Potato recipes from California’s No. 1 hotel restaurant

Preheat oven to 350 F. In a saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Add garlic and shallot and saute until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a simmer for 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, strain through a fine sieve and set aside. Peel the potatoes and slice into thin rounds with a Japanese mandolin. In a 4 x 6-inch baking dish, arrange two layers of potato slices, scatter with a third of the onion, thyme and Gruyere cheese. Cover with a little of the seasoned cream; repeat this three times, ending with a layer of potatoes. Cover with the rest of the cream. Cover with aluminum foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 10 minutes, or until browned on top and easily pierced with a pairing knife. Keep warm. 

Chicken stock:
Cover chicken bones with cold water and over medium heat, bring to a simmer. Strain through a colander, discarding liquid. Rinse the bones with cold water and place back in pot. Add 6 quarts water and place over medium heat. Slowly bring to a boil, skimming any fat or impurities that rise to the surface. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 hours, adding more water if needed to keep bones covered. Add the vegetables and herbs and let simmer for 1 hour more, skimming frequently. Put the stock through a fine strainer and chill.

Veal stock:
Place raw veal bones in a large pot. Cover with cold water and slowly bring to a boil over medium heat, skimming fat and impurities that rise to the surface. When the water reaches a boil, immediately drain through a colander; discard the liquid. Rinse the veal bones under cold water and return to the clean pot. Cover with 10 quarts water.

Chef's note: Keep the pot offset on the burner to cause the fat and impurities to gather on one side, making it easier to skim.

Return to medium heat, skimming frequently and bring to a bare simmer for 2 hours. Place the tomato paste in a mixing bowl and whisk hot broth into the paste until thinned to a pourable consistency. Add the paste mixture back to the stock and simmer 3 hours more, continuing to skim. Add more water if needed to keep the bones covered. Add the vegetables and herbs and simmer 1 hour more. Strain the liquid into another pot. Reserve the bones for a second veal stock. Return the pot of strained stock to a low simmer and slowly reduce by one-fourth.

Short ribs:
Preheat oven to 225 F. Thoroughly season short ribs on all sides with salt and pepper; refrigerate and allow to sit 6 hours or overnight. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet over high heat and brown the ribs on all sides, about 2 minutes on each side. Brown ribs in several batches, if needed, to avoid overcrowding the pan. Transfer ribs to a roasting pan. In the same skillet, brown the onion, carrot and celery, about 5 minutes; add to the roasting pan with the ribs. Place red wine and Madeira wine in a separate pot and bring to a boil for 5 minutes to remove the raw alcohol flavor. Pour wine, chicken stock and veal stock over the ribs. The liquid should come about three-fourths of the way up the sides of the ribs. Add the thyme and cover roasting pan with aluminum foil. Braise in oven for 6 hours on the middle rack. When done, meat will practically fall off the bone; let cool to room temperature. Strain off most of the braising liquid with a chinois into a 4-quart nonreactive pot, leaving enough liquid to keep ribs moist. Bring strained liquid to a simmer, skimming frequently until reduced by half, about 1 hour.

Horseradish Gremolata:
Pick the leaves from the Italian parsley, wash and dry. Add lemon peel and horseradish to the parsley and chop together.  

Chef's note: Prepared horseradish can be used, but reduce amount to 1 teaspoon.

Peel potatoes and then cut the russet potatoes in quarters. Cut the Yukon golds in half and then each half into quarters. Put potatoes into a medium pot and cover with cold water; add salt and bring to a boil. Immediately reduce heat to a simmer; cook until potatoes pierce easily with a paring knife, about 10 minutes. Drain potatoes into a colander and let steam for 2 minutes; run the potatoes and butter together through a potato ricer; gently fold in the warm blanched garlic. As starch content of potatoes varies, the amount of cream needed can vary. If potatoes are a little overcooked, you may need to add all the cream. Add white pepper and adjust the salt to taste.

Fingerling potatoes:
Step 1:  Preheat oven to 350 F. Run fingerling potatoes with melted butter; season generously with salt and pepper. Arrange on a sheet pan and bake for approximately 30 minutes, or until easily pierced with a paring knife. With a paring knife, cut an oval shape out of the top of potatoes; carefully hollow out the inside of the potato with a small melon baller.

Step 2:Cut peeled potatoes into quarters; place in a medium-size pot, cover with water, and add salt; bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer and cook approximately 20 minutes, or until potatoes are easily pierced with a paring knife. Strain through a colander and allow potatoes to steam dry for 2 minutes. Run the potatoes through a food mill with the cold butter, fold in the heated cream, truffle butter, salt, white pepper and chives. Transfer to a piping bag with star tip and keep warm.

Step 3:Preheat oven to 350 F. Pipe the Potato Filling into fingerling potatoes; bake until filing is lightly browned, about 12 minutes.

Creamy truffle vinaigrette:
Step 1: Place vinegar, shallots and salt in a small bowl; let sit 15 minutes. Add the black truffle puree and slowly add the canola oil in a steady stream while whisking constantly. Add the black truffle oil and freshly ground pepper.

Rack of lamb:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Four hours before cooking, generously season the lamb rack with salt and pepper, refrigerate. One hour before cooking, remove from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature, covered with plastic wrap. Heat the oil over high heat in a 14-inch skillet; add the lamb rack, bone side up. Cook until a brown crust forms on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Turn the lamb and brown each side in the same manner, about 8 to 10 minutes total, ending with the rack bone side down. Drain off oil and then add butter. When the butter is foamy, add rosemary and baste the lamb rack. Transfer to the oven for 12 minutes for medium-rare or an internal temperature of 140 F. Remove from the oven and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Lamb porcini mushroom sauce:
Pour boiling water over dried porcini mushrooms and let steep for 15 minutes; strain porcinis through a fine sieve, reserving the liquid. Heat canola oil in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat and add the shallot, garlic, and reconstituted mushrooms; saute until shallots are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved mushroom liquid and sherry; simmer until almost dry, about 15 minutes. Add the veal stock and lamb shank braising liquid; simmer for 30 minutes, skimming frequently, and then add the rosemary, simmering 1 minute more. Strain sauce through a fine sieve and add the pan-roasted porcini mushrooms and simmer for 5 minutes more; keep warm.