Elevation Restaurant at the Cascade Culinary Institute

Bend | elevationbend.com

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Bacon Beignets with Roasted Shallot Maple Vinaigrette

Makes 15-20 servings | total time: 1 hour + 6-8 hours

Bacon Beignet Batter

Ingredients:

1 cup lukewarm whole milk, warmed to 105°F

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon active dry yeast

1 1/2 cups pastry flour

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 large egg whites, room temperature

1 cup bacon cooked and finely chopped, approx. 12 slices

Oil for deep frying

Directions:

Place warm milk in a large bowl. Add sugar and yeast; whisk to dissolve sugar. Cover with a warm, damp kitchen towel and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Add flour and salt; whisk until smooth. Whisk egg whites in a medium bowl until frothy, about 1 minute. Add to batter and whisk until smooth. Fold in bacon bits. Scrape down sides of bowl, allowing batter to pool at bottom. Cover bowl with a damp towel. Let stand at room temperature until batter begins to bubble, at least 1 hour and up to 2 hours. Stir. Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill. Let batter stand at room temperature for 1 hour before using. In a deep-fryer or Dutch oven, heat 2 inches oil to 350˚F. This takes 15-20 minutes. Carefully drop by tablespoon into hot oil, flipping constantly, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain beignets on paper towels.

Roasted Shallot Maple Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 cup canola oil

8 small shallots

8 cloves garlic

4 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 cup sherry vinegar

2 tablespoons salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400˚F. In a small baking dish, combine the oil, shallots and garlic. Cover with foil and roast for 15 minutes, or until easily pierced with a fork. Strain the oil and set aside, reserving the shallot and garlic. Let cool. Squeeze shallots and garlic out from their skin. Discard skins. In a blender or food processor, combine shallots, garlic, mustard, maple syrup, vinegar and salt. Blend until smooth. With the blender or food processor running, gradually add the reserved oil in a thin stream. Season with pepper.

Nick’s Italian Café

McMinnville | nicksitaliancafe.com

Chef Eric Ferguson

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Fino in Fondo Calabria Tomato Sauce

Makes 8 servings | total time: 45 minutes

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

5 ounces Fino in Fondo Calabrese salami, cut into thin half moons

1 small yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 16-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes

1/2 cup good red wine

1 teaspoon chili flakes

1 6-inch sprig fresh oregano, leaves picked

Salt to taste

Directions:

Sauté salami in oil until it begins to render, 2-3 minutes. Add onion and garlic, sauté two minutes. Add chili and red wine; simmer to reduce wine volume by half. Add oregano leaves and tomatoes by crushing by hand straight into pan; add all juice in can as well. Simmer gently 30 minutes. Add salt to taste. Serve over favorite pasta of choice.

Olympic Provisions

Portland | olympicprovisions.com

Chef Elias Cairo

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Broccoli Rabe, Lemon Vinaigrette, Charcuterie and Egg

Makes 4 servings | total time: 30 minutes, plus 12 hours

Lemon Oil

Ingredients:

10 lemons

2 cups olive oil

Directions:

For the lemon oil, take the 10 lemons and with a microplane or fine cheese grater, grate the zest from the fruit. Combine the zest with the olive oil, cover, and allow to sit in a warm environment for 12 hours. We let ours sit overnight on a pilot light. After 12 hours, strain out the zest. Reserve oil, and set aside.

Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks, room temperature

1/3 cup lemon juice

2 tablespoons Sauvignon Blanc vinegar

1 tablespoon white wine vinegar

1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon honey

2 cups lemon oil

Directions:

Combine in a blender the yolks, juice, vinegars, Dijon and honey. Turn on medium speed, and drizzle in the lemon oil to emulsify. Add in more oil at room temperature as needed to prevent the vinaigrette from getting too thick. Season with salt and pepper, set aside.

Salad

Ingredients:

2 bunches broccoli rabe, about 20 pieces

1/2 cup pistachio nuts, toasted and crushed

1/2 cup herb mix—even amounts fresh, whole Italian parsley, tarragon, and 1″ cuts of chive

About 10 slices of your favorite charcuterie

Sunny side up cooked egg (optional)

Directions:

Bring a pot of heavily salted water to a boil. Cook the broccoli rabe in the salted water until bright green and tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove rabe from water and allow to drain on wire rack until cool. In a bowl, combine the herbs, pistachios and the cool broccoli rabe. Dress with some of the vinaigrette, and season with salt and pepper. Arrange on 4 plates very simply with the sliced charcuterie spread on top. If desired, finish with a sunny side up egg, and very good extra virgin olive oil.