Recipes

Cook book Recipes
All recipes by Chef Carlo Cavallo, Sonoma-Meritage Restaurant & Oyster Bar

Maine Lobster salad with Micro Greens and Muscat Dressing
Serves 4

2 1 ½   lb of Maine lobsters Cooked and cleaned (removed from shell)
4 oz of micro greens (can substitute spring mix)
2 grapefruit, peeled and segmented
2 ripe avocado’s, cut into cubes
2 box of heirloom toybox tomatoes (sliced lengthwise)
1 english cucumber sliced thin on a bias
¼ cup Muscat wine vinegar
¾   cup of extra virgin olive oil
1 bunch of chives, thinly sliced
1 bunch of scallions, thinly sliced on a bias
Salt & Pepper

Layer cucumber slices on 4 individual plates in a semi circle shape. In a mixing bowl, add the chives, and Muscat vinegar. Slowly whisk in the Extra virgin olive oil to create an infusion dressing, salt & pepper to taste. Add 1/3 of the dressing to the lobster meat, in a separate bowl, add the grapefruit, tomatoes, avocado and scallions. Toss the ingredients with 1/3 of the dressing and place the mixture in a cylinder mold, press down firmly and unmold. Place ½ lobster tail and a claw on top of citrus/vegetable mold. Top each lobster salad with a little micro greens and drizzle with remaining dressing.

Eggplant Napoleon with Goat Cheese and Pesto
Serves 4

12 grilled eggplant slices ¼ inch thick (about 2 medium eggplants)
8 roma tomatoes (sliced lengthwise and slowly roasted for 2 hours at 200 degrees)
½ cup homemade pesto
½ cup of goat cheese
¼ cup balsamic glaze (balsamic vinegar reduced till a syrup consistency)
Salt & Pepper
¼ cup of Extra virgin olive oil

In a mixing bowl combine the goat cheese, and pesto, salt and pepper to taste egin layering the individual Napoleon’s starting with a slice of grilled eggplant, goat cheese pesto mixture, and roasted tomato, repeat procedure and top with the remaining eggplant slices. Serve on plate and drizzle with balsamic glaze and extra virgin olive oil.

Risotto con Fruit di Mare—risotto with crab, scallops, and rock shrimp
Serves six

½ cup olive oil
3 shallots, cut into 1/4-inch dice
2 cups Arborio or Canaroli rice
4oz of crabmeat
4oz of bay scallops
4oz of rock shrimp
2 cups chardonnay
1½ cups shrimp/seafood stock, hot
zest of two lemons chopped
juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
3 tablespoons of chopped garlic
1 bunch of chopped parsley
½ bunch of julienne basil.
Extra virgin olive oil for drizzling

In a 3qt saucepan, heat the olive oil over mediumlow heat. Add the shallots and cook until softened and translucent but not browned, 5 to 8 minutes. Once the shallots are translucent add the rice and stir with a wooden spoon continuously until toasted and opaque, 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the wine to the toasting rice, and cook, stirring, until it is completely absorbed. Add the stock a ladle at a time, waiting until the liquid is absorbed before adding more. Cook until the rice until very al dente, about 13 minutes. Add the seafood, lemon zest and juice and continue to cook till seafood and rice is fully cooked, about four more minutes. Stir in the butter and herbs until well mixed. Portion risotto into 4 warmed serving plates and drizzle with extra virgin

Roasted Vegetable Cappellacci —sautéed in a fresh heirloom tomato sauce
Serves 8

For pasta Dough:
3cups all purpose flour
1cup semolina flour
4 extra large eggs
4 teaspoons olive oil
½ cup of water
pinch of salt

In a mixer, using a dough hook combine all the ingredients and knead until the dough becomes a smooth ball. Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For pasta filling:
1 small onion chopped
2 zucchini, cubed
2 eggplant, peeled and cubed
2 red bell peppers, roasted and peeled
1 bunch of parsley chopped
2 tablespoons of olive oil
¾ cup of parmesan cheese
salt & Pepper

On a sheet pan, place the zucchini, eggplant, olive oil, onion, roast in a 400 degree oven until the vegetables are soft.
Place the roasted vegetables, bell peppers in a food processor and rough chop. In a mixing bowl, combine vegetables, parsley and the parmesan cheese.

Preparing the pasta:
Using a pasta machine roll out the dough until very thin sheet is obtained. Cut 2½ inch squares out of the dough. Brush the pasta square with an eggwash (cracked egg beaten with 2Tbsp of water). Place a teaspoon of filling in the center of the square and fold over one corner to make a triangle, be sure to press out the air that might get caught inside. Take the end corners of the triangle and fold them in around your index finger thus completing the Cappellacci. Repeat until your filling runs out. (You can freeze any extra cappellacci in a plastic bag)

Preparing the pasta & sauce:
½ cup of shaved parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
1 large yellow heirloom tomato, cut into ¼ inch cubes
1 large Red heirloom tomato, cut into ¼ inch cubes
1 large purple heirloom tomato, cut into ¼ inch cubes
1 bunch fresh basil
salt & pepper

In a sauce pan on medium very low heat, warm the olive oil and garlic for five minutes.   Add the tomatoes and increase the heat to high, when tomatoes have heated for 2 minutes, add the basil and salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat.

Bring 4qt of water to a vigorous boil, add a 2 tablespoon of salt and 2 tablespoon of olive oil. rop the Cappellacci in the water cook for about three minutes or until al dente (they will float when they are almost done) rain the pasta, and toss in the sauce place in a serving tray (or in individual bowls), top with shaved parmesan. Serve immediately.

Stripped bass baked in parchment
Serves 4

4 striped bass whole 1 ½ lb each (cleaned and scaled) (filets can be substituted)
½ cup of pitted Kalamata olives
4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 fennel bulb thinly sliced
4 baby artichokes, cleaned and thinly sliced
3 lemons
8 cloves garlic
½ cup of white wine
4 pieces of parchment   18” by 18” (aluminum foil can be substituted)
½ cup Extra virgin olive oil
½ bunch chopped Italian parsley
¼ cup of lemon juice

Preheat oven to 450 degrees start by folding the parchment paper in half, open it up like a book. In the center of right side, place the striped bass, salt and pepper the cavity, stuff each bass with two cloves garlic, thyme sprig, and lemon slices.   Top each stripped bass with kalamata olives, artichokes and fennel. Drizzle with white wine and fold the parchment by closing it like a book. Pinch and roll the edges in till you get a calzone shaped parchment which is sealed. Place in the oven and bake for 20” or until the parchment turn a toasted color. In a small bowl, add the lemon juice and parsley. Slowly whisk in the extra virgin olive oil till an infusion forms, salt and pepper to taste.

Remove the fish from the oven and serve immediately. Open the parchment, place the vegetable topping on plate, and clean the fish, drizzle the fish with olive oil and lemon infusion.

Rack of Veal with Porcini mushrooms
Serves 4

1 rack of veal (4 double veal chops)
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 T of fresh chopped rosemary
2 T of fresh chopped sage leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
6 slices of pancetta
Olive oil for drizzle with olive oil
4 cups of dry white wine

Preheat 400 degree oven. Place the rack in a roasting pan, rub the garlic and herbs over the meat, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the meat with the pancetta, Roast for 20 minutes on one side, turn, add the white wine, and roast for another 20 minutes. Cook until meat is Medium rare to medium. Remove rack from pan, Cut into double veal chops, serve over mashed potatoes and top with Porcini mushroom condiment

2 fresh Porcini mushrooms (Portobello can be substituted)
½ cup shaved Parmigiano Reggiano
½ cup of extra virgin olive oil
¼ cup of lemon juice
salt & pepper
1 bunch of chives

In a small bowl add the lemon juice and whisk in the olive oil till a creamy infusion is achieved, add salt & pepper to taste.

Brush the mushrooms to remove any excess dirt. Slightly rinse and dry well. Using a very sharp knife, thinly slice the porcini mushrooms and toss with the lemon dressing with Parmigiano Reggiano. Serve over the veal chop and top with chopped chives.

Polenta Torte with Lemon Curd
Serves 6

Polenta torte:

2 cups of cream
1 cup of polenta
¼ cup of sugar

Preheat 375 degree oven. Bring cream/sugar to boil, add the polenta and cook for 20 minutes on low heat . Spread polenta to a sheet pan and let cool

4 egg yolks
9 egg whites beaten to stiff peaks
½ cup of flour
1 teaspoon of baking powder
¼ cup of olive oil

In a mixer, add the yolks, cooked polenta, olive oil and mix. Add flour/baking powder, and fold in the egg whites. Butter and Sugar six 8oz ramekins, place the batter in each of the molds. Place on a sheet pan and bake in the oven for 30 minutes or until golden.

Lemon Curd & Torte:
6 eggs
½ cups
3-4 lemons zested and juiced
12 oz of butter, melted
12 strawberries, diced

In a bain marie, whisk the eggs, sugar, lemon zest and juice till begin tto froth drizzle in the melted butter and continue to cook until curd thickens. To assemble torte, unmold from ramekin and slice in half, place two tablespoons of lemon curd and strawberries on a half and sandwich, top with more curd and strawberries and dust with powdered sugar

Ravioli Fritti - dessert ravioli stuffed with lemon ricotta then topped with raspberry coulis
Serves 8

For pasta Dough:
3cups all purpose flour
1cup semolina flour
4 extra large eggsMain
½ cup of water
4 teaspoons olive oil
pinch of salt

In a mixer combine, flour, eggs, and olive oil , using a dough hook combine all the ingredients and knead until the dough becomes a smooth ball. Place in a plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

For pasta filling:
1 lb whole milk fresh ricotta cheese
Zest from 2 lemons, chopped fine
1/3 cup of sugar

Remove any excess water from the cheese by draining in a sieve. Combine above ingredients in a bowl, mix well

For the ravioli:
Using a pasta machine roll out the dough until very thin sheet is obtained. Using a cookie cutter cut 2” circles out pasta dough. Brush the pasta circle with an eggwash (cracked egg beaten with 2Tbsp of water). Place a teaspoon of filling in center of the square and cover with another square, be sure to press out the air that might get caught inside, use a fork to press down. Repeat until your filling runs out. (You can freeze any extra ravioli in a plastic bag)

Raspberry Coulis
3 baskets of raspberries
2 cups of white wine
1/3 cup of sugar

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan, cook for 30 minutes on medium heat/or until sauce
is thick. Puree and pass through a sieve

Fried ravioli:
2 quart light olive oil
powdered sugar

Heat the oil on high, carefully place the ravioli in the oil cook until golden, place on a serving dish drizzle with the coulis, sprinkle with powdered sugar