48 Hours: 12 Litres on Spring Street

by StockJockey

Saturday, January 27, 2007 - 5:05 pm

Bal-tha-zar- a wine bottle holding 13 qt (12.3 litres)
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Editors note: Enjoying a lazy weekend contemplating your next move?

Pop a cork with Chef Red...while his bachelor’s degree might be the equivalent of a union card in NYC’s competitive rat race, we are more than impressed by his degree from the Culinary Institute of America...which is not to be confused with one of Career Education’s (CECO-NASDAQ) diploma mills.

“It’s the best culinary school in the world.”
Paul Bocuse, world-renowned French chef

Chef Red spent nearly a decade in NYC, but now logs 70 hours a week satisfying the culinary needs of Fairfield county’s big Wall Street hitters...and decamps to the city now and again to let others serve him in style.

Heading to the City for a conference? Just need to get out of the ‘burbs?

Red just made a pit stop at Balthazar Restaurant

Maybe you should too…
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It is is nice to know that some things don’t change.

On a recent Saturday afternoon in Soho, champagne and oysters were just what the doctor ordered. Balthazar was humming with the energy you would expect from Keith McNally’s Paris Bistro at 80 Spring Street.

SRO is the norm for a late lunch alongside euros and wannabes. Have a drink (or two) at the bar as you will most likely have to wait for a table as we did. Start with west coast or Malpeque oysters and you won’t be disappointed $14/half doz. Other classic appetizers are the onion soup (almost as good as mine) with a nice gruyere crust or the roasted beet salad with leeks, haricots verts & walnuts.

For entree’s try the moules frites (ask for a side of béarnaise for the frites), the steak frites, duck sheperds pie or the chicken paillard. The food is solid French bistro with bustling New York atmosphere.

It was also reassuring to experience the “food auction”...when the food runner unfamiliar with the positions of the food presents an armful of plates and calls each one out “steak frites?” and each guest responds with an enthusiastic – me! It happened at every course I thought that only still happened in the service starved CT suburbs.

Definitely worth a visit on a lazy weekend day for the champagne and the view. It’s afternoons like these that make me miss New York City the most . . . .
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Looking for a epic Super Bowl dish?

Red wine braised short ribs

6-8 short ribs

1 small Spanish onion diced
1 carrot chopped
1 stalk celery chopped
1 head garlic cut in half
12 oz red wine
2 tbsp tomato paste or 2 tomatoes chopped
12 oz beef stock (you can use canned beef broth)
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 bay leaf
2 anchovies
8 whole peppercorn
flour for dusting
3 oz butter

method
1) Season short ribs with salt and pepper, dust with flour and sauté on med high heat in enough oil to just coat sauté pan. (canola, vegetable oil or olive oil are fine)

2) Sear until golden brown on all sides

3) Set aside

4) Pour out excess oil and sauté veg until browned

5) Add tomato, garlic, wine and stock

6) Add thyme, peppercorns, bay leaf and anchovies

7) Bring to a boil and pour over short ribs

8) Cover with foil and cook in a 275 degree oven for two hours, remove foil and cook until fork tender (when you fork them the fork should pull out with no resistance)

9) Probably only another ½ hour but possibly another hour if they are large short ribs

10) Remove short ribs from broth and reduce until saucy, stir in butter and serve over meat
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In New York City....Restaurants will be barred from using most frying oils containing artificial trans fats by July 2007 and will have to eliminate the artificial trans fats from all of their foods by July 2008. Culinary Institute Blog

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The content contained in this blog represents the opinions of underthecounter. This commentary in no way constitutes a solicitation of business or investment advice. It is intended solely for the entertainment of the reader, and the author. Underthecounter has no positions in any securities mentioned .