January 26, 2017 | Food & Drink
Super Bowl LI is right around the corner, and no viewing party is complete without a few delectable dishes. Here, we catch up with a three of LA's top chefs for their culinary tips on what to make at home while watching the New England Patriots and Atlanta Falcons battle it out on the field.
Meatball Hero
“Growing up, the meatball hero was one of my all time favorite dishes. Coming from an Italian family in New York, meatballs were inherently in our blood, so whether I’m hosting a family dinner or watching football with friends, I always make sure that the meatball hero is on the menu.”—Salvatore Aurora, partner of Happy To Serve You Hospitality Group
Recipe
Meatballs:
3 slices of bread, crusts removed, diced into ¼-inch cubes
1 cup heavy cream
1 tbsp. unsalted butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 lb. ground pork
1 lb. ground veal
2 eggs
1/3 cup shredded or grated Parmesan cheese
4 tbsp. chopped fresh marjoram (or 2 tbsp. dried marjoram)
Dash nutmeg
1 tbsp. salt
Sauce:
4 tbsp. olive oil
8 cloves garlic, chopped (about ¼ cup)
3 12-oz. cans peeled, whole plum tomatoes
2 pinches salt
4 pinches sugar
Garnish:
Italian roll
Fresh burrata
Arugula
Chopped basil
Shredded or grated Parmesan
Instructions:
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Heat the olive oil for the sauce in a 4-quart saucepan over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic; just as the garlic starts to brown around the edges, throw in the canned tomatoes. (You don’t want the garlic to burn, so have the cans open and ready to go.) Add the salt and sugar; whisk it all together. Let the sauce simmer on medium-low for 40 minutes while you prep the other ingredients. If foam rises to the top of the sauce, skim it off. That’s the acid from the tomatoes and your sauce will taste better without it. Cover the bread with the heavy cream and let it sit to absorb the liquid.
In a small sauté pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook just enough to warm it through. Remove it from the heat. Put the pork, veal, sautéed garlic, eggs, Parmesan cheese, marjoram, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl. Once the bread has absorbed the cream, add it to the other ingredients. Mix it all with your hands just until it’s well incorporated. Use an ice cream scoop to measure equal-size meatballs. (The scoops are usually 2 ounces, which is the perfect size.) After you’ve scooped out the proper portions, wet your hands to keep the meat from sticking to them, and roll the meat into balls. Bake the meatballs on a baking sheet for about 15 minutes.
Cut Italian rolls lengthwise, brush with olive oil, and lightly toast. Combine sauce and meatballs. Place three meatballs inside toasted Italian roll, smother with sauce, and garnish with fresh basil, fresh burrata, arugula, and grated Parmesan.
Vegan Chili
“One of the challenges I love the most about cooking at Erven (a plant based restaurant), is the fun I'm having making vegan food not be all about being vegan but also being delicious food for everyone, which led me to this chili recipe. This is hearty and a great dish to have at a party.”—Nick Erven
Recipe
3 red bell pepper diced
3 yellow onion diced
3 nameko mushrooms
1 large can diced tomato
1 can tomato paste
2 quarts dried black-eyed peas
2 cups chili powder
¼ cup smoked paprika
1 gallon water
Salt to taste
Instructions:
In large sauce pot, cook the bell pepper and onion with a small amount of oil until soft. Add mushrooms, black-eyed peas, tomato paste, and caned tomato. Bring to simmer. Add water, chili powder, and smoked paprika. Bring to simmer and cook until the black-eyed peas are soft. Season with salt to taste.
Macaroni and Lobster Cream
“Our Macaroni and Lobster Cream is a great dish for at-home Super Bowl viewing parties. As a Patriots fan, it features hearty New England lobster chunks accented by just the right amount of cream, cheese, and breadcrumbs. The warmth and easy-to-share ability of this dish make it the perfect Super Bowl comfort food to add to your spread."—Executive Chef Andrew Carroll
Recipe
¼ cup macaroni, par-cooked
2 tbsp. butter
1 tsp. shallot, minced
1 tsp. garlic, toasted
1 tsp. black pepper, fresh ground
½ cup lobster cream
¼ mascarpone
¼ cup lobster, chop meat
1 tsp. chives, minced
1 tbsp. toasted breadcrumbs
Lobster Stock
10 lb. lobster bodies, cleaned
2 onions, thinly sliced
2 carrots, thinly sliced
1 cup tomato paste
½ cup garlic
2 tbsp. black peppercorns
1 bottle white wine
2 gallons water
4 bay leaves
Lobster Cream
1 gallon lobster stock
1 qt. cream
1 lb. butter
¼ cup toasted garlic puree
2 tbsp. tomato paste
1 onion
Instructions:
Place a large 3-gallon sauce pot on high heat, add all ingredients and cover with 2 gallons of cold water. Place a lid on top and bring it to a boil. Once this comes to a boil, remove lid, drop down to medium heat, and let simmer for 45 minutes. Once complete, carefully strain all liquid into a separate pot and reserve.
Place large 3-gallon sauce pot over high heat, add lobster stock, and reduce by half. Once this comes to a boil, drop down to medium heat and add heavy cream, tomato paste, onion, and toasted garlic. Let cook over medium heat for 3 to 4 hours until reduced by half. After, slowly whisk in butter. Place 2 cups at a time in blender and blend on high until completely smooth and creamy.
Place a medium size nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Add butter, shallot, toasted garlic, black pepper, and lightly sauté shallots until they are cooked through for approximately 2 minutes. Add lobster cream, mascarpone, and cooked macaroni and bring to a simmer. Add chopped lobster meat to the pan and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes until dish is bubbling hot. Finish with chives. Add to serving tray and top with toasted breadcrumbs and Parmigiano cheese.
