Menu Project

At the beginning of Level 5 (which is already over by the way!), we had to turn in a menu project where we came up with a theme and created a minimum of four recipes to make up a menu. As anyone who has ever shared a kitchen with me knows, I have a slight obsession with all things Eric Ripert, the chef at NYC's Le Bernardin. Most weeknights you can find me curled up on the couch watching my DVR'd episodes of Avec Eric, his show on public television. So when we were asked to pick a theme for our menu projects, I immediately knew mine would be inspired by Eric Ripert and would use only Maine seafood...the lobsters and scallops I grew up eating during my summers in Ogunquit, Maine. Here is the menu:

Five-Spiced Maine Lobster Broth with Carrot Emulsion

Maine Diver Scallop Carpaccio in a Champagne-Coriander Nage with a Petite Herb Salad

Pan-Seared Black Bass with Braised Duck Ravioli and a Pinot Noir Blackberry Sauce


Almond Rose Panna Cotta with a Raspberry Coulis

It turns out that writing your own recipes is hard! And takes several tries to get them right. I had all these great plating ideas for my panna cotta, if it would just unmold from the ramekin, but everytime I tried to unmold one from the ramekin it turned into a blob of white mess. So alas, the panna cotta remained in the ramekin for its photoshoot. Next time...more gelatin in the panna cotta.

If you want any of the recipes, just let me know!

-Elise