Paper Palate

In the current issue of Midwest Living, “Chefs to the Rescue” features several celebrated chefs from restaurants around the midwest, providing expert advice to readers in need of assistance in handling various domestic culinary dilemmas.

Cooking meals for guests seems to be a common problem facing many home cooks with limited time budgets. Chef Celina Tio of The American Restaurant in Kansas City, Missouri, provided some recipes that are simple and quick to make, while remaining sophisticated enough for entertaining. Her solution was to offer simple, flavorful recipes, perfect for fast-prep entertaining:

Q. Help! Company’s coming, and I work full-time. What’s something simple that seems special?

A. I would start the dinner off with an heirloom tomato salad (tomatoes from your local organic farmer, sliced thinly, laid out on the plate, seasoned lightly with salt, pepper and extra virgin olive oil.) Then serve Halibut in Summer Corn Chowder. I would finish it with a berry shortcake (summer berries tossed with a little sugar served with crème fraiche and Celin’a Sweet Corn Shortcakes).

Halibut in Summer Corn Chowder
Prep: 15 minutes Cook: 45 minutes

Ingredients:
Six 5-to-6-ounce fresh or frozen skinless halibut or salmon fillets (or steaks)
3 fresh ears corn
3 cups vegetable stock or broth
2 sprigs fresh thyme
8 to 12 fingerling potatoes or small red potatoes
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon butter
1 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon snipped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Snipped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley, optional

Thaw fish, if frozen; set aside. Cut kernels off fresh corn; set aside. In large saucepan, combine cobs, vegetable stock and 2 sprigs of thyme. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. (Add a little water if the liquid goes below about 1 cup.)

Meanwhile, wash the fingerling or small red potatoes; pat dry with paper towels. Cut the potatoes crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick slices; set aside. Strain the stock mixture; reserving cobs. When cobs are cool enough to handle, hold cob over a bowl and scrape with a sharp knife to release all the juices; discard cobs. Stir juices into the fish stock (you should have about 1 1/2 cups of the stock); set the fish stock aside.

In the same large saucepan, cook and stir potatoes, corn kernels, onion and celery over medium heat in butter for 5 minutes. Add the stock mixture, cream, thyme, 1 teaspoon parsley, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Bring to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer, uncovered, about 15 minutes or until the vegetables are tender.

Meanwhile, rinse fish; pat dry with paper towels. In a 12-inch skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season fish lightly with salt and pepper and add to skillet in a single layer. Tuck under any thin edges. Cook fish for 4 to 6 minutes per 1/2 inch of thickness or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, turning once.

Serve fish with chowder or atop chowder; sprinkle with additional parsley, if you like. Serve immediately. Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition facts per serving: 409 cal, 23 g fat, 105 mg chol, 790 mg sodium, 18 g carbo, 2 g fiber, 33 g pro.

Sweet Corn Shortcakes with Summer Berries
Prep: 30 minutes. Bake: 25 minutes. Cool: 15 minutes.

Ingredients:
4 1/2 cups assorted berries, such as blueberries, raspberries, blackberries and/or sliced strawberries
3 to 4 tablespoons sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt or 1/8 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/3 cup whole milk
Nonstick spray coating
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

In a medium bowl, stir together the berries and 3 to 4 tablespoons sugar; set aside. In a small bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add buttermilk and whole milk to flour mixture. Stir just to moisten. Place six 3-inch baking ring molds on an ungreased baking sheet. Lightly coat ring molds with cooking spray. Spoon dough into ring molds. Or, omit the ring molds. Drop dough into 12 mounds on a large ungreased baking sheet.

Bake in a 350° oven about 25 minutes for rings, or 12 to 15 minutes if using dropped dough, or until a wooden toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in ring molds for 5 minutes. Remove from molds. Cool on a wire rack about 10 minutes. Or, remove dropped shortcakes to a wire rack to cool slightly.

To serve, cut ring shortcakes in half horizontally, or if using dropped dough, use 2 mounds for each serving. Spoon half of the berries and whipped cream over bottom layers. Replace top layers. Top with remaining berries and whipped cream.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutrition facts per serving: 463 cal, 26 g fat, 83 mg chol, 269 mg sodium, 52 g carbo, 6 g pro.

Midwest Living, July-August 2006