One of the most fabulous aspects of my job (and there are many), is that I have the opportunity to work with a number of Columbus’ wonderful chefs, and better yet, to taste their culinary creations! This week it was my pleasure to work with Chef Matt Prokopchak from Trattoria Roma:

We have a little fun around here teasing Matt about his age as he looks so young (and is barely 30), but there is no question of his talent in the kitchen. This was the fourth Chef Series Class taught by Matt and his students are never disappointed. He started off with a fun theme of “appetizers you can make with what’s left in your kitchen.” I won’t speak for you, but what’s lying around our chef’s kitchen is probably a wee bit more exciting than what’s in mine. Matt created a couple of canapes to start. First was a sort of deconstructed bruschetta that consisted of a slice of cucumber with a square of cheese topped with a toasted crouton and drizzled with balsamic. OK, I thought, I can totally make that with stuff from my kitchen. Part 2 was Risotto Cakes made from leftover risotto (well, I can only dream of having risotto as a leftover in my kitchen).

Risotto Cakes

3 qt. Risotto

2 Eggs

4 oz. Cappicola, chopped into small pieces

4 oz. Provolone, chopped into small pieces

Crumbs, pita or tortilla

In medium mixing bowl combine risotto, eggs, capicolla and provolone until mixture is uniform. Put bread crumbs on a plate, form the risotto into patties and dust in the grumbs. Place risotto cakes on greased baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees for 3 minutes. Flip and bake for another 3 minutes.  Serve with condiment of choice.

The mention of appetizer three aroused a small amount of skepticism: Sardines in Sweet and Sour Sauce. Those of us who are not sardine enthusiasts raised our eyebrows.  Once the dish was completed not a crumb was left on the plates of the audience, doubters and devotees alike!

Sardines in Sweet and Sour Sauce

Sardines, rinsed and dried

Flour for dredging

1/3 C. olive oil

3 Tbsp. butter

Dredge sardines in flour. Combine butter and olive oil in pan over medium-high heat. When butter is melted, place sardines in pan and fry until crispy on one side. Flip and crisp other side. Remove with a slotted spoon and set on a platter. Repeat until all fish are fried.

1 C. dried cherries or raisins, soak in liquid 30 min., drain and set aside

8 oz. shallots, cleaned and sliced

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. cracked pepper

12 oz. red wine vinegar

6 oz. pine nuts

Add oil and saute shallots until translucent, add salt, pepper and vinegar. Add dried fruit (Matt also added shredded cabbage and capers at this point) Continue to cook until vinegar reduces by half.  To serve, scatter sardines with pine nuts then pour the sauce over and cool to room temperature. Can be refrigerated up to 4 days.

Next up we had stuffed rigatoni baked with a medley of veggies. One of the fun things about Matt is that he’s up for anything. For instance, he discovered this Romanesco Magnifico at The Greener Grocer while foraging for ingredients:

This newfangled and funky-looking veggie is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower.  Matt passed them around for everyone to ogle, then chopped them up as a topping for his rigatoni stuffed with fresh ricotta.

Fresh Ricotta Cheese

1 gallon whole milk

1/4 C. lemon juice

In a heavy bottomed pot, place milk and juice over low heat. Lightly stir pot. Do not skim. While the milk is cooking you may add any desired flavoring to it. Right before milk begins to simmer, drain through a cheese cloth or fine strainer. Let drain for 15 minutes. Store in airtight container for up to 3 days.

Matt stuffed the rigatoni (cooked al dente) with the fresh ricotta cheese (you can also add desired spices into the mix). Then covered them with chopped veggies including the Romanesco Magnifico and I believe some sauteed cabbage. On top of that went a nice covering of feta cheese. He popped it all into the oven and voila!

Out came this technicolor dish that he served with chunks of roasted pork shoulder. We were already impressed with Matt’s courses to this point when he announced dessert: creme brulee. For timing sake Matt had the desserts pre-made from Trattoria Roma, but demonstrated the recipe while we contemplated licking the creme brulee cups clean. 

Creme Brulee

20 oz. heavy cream

5 oz. confectioners sugar

1.5 oz. vanilla extract

3 oz. granulated sugar

2 oz. water

8 egg yolks

2 oz. coffee liquor

Scald cream, confectioners sugar and vanilla in sauce pan.  Meanwhile, combine the granulated sugar and water over heat in a separate pan until carmelized. In a third bowl beat egg yolks thoroughly and add coffee liquor. Temper the caramel sauce into the cream, then temper it all into the egg mixture. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and pour into baking cups. Place cups in a warm water bath and bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes until the custard is firm, but not solid. Chill before serving. If you’ve got a high-tech torch like Matt you can sprinkle the tops with finely ground sugar (throw it in the food processor for a few seconds) and torch it for a nice burnt sugar crust.

If you missed this one you can join us for the next Chef Series Class on Wednesday, March 25 in the Dispatch Kitchen with Chef Matt Langstaff of Bexley’s Monk! Tickets are $60 per person and available by emailing info@northmarket.com.

More photos from Matt Prokopchak’s class here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/33474685@N08/sets/72157615170890835/