George Zakarian Recipes

CRISPY HASH BROWN WITH SMOKED SALMON, CREME FRAICHE AND HERBS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Line a colander or strainer with a clean kitchen towel or cheesecloth and place over a large bowl.
• On the large holes of a box grater, grate the onion and potatoes into the lined strainer. Wrap the kitchen towel around the grated potatoes and onions and squeeze out as much water as possible. Discard the water. Open the towel and spread out the potatoes and onion. Sprinkle generously with salt and pepper.
• In a 10-inch oven-safe nonstick saute pan set over medium heat, melt the clarified butter. Press the potato and onion mixture into the pan, so that the layer is about 1/2-inch thick. Cook until the bottom is brown and crispy, about 5 minutes. Carefully and gently flip the hash brown onto the other side and cook for an additional 5 minutes. For an extra-crispy hash brown, transfer the pan to the oven for 8 to 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, mix the creme fraiche, chives, buttermilk, caper juice, honey and lemon zest. Set aside.
• Transfer the hash brown to a plate. Top the hash brown with slices of the smoked salmon. Cut into wedges. Drizzle the sauce over the hash browns. Top with the dill fronds. Serve immediately.

BUCATINI CARBONARA

Steps:

• Bring a high-sided pan filled with water to a boil. Season liberally with salt. Place the bucatini in the water.
• Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan, then add the pancetta. Cook until the pancetta has rendered and the meat is caramelized, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and about 1 tablespoon black pepper to the pan to toast, about 1 minute. Add a ladle of pasta water to stop the cooking process and let simmer on low heat, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, whisk together the eggs and egg yolk in a bowl. Add the Parmesan and Pecorino-Romano and whisk to combine. Slowly add a ladle of the pasta water to temper the eggs. Set aside. When the pasta is al dente, add the pasta to the pancetta pan straight from the water. Remove from the heat and add freshly cracked pepper to taste. Add the egg mixture and toss gently to coat. If the sauce gets too thick, add some additional pasta water. Garnish with a generous sprinkling of Pecorino-Romano and a drizzle of olive oil.

REALLY CREAMY POTATO PURéE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• On a parchment-lined sheet pan, arrange the potatoes in an even layer. Bake the potatoes until tender, about 45 minutes. Let the potatoes cool slightly until able to be handled but still hot. Peel the potatoes.
• Add one potato at a time to a ricer and rice the potatoes into a pot. Add the warm cream to the potatoes and some pieces of butter. Whisk until smooth. Continue to add most of the remaining butter, whisking piece by piece, reserving 1 to 2 tablespoons to finish. Season the potatoes with salt.
• Fill a small Dutch oven with hot water to warm it up. Dump the water and transfer the potatoes to the pot. Top with the remaining butter and garnish with chives.

LEEKS VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of water to a vigorous boil and season liberally with salt.
• Trim the leeks at the root ends, keeping the leeks intact. Cut the leeks where the light green meets the darker green. Save the darker green section for stock. Split the leeks in half lengthwise, again leaving the roots intact. Put the leeks in a large bowl of water and let it sit for a minute. Rinse the dirt from the insides of the leeks by lightly separating the layers and allowing the water to wash the dirt out. Tie the leeks in 3 places with butcher's twine to hold shut.
• Add the leeks to the pot of water and let it come back to a simmer. Boil the leeks until they are very tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer them to paper towels and remove the twine. Separate each leek into 2 halves.
• In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, mustards, garlic, shallots and salt and pepper. Spread some of the vinaigrette on the bottom of an 8-inch square dish.
• While the leeks are still warm, remove the outer layer of each; lay the leeks cut-side down in the vinaigrette in the dish. Spoon the remaining vinaigrette over the leeks. Cover and chill the leeks in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours and up to overnight.
• Arrange the leeks on a platter and drizzle with the vinaigrette. Garnish with the hazelnuts, eggs and chives. Drizzle more vinaigrette over the leeks and serve.

GEOFFREY ZAKARIAN'S MASHED POTATOES

Steps:

• Place potatoes in a steamer basket set over a medium saucepan filled with 2 inches of water. Place saucepan over medium-high heat and steam potatoes until tender, about 15 to 20 minutes.
• Heat milk in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until hot, but not boiling. Drain potatoes and pass them through a ricer back into the medium saucepan. Using a wooden spoon, gently stir in butter and hot milk until well incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Add additional milk and butter, if desired. Serve warm.