S1E12 Private Dinner

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S1E12 recipes

Yellowtail, garlic croutons

Clean, raw yellowtail dressed with citrus and a savory breadcrumb crunch.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 4 as a starter
Prep / Cook / Total: 20 min / 5 min / 25 min
Skill level: Easy
Ingredients
  • 10 oz (280 g) sushi-grade yellowtail, diced 
  • 1/2 cup (30 g) old bread cut into rough squares 
  • 1 clove of garlic peeled and sliced 
  • 1/2 a red onion diced small 
  • 1 tbsp (15 ml) olive oil, 1 tsp lemon zest, pinch chile flakes
  • Dressing: 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, 1 tbsp (15 ml) lemon juice, 1 tsp (5 ml) soy or tamari
  • Chives, fine salt
Method
  1. Toast croutons and garlic in a little oil until golden; stir in lemon zest and a pinch of chile.
  2. Place the yellow tail in a bowl with the onion 
  3. Whisk dressing, season lightly, and spoon sparingly over fish.
  4. Sprinkle with chives and lemony breadcrumbs. Serve immediately.
Tips & substitutions
If you sear instead, kiss the fish in a ripping-hot pan 5–10 seconds a side.
Dietary tags: dairy-free, pescatarian
Allergens: fish, gluten, soy if using soy sauce
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Saffron Risotto with Squid and Fennel

Creamy saffron rice topped with just-cooked squid and sweet fennel.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 4 as a main or 6 as a starter
Prep / Cook / Total: 15 min / 25 min / 40 min
Skill level: Intermediate
Equipment: heavy saucepan, sauté pan, ladle, wooden spoon
Ingredients
  • 1 1/2 cups (300 g) arborio or carnaroli rice
  • 5 cups (1.2 L) hot fish or light chicken stock
  • 1/2 tsp saffron threads
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
  • 2 tbsp (28 g) unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 small onion, very finely chopped, about 1/2 cup (75 g)
  • 1 small fennel bulb, fine dice, about 1 1/2 cups (225 g), fronds reserved
  • 1/2 cup (120 ml) dry white wine
  • 12 oz (340 g) cleaned squid tubes and tentacles, sliced into 1/2 in (1.25 cm) rings
  • 1 tsp lemon zest (5 ml)
  • 2 tbsp (8 g) chopped parsley
  • Fine salt and black pepper
Method
  1. Warm stock in a pot. Add saffron to the stock to bloom.
  2. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, add olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Sweat onion and diced fennel with a pinch of salt until translucent, 5–6 minutes.
     Stir in rice and cook 1–2 minutes until edges look slightly translucent.
  3. Deglaze with white wine and reduce until nearly dry.
  4. Add hot stock a ladle at a time, stirring often and waiting until nearly absorbed before the next addition. Cook 18–20 minutes to al dente.
  5. Meanwhile, heat a sauté pan over high heat. Pat squid dry, season lightly, and cook in a thin film of oil 60–90 seconds until just opaque. Remove to a warm plate.
  6. When the risotto is creamy and the grains yield with a bite, take off heat. Stir in remaining 1 tbsp butter, lemon zest, and parsley. Adjust salt and pepper.
  7. Fold in half the squid and spoon into warm bowls. Top with remaining squid and fennel fronds.
Tips & substitutions
If using only chicken stock, finish with a squeeze of lemon for brightness. Overcooked squid goes rubbery; keep the pan hot and the time short.
Dietary tags: pescatarian, gluten-free
Allergens: mollusk shellfish, dairy
Make-ahead / storage / reheat: Best served immediately. To refresh, loosen with hot stock on the hob, then add squid at the end.
Chef’s note: Keep the rice moving but don’t beat it. The texture should flow like hot lava, not sit like putty.
Optional pairing: Dry Italian white like Verdicchio or a crisp NA sparkling.
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Lamb Rump with Rosti, Ceps, and Broccoli

Seared lamb, crisp potato rosti, buttery ceps, and bright broccoli.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 4
Prep / Cook / Total: 25 min / 30 min / 55 min
Skill level: Intermediate
Equipment: nonstick or carbon-steel pan, box grater, sheet pan
Ingredients
  • 4 lamb rumps or small loins, 5–6 oz each (140–170 g)
  • 1 lb (450 g) starchy potatoes, peeled and grated
  • 8 oz (225 g) fresh ceps/porcini or 1 1/2 oz (40 g) dried, rehydrated
  • 1 small head broccoli, florets cut bite-size, stems peeled and sliced
  • 2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil, 2 tbsp (28 g) butter, thyme, garlic, salt, pepper
Method
  1. Salt lamb 30 minutes ahead. Sear fat side first, render, then roast at 375°F (190°C) to 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare; rest.
  2. Squeeze water from grated potato, season, form 4 patties. Fry in oil until golden both sides; keep warm.
  3. Sauté ceps in butter with thyme and garlic; season.
  4. Steam or blanch broccoli until just tender; season with olive oil and salt.
  5. Slice lamb, plate over rosti with ceps and broccoli. Spoon any pan juices on top.
Tips & substitutions
Swap porcini for mixed wild mushrooms. Use ghee for higher smoke point on rosti.
Dietary tags: gluten-free
Allergens: dairy
Storage: Lamb and rosti reheat poorly; mushrooms and broccoli can be made 1 day ahead.
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Spiced Plums with Salted Peanut Honeycomb

Warm plums in syrupy spice with a crackly, salty-sweet honeycomb.
At a glance
Yield: Serves 6
Prep / Cook / Total: 15 min / 20 min / 35 min
Skill level: Intermediate
Ingredients
  • Plums 2 lb (900 g), quartered
  • Sugar 1/2 cup (100 g), honey 2 tbsp (30 ml), water 1/4 cup (60 ml)
  • Cinnamon stick, star anise, strip of orange zest
  • For honeycomb: sugar 1 cup (200 g), golden syrup or corn syrup 1/3 cup (80 ml), baking soda 1 1/2 tsp (6 g), roasted salted peanuts 1/2 cup (70 g), crushed
Method
  1. Simmer plums with sugar, honey, water, and spices until just tender.
  2. For honeycomb, heat sugar and syrup to a deep amber 311°F (155°C), whisk in baking soda off heat to aerate, spread, and shower with crushed peanuts. Set, then break shards.
  3. Serve warm plums with crème fraîche or vanilla ice cream, topped with peanut honeycomb.
Tips & substitutions
Measure baking soda precisely. Humidity kills crunch; store shards airtight.
Allergens: peanuts, dairy if serving with crème fraîche.
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