Oven Roasted Veal Loin, Capsicum, Potato Roastie, with Red Currant Sauce by executive chef John Beriker of Inn Fusion at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

Chic Cuisine
The truth is we feast with our eyes before our taste buds. Even the healthiest of dishes can take on a grandiose elegance and still remain approachable. I’m not talking about edible flowers or towering stacks of artistically arranged ingredients I can’t pronounce, but real food that is fresh and never over-manipulated. Even the addition of the simplest fare such as organic fruit and herbs can prove utterly stylish with its riot of color, awakening your taste buds and providing an honest mix of wonderful textures. Any good chef will tell you that they worry a lot about the appearance of a plated dish, but it’s not a rarified skill. Preparing beautiful food is something you can do with ease. We’ve asked some local chefs to show you the way. — Maria Desiderata Montana, photography by Vincent Knakal

APRIL RECIPES

Oven Roasted Veal Loin, Capsicum, Potato Roastie, with Red Currant Sauce
by executive chef John Beriker of Inn Fusion at The Inn at Rancho Santa Fe

For the veal loin:
8 oz veal loin (cleaned)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp fresh thyme (chopped)
1 tsp fresh rosemary (chopped)
2 tbsp fresh parsley (chopped)
5 cloves garlic (chopped)
2 cups baby spinach
1/4 red bell pepper (peeled and cut in ring)
1/4 orange bell pepper (peeled and cut in ring)
1/4 green bell pepper (peeled and cut in ring)
1 Idaho potato (peeled and shredded)
1 tbsp butter

For the sauce:
1/2 cup red currant puree
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine
1/4 cup fresh red currants

Marinate the veal in herbs, garlic, and olive oil. Then grill to desired temperature. Let veal rest and cut into two pieces. Sauté the spinach with garlic and olive oil. Roast the bell peppers in the oven using herbs, garlic, and oil. For the potatoes, mix shredded potatoes and herbs, and sauté in butter. To finish the potato deep fry until outside is crispy and the inside is soft. For the sauce, caramelize the sugar, add red wine and reduce, and then add the red currant puree and reduce until nape consistency. Finish the sauce with the fresh currants.

Niman Ranch Filet Mignon Carpaccio by executive chef Wade Hageman
of Blanca Restaurant in Solana Beach

For the Caesar dressing:
3 tbsp Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated
1 tbsp chopped fresh garlic
2 tbsp whole-grain Dijon mustard
2 egg yolks
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 of an anchovy filet, rinsed
3 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 dash Tabasco sauce
3/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper

Add first eight ingredients to the bowl of a food processor and process to a paste. With the motor still running, slowly drizzle in the oils, one after the other. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and Tabasco. Cover and set aside.

For the carpaccio:
1 8-oz. filet of prime beef, cut into four pieces
12 filets of cured white anchovy, rinsed and covered in olive oil
2 tbsp capers
2 tbsp lemon zest
4 oz Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, shaved into strips
4 heads Little Gems romaine lettuce leaves, or 1 head of romaine, chopped
1 tbsp black pepper, coarsely ground
1 tsp fleur de sel

Place a piece of filet between two sheets of plastic film wrap, lightly oiled. Pound gently with the smooth side of a meat mallet, or the edge of a rolling pin, until it is a uniform circle of about 7 inches across and 1/8 inch thick. Remove plastic from carpaccio and place gently on an individual plate. Repeat with three remaining pieces of filet. With a pastry brush, paint each carpaccio with some of the oil covering the anchovies. Sprinkle each round with fleur de sel and black pepper. Distribute the capers, lemon zest, white anchovies and carpaccio equally between the four plates. Place the romaine lettuce in a medium bowl and add 4 tablespoons of the Caesar dressing. Coat the lettuce with the dressing and arrange a small mound of this salad on the center of each carpaccio. Top each carpaccio with the cheese shavings and serve immediately.

Lobster Trilogy by executive chef James Montejano of Jade Theater downtown
(recipe is for the Lobster Salad portion)

For the lobster honey pineapple dressing:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp black sesame seeds
2 tsp Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce
1/4 cup pineapple juice

Mix all ingredients until smooth. Adjust dressing by adding additional pineapple juice to make more or less viscous.

For the pickled onions:
4 oz granulated white sugar
2 red onions
1 cup rice wine vinegar
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil

Add olive oil and sliced onions to sauté pan. Sauté until softened. Add sugar and season with black pepper. Sauté until onions become translucent. Drain and cool on a sheet tray.

For the poached lobster:
1 two-pound lobster
2 whole avocados
1 ruby red grapefruit

Poach lobster for 4 minutes in boiling, salted water. Chill in refrigerator until cooled.
De-shell lobster meat (claws, knuckles, and tail). Peel and slice avocado, and cut lengthwise. Place inside a ring mold and season with salt and pepper. Add grapefruit segments and pickled onion in a stack formation.

Preparation: Mix lobster with dressing. Add snipped chives and cilantro. Top lobster at top of ring mold. Garnish with frisée and watercress, tossed with olive and sesame oil.

Serves 4

Herb and Burrata "Lasagna," Sweet Peas, Rhubarb, and Black Truffles by
executive chef Tony DiSalvo of Jack’s La Jolla

For the lasagna:
1 cup flour
3 eggs
1 tbsp olive oil
20 leaves each, dill, tarragon, and mint
olive oil
2 pieces burrata
sea salt

Knead flour, eggs, and olive oil together for five minutes until dough has become firm and silky, yet not sticky. If the dough is still sticky, dust table with 1 or 2 tablespoons of flour and continue to knead for another minute. Allow dough to rest for 30 minutes. Using a pasta roller, roll to 1/8 of an inch and cut in half. On one side, evenly distribute the herbs. On the other sheet, lightly brush with water and lay directly on top of herbs. Press firmly to make sure the two pieces of dough stick together and roll through pasta machine until 1/16 of an inch thickness is achieved. Cut sheet in to 3-inch squares and cook in boiling salted water for 1 minute. Remove from water and toss with olive oil. Cut burrata in 1/4 slices and layer with pasta sheets, seasoning the cheese with sea salt in between each layer. Each lasagna should be three layers of cheese thick.

For the pea puree:
1 cup shelled English peas
1 shallot, sliced
2 tbsp butter
2 cups chicken stock
salt

In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat and add shallot and salt. Sweat for two minutes and add chicken stock. Bring to a boil and add peas. Cook for three minutes and transfer to a blender. Puree well until smooth and return to pot. Aerate with a hand blender and spoon off froth and place in bowl with the pasta.

For the salad:
pea tendrils
rhubarb, sliced thinly_
black truffle, sliced
olive oil

Toss together the pea tendrils with rhubarb slices and olive oil. Top with sliced truffles and place salad on top of pasta.

Serves 4