Restaurant-style meal at home during the pandemic

Camarrow Jones-Drake is a professionally trained chef based in Dallas. She shared a suburb dining out menu for people who are dining in. 

Course 1:

Cheese Board

Ingredients:

English Sharp Cheddar

Triple Cream Brie

Boursin Garlic Herb Cheese

Sliced Apple

Dried Apricots

Salted Roasted Almonds

Chocolate Covered Almonds

Cornichons

Salami

Cherries

Water Crackers

Mini Brioche Toast

Large Basil Leaves

Course 2:

Pear Walnut Salad with Champagne Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 each D’Anjou Pear, sliced

1/3 cup Walnuts, toasted

1 each Orange, segmented

6 oz Arugula

Vinaigrette:

3 tbsp Champagne Vinegar

3 tbsp Olive Oil

3 leaves basil, chiffonade

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Preparation:

1. Combine the ingredients for the vinaigrette. Place the remaining ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing to thoroughly coat the salad. Enjoy!

Course 3:

Short Rib Ravioli with a Lobster Tarragon Cream Sauce

Braised Short Ribs:

1 ½ pounds Short Ribs

1 tbsp Salt

2 tsp pepper

2 tbsp AP flour

1 cup onion, diced

½ cup carrot, diced

½ cup celery, diced

6 oz mushrooms, sliced

3 large cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp ginger, minced

5 sprigs thyme

2 sprigs rosemary

2 bay leaves

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 cup red wine

1 ½ cup beef stock

1 ½ tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Pasta Dough:

3 1/3 cup Flour

4 whole eggs

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp water

1 tsp salt

Filling:

1 pound braised short ribs, shredded fat removed

1 ½ cup Whole milk ricotta

½ cup Parmesan, grated

1 tbsp parsley, minced

2 tsp lemon zest

Lobster Tarragon Cream Sauce:

1-2 Lobster tails

4 oz unsalted butter

4 sprigs tarragon

½ cup white wine

Juice of 1 lemon

4 oz heavy cream

1 tsp chives, thinly sliced

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Preparation:

Braised Short Ribs:

1. In a pot heat 1 tbsp oil. Season the short ribs with salt and pepper, then coat in flour. Sear the short ribs on each side then remove from pan and set aside.

2. Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes to soften the vegetables. Then add the garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Add mushrooms and cook 3 minutes more.

3. Add tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes then add the herbs, wine, stock and the seared short ribs. Bring the to a simmer, the reduce heat and cook on low for 1.5-2 hours until ribs are tender and falling off the bone.

4. Once ribs are done, remove them from the pot and set aside. Strain the solids from the liquid. Do NOT discard the liquid! Place the cooking liquid into a saucepan and skim off the layer of fat. Reduce the liquid by half to create the base sauce for the finished ravioli.

Pasta Dough:

1. Mix eggs, flour, oil, water and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer with your hands until a shaggy dough forms. Knead with dough hook until dough is smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover dough with plastic wrap and let rest at least 30 minutes.

2. Cut and roll into sheets.

Ravioli Filling:

1. Combine the ingredients in a bowl.

2. With about ½ inch space between, place 1 tbsp of filling in a row lengthwise along the pasta sheets. Brush a egg wash around the filling, then top with another sheet of pasta and press firmly around the filling to seal.

3. Cut out individual ravioli, and cook in a pot of boiling salted water for 5-7 miuntes.

Lobster Tarragon Cream Sauce:

1. Remove the lobster meat from the shell and set aside.

2. In a small sauce pot, melt butter with 2 sprigs of tarragon and the lobster shells. Cook this mixture on low heat for 7-10 minutes. Remove the shells and discard.

3. Add the lobster meat to the tarragon butter and baste until about 60 percent cooked, and remove from the butter. Slice the lobster tail and set aside.

4. In a separate pan, add the wine, lemon juice, tarragon and salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat and reduce the mixture by half. Once reduced, add the cream and taste for seasoning.

5. Right before service, add the lobster and chives to the cream sauce to cook through.

Plating:

1. Place a thin layer of the reduced braising liquid on the plate, top with the cooked ravioli and drizzle with the lobster cream sauce.

Course 4:

Lemon Ricotta Cheesecake:

Crust:

2 cups Graham cracker crumbs

¼ cup Sugar

¼ tsp salt

7 tbsp butter, melted

Filling:

12 oz cream cheese, room temp

1 cup whole milk ricotta, room temp

3 tbsp lemon curd

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 eggs

1 tbsp flour

Lemon Whipped Cream:

1 cup Heavy Cream

¼ cup Lemon Curd

Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Place a pan of water on the lower rack in the oven

Crust:

1. Combine the ingredients thoroughly. Place in the bottom of a spring form pan. Flatten then bottom crust and along the sides. Set aside.

Filling:

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle attachment, place the cream cheese, ricotta, and lemon curd and mix until light and fluffy.

2. Add the sugar and mix. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix until thoroughly combined. Lastly mix in the flour and pour into the prepared crust.

3. Place in 325 degree oven, then immediately drop oven to 300 degrees and bake for 1 hour and 10 minutes. Turn the oven off and leave the cheesecake in the oven to slowly cool for 1 hour. Place in the refrigerator for 6 or more hours the completely cool.

Whipped cream:

1. In a bowl, whip the cream and curd until soft peaks are formed.