to stir-fries, braises, and raw dishes.

Gelatin: It is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless thickening agent, which when dissolved in hot water and then cooled, forms a jelly. It is useful for many purposes, such as jelling molded desserts and salads, thickening cold soups and glazing preparations. It is pure protein derived from beef and veal bones, cartilage, tendons, and other tissues. Much of the commercial gelatin is a by-product of pigskin.