Riverhead Farmers Market-inspired Valentine's Menu

SECOND COURSE: FARMERS FRENCH ONION SOUP

In a large pot, sauté 8 onions, sliced, and salt. Cover pot to sweat onions 15-20 mins. Remove lid and cook onions low and slow for up to 1 hour to caramelize. Add 1/2 cup of Sherry and cook until reduced by half. Add 4 bay leaves, a bundle of thyme and 2 quarts of Browder's Chicken Stock. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer 1 hour. Season. Pour into oven-proof bowls, top with toasted baguette slices and shredded Mecox Bay Dairy Sigit cheese. Broil until bubbly and serve paired with Saltbird Cellars Sauvignon-Blanc.

 

Ingredients

Wild rice - 1cup
Chicken Stock - 3 cups
Shallot - 1, minced
Onion - 1/2 small, minced
Clove Garlic - 1, minced
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Tarragon Sprigs - 1, chopped
Rosemary Sprigs - 1/2, stemmed and chopped
Pecans - 1/2 cups, toasted and coarsely chopped
Quails - 2
Unsalted Butter - 2 tablespoons, softened

To prepare the stuffing: Bring the rice and chicken stock to a boil over high heat; lower the heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the grains have burst and “bloomed,” 35 to 40 minutes. Drain and cool.

Heat the butter in a saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat and saute the shallot, onion, and garlic until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the chopped herbs and pecans and toss to combine. Blend with the cooked, cooled wild rice.
Season the insides of the quail with salt and pepper and stuff. Do not overstuff; fill just enough to create a natural shape. Rub the skins with a little butter.

To cook the quail: Preheat the oven to 375 F. If the quail have been refrigerated, bring them to room temperature. Roast the quail in a baking pan for 10 minutes, then baste with pan juices. Roast, basting occasionally, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the stuffing reads 160 F., about 45 to 50 minutes. If the quail become too brown while they are roasting, cover the tops loosely with foil. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes. Brush with pan juice just before serving.

 

FOURTH COURSE: CHOCOLATE SOUFFLE

 

Ingredients

3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
3 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 egg yolks
2 egg whites
2 tablespoons sugar
pinch salt
pinch cream of tartar

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Use 1 tablespoon of the butter to grease one 16-ounce or two 8-ounce ramekins. Coat the ramekins with the cocoa, tapping out the excess.
2. In a large bowl, over a pan of simmering water, melt the chocolate and remaining butter. Stir occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat and add the vanilla. Whisk in the yolks one at a time until smooth. Set aside.
3. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites with the sugar, salt, and cream of tartar until stiff (but not dry) peaks form. Gently fold the egg-white mixture into the chocolate. Spoon into the ramekins.
4. Bake until puffed and set, 40 minutes for a 16-ounce soufflé, 20 minutes for two smaller ones.