1 Medium Red Tomato, whole

3 ounces Yellowtail Tuna

1/2  medium Haas Avocado, Out of Skin (sliced thin about 1/8-inch)

½ Cup Water

½ Cup + 1Tablespoon White Sugar

¼ cup Pistachios Roasted, Cracked

4 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil,

1 large Jalapeño Julienne

Lime Whole Sliced thin  (about 4 slices)

1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tablespoon Black Peppercorn Fresh Ground

1 Tablespoon Coriander Seed Fresh Ground

5 Sprigs Cilantro Fresh

2 tablespoons Salt

1 Tablespoon White Peppercorns Fresh Cracked

1 Tablespoon Maldon Salt

1 teaspoon Cumin Ground

1teaspoon Agar Agar

1.Coat Tomato with 1 teaspoon of olive oil, 1 pinch of salt and 1 pinch of cracked white peppercorns.  Place on baking sheet under broiler, turn as tomato blackens and blisters.  Place tomato in Blender, with red wine vinegar, cumin, 1 tablespoon of salt and pinch of black peppercorn.  Puree on medium speed and slowly add 3 tablespoons of Olive oil until emulsified.  Set aside

2. Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees.  Mix water, ½ cup Sugar, and pinch of coriander in a heavy bottom 1 qt saucepan, bring to boil until sugar is dissolved.  Add julienne jalapeño; blanch for 10 seconds, strain reserving liquid.  Mix 1 tablespoon of sugar and 1 teaspoon of Maldon salt in small bowl.  Toss Jalapeño in sugar salt mixture, coat evenly.  Place on Sil-pat and put in oven about 25 minutes and remove.  Set aside.   Chill the Jalapeño cooking liquid, and then mix with Agar agar, about 12 minutes.  Add sliced Limes, and Bring to boil until agar is dissolved, pour into small ramekin lined with plastic wrap and chill

3. Coat Yellowtail Tuna in Black Peppercorns, and Coriander, and 1 tsp of Maldon salt. Sear in a hot skillet about 1 minute each side.  Remove from pan.

4. Make a small tight pile of pistachio in the middle of the avocado and tomato, about 1/3rds of the way in from the plate.  Cut the jalapeño gelee into ½ inch cubes and arrange about 4 of them on the other third of the plate 3 in a triangle one on top. Place about 5 pieces of candied jalapeño on top of Gelee.

5. Arrange Hass Avocado slice on one half of plate horizontally overlapping one another Drizzle remaining olive oil over the avocado & sprinkle remaining Maldon salt.  Slice Yellowtail into ¼ thick slices and arrange over avocado. Garnish Tuna with cilantro leaves

6. Drizzle approximately 2 tablespoons of Tomato vinaigrette on other half of plate horizontally.  And Serve.

Whitney Flood

Executive Chef/Owner Bon Mélange Catering & Events

Los Angeles CA

Artichokes, Peeled, and Turned to Hearts 3 medium

Fennel Bulb Cleaned and sliced thin lengthwise 1 small
Baby Mixed Greens ½ cup
Water ½ cup
Whole Milk ½ cup
Lemon 4 thin slices, juice the rest 1 ea
Dry White Wine ¼ cup
Shallot ½ Finley Minced, ½ whole 1 ea
Extra Virgin Olive Oil 4 Tablespoons
Maldon Salt 2 Tablespoons
Anise Seed 1 Tablespoon
Fennel Seed 1 Tablespoon
Urbani Black Truffle oil 1 Tablespoon
Urbani Black Summer Truffles ¼ oz
White Peppercorn Fresh Cracked 1 teaspoon

1. Place fennel, milk anise seed, fennel seed and ½ shallot in heavy bottom 2 qt saucepan and bring to a boil, turn to a simmer and cover cook until fennel is tender. Pour into blender and puree about 2 minutes on high. Strain through Chinoise and put back into a clean pot keep warm.

2. Cut Artichokes in ½ lengthwise and place in a pot with water white wine, lemon slices, 1 tablespoon of salt and 1 tablespoon of olive oil, simmer until artichokes are just tender. Strain and cool artichokes, when cooled have the grill pre-heated to a medium high heat and sear artichokes. Set aside.

3. Place baby mixed greens in a bowl, with shallots, 1 ½ tsp Maldon salt, white peppercorns, minced shallot, about 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and 1 tablespoon of Urbani Black Truffle oil. Mix and Plate on rear 1/3 of plate.

4. Using and small immersion blender, foam up the fennel mixture, spoon about 1 tablespoon in a line down the plate starting from the middle of the salad. Place Artichokes face side up, freshly slice the Urbani Black Summer Truffles, and place on top of the Artichokes. Finish With a pinch of Maldon Salt, and drizzle of Olive oil over the top of the truffles.

Eggplant Caviar

2 Medium Italian Eggplant, Salt and Pepper, 8 Cloves Garlic,1Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil, ½ Bunch Parsley

Grilled Lamb Chops

2-8 Bone Lamb Frenched Racks

Salt and Pepper

Olive-Anchovy Toast

2 Oz Anchovy Filets

1 clove Garlic

1 thin slice lemon

1tsp Honey

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil

4 Slices Sourdough Olive Bread

Salt and Pepper

4 oz Thinly Sliced Manchego Cheese

Split the eggplant in half, lengthwise and generously sprinkle salt on the cut halves turn and place in a glass baking dish set aside for 1 hour.  After the hour drain off the liquid pat somewhat dry and make 2, 1 inch deep 1 ½ inch wide slits in the flesh of the halves and  stuff the garlic into the slits, season with fresh cracked pepper and extra virgin olive oil-place back on the grill to get some marks.  After that get a piece of foil large enough to fit all of the eggplant and wrap them tightly.  Pull some coals out to the edge and place the foil/eggplants on top.  Roast like this for about 45 minutes, turning the package so it does not burn.  When the eggplant is soft to the touch, scape out onto a cutting board discarding the skin, place about 1 cup picked washed parsley on top and chop until it looks pureed.

Start by portioning the Lamb chops into ¼’s, (8-2 bone sections).  Wrap small amount of foil over the bone so they do not char and disintegrate.  Season the lamb with salt and pepper place onto a hot spot on the grill let sit about 4-5 minutes and turn to achieve good caramelization.  Repeat on all sides, then place on cooler section of grill to finish roasting, cook to medium rare 130º internal temperature.

For the anchovy toast, in a mortar and pestle place the anchovies, garlic and lemon, beat until a paste is achieved.  Add honey, mix completely, then the extra virgin olive oil.  Slice the sourdough olive bread into 4-½” slices, season with extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper, place on hot spot of grill leave about 1 minute until marks appear, flip and repeat.  When the toast is done, immediately take it off of the grill and spread about 1 Tbsp of anchovy puree and 4-5 slices of manchego on top, cut on bias into ¼’s.

To assemble place a dollop of Eggplant “caviar” onto the center of the plate, lay the slices of toast vertically on top and place the lamb chops in front.  Enjoy!!