Mr. Leffler will be bringing his ‘celebration food’ to the James Beard House this month
By: Pat Tanner
Chefs the world over consider it a distinct honor to cook at the James Beard House, and Walter Leffler, executive chef at the new Palace at Somerset Park, is no exception. A veteran of the Beard House, Mr. Leffler says, "It’s the equivalent of a musician being asked to play at Carnegie Hall or Alice Tully Hall."
However, when Mr. Leffler presents his five-course dinner there later this month, it will be amid somewhat reduced circumstances. Located inside the Greenwich Village townhouse that was James Beard’s home, the Beard kitchen cannot compete in size with the 9,000-square-foot beauty Mr. Leffler mans each day at the Palace, a special event complex and conference center.
The Palace sprouted last spring on 30 acres of park that had been home to a Renaissance fair each June. A $30 million Palladian mansion complete with white columns, fan-shaped windows, ornate ceilings and fireplaces, and grand staircases and balconies, The Palace is designed to accommodate social and corporate functions ranging from 12 to 860 guests.
Walter Leffler first made a name for himself and for his modern, creative and fun cuisine at the Dining Room of the Hilton Short Hills, and was most recently executive chef at the Seelbach Hilton, the official home of the Kentucky Derby in Louisville. He was lured back to New Jersey, he said in a recent interview, by the chance to reinvent banquet food as what he and the Palace’s food and beverage director, John Halligan, call "celebration food."
The menu the two will dish up at the Beard House on Sept. 27 spotlights Mr. Leffler’s typically playful style, fitting for someone who was a juggler and chef for a circus before heading off to culinary training at Johnson & Wales.
Take the dessert course, which Mr. Leffler calls "Love Potion No. 08773," a reference to the zip code for the Somerset-based Palace. For this extravaganza, warm banana-chocolate financiers will be accompanied by roasted coffee ice cream, sugar-burnt bananas and saffron-infused hot chocolate. Below is Mr. Leffler’s recipe for that last component, as well as two other of his recent creations.
Preceding the love potion will be a champagne reception with six hors d’oeuvres, among them Quail and Porcini Benedict with Truffled Hollandaise, and the following sit-down courses (with matching wines), all signature Leffler. (Note: Nanami is a type of Japanese chile powder.)
- Smoking Scallops with Foie Gras Chips and Silver Queen Corn Juice;
- The Basics of Butternut: Vol. 1-1: Butternut Soup with Nutmeg Foam, Maple Short Ribs, and Squash Butter Crostini;
- Cucumber Salad, Circa 2005: with Wasabi Crunch Tuna and Raspberry Nanami Dressing
- Rackless Lamb with Toasted Almonds, Tiny Brussels Sprouts, Blue Cheese Grits, Smoked Sea Salt, Natural Lamb Reduction, and Spearmint Oil
GINGER QUENCHER
Walter Leffler, executive chef,
The Palace at Somerset Park
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, peeled and sliced
1 quart spring water
½ cup granulated sugar
1 quart soda water or club soda
Place the peeled ginger, spring water and sugar in a pot over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Allow to simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, forming a simple syrup. Cool to room temperature. Refrigerate overnight, then strain.
To serve: Place some syrup in a glass and top with the soda water at a ratio of 1 part syrup to 3 parts soda water.
Serves 12.
PORCINI CAPPUCCINO
Walter Leffler, executive chef,
The Palace at Somerset Park
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 shallots, sliced
2 cloves garlic, mashed
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 pounds porcini mushrooms, fresh or frozen, sliced
2 cups white wine
2 cups vegetable stock
Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
2 cups skim milk, frothed
Fresh nutmeg, for garnish
- Place the oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic and "sweat" for 5 minutes. Then add the thyme and rosemary and sauté for another 3 to 4 minutes.
- Turn up the heat and add the porcini mushrooms. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes, and then deglaze the pan with the white wine. Bring the mixture to a simmer.
- Once the mixture is simmering, add the vegetable stock. Return heat to medium and reduce the liquid in the pan by one-quarter. Puree the soup and season with salt and pepper. Place in cups and serve with the frothed milk and grated nutmeg.
Serves 8.
SAFFRON HOT CHOCOLATE
Walter Leffler, Executive Chef,
The Palace at Somerset Park
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream
½ teaspoon saffron threads
2 cups shaved chocolate or chips
Mix the cream and milk together in a heavy pot and bring to a scald. Add the saffron threads and cover. Steep for 10 minutes and add the chocolate pieces. Allow the chocolate to melt while stirring occasionally.
Serves 6.
Pat Tanner can be heard each Saturday morning on "Dining Today with Pat Tanner" on MoneyTalk AM 1350 and over www.moneytalk1350.com from 9 to 10 a.m.
For more information about The Palace at Somerset Park, visit www.palacesomersetpark.com.