Chef Jeffrey Zacharias Wife Recipes

MY MOTHER'S SHEPHERD'S PIE

Steps:

• For the potato topping: Peel and cube the potatoes into 1-inch dice. Put in a large pot and add enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 1 inch. Season the water with salt and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and pass through a ricer. Add the milk, sour cream, melted butter and egg yolks to the potatoes and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. Season with salt and pepper and reserve.
• For the filling: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• In a medium saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter with the olive oil. Add the pearl onions and cook, shaking the pan occasionally so the onions brown on all sides, until caramelized, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• In a large ovensafe shallow braising pan, heat the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the onions and rosemary and cook, stirring often, until the onions are slightly browned and soft, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the lamb and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the lamb cooked through, 4 to 6 minutes. Add the tomato paste, flour and sherry vinegar and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the chicken stock, peas and carrots and pearl onions and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper and stir in the parsley.
• For the additional topping: Top the lamb mixture with an even layer of the potato topping. Drizzle with the melted butter and sprinkle with the Parmesan. Transfer to the oven and bake until the topping is lightly browned, about 40 minutes. Garnish with additional parsley.

CLASSIC MARGARITA

Steps:

• For the rim: Moisten the rim of the glasses with lime wedges and dip in the salt.
• For the margarita: Combine the tequila, lime juice, orange liqueur and agave syrup in a large pitcher. Stir vigorously to combine. Pour over ice in the salt-rimmed glasses, garnish with a slice of lime and serve immediately.

HERB-ROASTED BEEF RIB-EYE WITH ROASTED SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Season the steak rather liberally with kosher salt. Bring it to room temperature, about 1 hour outside of the fridge.
• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
• Combine the paprika, cumin, mustard and a few turns of freshly cracked pepper in a small bowl. Season the steak with the rub.
• Heat the canola oil in a saute pan over high heat until smoking. Add the steak and sear on all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Add the butter, thyme, rosemary and garlic. Reduce the heat to medium low and baste the steak with the butter as it begins to brown, 2 to 3 minutes (without burning).
• Transfer the steak to a rack in a roasting pan and top with a few pieces of the herbs and garlic and 3 spoonfuls of the butter. Roast to an internal temperature of 120 degrees F for medium rare, 7 to 10 minutes. Allow the meat to rest for 15 minutes before slicing.
• Finish the sliced meat with a sprinkle of fleur de sel and a drizzle of aged balsamic and olive oil. Serve with the roasted shallots and a simple watercress salad if desired.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Toss the shallots with the olive oil and thyme and season with salt and pepper. Lay the shallots on a baking sheet cut-side down. Roast until the shallots are very tender, about 25 minutes.
• Toss the shallots with the vinegar and additional olive oil.

ULTIMATE COCKTAIL SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the ketchup, chile sauce, the prepared horseradish, the fresh horseradish, lemon juice, onion, and Worcestershire. Season with salt and pepper.
• Refrigerate until will chilled. The cocktail sauce will keep up to 3 days, tightly covered, in the refrigerator. It may separate, so give it a quick stir again before serving.