Chef Tommy Cvitanovich, DRAGO'S: OYSTER PASTA
Ingredients:
24 Louisiana oysters and their water
2 Tbsp. Bordelaise sauce (chopped garlic, parsley, and olive oil)
6-9 ounces of your favorite cream sauce or Alfredo sauce
Parmesan cheese for garnish
Romano cheese for garnish
Green onions for garnish -- thinly sliced
Add the Bordelaise sauce to skillet and saute. Add the oysters and their water. Cook the oysters until they have a puffed or have a fluffy look, about 3-5 minutes. Add the cream sauce or Alfredo sauce. Bring to a simmer and pour over angel hair pasta and serve. Garnish with Parmesan and Romano cheeses and thin-sliced green onions.
And of course, you can add additional flavor to any Louisiana Seafood recipe with a few shakes of TABASCO brand Pepper Sauce.
Three wines suggested for this dish: a 2002 Chateaude la Ragotiere; a 2003 Chablis La Chan Fleure; and a 2004 Sincerely Sauvignon Blanc.
Drago's Eggplant Souffle In Tomato-Basil Sauce
Serving Size: 2
Ingredients:
celestino drago
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
los angeles restaurant
2 tablespoon bread crumbs
7 japanese eggplants
2 eggs
1 zucchini
1 tablespoon butter
1 sweet red pepper
--tomato-basil sauce
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 md potato -- thinly sliced
1/2 tablespoon chopped onion
1/2 md onion -- thinly sliced
3 cup diced tomatoes
3 tablespoon =to1 bunch basil
4 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
salt
1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
1 tablespoon butter
salt
1 tablespoon flour
1 tomato -- seeded and peeled
Cooking Directions:
IL TIMBALLO DI MELANZANE CON PREA DI POMODORO (Drago's Eggplant Souffle in
Tomato-Basil Sauce) Peel eggplants, cut into cubes and set aside. Cut
whole zucchini into quarters. Remove centers and discard. Cut remaining
zucchini into cubes and set aside. Repeat process with pepper and set
aside.
Heat oil in saute pan, add eggplant cubes, potato, onion, basil and
oregano and season to taste with salt. Saute until golden. Add tomato and
cook approximately 10 minutes.
Pour eggplant mixture into food processor and blend until smooth. Add
Parmesan cheese, bread crumbs and eggs into processor and blend 5 seconds.
Lace 8 (6-ounce) timbals with butter. Cover bottom of cup with chopped
zucchini and pepper and fill rest of cup with processed eggplant mixture.
Cook in bain marie at 350 degrees 40 minutes.
Remove timbales from oven and let standing warm place 15 minutes.
When ready to serve, spoon small amount Tomato-Basil Sauce on individual
serving plates, then flip souffle cups onto top of each plate. Serve warm.
Makes 8 servings.
Drago serves these individual souffles as appetizers at his restaurant.
It's a wonderful use of eggplant, one of the most commonly used vegetables
in Sicily. It's essential that you use good Parmesan- the cheese is what
rounds out the flavor.
For Tomato-Basil Sauce:
Place olive oil and onion in saucepan and saute until golden. Add
tomatoes, basil and season to taste with salt. Cook 10 minutes on low
heat.
Melt butter in separate pan, add flour and mix well. Add butter- flour
mixture to tomato sauce and cook few more minutes. Remove basil leaves
from sauce and blend sauce in blender until smooth and creamy. Makes 2
cups.
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