Recipes From Try This at Home by Richard Blais

TRY
THIS
AT
HOME
RICHARD BLAIS
Pur
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T
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CLARKSON POTTER
O f a ll t h e co n testa n ts o n T op Chef, R i ch a r d Bl a is was e asi ly t h e

m ost fasc i n at i n g t o wat ch . His food pays solid respect to the past while looking
fearlessly to the future. Try This at Home takes Richards years of thinking, experimenting, trying
and failing, and trying and succeeding, and brings it all home in thrilling and decidedly useful
ways. This is the fast, accessible route to looking like a genius at your next dinner.
A n t h o n y B o u r d a i n
I'v e k n o w n R i ch a r d f o r
a lo n g t i m e n o w a n d h is
c o o k i n g h as a lways been
a h u ge i nsp i r at i o n . Try This at
Home totally captures his creativity, his
talent, and his awesome sense of humor.
Se a n B r o c k
T h e m ost i n n o vat i v e ch ef
o n T op Chef, Richard Blais brings
us creative, thought-provoking recipes
for the home cook. Let him make you
look like a rock star.
R i ch a r d h as cr e ate d a b o o k t h at I
w ish I h a d w r i t ten a book that will inspire
not only professionals to look at food technique and
flavor in a different way, but that any casual cook
can work out of each and every day. For a guy whos
not even Jewish to teach me about better brisket
was a welcome miracle, and the potato chip omelet
shouldnt be dismissed as gimmickry. We make it
every week now in our house! Richards genuine
passion as a chef, innovator, and artist comes shining
through, but his influence as a father and husband
makes this book truly special. Try This at Home is a
must for anyone who enjoys cooking.
A n d r e w Z i m m er n
Grant Achatz
Ive been rooting for Richard
Blais since his first season
on T op Chef and always wondered,
Howd he do that? Now I finally have
the answers . . . and I will definitely try
these recipes at home!
Z o o ey
D esc h a n el
T h is is a c o o k b o o k f r o m a ser i o us
ch ef w h o k n o w s h o w t o m a k e f u n o f
h i m self a n d li gh ten u p t h e w h o le
pr o cess. Cooking need not be an overly
complicated, overwrought process with eighteen
ingredients and fourteen pans. Though you can try
using a good iSi siphon and a smoking gun (not that
kind of smoking gun). And occasionally some nitrous
oxide. Oh, and good ingredients, of course. Plus a
spirit of fun. You have the cookbook. Now, as your
mother would say, Go play!
T o m C o l i c c h i o
from the foreword
Some of my recipes call for liquid nitrogen.

Use caution and wear gloves, as the author
and publisher will not be responsible.
Copyright 2013 by Trail Blais, Inc.
Photographs copyright 2013 by John Lee
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Clarkson Potter/
Publishers, an imprint of the Crown Publishing Group,
a division of Random House, Inc., New York.
www.crownpublishing.com
www.clarksonpotter.com
CLARKSON POTTER is a trademark and POTTER with colophon
is a registered trademark of Random House, Inc.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
has been applied for.
ISBN 978-0-307-98527-9
eISBN 978-0-307-98528-6
Printed in China
Design by Laura Palese
Cover photographs by John Lee
10987654321
First Edition
CONTENTS
Foreword by Tom Colicchio 8
Introduction 10
My Favorite Pieces of Equipment 14
Notes on Plating 16
The Essential Spice Shelf 18
Sous Vide Cooking 101 19
a Pantry aresenal 21
waking up 57
new classics + old-school favorites 79
snacks, sides, soups + Salads 107
Pastas + impastas 141
Birds in hand 177
Fins, shells + Scales 199
Meat 233
sweetness 259
Dont Eat This 278
Acknowledgments 281
Index 282
F ore w ord b y
T om
C o l icc h io
Dont play with your food!
Eat it!
How often did we hear that refrain from our moms

while growing up?
But why not play with our food and then
eat it?
I think this is the question that greets Richard
Blais when he wakes each morning and that then
rides on his shoulder throughout the day, muttering in his ear. Its the notion that keeps him in his
notebooks and in the kitchen.
It was clear to me from my first encounters with
Richard and his food that he was a very talented
guy with a very different way of looking at food.
Like most successful chefs, he definitely marches
to his own beat and has his own style. There is a
reason Richard considers himself the Willy Wonka
of c
ooking: He has the ability to find something
fun and unusual and amusing to riff off of in a bowl
of macaroni. Hence, his successful marriage of
artistic creativity and scientific curiosity that lets him
take playing with your food to new heights, as he
wields his microplane and reimagines dishes in new,
delightfully inventive, flavorful ways.
But, like Wonka, Richards ability to find the

whimsy in food goes hand in hand with a seriousness of purpose. In his sojourns on Top Chef, he
maintained a staunch professionalism and kept his
engagement in the competition solely about the
food. I saw him push himself, and, as a result, I saw
him grow in his craft. Kids learn through playwhy
cant chefs, too?
Luckily for the rest of us, Richard didnt heed
his mom, nor does he plan to cease playing with his
food any time soon. And now, in Try This at Home,
he has managed to cleanly and clearly break down
his process so that you can have a good time trying
out some of his methods in your own kitchen. This
is a cookbook from a serious chef who knows how
to make fun of himself and lighten up the whole process. Cooking need not be an overly complicated,
overwrought process with eighteen ingredients and
fourteen pans. Though you can try using a good iSi
siphon and a smoking gun (not that kind of smoking
gun). And occasionally some nitrous oxide. Oh, and
good ingredients, of course. Plus a spirit of fun.
You have the cookbook . Now, as your

mother would say, Go play!
1 cup plain Greek

yogurt
1 cup all-natural
granola
1 teaspoon ground
tandoori spice
mix
1 cup diced fresh

fruit, such as
pineapple,
bananas, or
berries, or a
combination
cup honey
14
1 cup freeze-dried
fruit, such as
pineapple,
bananas, or
berries, or a
combination
8 small fresh
cilantro sprigs
(optional)
8 fresh basil
leaves, torn
(optional)
8 fresh mint
leaves, torn
(optional)
Serves 4
Gr eek Yo g u rt w i t h
Ta n d o o r i H o n e y &
F r eez e-D r i e d F r u i t
When we eat breakfast out, my wife always orders yogurt and invariably
shes presented with something that looks a little beige, a little white,
and a lot boring. Those sad meals were the inspiration for this dish;
I became fascinated with how I could remix breakfast yogurt to make it
interesting. Per usual, I headed to the spice rack, where I found the
tandoori spice blend.
1. Divide the yogurt among four small serving bowls.
2. Put the tandoori spices in a small dry skillet and
toast over low heat until very fragrant, 2 to 3 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add the honey. Stir well to
combine.
60
3. To serve, drizzle some warm spiced honey over

the yogurt in each bowl. Divide the granola and fresh and
freeze-dried fruit among the bowls, top each serving with
one-quarter of the cilantro, basil, and mint, if using, and
serve immediately.
2.0
Yogurt Foam
Want to make the yogurt even

lighter and frothier, to turn it
into something ethereally creamy
and elegant? Make yogurt foam.
In a medium bowl, whisk the yogurt until it
is loosened and creamy and resembles a thick
soup. If the yogurt is still very thick after whisking,
loosen it with a splash of whole milk. Transfer the
yogurt to an iSi siphon (see page14) and insert
a charge. Shake 5 or 6times, then discharge the
yogurt into four serving bowls and garnish with
the tandoori honey and fruit.
4 boneless,
skinless chicken
breast halves
(about 8 ounces
each)
Kosher salt and
freshly ground
black pepper to
taste
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon Dijon
mustard
Hot sauce, such as
Crystal, to taste
1 cup all-purpose
flour
3 tablespoons
sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon
chopped fresh
flat-leaf parsley
or 11
2 teaspoons
dried
14
Juice of 1
2 lemon
1 small white onion,

finely diced
2 tablespoons
unsalted butter,
diced
2 teaspoons chopped
fresh sage or
1 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon chopped
fresh rosemary or
1
2 teaspoon dried
cup olive oil, or
as needed
14
cup dried
currants
2 garlic cloves,
chopped
cup shelled
Pressure-Cooker
Boiled Peanuts
(page 89) or
store-bought
roasted or boiled
peanuts
12
2 tablespoons
drained capers
Fresh flat-leaf
parsley leaves
for garnish
(optional)
Fresh dill for
garnish
(optional)
Serves 4
Ch i c k en C u tle ts w i t h
B o i le d Pe a n u ts, C u r r a n ts
& B r o w n B u t ter
I have blue-collar roots; I consider myself a grinder at heart. So is a
cutlet. A fillet is upscale; a cutlet is what everyone eats for dinner.
This is one of my all-time favorite preparations for it. Its basically
Southern-style schnitzel, garnished with a little salsa of currants,
capers, boiled peanuts, and some chicken pan juice.
1. Preheat the oven to 250F. Set a cooling rack on a

baking sheet and set aside.
2. With a very sharp long knife, cut each chicken
breast half into 3 flat, thin pieces by holding the knife
horizontally and slicing the breast lengthwise on a very
sharp bias. Season the chicken lightly with salt and pepper.
3. In a pie plate, whisk the eggs, Dijon, and hot
sauce together until combined. In another pie plate or a
shallow dish, mix the flour, parsley, sage, and rosemary
until combined. Season generously with salt and pepper.
Dredge all of the chicken pieces in the seasoned flour,
188
shaking off the excess. Working with a few pieces at time,

dip the floured chicken pieces into the egg wash, let excess
drip off, and then dredge again in the flour, shaking off the
excess. Then put on a plate.
4. Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over
medium-high heat until rippling. Add half of the breaded
chicken and cook until golden, turning once, 3 to 4 minutes
per side. Transfer to the rack-lined baking sheet and keep
warm in the oven. Add more oil to the pan if necessary and
repeat with the remaining chicken.
5. Meanwhile, pour the sherry vinegar over the
currants in a small bowl.
6. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the skillet.

Add the onion and garlic to the pan and cook over medium
heat until softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Add the currant mixture
and cook, scraping the pan to remove any browned bits on
the bottom. Add the boiled peanuts and cook, stirring, until
hot. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the capers and
lemon juice. Add the butter and toss until well combined;
taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper.
7. To serve, put 3 chicken cutlets on each of four

plates and spoon the peanut-caper salsa over the top.
Garnish with parsley leaves and/or dill, if using, and serve
immediately.
birds in hand
189
1.5
Liquid-Nitrogen Milling
My friend and acclaimed Charleston chef Sean Brock

makes a great version of shrimp and grits by freezing
some shrimp in liquid nitrogen, grinding them frozen
into pieces, and folding them into hot grits. Its a
great idea, and if youre so inclined, go for it!
12 head-on large
prawns or jumbo
Black Tiger
shrimp (plus 1 for
the saucesee
below)
3 tablespoons olive
oil
2 garlic cloves,
chopped
1 tablespoon
chopped fresh
flat-leaf
parsley, plus
(optional) more
for garnish
1 teaspoon chopped
fresh sage, plus
more for garnish
For the Sauce
For the Polenta

2 cups whole milk
1 teaspoon chopped
fresh rosemary,
plus more for
garnish
1 tablespoon olive
oil
2 ounces pancetta,
finely diced
1 teaspoon finely
grated lemon zest
1 teaspoon kosher
salt
teaspoon freshly
ground black
pepper
14
2 cups PressureCooker Chicken

Stock (page 44) or
store-bought
low-sodium broth
1 large prawn or
jumbo Black Tiger
shrimp, shelled,
deveined, and
finely minced
1 teaspoon kosher
salt, or more to
taste
2 anchovies, mashed,
or 1
2 teaspoon
anchovy paste
teaspoon red
pepper flakes
12
1 cup Tomato Sauce

(page 35)
1 cup instant
polenta
3 tablespoons
unsalted butter
teaspoon white
truffle oil
(optional)
12
Kosher salt and

freshly ground
black pepper to
taste
Serves 4
Pr aw ns n P o len ta
The inspiration for this dish is shrimp n grits, which I first encountered
when I moved to Atlanta from New York. This one is a riff on the classic
with what might be deemed Yankee ingredients. I substitute prawns for the
shrimp and polenta for the grits. Sacrilege? Not if it tastes good.
1. Put the 12 prawns in a bowl or large resealable
plastic bag, add the oil, garlic, parsley, sage, rosemary,
lemon zest, salt, and pepper, and mix until well coated.
Cover, or seal the bag, and refrigerate for at least 30
minutes, and up to 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, to make the sauce: Heat the oil
in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta
and cook until just crisp, about 5 minutes. Add the minced
prawn, anchovies, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring
to break up the prawn, until the anchovies are dissolved,
2 to 3 minutes. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a
simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until
the sauce is very thick, about 20 minutes. Taste and adjust
the seasoning with salt and pepper if necessary. Keep warm
over very low heat until ready to serve.
3. To make the polenta: Bring the milk, stock, and

salt to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Whisking constantly, slowly pour in the polenta in a slow,
steady stream, then whisk until very smooth. Cook, whisking,
until the polenta begins to bubble and get very thick, 2 to
3 minutes. Stir in the butter and truffle oil, if using. Taste for
seasoning and add salt if necessary. Cover to keep warm.
4. To cook the prawns: Heat a cast-iron grill pan
over medium-high heat. Remove the prawns from the
marinade, shaking off the excess oil, and grill, turning once,
until just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
5. To serve, divide the polenta among four large plates.
Place 3 prawns on the polenta on each plate, and drizzle
the sauce over the top. Sprinkle with the chopped herbs
and serve immediately.
f i n s , s h e ll s + s c a l e s
215
Pur
chas
eacopyof
T
RYT
HI
SATHOME
atoneoft
hes
er
et
ai
l
er
s
:
CLARKSON POTTER

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TRY

O f a ll t h e co n testa n ts o n T op Chef, R i ch a r d Bl a is was e asi ly t h e

Some of my recipes call for liquid nitrogen.

Dont play with your food!

How often did we hear that refrain from our moms

But, like Wonka, Richards ability to find the

You have the cookbook . Now, as your

1 cup plain Greek

1 cup diced fresh

3. To serve, drizzle some warm spiced honey over

Want to make the yogurt even

1 small white onion,

1. Preheat the oven to 250F. Set a cooling rack on a

shaking off the excess. Working with a few pieces at time,

6. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the skillet.

7. To serve, put 3 chicken cutlets on each of four

My friend and acclaimed Charleston chef Sean Brock

For the Sauce

For the Polenta

2 cups PressureCooker Chicken

1 cup Tomato Sauce

Kosher salt and

3. To make the polenta: Bring the milk, stock, and

You might also like

Recipes From Try This at Home by Richard Blais

Uploaded by

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Recipes From Try This at Home by Richard Blais

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Copyright:

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TRY

O f a ll t h e co n testa n ts o n T op Chef, R i ch a r d Bl a is was e asi ly t h e

Some of my recipes call for liquid nitrogen.

Dont play with your food!

How often did we hear that refrain from our moms

But, like Wonka, Richards ability to find the

You have the cookbook . Now, as your

1 cup plain Greek

1 cup diced fresh

3. To serve, drizzle some warm spiced honey over

Want to make the yogurt even

1 small white onion,

1. Preheat the oven to 250F. Set a cooling rack on a

shaking off the excess. Working with a few pieces at time,

6. Drain all but 1 tablespoon of the oil from the skillet.

7. To serve, put 3 chicken cutlets on each of four

My friend and acclaimed Charleston chef Sean Brock

For the Sauce

For the Polenta

2 cups PressureCooker Chicken

1 cup Tomato Sauce

Kosher salt and

3. To make the polenta: Bring the milk, stock, and

You might also like

O f a ll t h e co n testa n ts o n T op Chef, R i ch a r d Bl a is was e asi ly t h e