Ode to Jean Georges Vongerichten's recipes

I am in love with Jean Georges Vongerichten...I first tasted his items when I went to Vong's Kitchen in Chicago (see blog from my younger days...)...  Then my friend Kelly had her wedding at the ShangriLa in Vancouver... I feel guilty admitting it, but what can I say...I finally gave in and went to his restaurant in Boston.  It was perhaps the best meal I've ever had in my life.  And that's saying a lot.  I love the layers and layers of flavors ...

I am still stalking his pea soup recipe...I have found a few promising leads...

http://www.starchefs.com/features/aphrodisiacs/volume_07/html/recipe_03.shtml

http://www.nytimes.com/1998/01/07/dining/sauce-to-soup-white-with-foam.html

This looks promising for the base:

http://www.food52.com/recipes/4100_spring_pea_soup_garlic_croutons_lemongrass_cream

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/parkers-split-pea-soup-recipe/index.html

I also found some of his recipes online...In case they ever get taken down, I am posting some of the recipes:

http://www.starchefs.com/JGVong/html/cookbooks.shtml

Yield: 4 servings

• One 3- to 4-pound chicken, cut up for sautéing
• 2 Tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup onions, minced
• 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
• 2-inch piece cinnamon
• A few strands of saffron or 1/2 teaspoon dried turmeric
• 2 cups chicken stock or other stock
• 2 Tablespoons peanut or neutral-flavored oil, such as canola
• 2 Tablespoons green olives, minced
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 Tablespoon cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the oven to 500°F. Place 2 tablespoons olive oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion, ginger, cinnamon, saffron or turmeric and a pinch of salt and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes. Add the stock and increase the heat to high; cook, stirring occasionally, while you prepare the chicken. When the liquid has reduced by about three-quarters and becomes syrupy, turn off the heat.

Heat the peanut or other oil in a large, preferably nonstick, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for a minute or two. Season the chicken on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the skillet, skin side down, and cook undisturbed until lightly browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side for about 2 minutes. Turn the chicken skin side down again, and place the skillet in the oven. Check it after 15 minutes, and remove the pieces as they are cooked through (the breasts will be cooked before the legs; keep them warm).

When the chicken is just about done, finish the sauce. Stir in the remaining 1 teaspoon of olive oil, the olives and some salt (not too much as the olives are salty) and pepper. Cook for about 2 minutes over medium-high heat stirring once or twice. Turn off the heat and add the lemon juice and cilantro. Remove the cinnamon stick.

To serve, arrange the chicken on 4 plates. Spoon the sauce around it, not over it, so the chicken stays crunchy.

The lemon could be omitted from this recipe, but it's a nice technique that does more than warm and sweeten the fruit.

Yield: 4 servings

• 2 lemons
• 4 heaping Tablespoons sugar
• 24 large shrimp
• 4 Tablespoons dill or fennel fronds, freshly snipped
• 1 Tablespoon garlic, minced
• 3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Preheat the grill. Alternatively, you can bake the lemons, then broil the shrimp in the same oven.

Cut the pointed tips from the lemons, just enough so they'll sit flat. Cut the lemons in half, then place them, flesh sides up, in a baking pan; sprinkle with sugar. Bake for about 10 minutes, until the sugar melts and the pulp is soft.

Meanwhile, peel the shrimp: slice each one almost in half through their fronts to make a hinged shrimp that looks like this: )(. Mince the dill and sprinkle it over the insides of the shrimp. Close the shrimp.

Mix the garlic and oil. Brush on the shrimp, then sprinkle with salt and a pinch of cayenne.

Grill or broil the shrimp until done, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Serve with the baked lemons, squeezing some of the lemon juice over the shrimp.

Sauce:

• 1 carrot, julienned
• 1 apple, julienned
• 2 Tablespoons butter
• 1 Tablespoon of mixed curry (red, yellow, green)
• 1/2 cup white port
• 1 stalk lemongrass
• 1 lime leaf
• 1 Tablespoon turmeric powder
• 1 cup whipped cream
• Coriander, chopped
• Salt

Cut blanched lobster in two. Cut bok choy in slices, reserve.
In a shallow pan, add butter, carrot and apple, curries, lemongrass. Sweat for 2 minutes. Deglaze with white port. Reduce by 3/4. Add turmeric powder. Finish sauce with whipped cream. Season with salt. Sauté lobster and bok choy. Arrange and serve with sauce and coriander.

Yield: 4 servings

Broth Base

• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 chile, chopped
• 2 slices galangal or ginger
• 1 lemongrass stalk, cut into 2-inch sticks and smashed
• 1 teaspoon red thai curry paste
• 2 Tablespoons peanut oil
• 4 cups chicken broth

Garnish 

• 2 cups coconut milk
• Fish sauce (nampla) to taste (available at Asian specialty markets)
• 2 Tablespoons lime juice
• 2 pieces scallion, sliced
• 4 sprigs coriander
• 2 raw chicken breasts, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• 12 shiitake caps, cut into strips

Sweat the onions, garlic, chile, galangal, lemongrass and curry paste in peanut oil for 5 minutes. Add chicken broth and simmer for 1/2 hour

At the last minute, add coconut milk, chicken breast, shiitakes. Season with nampla and lime juice. Cook 2 minutes. Divide into 4 bowls. Garnish with scallions and coriander springs. Serve with steamed jasmine rice.