Sabrina Sexton

Moules Marinières - Your No-Stress, Sure-to-Impress Weeknight Dinner

ohoadmin — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 11:30:54 +0000

Moules Marinières - Your No-Stress, Sure-to-Impress Weeknight Dinner ohoadmin Tue, 08/01/2017 - 07:30 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/nick-karvounis-104500-unsplash.jpg.webp?itok=30MazGTa August 1, 2017

By Sabrina Sexton

You haven't lived until you've tried a steaming bowl of moules marinières — with ample crusty bread for soaking up every last drop of the garlicky broth. Lucky for you, Chef Sabrina Sexton shared with us her recipe for preparing this classic, French dish.

These simple mussels steamed in white wine make the perfect, easy weeknight dinner.

Moules Marinières

Servings: makes about 4 servings

Ingredients:

64 mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
16 fluid ounces dry white wine
2 ounces shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 ounce parsley, minced
2 bay leaves
3 thyme sprigs
Ground black pepper, to taste
2 ounces butter

Preparation:

Combine the white wine, shallots, garlic, parsley, bay leaves, thyme, black pepper and butter in a large, tall pot. Bring to a boil, reduce to simmer and cover. Cook for 5 minutes to infuse the flavors.
Uncover the pot, return to boil and add the mussels. Cover and cook until the mussels have opened, stirring once.
Serve in bowls and spoon a generous amount of broth into each bowl.

Ready to launch a rewarding career in the culinary arts? Click here for more information on 91��߹'s career programs.

Fish & Seafood Recipe

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Yes, You Can Fillet a Whole Fish Like a Chef — Here's How

ohoadmin — Fri, 30 Jun 2017 15:00:29 +0000

Yes, You Can Fillet a Whole Fish Like a Chef — Here's How ohoadmin Fri, 06/30/2017 - 11:00 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/jakub-kapusnak-296868-unsplash.jpg.webp?itok=qW5AgNv9 June 30, 2017

By Sabrina Sexton

Summer is the season for seafood. Whether you’re dreaming of sushi like Jiro or picturing the perfect seafood cookout, learning how to properly fillet a fish is essential. But we get why you’ve been putting it off: it’s intimidating. That’s why 91��߹ and Wüsthof teamed up to roll out a new video demonstrating the correct technique for breaking down a whole fish.

Watch as Chef Sabrina Sexton, 91��߹’s Culinary Arts program director, uses a range of Wüsthof blades to fillet a beautiful red snapper. Check out our tips below, outlining the technique, then head to your local fishmonger and make your seafood dreams a reality.

Chef Sabrina’s Guide to Filleting:

Using kitchen shears, snip off the dorsal and pectoral fins (you can see where these fins are located in the video), to prevent them from sticking to your hands (optional).
Using a fish fillet knife, start by making a 45-degree angle cut behind the skull down to the spine.
Next, make a shallow cut along the dorsal fin from head to tail.
Gliding your knife over the bones, trace a shallow cut along the belly from tail to head.
To loosen the fillet, insert your fillet knife and slice towards the tail.
Then, using your chef’s knife, remove the fillet by slicing over the surface of the spine from tail to head. While doing this, you will cut through a few small bones — don’t worry, that’s normal.
Trim away the small row of belly bones. Then use your fingertips to feel for any pin bones and carefully remove them using tweezers. Slice the fillet of fish into portions of your choosing.

Ready to take your culinary skills to the next level? Click here for more information on 91��߹’s career programs.

Fish & Seafood Recipe Tools

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How to Make Tortillas From Scratch

ohoadmin — Fri, 01 May 2015 15:54:10 +0000

How to Make Tortillas From Scratch ohoadmin Fri, 05/01/2015 - 11:54 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/photo-1524412529635-a258ed66c010_1400x680.jpeg.webp?itok=sPZdag5P May 1, 2015

By Sabrina Sexton

If you've already mastered margaritas and guacamole, why not take your Cinco de Mayo celebrations to the next level with artisanal, homemade tortillas?

You only need two ingredients and a few tools — namely, a heavy skillet or griddle (preferably cast iron) — to experience the freshly made taste of this iconic Mexican foodstuff.

Corn Tortillas

3 cups masa harina
1 ¼ cups warm water (the amount needed may vary slightly depending on air humidity and other weather conditions)
2 pieces of round plastic cut from a bag (the thick plastic of freezer bags are ideal for this purpose)

In a small bowl combine the masa harina and water. Mix well until the water is absorbed evenly and the dough forms a ball. The consistency of the dough should be soft; it should not stick to your hands. If it does, add more of masa harina. If it looks dry or crumbly, add more water. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the mixture sit for 10-15 minutes.
Preheat a griddle or heavy skillet (cast iron is great) over medium flame. Dip a clean kitchen cloth in oil and, using tongs, lightly brush the rag over the griddle to apply a small amount of oil.
Place a ball of dough (about 1 ½ inches in diameter) between the two plastic pieces, and press with your fingers to create a small patty. Using a tortilla press or the bottom of a large pan, further press the patty to form a 6-inch round tortilla.
Open the tortilla press and place the tortilla in your hand. Peel off the top plastic. If the pressed tortilla has an uneven edge, then the dough is too dry. On the other hand, if the dough doesn’t come off the plastic easily, then the dough could be a little too wet. Add some more masa harina or water to the dough and mix well to achieve desired consistency.
Place the tortilla on the griddle and cook for 45 seconds. When it appears that the edges have begun to dry out, turn over and continue to cook for 1 minute or until brown patches form. Turn over one final time and cook for another 15 seconds. When the tortilla begins to puff, tap lightly with your fingertips to allow even puffing. (The cooking time should be about 2 minutes total.) Remove the tortilla from heat and cover with a clean towel while the remaining tortillas are prepared. Serve warm.

Immerse yourself in a tour of international cuisine with an 91��߹ diploma in Culinary Arts.

Recipe Video Culinary Technique Global Cuisine

Recipe: Hand-Pulled Mozzarella

ohoadmin — Fri, 17 Jan 2014 21:53:35 +0000

Recipe: Hand-Pulled Mozzarella ohoadmin Fri, 01/17/2014 - 16:53 /sites/default/files/styles/width_1400/public/content/blog-article/header-image/mozzarella-hero.jpg.webp?itok=gnqFv4MA August 17, 2023

By Sabrina Sexton

One of the things Culinary Arts students are taught at 91��߹ is how to make hand-pulled mozzarella from scratch. The milky, soft, stretched-curd cheese from Campania is best when super fresh, ideally eaten the same day it's made — and it's easier to make than most people think.

You start by making the curd — the basis of the cheese — then gradually warm it with hot water and stretch it to develop mozzarella’s unique texture. Most restaurants buy prepared curd and simply do the stretching themselves, but if you don’t need a large amount, making the curd is easy, too.

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Mozzarella Curd

1 gallon whole milk (preferably not ultra-pasteurized)
2 teaspoons citric acid dissolved in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water
1/4 teaspoon liquid rennet diluted in 1/4 cup non-chlorinated water
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Place the milk in a large saucepan or small stock pot. Heat the milk over low heat, stirring occasionally. When the temperature reaches 55ºF, add the citric acid and mix thoroughly. Continue to heat the milk until the temperature reaches 87ºF to 89ºF. Remove from the heat.
Gently stir in the diluted rennet with an up and down motion. Allow the milk to stand until the curds form, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut the curds.
Once the curds form, reheat the milk slowly to 108ºF. Turn the heat off and let the curds stand for 20 minutes while the whey is dispelled. The whey should be clear and the curd should be sliceable.
Scoop out the curds and gently press to release the excess whey.

Mozzarella Cheese

Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 pounds

Ingredients

1 gallon water
1/2 cup salt
2 pounds (about 4 cups) mozzarella curd, cut into small pieces*

Directions

Prepare the water: Place the water and salt in a large saucepan. Heat the water until bubbles begin to appear on the surface, or an instant read thermometer registers 180ºF. Turn off the heat.
Heat the cheese curd: While the water is heating, place the cubes of cheese in a large bowl. When the water is ready, carefully pour the hot water over the cheese. Let the cheese cubes sit in the water for about 1 minute without stirring them. After 1 minute, gently stir them with a wooden spoon and look at the curd. If the cheese is heated through the curd will look smooth (like melted mozzarella) and is ready to be stretched. If the cheese curd is not completely heated through it will look grainy and still have some of the cubes. If so, it needs to sit in the hot water for another few minutes until soft.
Stretch the curd: Working quickly, before the cheese cools down too much, stretch the curd with the wooden spoon until the cheese is smooth and elastic. Lift and stretch the curd to develop a stringy texture. Be careful not to overwork the curd: this will make your cheese heavy and too chewy. As the cheese cools it will begin to stiffen and become harder to stretch. The cheese is ready to be shaped before it cools completely.
Shape the cheese: Divide the cheese into 2 or 3 pieces and wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap to help the cheese form a round shape. Place the cheese in an ice bath, if desired, to help hold its shape.
Serve the cheese immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Cheese & Dairy Recipe Culinary Arts

Recipe steps

Mozzarella Curd;
Step 1 - Place the milk in a large saucepan or small stock pot. Heat the milk over low heat, stirring occasionally;

Step 2 - When the temperature reaches 55ºF, add the citric acid and mix thoroughly. Continue to heat the milk until the temperature reaches 87ºF to 89ºF. Remove from the heat;

Step 3 - Gently stir in the diluted rennet with an up and down motion. Allow the milk to stand until the curds form, 15 to 20 minutes. Cut the curds;

Step 4 - Once the curds form, reheat the milk slowly to 108ºF. Turn the heat off and let the curds stand for 20 minutes while the whey is dispelled. The whey should be clear and the curd should be sliceable;

Step 5 - Scoop out the curds and gently press to release the excess whey;

Mozzarella Cheese;
Step 1 - Prepare the water: Place the water and salt in a large saucepan. Heat the water until bubbles begin to appear on the surface, or an instant read thermometer registers 180ºF. Turn off the heat;

Step 2 - Heat the cheese curd: While the water is heating, place the cubes of cheese in a large bowl. When the water is ready, carefully pour the hot water over the cheese. Let the cheese cubes sit in the water for about 1 minute without stirring them;

Step 3 - After 1 minute, gently stir them with a wooden spoon and look at the curd. If the cheese is heated through the curd will look smooth (like melted mozzarella) and is ready to be stretched;

Step 4 - If the cheese curd is not completely heated through it will look grainy and still have some of the cubes. If so, it needs to sit in the hot water for another few minutes until soft;

Step 5 - Stretch the curd: Working quickly, before the cheese cools down too much, stretch the curd with the wooden spoon until the cheese is smooth and elastic. Lift and stretch the curd to develop a stringy texture. Be careful not to overwork the curd: this will make your cheese heavy and too chewy. As the cheese cools it will begin to stiffen and become harder to stretch. The cheese is ready to be shaped before it cools completely;

Step 6 - Shape the cheese: Divide the cheese into 2 or 3 pieces and wrap each piece tightly in plastic wrap, twisting the ends of the plastic wrap to help the cheese form a round shape. Place the cheese in an ice bath, if desired, to help hold its shape;

Step 7 - Serve the cheese immediately or store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week;

In Season: Garlic Scapes

ohoadmin — Fri, 19 Jul 2013 19:34:40 +0000

In Season: Garlic Scapes ohoadmin Fri, 07/19/2013 - 15:34 July 19, 2013

By Sabrina Sexton

In addition to my standard share, every week my CSA offers “extras” for free. Often, these are herbs or chile peppers, but a few weeks ago they were giving away garlic scapes. The green, curling tops of garlic plants, scapes are usually trimmed off the plant in mid-summer, helping to produce a larger garlic bulb at harvest. Once destined for the compost pile, recent years have seen a growing interest in this seasonal product, and many chefs now use them in recipes as an alternative to garlic cloves.

I’ve known about garlic scapes for years, but no one I knew had used them much in their cooking. Tasting one, I found it reminded me of a cross between a scallion and traditional garlic. Crunchy, almost like a string bean, with a green, fresh garlic flavor, I immediately thought this was potentially more versatile than garlic cloves.

I experimented with the scapes over several weeks. Trimmed and cut into 2″ pieces, I used them in a stir-fry. Chopped into pea-size pieces, I mixed them with fresh corn kernels, string beans, and basil to make a modern succotash. Pureed in the blender with mustard, oil, lemon juice and scallions, they produced a flavorful vinaigrette. This was probably my favorite way to prepare the garlic scapes. Pureed with the other ingredients, the scapes made the dressing almost creamy and gave the vinaigrette a garlicky flavor, without the harsh, pungent quality raw cloves can have.

After several weeks in my refrigerator, I feared their lifespan was getting short and I decided to pickle the scapes I had left. Packed in a brine of vinegar, salt, and sugar, I now have enough scapes to make a few more batches of vinaigrette.

Garlic Scape Vinaigrette

Makes 1 cup

3 garlic scapes, tops removed and chopped
1 large scallion, trimmed and chopped
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
¼ cup lemon juice
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine the scapes, scallion, mustard and lemon juice in a blender. Puree until smooth.
While the blender is running, slowly add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.

Pickled Garlic Scapes

Makes 1 pint

12-16 garlic scapes, tops removed, stems trimmed
1 jalapeno or pinch of red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 sprigs fresh dill
1 cup water
1 cup cider vinegar
¼ cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar

Place the garlic scapes into a pint jar. Pack them tightly, curling the scapes and cutting them, if needed, to help them fit. Add the jalapeno or red pepper flakes, peppercorns, and dill.
Combine the water, cider vinegar, kosher salt and sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved.
Pour the brine over the garlic scapes, filling the jar to the top. Make sure all the scapes are submerged in the brine.
Cool and store covered in the refrigerator. They can be eaten immediately, but are best after 2-3 days of brining.

Healthy Recipe

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Recipe steps

Garlic Scape Vinaigrette;
Step 1 - Combine the scapes, scallion, mustard and lemon juice in a blender. Puree until smooth;

Step 2 - While the blender is running, slowly add the olive oil. Season with salt and pepper;

Pickled Garlic Scapes;
Step 1 - Place the garlic scapes into a pint jar. Pack them tightly, curling the scapes and cutting them, if needed, to help them fit. Add the jalapeno or red pepper flakes, peppercorns, and dill;

Step 2 - Combine the water, cider vinegar, kosher salt and sugar in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the salt and sugar are dissolved;

Step 3 - Pour the brine over the garlic scapes, filling the jar to the top. Make sure all the scapes are submerged in the brine;

Step 4 - Cool and store covered in the refrigerator. They can be eaten immediately, but are best after 2-3 days of brining;

Carving a Turkey on Live Television

ohoadmin — Wed, 21 Nov 2012 16:44:58 +0000

Carving a Turkey on Live Television ohoadmin Wed, 11/21/2012 - 11:44 November 21, 2012

By Sabrina Sexton

One of the perks of my job is that, from time to time, I get to be on TV. On Monday I appeared on "Live From The Couch" on CBS WLNY offering my tips for cooking and carving the perfect Thanksgiving turkey.

Video shoots are always fun and exciting, but live TV can be a little nerve-racking. If it’s a taped show, you usually get a "take two" (or three), but with news segments, you don't usually get that chance. Given the raised stakes, a few minutes of TV time means lots of preparation.

Here's a "behind the scenes" look at my experience at CBS on Monday morning: It was still dark out when I arrived at the studio, ingredients, and equipment in tow. The day before, I prepared two turkeys, cornbread stuffing, gravy and all the garnishes. Add in knives, platters, decorations and my chef's jacket – you’ve got a few suitcases worth of supplies to carry. As far as mental preparation, the producer and I reviewed all the questions in advance and rehearsed the segment over the phone.

Upon arrival, I'm taken straight to hair and makeup and fitted with a microphone under my jacket. I unpack my food and spend a few minutes "styling" the bird, brushing it with butter and propping it up on a platter with some strategically placed onions and herbs. Chilled overnight after cooking, the turkey is still cold and the butter – which was intended to make it look shiny - starts to harden. Given the time constraints (and lack of an oven), I attempt to warm the skin with a few backstage footlights.

I briefly consider borrowing a hair dryer to speed up the process, but suddenly it's time for the segment. During a brief commercial break, I carry the turkey into the studio and am shown where to stand. I have just enough time to meet the hosts before the director starts counting down. We gather around food, and I remind myself to smile and look at the camera. A few quick questions, an exchange of campy jokes, and it's over. I carry the turkey backstage, where – still cold - the hungry crew devours it. I clean up, we exchange thanks, and I head back to 91��߹ to teach my morning class. I have a full day ahead and won’t see the segment until later that evening (thank you DVR), but my students assure me there’s an Emmy in my future.

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