Ian Fleming first introduced James Bond to the world with the book, “Casino Royale,” published in 1953. The movie followed in 1967 — 50 years ago this month. Bond was one of the original foodies, setting a signature style from caviar and oysters to maki rolls and those cocktails ordered with the greatest details. So, we asked local chefs for their best ideas for celebrating the 50th anniversary of “Casino Royale.”
007 is known for his exploits in fabulous restaurants, often in Europe. In real life, local chef Gabriel Viti honed his culinary skills in some of the most storied kitchens of posh restaurants in France, Italy and Switzerland.
Viti knows seafood, and his Chilean sea bass in papillote (baked in parchment paper) would be the perfect meal for Bond. “It’s light and full of flavor,” Viti said. He’s been making it for years and it’s on the menu at Miramar, his restaurant in Highwood. “It’s moist and picks up all the taste of herbs and garlic and shallots from cooking in the parchment paper that is sealed. The artichokes are loaded with flavor and are cooked in olive oil and coriander, fresh thyme, garlic, fennel seed and white wine. The new potatoes have just the right amount of firmness to them.”
Viti warned home cooks to make sure the parchment “bag” (really a large, heart-shaped vessel made of parchment paper) is sealed well so no steam gets out. The steam is the secret to the flavor. Viti said that using aluminum foil can be easier for some than working with parchment paper.
He blanches sliced new potatoes in a little bit of salted water. “Not too thin, if they’re too thin they’ll fall apart when you go to cook your papillote. You should cook them at least halfway through.”
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Viti trims fresh artichokes by hand. The tough outer leaves are discarded, the top half is cut off, more leaves are cut away, the stem is peeled and the tough fibrous material is scooped out. “I trim down the rest of the outside because there is a lot of fiber in it and it doesn’t cook as well as the rest of the artichoke,” he said.
He gets a pan very hot to roast garlic. “You’re going to want to get a lot of color on it so that it has a lot of flavor; dark brown, you never want it black.” Then he adds generous amounts of thyme and white wine. “Let that cook for a while to burn off a little of the alcohol.”
He prepares the other vegetables and the fish and then assembles the package. He fills the papillote using a large heart-shaped piece of parchment paper. He adds the artichokes (sliced after cooled down), new potatoes, tomato and some roasted red pepper. He adds remaining ingredients before folding over the parchment paper. “Crease it all the way around, as tight as possible so that it won’t let any air out during the cooking process,” he said. He puts the papillote on a baking sheet and bakes it at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. He finishes the dish with a simple vinaigrette made with olive oil, fresh lemon juice, minced shallots, tarragon, parsley, thyme, salt and freshly ground pepper.
Viti will have specials on the sea bass papillote through the end of April.
At Oceanique in Evanston, Chef de Cuisine and Owner Mark Grosz will run a Casino Royale anniversary special through April on his Day Boat Sea Scallops with Yuzu Marmalade, Kumquats and Blood Orange. “Scallops are one of the most beautiful things that come out of the sea,” Grosz said.
He will also run an anniversary special on the perfect cocktail to toast 007: A Chartreuse Royale made from a recipe by Oceanique sommelier Andrew J. “AJ” Heindel. “We love Chartreuse,” Grosz said. “It’s just a very noble liqueur.” The cocktail is made with five ounces of Perrier-Jouet brut Champagne, 1/4 ounce of yellow Chartreuse and a Meyer lemon twist.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a 007 party without oysters, so we asked James Woodfork, executive chef at Reel Club in Oak Brook, for his best shucking pointers. At Reel Club, Blue Point, Chefs Creek and Delaware oysters are on the menu. They’re inspected daily, upon arrival at Reel Club. “If oysters are open, they are dead,” Woodfork said. He and the team open the closed oysters to see if they are meaty and moist. “If an oyster is dry or wrinkled, it is returned to the harvester or discarded. If they have a rancid pungent smell with a milky layer, then more than likely they are spoiled,” he said.
“When shucking oysters at home, do not use a regular kitchen knife,” Woodfork said. “Make sure you are opening oysters with a proper oyster knife or shucker. Protect your hand with a towel or cutting glove. Find the corner or tip of the oyster and carefully insert the tip of the shucker into the crack. Gently, with some pressure, twist the shucker until the oyster shell pops open. It may seem challenging at first, but with practice and enjoyment, it becomes easier.”
At Reel Club, oysters are served with a cocktail sauce and a “Champagne Granite,” which is a Champagne mignonette. “The name ‘mignonette’ translates literally from French and means something very small and dear,” Woodfork said. The mignonette that accompanies the oysters is made of shallots, tiny cracked black peppercorns and lemon zest. It’s pickled in Champagne and Champagne vinegar, and then frozen.
Day Boat Sea Scallops with Yuzu Marmalade, Kumquats and Blood Orange
4 ounces sauvignon blanc
Pinch of saffron
2 teaspoons shallots, minced
2 ounces unsalted butter (cold)
2 Tablespoons yuzu or orange marmalade
Pinch of pink Himalayan sea salt
Pinch of black pepper, freshly ground
12 ounces day boat sea scallops, dried
6 tablespoons virgin olive oil
2 blood oranges, segmented
12 kumquats, thinly sliced
1 bunch fresh red watercress (green is okay)
Prepare a sauce by reducing wine with saffron and a teaspoon of shallots until a syrup forms. Slowly whisk in butter over low heat; add yuzu marmalade and season with salt and pepper. Keep warm.
Season scallops with salt and pepper, to taste. Sauté in a hot non-aluminum pan with four tablespoons olive oil until golden brown on each side (about one minute on each side). Don’t overcook. Serve rare.
Make a little “salad” on each plate with some of the orange segments, kumquat slices and watercress. Place scallops over “salad.” Use a spoon to drizzle the sauce around the plate. Top with watercress. Serve immediately. Serve with a white Beaujolais wine.
Mark Grosz, Oceanique
Chilean Sea Bass in Papillote
3 artichokes
1 cup plus three tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
1 teaspoon coriander, ground
1 teaspoon fennel seeds, crushed
1/2 cup white wine
5 fresh sprigs of thyme
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Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Several large sheets of parchment paper, cut into large heart shapes
4 six-ounce portions of Chilean sea bass
1 red pepper, roasted, seeded, de-ribbed and chopped
2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
4 ounces new potatoes, sliced and blanched
4 tablespoons shallots, chopped
Tarragon, basil, parsley, and chives — 1 tablespoon each, chopped, mixed together
2/3 cup white wine
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
For the vinaigrette:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon shallots, minced
Tarragon, basil, parsley and chives — 1/4 teaspoon each, chopped, mixed together
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
In a small mixing bowl, whisk all ingredients until well blended. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
To prepare the artichokes: Soak the artichokes in cool water for 10 minutes; drain. Using a very sharp knife, remove all tough outer leaves of each artichoke, usually found around the base. Peel the stems to remove the tough fibrous material; cut off the top half of each artichoke and discard. Using a small spoon, scrape out the hairy choke in the center of each artichoke and discard. Reserve artichokes in water with lemon juice to keep from darkening.
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil to very hot. Add garlic; cook until nice and brown in color, 1 to 2 minutes. Add artichokes, coriander and fennel seed; stirring continuously to keep artichokes from becoming too brown. Add white wine; simmer for 4 to 5 minutes. Add fresh thyme sprigs, then season with salt and pepper. Add remaining olive oil; cover saucepan and continue to cook over low heat for 20 minutes.
Remove artichokes from saucepan; cool, then cut into 1/4 inch slices.
To build the papillotes: Cut parchment paper into 2 heart-shaped ovals, approximately 18 inches wide. Fold in half and crease; re-open parchment paper. Season bass portions with salt and pepper. Cut each of the artichokes into four or five large pieces. On one side of the parchment paper, layer one half of the artichokes, red peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and shallots in a small mound. Place bass portions on top of vegetables; garnish with mixed herbs. Drizzle with olive oil and white wine. Fold the other half of parchment paper over the top and tightly roll the edges together, creating a rounded, sealed bag. Repeat the same process to create the second papillote. Preheat oven to 400 degrees Place the papillotes on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes.
To serve: Place a papillote on each serving plate. At the table, cut open parchment paper with scissors, taking care not to get burned from escaping steam. Pull bag back, drizzle with vinaigrette, and serve.
Video of Gabriel Viti making Chilean Sea Bass in Papillote: http://bit.ly/2p3FZ0s.