RECIPES WE LOVE
What’s Cooking in SWFL
1 ISLAND SUGAR CANE OLD FASHIONED
Restaurant: Roy’s Restaurant
Serves: 1
What better way to celebrate the holiday season than with Roy’s take on a classic cocktail. Enjoy this smooth bourbon drink with a touch of citrus and sweetness that’s sure to transport you to a tropical island without the need to travel.
4 dashes bitters
1 teaspoon simple syrup 2 ounces bourbon
1 large square ice cube 1 cherry
1 sugar cane stick
1 orange rind
½ teaspoon turbinado sugar
Add bitters and simple syrup in a large rocks glass and mix well. Add bourbon and stir. Add ice cube and stir, then place cherry in glass. Wrap sugar cane stick with thinly peeled orange rind, dip tip of sugar cane in turbinado sugar and insert into drink. Serve and enjoy.
Promenade at Bonita Bay, 26831 S. Bay Drive, Bonita Springs; 239-498-7697; roysrestaurant.com
2 DARK CHOCOLATE PANDORO TIRAMISU WITH CHOCOLATE-COVERED ESPRESSO BEANS
Restaurant: Campiello
Serves: 12 to 16
Note: Plan for three days to make this cake, to allow it to set. The first day, make the cake “shell” batter so any air whipped into the batter has time to settle, resulting in a more dense cake. On day two, bake the “shell” and let it cool, then make the cake filling and assemble the cake. On the third day, unmold the assembled cake, apply chocolate glaze and decorate.
Chocolate Cake “Shell” Batter
2¼ cups all-purpose flour 1¼ cups cocoa powder 2¼ teaspoons baking powder 2¼ teaspoons baking soda 1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs
1½ cups whole milk
¾ cup blended oil 2 teaspoons vanilla
1¼ cups brewed coffee Nonstick pan spray Parchment paper
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. If using a convection oven, do not use fan. Use a mixer with whisk attachment or mix by hand with whisk. Combine dry ingredients in mixing bowl. Combine all wet ingredients, except for coffee, in separate bowl. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Mix on high speed for 10 seconds, scraping sides as needed. Add coffee to the mixture on low speed. Use fine mesh strainer to strain the batter, making sure any clumps are removed.
Spray two 9-inch round cake pans with pan spray, line both with parchment paper and spray again. Divide cake batter evenly between the two pans. Bake just until set and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into cake. Cool cakes to room temperature.
Unmold one cake and place on top of piece of plastic wrap. Lightly spray cake with pan spray to ensure the next top sheet of plastic will easily peel off, then top with another piece of plastic wrap. Use rolling pin to roll cake to a diameter of about 14 inches, if using a 2-quart bowl to mold the assembled cake. (See assembly instructions at end of recipe.)
Peel off top piece of plastic wrap. Use bottom piece of plastic to pick up cake and set into bowl, then lightly push cake down so it is flat against bowl. Let excess plastic wrap hang over sides of bowl. (You will use this to help remove dessert from the bowl later, when it is assembled and set.) Set aside.
Repeat process with plastic wrap, and roll out second cake: But roll to only diameter of bowl and leave it rolled out flat. Set aside in the plastic.
Cake Filling
1 store-bought Italian pandoro bread sliced into ½-inch thick slices
Note: If bottom of bread is dark or hard, trim off and discard. Lay bread on side to slice into round-shaped or starshaped pieces.
Coffee Soak
1½ cups brewed coffee 2 tablespoons coffee extract ½ cup brandy
½ cup rum
Combine all ingredients in a bowl and cool to room temperature.
Tiramisu Mousse
3 tablespoons sugar
1¼ cups heavy whipping cream 1½ tablespoons granulated unflavored gelatin, bloomed in ½ cup cold water 1 tablespoon vanilla
3 tablespoons rum
6 ounces egg yolks or liquid eggs; use liquid measuring cup
3 tablespoons sugar
20 ounces mascarpone
1 pinch of salt
Whip sugar and cream on medium and into soft peaks, set aside in refrigerator. Place bloomed gelatin into microwaveable cup, add vanilla and rum. Microwave until gelatin has dissolved, about 20 seconds. Combine yolks and sugar, whip until fluffy. Add mascarpone and salt, whip until combined and fluffy. While mixer is on, add gelatin and vanilla/rum mixture. Mix until combined. Remove from mixer and fold in the whipped cream.
Chocolate Glaze
1 cup 40% heavy cream
¾ cup whole milk
1 pound 64% or darker chocolate ½ cup corn syrup
Heat heavy cream and milk. Pour over chocolate and corn syrup. Mix until incorporated.
Assembly Instructions
(Chocolate-covered espresso beans needed for garnish.)
Take already-prepared bowl lined with the one chocolate cake and place a little bit of mousse in bottom. Dip smallest (top) piece of pandoro bread into the coffee soak. Press into the mousse into the bowl. Repeat process, alternating mousse and soaked pandoro until bowl is full.
Top the filled bowl with the second chocolate cake that was rolled flat (removing plastic sheets from that cake as well). Trim off extra around edges of bowl. Cover and let set overnight in refrigerator.
Next day, invert bowl onto a sheet or cookie tray, using the plastic wrap to help pull the dessert out of the bowl. Evenly pour the chocolate glaze over the top of the assembled cake until it is covered. Refrigerate to let glaze set. Garnish with chocolate-covered espresso beans around the edge or crush and sprinkle on top. Cut into 12 to 16 pieces.
1177 3rd St. S., Naples; 239-435-1166; campiellnaples.com
3 CHAMBORD MANHATTAN
Restaurant: 10K Alley
Serves: 1
1½ ounces Woodford Reserve Bourbon 1 ounce Chambord
2 dashes Angostura bitters
1 single Filthy Black Cherry, for garnish
Fill a large glass with ice and pour the bourbon, Chambord and bitters into it. Using a cocktail stirrer, gently mix ingredients. Strain the mix into a coupe glass. Using a long wooden toothpick, skewer the cherry and place it on top of the glass. Serve immediately
JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, 400 South Collier Blvd., Marco Island; 239-394-2511; jwmarco.com
4 ROSEMARY-AND-CHIANTI LAMB SHANKS
Restaurant: House of Pasta
Serves: 6 family-style portions
6 lamb shanks
1 teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium-sized Spanish white onions, chopped
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into ¼-inch cubes
2 cups celery, diced
10 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups button or cremini mushrooms, sliced
⅔ bottle Chianti or dry red wine 1 28-ounce can diced tomatoes 1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups beef broth
5 teaspoons rosemary, chopped 2 teaspoons thyme, chopped
3 bay leaves
Season lamb with salt, pepper and olive oil. In a Dutch oven or heavy pan, brown the shanks, about 4 minutes each side. Remove meat from pan and set aside. Using juices in the pan, sauté onion, carrots, celery, garlic and mushrooms. Add Chianti to deglaze the pan, let liquid reduce slightly. Add diced tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken and beef broths, rosemary, thyme and bay leaves. Return lamb to pan, cover and cook over medium-high temperature for 2 hours.
Prepare a favorite starch such as polenta, risotto or mashed potatoes and then plate. Arrange lamb on top. Strain juices from pan and drizzle over lamb.
Note: For an extra touch, Chef Eddie removes shanks from pan, glazes them lightly with Dijon mustard and a little honey, coats lightly with seasoned bread crumbs and puts shanks back in oven to brown before plating.
7050 Winkler Road, Fort Myers; 239-887-6954, houseofpastafl.com
5 SEAFOOD PASTA
Restaurant: Redfish Point Garden Bar & Grill
Serves: 1 to 2
6 ounces linguini
3½ tablespoons oil; a blend of canola and olive oil is preferred
3 Gulf shrimp
10 bay scallops
6 fish pieces (fish filet of choice, cut into pieces)
2 teaspoons blackened seasoning 1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup white wine
2 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons parsley
2 tablespoons Parmesan
1 lemon, squeezed for fresh juice
While pasta cooks, add oil, shrimp, scallops and fish to hot sauté pan with blackened seasoning. When halfway cooked, add garlic. After browning garlic, deglaze pan with white wine. Add butter.
Add pasta to sauce and seafood. Toss while incorporating parsley, Parmesan and lemon juice, in that order before plating.
1520 Lafayette St., Cape Coral; 239-673-6969; redfishpointbarandgrill.com