Cleverley’s Weekend Dining Picks for August 22, 2008

Houston Restaurant Week 2008 was such a success that 25 restaurants have extended their offers for an additional seven days, meaning that even more money will be raised to help end hunger in Houston.  Through Sunday, August 24th, diners can enjoy a delicious three-course gourmet dinner for just $35 per person and the restaurants will donate $5 from each meal to Houston’s End Hunger Network.

To view menus from participating restaurants, visit the Houston Restaurant Week Web site. Houston restaurant journalist and radio show host Cleverley Stone is the chairwoman and co-founder of Houston Restaurant Week.

Three of the restaurants that extended their participation in the program are Downtown AquariumOpenCity and Cafe Annie.

Click here to watch Cleverley share her Weekend Dining Picks on FOX 26 Morning News.

Seared Green Tea Filet with Fingerling Potatoes & Pickled Vegetables

Source: Chef Bradley Manchester of Hotel ZaZa Houston

FOX 26 News has shared the health benefits of green tea and ginger in many stories. Now Chef Bradley Manchester of Monarch restaurant in the Hotel ZaZa shows radio, TV and online restaurant journalist Cleverley Stone how to use these items when cooking a steak. Click here to watch video of the preparation…..

Entree Ingredients

  • 4 Beef Tenderloin filets, 8 ounces each
  • 10 Fingerling Potatoes, 1/4 inch cut
  • 8 ounces Green Tea Demi-Glace Sauce
  • 4 ounces Pickled Vegetables
  • 2 bunches Enoki Mushrooms
  • 1 ounce Ginger Butter
  • Cooking Oil
  • Salt & Black Pepper

Cooking Directions

  1. Season filets with salt & black pepper.
  2. Sear in frying pan on high heat for 2 minutes on each side.
  3. Finish cooking in a 400 degree oven to desired doneness.
  4. Wash potatoes. Pat dry. Season potatoes (skins on) with salt, pepper and oil.
  5. Roast in 400 degree oven until done.

Serving Directions

  1. Place potatoes in center of the plate.
  2. Place filet on top of potatoes.
  3. Place pickled vegetables on top of filet with some ginger butter.
  4. Place demi-glace sauce around filet.
  5. Garnish with enoki mushrooms.

Ginger Butter Ingredients

  • 3 pieces of Ginger Root, minced
  • 2 Shallots, minced
  • 4 Garlic Cloves, minced
  • 1 pound Butter, room temperature
  • Salt
  • 2 tablespoons Sugar

Ginger Butter Directions

  1. Sweat ginger, shallots and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter.
  2. When shallots are translucent add sugar and fold in, let cool.
  3. Once ginger mixture is cool, add to room temperature butter in a bowl and mix with paddle mixer.
  4. Add salt to taste.

Green Tea Demi-Glace Ingredients

  • 10 Garlic Cloves, sliced
  • 3 Shallots
  • 25 Shiitake Mushroom stems
  • 1 gallon Demi-Glace sauce (store bought OK)
  • 3 tablespoons ground Black Pepper
  • 1/2 cup Soy Sauce
  • 1 quart Green Tea Marinade

Green Tea Demi-Glace Directions

  1. Sweat garlic, mushrooms & shallots until shallots are translucent.
  2. Add demi-glace and pepper.
  3. Bring to simmer for 10 minutes.
  4. Add soy sauce and green tea marinade (see below).
  5. Bring back to simmer for 10 more minutes.
  6. Strain mixture and then cool it in an ice bath.

Green Tea Marinade

  • 2 cups of Sake (Japanese rice wine)
  • 3 Green Tea Bags
  • 1 bunch Lemon Grass, crushed
  • 1/4 cup Mirin (Japanese rice wine)

Green Tea Marinade Directions

  1. In a sauce pan place the sake on low heat.
  2. Add lemon grass & green tea bags & let steep for 20 minutes.
  3. Strain & let cool.

Pickled Vegetables Ingredients

  • 1 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 cup Sugar
  • 1 English Cucumber, sliced thin
  • 1 Carrot, sliced thin

Pickled Vegetables Directions

  1. Simmer sugar & vinegar for 1 minute.
  2. Let cool.
  3. Add vegetables.
  4. Let steep for 2 hours.