Sole with Fennel, Olives, and Potatoes

I used to really hate olives. Then about 2 years ago, I tried a fish dish with olives and suddenly olives made sense. This particular
dish was inspired by a delicious lunch I had at Gramercy Tavern in New York. The dish was overall very simple, but the ingredients all complemented each other perfectly. I tried to recreate those simple, but bold, flavors here.

Ingredients:

2 Yukon gold potatoes, cut in. 1/4 in thick discs
1 lb. sole (can substitute other flaky white fish)
1 bulb fennel, shaved 1/8 in. thick
Zest from 1 lemon
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tbsp. butter
1/2 cup assorted greek olives, halved lengthwise
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375˚. Arrange potato slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown and slightly crispy on the outside.

Meanwhile, pat fish dry and sprinkle with salt and pepper on both sides. Coat a nonstick pan with olive oil. Heat pan over medium. When hot, add fish to pan, cook about 2 minutes per side. Set aside fish. Add butter, fennel, lemon juice, lemon zest, and wine to pan. When wine has reduced and sauce has thickened, has olives. Stir into the sauce and pour over the fish. Serve with the potato discs.

Meyer Lemon Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Maple Syrup

Ingredients:

Zest and juice from 2 meyer lemons
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1 tbsp. baking powder
2 tbsp. sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
Butter for griddle
1/4 cup maple syrup
3/4 cup blueberries

Directions:

In a small pot combine maple syrup, blueberries, and zest from 1 meyer lemon and heat over low heat. Simmer for 15 minutes. Set aside.

Combine juice from 2 meyer lemons, zest from 1 meyer lemon, ricotta, eggs, and milk into a large bowl. Combine flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt in a medium bowl. Whisk dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just combined. Heat griddle or large pan over medium heat and melt a pad of butter. When butter is melted add about 1/4 cup of batter per pancake. Cook pancake until small bubbles start to form, then flip. The pancake should be golden brown on both sides. Repeat until you run out of batter.

Cheese Fondue

When I was in Geneva a few years ago, the cheese fondue was one of my favorite and most memorable meals. I tried to recreate that experience and those flavors for Valentine's Day. This would also be a perfect dinner for watching the winter olympics.

Ingredients:

1.5 - 2 cups dry white wine
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. cornstarch
2/3 lb. gruyere, grated
1/2 lb. raclette, grated (can substitute emmental)
1-2 tsp. kirsch
Salt
Pepper
Things for dipping such as: bread, radishes, broccoli, salami, mushrooms, potatoes, etc. Blanch veggies before dipping.

Directions:

Add 1.5 cup wine, garlic, and cornstarch to a medium pot. Heat over medium-high and whisk together. When ingredients are combined, add the cheese. Whisk everything until the cheese has melted and the fondue is smooth, about 5-7 minutes. Add more wine to the fondue if it is too thick. Finish with kirsch and season to taste with salt and pepper, if desired. Serve in a fondue pot.

Rosemary Crusted Rack of Lamb

Serve with my roasted rosemary potatoes on the side.


Ingredients:

1.5 lb. rack of lamb
2 tbsp. rosemary, finely chopped
1 tbsp. dijon mustard
Zest of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil + 2 tbsp. for searing
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 400˚. Liberally salt and pepper both sides of rack of lamb. In a small bowl, mix together rosemary, dijon mustard, lemon zest, garlic, and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Set aside. Coat oven safe pan with olive oil and heat over medium high heat. When pan is hot, add rack of lamb. Sear for 2 minutes on each side, or until browned. Turn off heat and remove from pan. Using a spoon, carefully spread rosemary mixture over both sides of rack of lamb. Return to the pan. Bake in the oven for 15-25 minutes for medium rare.