In a large sauté pan, sweat onion, carrot, celery, and red pepper over medium heat until soft, 2-3 minutes.
While vegetables are cooking heat a large sauté pan over high heat, season halibut with salt and pepper. Pour 2 T. vegetable oil in pan, sear halibut 2 minutes on either side. Finish Halibut in 400 degree oven until just cooked through. 3-5 minutes depending on thickness.
Add shallots and garlic to vegetables, cook a minute. Add corn and beans, deglaze with white wine, increase heat and cook until wine is reduced by half. Add chicken stock, simmer for a minute, stir in butter and herbs, season to taste. Serve halibut in bowl over succotash with broth.
Rock and Rye is known for its updated cocktail classics, fine wines and craft beers pairings, so co-owner Cassie Fellet mixed up an elixir to pair with Kolakowski’s dish. “I’m not usually a huge beer cocktail fan, but this one works really well,” said Fellet. “It’s got two local ingredients. The bright and sweet notes really play off the notes of the halibut dish.”
Honey Badger
Recipe by Cassie Fellet, co-owner and mixologist of Rock and Rye Tavern.
2 oz. white rum (we use Bank’s Five Island)
1 oz. fresh lemon juice
1 oz. Barenjager Honey Liqueur
½ oz. Tuthilltown Cassis
Serve on the rocks with a splash of Ommegang Witte.
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Local Strawberry Shortcake
Recipe by Michelle Silver, pastry chef and co-owner, and Mariela Galeano, assistant pastry chef, of Miss Lucy’s Kitchen, 90 Partition Street, Saugerties. 246-9240, www.misslucyskitchen.com.
Silver and Galeano took a break while working through the year’s first flats of strawberries from Story Farms in Catskill to share their special shortcake recipe. Instead of a biscuit, they use génoise, a light, delicate Italian sponge cake. “I keep it on the dessert menu as long we can get the berries and it sells out every night,” said Silver. (N.B.: If you make the cake at home you can also bake in a 8-or-10-inch cake pan. You will just need to adjust the cooking time longer — check for doneness with a cake tester — and slice into layers with a serrated knife.)
Yields 12 individual servings
Génoise
¼ cup butter
6 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup cake flour, sifted
Preheat oven to 350° (300° in a convection oven). For individual shortcakes, spray half-sheet pan with non-stick spray. Cover with parchment paper; spray paper.
Warm eggs over double boiler while whisking constantly. When eggs are warm to the touch, transfer to standing mixer. Beat on medium high, and add ⅔ cup sugar. Beat until light and foamy, approximately 7 minutes.
Melt butter and set aside.
Add in a third of a cup sugar and vanilla. Continue whisking until eggs have tripled in volume and can form a ribbon on top of batter when beater is lifted up. (The ribbon should be able to stay on top of batter for several seconds.)
Sprinkle flour on top of batter, ½ cup at a time. Use a balloon whisk to fold flour in gently. After flour is incorporated, drizzle melted butter evenly over the batter and fold in. Work quickly, being careful not to deflate the batter.
Pour onto half-sheet pan and bake for five minutes; turn and bake for another five minutes. Cake should have a nice light golden color and spring back from touch. When cake is cool, cut out individual cakes with a cookie cutter. We use a 3” round, but you can use any size.
Strawberries for Shortcake
3-4 quarts of fresh local berries
Wash strawberries well. Hull and cut berries in half. Depending on how sweet the berries are, toss with 1/4c. – 1/3 c. sugar. Let berries macerate for 15 min.
Whipped Cream
Pour cream in mixer and add in sugar to taste. Whip to stiff peak. Set aside.
Assemble shortcakes by placing a round of génoise in a bowl. Spoon some fruit on top, dollop with whipped cream. Top with another round of génoise, fruit, and a little more whipped cream. Enjoy!
