Stave off the Chicago chill with a few recipes from our favorite restaurants:
French Onion Mash from Executive Chef Craig Couper of Michael Jordan’s Steakhouse
Ingredients (serves several)
5 Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
4 c heavy cream
1 stick unsalted butter
2 sweet onions, julienned
2 oz olive oil
3 c Gruyère, shredded
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a sauté pan, heat oil over high heat. Add onions and caramelize until lightly browned. Cool onions and place in a food processor, purée, and set aside. In a pot of heavily salted water, add potatoes and cook for 25 minutes. Drain and place potatoes through a food mill. Add onion purée, butter, cream, salt, and pepper to potatoes. Top with shredded Gruyère and bake until golden brown and bubbly.
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Veal Chop alla Sassi from Topo Gigio Ristorante
Ingredients (serves one)
15 oz veal chop, frenched
5 oz mushrooms, quartered
2 Tbsp chopped garlic
3 oz olive oil
pinch thyme
pinch salt
pinch pepper
2 artichoke hearts, cut in half
4 oz white wine
6 oz beef stock
1 Tbsp butter
garnish parsley
Method
For veal chop: Preheat oven to 500 degrees. On a grill, cook veal chop for approximately 3 minutes on each side until a nice crosshatch pattern and crust has formed. Remove veal chop and place in an oven-safe pan. Bake for 5 minutes and turn the veal chop over until medium, or internal temperature reads 140 degrees.
For sauce: In a saucepan on medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, salt, pepper, thyme, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, and white wine. Sauté for approximately 5 minutes. Add beef stock and cook for additional 5 minutes to reduce. Add butter until melted and evenly distributed.
To serve: Place three-quarters of the sauce, including the artichokes and mushrooms, on a plate. Place veal chop on a plate and ladle the rest of the sauce on top. Garnish with parsley.
Photo via Morton’s the Steakhouse from Instagram user @jerryceb_
Bleu Cheese Mashed Potatoes with Bacon from Morton’s The Steakhouse
Ingredients (serves 3-4 people)
2-1/2 lbs russet potatoes, peeled and diced
4 oz unsalted butter
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c sour cream
1-1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
12 oz bleu cheese crumbles
2 bunches of scallions
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 lbs applewood-smoked bacon
Method
For mashed potatoes: In a pot, cover potatoes with water, ensuring they are completely submerged. Cook potatoes over high heat until tender, approximately 20-25 minutes. Drain potatoes and mash them. Set aside. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add butter and cream until melted. Add salt and pepper to mashed potatoes and mix.
For charred scallions: Preheat oven to broil. Cut the root ends off all of the scallion stalks. Season the scallions with salt and pepper. Place the scallions on a sheet pan and broil until the scallions begin to char. Turn them over and cook until charred. Remove and cut the charred scallions into 1/2-inch pieces. Set aside.
For bacon: Cut the bacon into 3/8-inch wide pieces. In a large sauté pan over medium heat, cook, stirring frequently until bacon is crispy, about 10-12 minutes. Strain the bacon and reserve the bacon fat.
To serve: Place the hot mashed potatoes in a bowl. Add half of the bacon, bacon fat, 8 ounces of bleu cheese crumbles, and half of the charred scallions. Fold everything together. Place the mixture into a serving dish and top the potatoes with the rest of the scallions, bacon, and 4 ounces of bleu cheese crumbles. Serve immediately.
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