Chef Michael Schwartz, Michael's Genuine Food & Drink, Miami, Grand Cayman, Carribean, FL, Florida, Recipes, Crab, Blue Star Crab, Crispy Polenta Fries, Spicy Kethcup, Macallan 12 Year Old Scotch Spiced Pecans, Crab Cake, Carrot Butter Sauce, Crab Calabasa Soup, Garlic Chili Crab Dip, Crab And Lychee Summer Rolls, Slow-Roasted Short Ribs With Romesco Sauce, What to cook, Recipes, Chef Recipes
What
Recipes from chef Michael Schwartz and pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink in Miami and Grand Cayman.
What
Recipes from chef Michael Schwartz and pastry chef Hedy Goldsmith of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.
Why
Chef Michael Schwartz’s commitment to fresh, simple, pure and sustainable cuisine earned him a James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef South 2010.
Macallan 12 Year Sherry Oak Spiced Pecans
Recipe courtesy of Executive Pastry Chef Hedy Goldsmith of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink and Harry’s Pizzeria
1 quart
Ingredients
- 3 oz Macallan 12 Year Old Scotch
- 1 lb pecan halves
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ tablespoon Angostura Bitters
- 1 vanilla bean (split down the middle and scrape seeds)
- 2½ tablespoons canola oil
- ¼ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place the scotch in a small pan and reduce by half over a high heat.
3. Blanch the pecans in boiling water for 3 minutes. Drain well in a strainer.
4. Place the hot nuts in a bowl with the scotch, sugar, bitters, vanilla seeds and oil.
5. Toss to completely coat. Cover with plastic wrap for 15 minutes.
6. Place nuts on a sheet pan lined with a silpat or parchment paper.
7. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes. Set your timer for 10 minutes to stir nuts. Repeat this 2 more times.
8. While the nuts are toasting, prepare the spice mixture.
9. Place all the spices in a bowl large enough to toss 1 pound of nuts.
10. Remove the nuts from oven and place them hot into the bowl of spices.
11. Toss the nuts with the spice mixture until well coated.
12. Place the nuts on a sheet pan and allow to cool.
13. Store in an airtight container. They will stay fresh for at least 1 week.
Recipes From Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink
December 20, 2011
Chef / Owner Michael Schwartz & Executive Pastry Chef Hedy Goldsmith
Photographs courtesy of Michael Schwartz
Cookbooks
- Michael’s Genuine Food: Down-to-Earth Cooking for People Who Love to Eat [buy it]
Recommendations
Chef Michael Schwartz’s recommendations on where to eat and shop in Miami, Chicago, Connecticut, and San Francisco.
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Blue Star Crab Cake with Carrot Butter Sauce
Recipe courtesy of chef Michael Schwarz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.
6 servings
Ingredients
Crab Cakes
- 1 pound Blue Star Foods super lump crabmeat, drained well, patted dry, picked over for shells
- 6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
- 1 small shallot, minced
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 2 scallions, white and green parts, chopped
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil
- Alfalfa sprouts, for garnish
Carrot Butter Sauce (yields 1 cup)
- 1 cup carrot juice
- 1 small carrot, thinly sliced
- 1 shallot, coarsely chopped
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons heavy cream
- 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
Directions
Crab Cakes
1. Put the crab in a mixing bowl and set aside.
2. Combine the butter and shallot in a small saucepan over medium heat.
3. Once the butter has melted, add the Old Bay, salt, pepper, mustard, and cayenne. Stir to combine.
4. Remove from the heat and whisk in the cream.
5. Pour the butter mixture over the crab.
6. Add the scallions.
7. Fold the ingredients together gently but thoroughly, taking care not to mash the crabmeat. The mixture will look almost runny, don’t worry, it will firm up in the fridge.
8. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight is even better.
9. When ready to cook, use your hands to form the mixture into 6 crab cakes, they should be moist and just hold together.
10. Put the crab cakes on a plate, cover with plastic and refrigerate while getting your breading station set up.
11. This allows the flavors to blend and the crab cakes to set.
12. Put the flour in a pie plate and season with salt and pepper.
13. Crack the egg into a shallow bowl, add 1 tablespoon of water, and beat with a fork until frothy.
14. Put the breadcrumbs in another shallow bowl.
15. Pour 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet and place over medium heat.
16. Working with 3 crab cakes at a time (keep remaining cakes in the refrigerator), lightly dredge both sides of the crab cakes in the seasoned flour, dip each cake into the beaten egg and then coat completely with bread crumbs.
17. Gently lay the cakes in the hot oil and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side (turning only once or they will break up).
18. Drain on paper towels.
19. Wipe out the pan with paper towels and add the remaining oil, repeat with the remaining 3 crab cakes.
Carrot Butter Sauce
1. Combine the carrot juice, carrot, and shallot in a small pot over medium-low heat; season with salt.
2. Simmer for 10 minutes until the carrot is completely soft and mushy. The liquid will reduce almost by half, not quite.
3. Pour in the cream, stir to incorporate, and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes to combine, it will look kind of like a mess, a bit grainy and separate, but not to worry.
4. Remove from the heat.
5. Whisk in the butter a few chunks at a time; the sauce will all-of-a-sudden come together.
6. Pour the carrot sauce into a blender and hold a kitchen towel over the top for safety.
7. Buzz until completely smooth and a beautiful sunset color.
Serving
To serve, pool a small amount of the carrot butter sauce on each of 6 plates, set 1 crab cake in the center, and put a pile of sprouts on top.
Crispy Polenta Fries
Recipe courtesy of chef Michael Schwarz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.
Yield
2 dozen
Ingredients
- 1 quart whole milk
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 cups yellow cornmeal (not quick cooking), medium grind
- 1 cup grated grana padano or Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black
- pepper
- Canola oil, for frying
- Spicy Ketchup (recipe below)
Directions
1) Line a 9 × 13-inch baking dish with plastic wrap, letting the excess hang
over the sides.
2) Set aside.
3) Bring the milk, 1 cup water, and the butter to a simmer over medium heat in a large pot.
4) Gradually whisk in the cornmeal in a slow steady stream.
5) Reduce the heat to medium-low and switch to a wooden spoon.
6) Cook, stirring often, until the polenta is very thick and pulls away from the sides of the pot, about 15 minutes.
7) Remove from the heat.
8) Stir in the cheese until incorporated; season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper.
9) Pour the polenta into the prepared baking dish, spreading evenly with a
rubber spatula; it should be about 1/2 inch thick.
10) Refrigerate until completely cool and firm, at least 1 hour or, even better, overnight.
11) It’s important that the polenta sets up completely and gets quite dense, so it’s easy to cut into strips, that won’t fall apart in the hot oil when you fry them.
12) Heat 3 inches of oil to 350°F in a countertop electric fryer or deep pot.
13) If you don’t have a deep-fry thermometer, a good way to test if the oil is hot enough is to stick the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick in it.
14) If bubbles circle around the end, then you’re good to go.
15) Grab the ends of the plastic wrap and lift the polenta out of the baking dish and onto a cutting board.
16) Flip the polenta over to remove the plastic.
17) Cut the polenta into thirds lengthwise and then crosswise into sticks. 18) You should wind up with 24 large Lincoln Log–like pieces, approximately 3/4 inch wide by 4 inches long . . . yes, they’re huge.
19) Put the polenta sticks in a fryer basket or spider strainer and carefully lower into the hot oil. Do this in batches to avoid overcrowding and to keep the oil temperature constant.
20) Fry the polenta sticks for 3 to 5 minutes, until they are golden brown and crispy.
21) Transfer to a paper towel-lined platter to drain.
22) Season lightly with salt while the fries are still hot.
23) Stack the polenta fries like Lincoln Logs on a large platter.
To Serve:
Serve with the spicy ketchup.
Spicy Ketchup
Recipe courtesy of chef Michael Schwarz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.
Yield
2 cups
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1/2 small onion, coarsely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups ketchup
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
1) Put a small skillet over medium heat.
2) When the pan is hot, coat with the oil.
3) Add the onion, garlic, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
4) Stir until the onion softens and starts to get a little color, about 3 minutes.
5) Scrape the vegetable mixture into a food processor.
6) Pulse until combined but not totally smooth; you want to keep the chunky texture.
7) Transfer to a bowl and add the ketchup and cilantro.
8) Mix together until well blended. Season again with salt and pepper if necessary.
Crab and Calabaza Soup with Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Recipe courtesy of chef Michael Schwarz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.
8 servings
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon melted, unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
- Pinch of salt, pepper, and sugar
- 3 scallions, finely chopped
- 2 cups white onion, diced small
- 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- 1 stick unsalted butter
- 4 cups calabaza, diced small
- 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
- 1 cup white wine
- 2, 8 ounce bottles of clam juice
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 pound Blue Star crab claw meat
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
Directions
Pumpkin Seeds
1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Pour the melted butter over the pumpkin seeds in a small bowl, tossing to uniformly coat.
3. Season with a pinch of salt, pepper, and sugar, toss gently, and transfer to a baking sheet.
4. Spread the seeds out into one even layer.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes.
6. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool, about 5 minutes.
7. Turn out the seeds onto a cutting board and roughly chop.
8. Transfer to a bowl and toss with the scallions.
Soup
1. In a medium sauce pot over medium heat, sweat the onions and garlic in the stick of butter until translucent, about 4 minutes.
2. Add the calabaza and thyme, and sauté for 5 more minutes.
3. Turn up the heat to medium-high and add the white wine.
4. Simmer until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 to 5 minutes.
5. Add the clam juice, cream, crab, sugar, and hot sauce.
6. Simmer for 15 more minutes. Remove from the heat.
7. Ladle two cups of soup into a blender and puree until smooth.
8. Transfer the puree back into the sauce pot and stir to evenly incorporate.
To Serve
Ladle soup into small, deep bowls and spoon a teaspoon of toasted pumpkin seeds into the center of each to garnish.
Garlic Chili Crab Dip
Recipe courtesy of chef Michael Schwarz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.
1 quart
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 large white onion, small dice
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pound Blue Star Foods regular lump crab meat
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons sambal
- 1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 3 scallions, minced
- Zest of 1/2 lime
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste
Directions
1. In a large pan over medium heat, add the butter, olive oil, and garlic.
2. Cook for 1 minute, and then add the onion and salt.
3. Sauté until the onions are translucent, about 7 minutes.
4. Remove from the heat and set aside.
5. In a large bowl, add the crab meat, sour cream, buttermilk, sambal, and Old Bay. Mix to combine.
6. Add the warm onion mixture and stir until fully incorporated.
7. Transfer half of the mixture to a food processor and puree.
8. Transfer the puree back to the bowl with the unprocessed half of the mixture and fold in the scallions, and lime zest until fully incorporated.
9. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
10. Serve with thick cut potato chips.
Crab and Lychee Summer Rolls
Recipe courtesy of chef Michael Schwarz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.
8 servings
Ingredients
Summer Rolls
- 1 package cellophane noodles
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- Kosher salt and freshly-cracked pepper to taste
- 16 (8 inch) rice paper rounds
- 1 head butter lettuce, leaves separated
- 1/2 cup mint leaves
- 1/2 cup basil leaves
- 1/2 cup picked cilantro
- 1 pound Blue Star Foods jumbo lump crab meat, drained well, patted dry & picked over for shells
- 1 cup shredded carrot
- 1 cup mung bean sprouts
- 1 cup fresh lychee (peeled, stone removed, and halved)
Sauce
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons water
- 4 tablespoons agave syrup
- 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
Directions
Sauce
1. Combine all ingredients in a bowl
2. Mix until combined and serve.
Summer Rolls
1. In a large bowl, cover noodles with boiling water and soak 15 minutes.
2. Drain, pat dry, and season with rice vinegar, salt and pepper.
3. Place a cloth napkin on a work surface.
4. Fill a shallow baking pan with warm water.
5. Submerge a rice paper sheet in the water for 10 seconds, and place on the towel.
6. Repeat with another rice paper and then place just below the first one, overlapping by half.
7. Arrange a piece of lettuce on the rice papers toward the bottom, leaving a 1 inch border on each side.
8. Arrange some mint leaves, basil, cilantro, an eighth of the crab meat, shredded carrot, bean sprouts, small amount of noodles, and 4 or 5 lychee halves.
9. Starting with the bottom, fold over the mixture and fold in the sides.
10. Roll it up, slightly pulling toward you to create a tight “burrito.”
11. Place on a platter and cover with a dampened paper towel.
12. Continue rolling until all 8 rolls are complete.
13. Cut each roll in half or thirds and serve on a plate with a small dish of sauce.
Slow-Roasted Short Ribs with Romesco Sauce
Recipe courtesy of chef Michael Schwarz of Michael’s Genuine Food & Drink.
4 servings
Ingredients
Short Ribs
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons ground ginger
- 2 tablespoons chili powder
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 pounds boneless beef short ribs
- 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
- 3 cups assorted mixed greens
- 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 cup Romesco Sauce (recipe follows)
- 2 tablespoons skinned hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
- 2 tablespoons whole almonds, toasted and chopped
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
Romesco Sauce (makes about 2 3/4 cups)
- 1 cup 1/2-inch cubes sourdough bread
- 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced (1 cup)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 jarred roasted red bell peppers, rinsed
- 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
- 1/4 cup skinned hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
- 1/4 cup whole almonds, toasted and chopped
Directions
Romesco Sauce
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Put the bread cubes on a baking sheet.
3. Bake until lightly toasted, about 10 minutes.
4. Put a skilled over medium heat and coat with 1 tablespoon of the oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and season with salt and pepper.
5. Cook, stirring until the onion is caramelized, about 8 minutes.
6. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temperature.
7. In a food processor, combine the red peppers with the vinegar, lemon juice, tomato paste, and garlic.
8. Process 10 to 15 seconds until smooth.
9. Add the croutons and the nuts; process another 10 to 15 seconds until thick. With the processor running slowly drizzle in the remaining 1 cup of oil until incorporated.
10. If the sauce is too thick for your liking, add water, a tablespoon at a time, and pulse a couple of times until incorporated.
11. Season the sauce with salt and pepper.
12. Refrigerate until ready to use for up to 3 to 4 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.
Short Ribs
1. In a small bowl, combine the paprika, ginger, chili powder, garlic, canola oil, and 1 tablespoon each of salt and pepper.
2. stir thoroughly to combine.
3. Rub the spice mixture all over the short ribs to evenly coat the meat.
4. Transfer the ribs to a large resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours.
5. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
6. Arrange the short ribs on a wire rack set on top of a baking pan.
7. Bake for 1.5 hours to render the fat. Remove the ribs and the rack, discard the fat, and return the ribs to the pan (without the rack.)
8. Cover with foil and bake until tender, about 1.5 hours.
9. Allow the ribs to cool to room temperature, then cover and chill completely in the fridge for at least 1 hour.
10. All of this can be knocked out a day or two in advance.
11. Preheat an outdoor grill or grill pan to medium-high heat.
12. Cut the ribs against the grain into 1-inch strips, reserving the scraps. Drizzle the ribs with olive oil.
13. Working in batches, grill the cut side of the ribs for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until nicely charred.
14. In a mixing bowl, toss the salad greens with the oil, lemon juice, and season with salt and pepper.
15. To serve, divide the ribs among 4 plates and arrange a handful of salad greens next to them.
16. Spoon the romesco sauce over the meat, sprinkle with the nuts, and garnish with lemon wedges.
MICHAEL’S GENUINE FOOD & DRINK - MIAMI
Design District
Contemporary American
130 Northeast 40th Street
Miami, FL 33137
T: 305.573.5550 (make a reservation)
Website:
HARRY’S PIZZERIA
Design District
Italian / Pizza
3918 North Miami Avenue
Miami, FL 33127
T: 786.275.4963
Website:
MICHAEL’S GENUINE FOOD & DRINK - GRAND CAYMAN
Camana Bay Town Dock
Contemporary American
47 Forum Lane, Suite 4103
Canella Court, Camana Bay
T: 345.640.6433
Website: