Fall has arrived and we’re nearing the holiday season. It’s the time for hosting and spending time around the table together. That means comforting bites and seasonal cocktails are finally ready to be made—and the best flavors are the ones that remind you of home and bring about a sense of nostalgia. Spice things up with these carefully curated fall recipes from our chef’s kitchens across the country.
Duck Confit Jalapeño Waffle
Duck Confit
- 0.8 oz. Kosher Salt
- 0.8 oz. Granulated Sugar
- 1 tsp. Five Spice
- ¼ tsp. Ginger Powder
- ¼ tsp. Mulato Powder
- ¼ tsp. Ancho Powder
- ¼ tsp. Guajillo Powder
- 1 tsp. Onion Powder
- 1 Orange, zested
- 1 lb. Duck Legs
Directions: Blend all dry ingredients together. Pat the duck dry, pack, press and cure the duck for 1 day. Remove from cure, rinse, and confit in duck fat at 250 degrees for 3-4 hours until falling off the bone.
Jalapeño Waffle
Dry
- 1 cup Strong Baker’s Flour
- 3/4 cup Yellow Cornmeal
- 1 tbsp. Sugar
- 1 tsp. Ground Cumin
- 2/3 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 ½ tsp. Salt
Wet
- 1 ½ cups Buttermilk
- 1 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
- 1 large Egg
- 1 small Jalapeño (Brunoise)
- 2 tbsp. Cilantro (Chopped)
- 2 tbsp. Green Onion (Chopped)
- 2 tbsp. Cheddar
Directions: Mix dry ingredients together. Mix wet ingredients together. Combine wet into dry, and gently fold in egg whites to the mixture. Cook in a preheated waffle iron.
Jalapeño Marmalade
- 1 Yellow Pepper Brunoise
- 1 Red Pepper Brunoise
- 1 Jalapeño Brunoise
- ½ Red Onion Brunoise
- 1 tbsp. Vegetable Oil
- ¼ tsp Chili Flakes
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 4 oz. Sherry Vinegar
- 4 oz. Sugar (reserve 1 oz)
- 1 tsp. House Hot Sauce
- Reserved 1 cup Sugar + 3 tbsp. Pectin
Directions: Sweat the vegetables and oil first. Add the rest of the ingredients except 1 oz of sugar and pectin, simmer for 20 minutes. Add the reserved sugar and pectin put on heat until the pectin activates, a few minutes. Cool and reserve for serving.
Assembly:
- Heat up duck confit and toss with a pinch of fresh cilantro
- Blister 6 Shishito Peppers under the broiler
- Plate the waffles angled on two shishito peppers. Top with duck, and spoon the jalapeño marmalade off the side of the waffle. Garnish with slivered green onion open-faced or top with another waffle for a more sandwich experience
Szechuan Peppercorn Donut with Anise Custard
Serves 4
- 2 cups of Donut Mix
- 1 cup of Szechuan Sugar
- 2 cups of Anise Custard
- 12 Star Anise Pods
Custard
- 2 cups of Whole Milk
- 1/4 cup Pernod
- 4 Anise Pods
- 3/4 cup of Sugar
- 2 Egg Yolks
- 1 Egg
- 1/4 cup Corn Starch
- 3 tbsp. Butter
- 1 tsp. Vanilla
Directions: In a pot add the milk, Pernod and anise and half of the sugar. Bring milk to a boil. In a bowl mix together the egg yolks with the egg then and add the cornstarch and the other half of the sugar. Combine until smooth. Once the milk is hot, whisk slowly into the egg mixture. Return the combination of the two back to the pot and place over low heat and stir constantly until the mixture thickens. Once the custard is thickened remove from heat and strain through china cap. Add the butter and vanilla and mix thoroughly. Remove and store or serve immediately.
Szechuan Peppercorn Sugar
- 2 cups of Sugar
- 1/4 cup of Szechuan Peppercorns, Crushed
- 1/4 cup Water
Directions: In a pot combine the sugar and water. Stir to make a paste. Cook sugar hard crack stage (about 290 degrees/do not let it caramelize) remove from stove and add peppercorns. Immediately pour on to parchment paper and allow to cool. Once cooled break into smaller pieces and grind in robot coupe to make granulated. Use to powder the donuts.
Donuts
Directions: Prepare donut mix according to manufacture’s instructions and cook donuts in oil. Remove and drain and toss the donuts in the Szechuan sugar and arrange on a platter. Serve each with a half cup of anise custard and garnish with 3-star anise pods.
Cardamom Pear Salad
Serves 4
- 2 Bartlett Pears, Peeled/Halved/Cored
- 2 cups White Wine
- ¾ cup sugar
- 6 ea. Cardamom
- ½ tsp. Saffron Thread
- ½ tsp. White Peppercorns
- 5 oz Burrata
- ¼ cup Lemon Olive Oil
- To taste, Salt and Pepper
- ½ oz Arugula
- ½ cup Simple Vinaigrette
- 1 tbsp. Shallots
- 1 tbsp. Chives
- 8 ea. Grilled Bread
Directions: In a pot add white wine, sugar, cardamom pods, saffron and white peppercorns. Bring to a boil and add the pears. Turn the heat down and simmer until tender. Remove pears from liquid, strain and reserve for the vinaigrette. For the burrata, place cheese into via prep and add the oil and puree. Season with salt and white pepper. Remove and reserve. To plate salad, cut a pear into wedges and dress with simple vinaigrette. In a bowl, combine the arugula, vinaigrette, shallots and chives and mix. Season with salt and pepper. Arrange the grilled bread on a plate, then add burrata and pears. Finish with arugula. Drizzle remaining vinaigrette over the top of the salad and serve.
Vinaigrette
- ¼ cup Champagne Vinegar
- 2 tbsp. Lemon Juice
- 3 tbsp. Poaching Liquid from Pears
- 1 tbsp. Honey
- 1 tbsp. Dijon Mustard
- 1 cup Olive Oil
- To taste, Salt and Pepper
Directions: In a bowl, combine the vinegar, lemon juice, poaching liquid, honey and Dijon mustard. Slowly emulsify in the olive oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve.
Ginger Cakes
- 2 oz. Fresh Ginger
- ½ cup Light Molasses
- ½ cup Sugar
- ½ cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 ¼ cup Flour
- ¼ tsp Cinnamon
- ¼ tsp Black Pepper
- ½ cup Water
- 1 tsp. Baking Soda
- 1 ea. Eggs, Room Temperature
Directions: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grate fresh ginger into a bowl. Mix molasses, sugar and oil. In a separate bowl, sift flour, cinnamon, cloves and pepper. Bring water to a boil in a pan, stir in baking soda and then stir water into molasses mixture. Now stir in ginger into the molasses mixture. Gradually whisk dry ingredients, add eggs and mix until thoroughly combined. Bake in a muffin pan for 12 minutes or until a toothpick comes out dry.