Cook like your favorite chefs

Monday, April 20, 2015 | 2 a.m.

Thousands of locals and visitors will fill their bellies this week at Uncork’d, Las Vegas’ premier dining event, where local restaurateurs, celebrity chefs, and up-and-coming cooks and mixologists show off their best creations.

The four-day festival includes dozens of events that will showcase world-class cooking techniques and creations.

The Sunday went behind the scenes to learn the best tips of the trade from the master chefs who will have their eats on display.

Learn how to shop like a Michelin-rated chef, discover what inspires the cooks you see on television and try the recipes that set Las Vegas apart as a foodie destination.

• Francois Payard

  

  Erik Kabik/Retna/ErikKabik.com

  The 2011 Vegas Uncork'd Masters' Series Dinners at Caesars Palace on May 5, 2011, with Francois Payard, Bradley Ogden, Guy Savoy, Mathieu Chartron and Rao's.

  Chef and owner, Payard Patisserie & Bistro at Caesars Palace

  What item in your kitchen could you not live without?

  My drain board. It’s not just a regular drain board, because you can put plates and silverware on it and fit almost anything. It also has a drain that leads back into the sink so there isn’t water everywhere on the counter. It’s important that my kitchen is clean and organized.

  A cooking tip

  My wife showed me a technique of how to make soup without actually having to cook the vegetables. You pour hot water over the vegetables and let them sit for about an hour in the water. I find the result almost the same. I can puree them to make a beautiful and flavorful soup.

  What’s your favorite spice?

  I always have two or three different kinds of pepper with which to season my dishes. I also love fleur de sel.

• Royden Ellamar

  

  Sensi executive chef Royden Ellamar

  Executive chef, Sensi at Bellagio

  What is your favorite kitchen tool?

  A variable speed Vita-Prep blender. It is the best blender ever. Nothing compares to it — seriously. Nothing makes a better puree, soup, salad dressing or frozen cocktail.

  A cooking tip

  Mise en place literally means “everything in its place” but refers to having everything organized and ready to execute with speed and precision. Having your kitchen set up for maximum efficiency and having all of your ingredients measured and laid out before you start a recipe will make the whole process a real joy. Cleaning as you work and keeping your area tidy also makes for easier end-of-the-meal cleanup.

  Shopping tips for home cooks

  • Shop at a farmers market as much as possible.

  • Buy food and produce that are in season for maximum flavor and freshness.

  • Write your shopping list in order from least to most perishable. Shop in that order. The last items you should put in your cart should be the most temperature sensitive — for example, chicken, dairy, fish.

  • Keep reusable freezer packs in your freezer at home and take a cooler with you to the store. Fill the cooler with the freezer packs before you leave the house and put your temperature-sensitive food items in the cooler for the ride home.

  What’s the most essential ingredient in your pantry?

  Vietnamese fish sauce. It’s the combination of salted and fermented anchovies. I use it to add an intangible savoriness to dishes. A little goes a long way. I love making a vinaigrette with soy sauce, lime juice, fish sauce, chilies, maybe some garlic and ginger, then marinating tomatoes in it. I drizzle that over a grilled steak or pork chop or chicken or tuna — or a shoe! Whatever it goes on will drop flavor bombs.

• Mary Sue Milliken

  

  Mary Sue Milliken, co-chef and co-owner of Border Grill

  Co-chef and co-owner of Border Grill at Caesars Palace

  What is your most memorable Vegas experience?

  Eating oysters on a patio with Alain Ducasse during Vegas Uncork’d a few years ago. He’s an incredible chef and inspiration.

  What is your favorite pairing?

  I love an icy-cold IPA with fresh handmade tortillas, spicy salsa diablo, crispy carnitas — and guacamole, of course.

• Ho Chee Boon

  International development chef, Hakkasan

  What’s your favorite ingredient?

  If I have to pick one I love the most, I’d say garlic. I like to add garlic to enhance the flavor of a dish.

  What is your favorite restaurant in Las Vegas, besides your own?

  Joël Robuchon in MGM Grand

  What is your most memorable Vegas experience?

  Surprisingly, my best experience has nothing to do with food. The most memorable Las Vegas experience for me was watching Celine Dion in concert at the Colosseum. I’m such a big fan of hers, and I’m so glad I got to see her live in person.

Maine lobster ravioli with spring fava beans, Michigan ramps and fennel-infused lobster reduction

Recipe provided by Sage at Aria

INGREDIENTS

Pasta dough

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup semolina

1 cup egg yolks



Lobster filling

2 tbsp shallot, minced

6 oz lobster, raw

(reserve the shells and bodies)

1 egg white

3 oz heavy cream

Kosher salt, to taste

2 oz mascarpone

1 lb par-cooked lobster, diced into 1/4-inch pieces (reserve the shells)

Lemon juice, to taste



Lobster sauce

Reserved lobster shells and bodies, gills removed

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion, rough chop

1 fennel bulb, rough chop

1 garlic, peeled

5 celery stalks, rough chop

1 leek, rough chop

6 sprigs of thyme

6 sprigs of tarragon

2 cups white wine

2 cups Pernod

16 cups water

1 tbsp peppercorns

1 tbsp fennel seed

1 tbsp coriander cream

2 tbsp butter

2 lemons

1 tsp tarragon



TOPPINGS

1 cup blanched fava beans

1/2 cup ramp bulbs, cleaned and quartered with leaves removed

Julienned ramp leaves

Fennel fronds

DIRECTIONS

Pasta dough

1. Place all the ingredients in a 6-quart mixing bowl fitted with a dough hook. Process on low speed until combined, then let run 3 additional minutes. Remove, cover and let rest refrigerated for at least 1 hour.



Lobster filling

1. Sweat the shallot in oil over medium-low heat until soft. Set aside and chill.

2. Combine the shallot, egg white and lobster meat in a food processor. Blend until almost smooth, then drizzle in the cream until the mixture is emulsified. Season with salt.

3. Place the mixture in a large bowl and fold with mascarpone and chopped lobster meat. Season with salt, pepper and lemon juice. Set aside and chill.



Ravioli

1. Using a pasta roller, roll out thin sheets of pasta dough.

2. Using a ravioli mold, place the lobster filling into the center of each ravioli and seal with egg wash. Place on a tray lightly dusted with semolina and keep cold or freeze.



Lobster sauce

1. Roast lobster shells in a pot with olive oil until they are bright red. Add all the chopped vegetables, herbs and spices. Sweat vegetables until soft. Deglaze with white wine and Pernod. Add water and let simmer for 2 hours. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. 2. Combine lobster stock and cream and reduce by half. Season to taste with salt and lemon juice. Whisk in butter and chopped tarragon. Set aside, but keep warm.



TO SERVE

1. Blanch ravioli in salted water until desired texture, about 3 to 5 minutes. Strain and place 6-8 raviolis onto warm serving plates.

2. Cover with warm lobster sauce. Top with warm fava beans, ramp bulbs and ramp leaves.

Garnish with fennel fronds.

Roasted Chilean sea bass with Chinese honey

Recipe provided by Hakkasan at MGM Grand

INGREDIENTS

Chilean sea bass fillet

Shimeji mushroom

Chinese broccoli

Chervil or parsley



Batter

5 tsp wheat flour

1 tsp rice flour

1 tsp potato flour

3 tsp egg white

1/2 tsp oil

Pinch of salt



Sauce

1 tsp fermented

red bean curd

2 tsp sugar

2 1/2 tsp soy sauce

3/4 tsp ginger, chopped

3/4 tsp shallot, chopped

3 tsp tomato sauce

2 tsp Chinese honey

4 tsp hoisin sauce

DIRECTIONS

1. Mix the sauce ingredients together and put aside.

2. Cut the sea bass fillet in half and dab with a paper towel

to absorb moisture from the fish.

3. Marinate the fillets in the sauce, letting them sit for 4 hours.

4. Grill the fillets in a broiler with the skin up for 6 minutes, then flip and grill for another 6 minutes.

5. Cover the mushrooms in batter and deep-fry them until they are crispy.

6. Stir-fry the Chinese broccoli with salt and arrange on a plate. Place the fish on top and garnish with the mushrooms and chervil.

*Amounts are for a single portion. Multiply by four or more to feed your family or friends.

Fried oysters on the half shell with yuzu remoulade

Recipe provided by Sensi at Bellagio

INGREDIENTS

Oysters

1 dozen medium to large oysters

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 tsp Tabasco sauce

1/4 tsp espelette chili

1/4 tsp lemon zest

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup instant polenta

Salt, to taste

Canola oil



Yuzu remoulade

1 tsp Dijon mustard

2 eggs

1 tbsp yuzu juice

1 cup grapeseed oil

1/4 tsp Tabasco sauce

1 tsp lemon zest

2 tsp parsley

2 tsp chives

2 tsp shallots, rinsed and chopped

Salt, to taste

Fresh ground pepper, to taste



Directions for remoulade

1. Combine eggs, mustard and yuzu juice in a food processor.

With the motor running, slowly stream in the oil. Remove and place in a bowl.

2. Fold in the rest of the ingredients. Taste, and season with salt and pepper.

DIRECTIONS

1. Shuck the oysters into a bowl. Keep them in the fridge until you’re ready to use them. Save the bottom cupped shells.

2. Wash the shells and dry them in a warm oven for a few minutes.

3. Strain the oysters and reserve the liquor for the remoulade.

4. Whisk together the buttermilk, Tabasco, espelette chili, lemon zest and garlic powder.

5. Add the oysters to the mixture and place back in fridge until ready to use, up to 1 hour.

6. Heat the canola oil in a deep fryer or a tall-sided pot to 375 degrees.

7. Combine the flour, polenta and salt. Mix well in a large bowl.

8. Strain the oysters and discard the buttermilk mixture.

Toss the oysters in the flour mixture.

9. Shake off the excess flour, transfer the oysters to a plate and return them to fridge for 20 minutes.

10. Once the oil is ready and the oysters have chilled, fry them until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Drain them on paper towels.

11. Place the oysters back in the half shells. If desired, place on a bed of shredded cabbage, lettuce, herbs or seaweed. Serve the remoulade in a hollowed lemon, lime or any other citrus fruit.

12. Eat the oysters as quickly as possible after frying, and enjoy.

Uncle Vincent’s lemon chicken

Recipe provided by Rao’s at Caesars Palace

INGREDIENTS

Chicken

Two 2 1/2 - 3 lb broiling chickens, halved

Lemon sauce

1/4 cup flat-leaf parsley, chopped



Lemon sauce

2 cups fresh lemon juice

1 cup olive oil

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

1 1/2 tsp minced garlic

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Salt and pepper, to taste

DIRECTIONS

1. Whisk together the lemon juice, oil, red wine vinegar, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Whisk or shake vigorously before using.

2. Preheat your broiler at least 15 minutes before using. Broil the chicken halves, turning them once, for about 30 minutes or until the skin is golden brown and the juices run clear when the bird is pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken from the broiler, leaving the broiler on.

3. Using a very sharp knife, cut each half into about six pieces (leg, thigh, wing and three small breast pieces). Place the chicken on a baking sheet with sides that will fit in the broiler.

4. Pour the lemon sauce over the chicken and toss to coat well. If necessary, divide the sauce in half and do this in two batches.

5. Return the chicken to the broiler and broil for 3 minutes. Turn each piece and broil for an additional minute. Remove the baking sheet from the broiler and portion the chicken onto six warm serving plates.

6. Pour the sauce into a heavy saucepan. Stir in the parsley and place over high heat for 1 minute.

7. Pour an equal amount of sauce over each portion of chicken and serve with lots of crusty bread to absorb the sauce.

The fried oysters on the half shell recipe was provided by Sensi at Bellagio. The article originally credited Hakkasan at MGM Grand.