My First Cooking Class with Chef Becky Clark

I received a wonderful birthday present this year...three cooking lessons with a private Chef. Her name is Rebecca Clark and she comes from the Northeast so it was a great match. Check out her website. http://www.beckycooks.com/

Menu:
-Romaine hearts with sliced pear, maytag bleu cheese and toasted pumpkin seeds, finished with a cider vinaigrette
-Pan Seared Halibut Steak with a shallot and port wine reduction
-Roasted asparagus with shallots
-Molten Chocolate Cake with Vanilla ice cream




Pumpkin seeds
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
Garlic Powder
Raw pumpkin seeds

Roast in at 350 degress F in a baking dish until toasted.

Cider Vinaigrette
Cider Vinegar
Olive oil
Dijon mustard
Salt
Pepper

Use a 1:3 or 1:4 ratio of vinegar to oil (according to your taste). Combine vinegar, mustard, salt and pepper and then slowly pour in oil to emulsify.

Halibut
Halibut steak
Salt
Pepper
Butter
Olive Oil

Put olive oil and butter in a heavy( not non-stick) skillet that has been heated. Season the fish and then pan sear until crusted on both sides. Don't move fish in the pan during this process. Finish in a roasting pan in the oven.

Port wine reduction sauce
1 small shallot or half of a large one
2 cups Port
1 Table Spoon Champagne vinegar
2 Table Spoon Brown sugar
Pinch of salt
Fresh ground pepper

Using the same pan that you pan-seared the fish, saute the shallot, deglaze the pan with the port, whisk in vinegar, brown sugar and salt and pepper and reduce until syrupy.