Wondering what to make for the Super Bowl? Hot From The Kettle has recipes from two of Monclair's most talented chefs, Michael Carrino, owner of Restaurant Passionne, 77 Walnut St. Montclair, and Chef Tre Goshal from Market, 12 Church St.
The recipes are remarkably easy and can be prepared ahead of kickoff. So forget the box of frozen apps and tubs of microwave dips, and give these a try. I’m pretty sure they’ll satisfy the most discerning foodie.
Bacon and Cheese Buttery Bites
Ingredients
1 tube of crescent roll dough
1 pound cream cheese
1 pound pack of thin sliced smoked bacon
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
Tooth picks
Method
1. Allow cream cheese to soften slightly. In a small mixing bowl, season the cream cheese with salt and pepper. Roll seasoned cream cheese into small balls about the size of a large marble. Place cheese balls on non stick cookie tray and refrigerate for 20 – 30 minutes or until cheese is chilled
2. Remove from refrigerator. Wrap cheese in small pieces of the pastry dough. Cut bacon into 2 inch strips and wrap around the pastry- enclosed cheese. Use a tooth pick to hold the bacon in place.
3. Bake at 350 degrees or until bacon is cooked to your liking.
4. Variation: to make a spicy version add ½ tsp cayenne pepper and ½ tsp sugar to the cream cheese
Super Bowl Sausage Chili
Ingredients
8oz diced smoked Tasso
8 oz diced Chorizo sausage
8oz diced Andouille sausage
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 large minced onion
1 cup diced fresh tomato
1 cup chili sauce
1 tsp Mexican oregano
1 tsp cumin
4 Tbs honey
Salt and black pepper to taste
Method
1. In a large heavy bottom pot heat 2 tbs oil and add sausage.
2. When meat has begun to sweat out add onions and garlic. Sweat until aromatic.
3. Add tomato, chili sauce, oregano, cumin and honey. Bring to a simmer.
4. Adjust seasoning with salt and black pepper. Simmer for 30 minutes then allow to cool.
5. Reserve and heat when needed.
Recommendation: the chili is best when left for a day or two to allow the flavors to really macerate, and it only gets better with time
Thank you for sharing Chef Carrino! Here are Chef Ghoshal's east Indian inspired Super Bowl offerings.
Chef Tre GhoshalMalabar Crab Cake Sliders with Cilantro Lime Mayoserved alongside Spicy Sweet Potato Wedges with Pomegranate Ketchup
Crab Cake
2 lbs. jumbo lump crab meat
1 red onion small dice
3 branches celery small dice
1 red bell pepper small dice
2 cups toasted panko (japanese bread crumbs)
1 cup light mayonaise
4 T madras curry powder
1/2 t cayenne pepper
2 T kosher salt
2 T olive oil
2 T unsalted butter
canola oil for sauteing
1/2 cup of julienned raddichio
1/2 cup of julienned Napa cabbage
2 dozen mini brioche buns
Cilantro-Lime Mayo
1 cup light mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
2 tbsp. chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
Sweet Potato Wedges
5 lbs garnet yams or other sweet potato
3 tbsp light olive oil
1 tsp. smoked paprika
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. each salt and pepper, or to taste
Pomegranite Ketchup
2 cups pomegranite molasses
2 cups tomato ketchup
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
In a mixing bowl, add the ketchup and pomegranite mollasses and whisk thoroughly to combine. Pour into a serving dish and set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Begin by making the sweet potatoes. In a large mixing bowl, add oil and spices and whisk to combine. Peel and cut potatoes into 1/2 inch wedges. Toss the potatoes in the oil and spices and spread in a single layer on a baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the oven and roast the wedges for about 30 minutes or until browned on the outside and soft in the middle.
While the wedges are in the oven, make the crab cakes. Heat 1 tbsp. canola oil on medium heat. Add the diced vegetables and saute for 3-4 minutes or until translucent. Transfer to a mixing bowl and place in the refrigerator for about 20 minutes to cool.
In a seperate mixing bowl, combine the mayonaise, curry powder, salt, cayenne pepper, and whisk until incorporated. In a another mixing bowl, fold the crab meat and bread crumbs together, but do not over mix. Finally, add the chilled vegetable mixture to the crab mixture, and carefully fold in the mayonaise mixture. Using a soup spoon, portion crab mixture into 2 oz. flat patties.
Melt 1tbsp. of the butter in a large saute pan on medium-high heat and add half of the crab cake sliders. Pan sear for 1 or 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned, then transfer to a baking sheet. Melt the other tablespoon of butter and saute the remaining of the crab cakes until browned. Transfer those to the baking sheet and place in the oven for 5 or 6 minutes.
While the crab cakes are in the oven, make the aioli. Combine all the ingredients for the aioli, and whisk until well blended.
Take out the sweet potatoes and transfer to a large platter. Sprinkle with a little extra salt and pepper to taste.
Finally, assemble the sliders. Cut each bun in half, and working in batches, warm them in the oven for about a minute. Assemble half of the buns on a large seving platter and spread a little aioli on the open side. Add a large pinch of the julienned vegetables.
When the crab cakes are finished baking, take them out of the oven and add one crab cake to the partially assembled buns. Top the sliders with the remaining half of the buns. Spear each slider with a bamboo pick. Serve sliders alongside sweet potato wedges and pomegranite ketchup immediately.
