If you aren’t familiar with the James Beard Awards, think them as the Oscars for the culinary world.
Last week, the James Beard Foundation announced semifinalists for its annual awards. The awards cover a variety of categories including best new restaurant, outstanding baker, outstanding chef and more.
Three Milwaukee chefs made the cut for "Best Chef Midwest" -- Justin Carlisle of Ardent, Thomas Hauck of c.1880, and Dave Swanson of Braise. Winners will be announced May 2 in Chicago.
In honor of this announcement, I decided to ask all three chefs to share a favorite recipe.
Herb Monkey Bread from Justin Carlisle, Ardent
Yeast Mixture
Proof time: 10 minutes
Ingredients
2 tablespoons warm water (about 110-115 degrees)
1 1/2 teaspoons dry active yeast
1 teaspoon white sugar
Method
1. Mix yeast, sugar, and warm water in a small mixing bowl. Set aside for ten minutes to
allow yeast to proof (bubbles will form at the surface).
Dough Preparation
Prep time: 10 minutes
Rise time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
2 ¼ cups bread flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup whole milk
1 egg
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons fresh dill, parsley, chive, thyme torn into small pieces
Method
1. Mix flour and salt in large mixing bowl. Set bowl on mixer fitted with the dough hook
attachment.
2. With the mixer set on medium speed, slowly add the proofed yeast mixture to the dry
ingredients, followed by the milk, egg, and melted butter. Add the dill.
3. Mix on medium speed just until the dough releases from the side of the bowl, about 6-
to-8 minutes. Knead dough together lightly with your hands.
4. Transfer dough to a lightly greased bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap and place in a
warm place. Allow dough to rise for 25-30 minutes.
Monkey Bread Loaves
Prep time: 15 minutes
Rise time: 20 minutes
Bake time: 12 minutes
Ingredients
4 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
2 tablespoons fresh dill, torn into small pieces
1 tablespoon sea salt
Method
1. After 30 minutes, punch dough down and roll into 56 balls, about 1 inch in diameter.
2. Mix 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and dill together, roll balls in the mixture, and
arrange in 8 lightly greased 4-ounce aluminum loaf pans (7 balls per pan).
3. Allow loaves to rise once more in a warm spot for 20 minutes.
4. Brush loaves again with melted butter, and sprinkle with sea salt. Bake in a 375-degree
oven for 12 minutes, brushing twice throughout the baking with the remaining two
tablespoons of melted butter.
5. Serve loaves hot out of the oven with a mixture of melted butter, fresh dill, and sea
salt.
John Getz Brownies from Thomas Hauck, c.1880
Note: This is recipe that Hauck’s mom has made when his dad's old friend would come into town, thus the name. The recipe even won a bake off in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.
Ingredients
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 can condensed milk (small can)
12 oz. chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 small can coconut(shredded)
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
powdered sugar sifted
Method
1. Mix all ingredients. Spread in greased 8x10 pan.
2. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.
3. Cut while warm and dust heavily with powdered sugar.
Pozole Verde from Dave Swanson, Braise
(Yields 12 servings)
Base
2 tablespoons lard
1 Onion, diced
2 tablespoons garlic puree
2 teaspoon oregano
2 teaspoon cumin
12 ounces pork butt
2 quarts chicken stock
Method
1. Sear pork in lard until brown, approximately 5-7 minutes.
Remove from sauce pan.
2. Add onions, garlic, oregano and cumin to the saucepan and cook in remaining lard until translucent, approximately 3-5 minutes.
3. Add chicken stock, bring to a simmer. Add pork, simmer for 3 hours.
Finish
1 ½ cup pepitas
12 ounces tomatillos
2 poblano chiles
3 serrano chiles
½ quart chicken stock
1 sprig Epazote
1 tablespoon lard
4 cups hominy
Method
1. Toast pepitas in a pan, set aside.
2. Char tomatillos, poblanos and serranos in a pan until blistered.
3. Add chicken stock, pepitas and epazote to the pan of charred peppers. Bring to a boil, puree and strain.
4. Sear mixture in lard, cook for 5 minutes until thick, and add to pork broth. Add hominy, season and simmer for 10 minutes.
Garnish
½ red onion, diced
2 teaspoons oregano
1 avocado, diced
2 limes, juiced
1 cup chicharrons
Ladle soup into bowl, top with garnish and chicharrón; serve.
