Tag Archives: Chef Danny Trace

Support Chef Danny Trace in the 4G4Hunger campaign

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Houston weather, traffic, news | FOX 26 | MyFoxHouston

Vote for Danny Trace, executive chef at Brennan’s of Houston, in the Verizon Wireless and Modern Luxury 4G4Hunger campaign by visiting http://verizon.modernluxury.com/houston-trace/.

Froberg’s Farm Citrus Glazed Shrimp (serves 2)

Ingredients

  • 8 ea Fresh Jumbo Gulf Shrimp 9/12
  • 1 ea Satsuma peeled, sectioned and seeded
  • 1 ea Meyer Lemon supremes
  • 1/2 ea Ruby Red Grapefruit supremes
  • 3 ea Kumquats, sliced and seeded
  • 1 oz Shallots, chopped
  • 1/2 Roasted Red Pepper chopped
  • 1/4 cup Agave syrup
  • 1 tsp Chopped garlic
  • 2 oz Hornitos Tequila ( infused with chile piquin)
  • 1/4 Sprig Fresh Basil chiffonade
  • Salt, Pepper, and Creole seasoning to taste Grapeseed oil as needed

Method

  1. Season shrimp on both sides with creole seasoning, salt and pepper.
  2. In a large sauté pan over medium high heat, add oil and begin to sear shrimp. Add garlic and shallots.
  3. Flip the shrimp over and sear the second side and work the garlic and shallots being careful not to burn.
  4. Once seared, deglaze pan with tequila. Cook a sec to burn off the alcohol. Careful of the flame.
  5. Add agave. Add citrus and warm through.
  6. Once reduced to sauce consistency and shrimp are cooked through, add roasted red pepper and fresh basil.
  7. Taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

Matagorda Bay Oyster Stew from Brennan’s of Houston

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Ingredients (yields 4 quarts)

  • 8 oz bacon, small diced
  • 2 ea onion, small diced
  • 3 stalks celery, small diced
  • 10 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ea green bell peppers, small diced
  • ¼ cup flour
  • 3 cups Pernod
  • 1 qt oyster liquor
  • 3 ea bay leaves
  • 1 ½ lbs potato, purple, small diced
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 3 pints oyster (shucked)
  • 1 bunch green onions, thinly sliced
  • 2 tbsp butter (optional)

Procedure

  1. Place a soup pot on high heat for 1 minute.
  2. Add the bacon and cook to render for about 5 minutes, or until fat is clear, stirring occasionally.
  3. Add the onions, celery, garlic, peppers and cook for about 15 minutes.
  4. Add the flour, stirring constantly so that nothing sticks to the bottom during cooking.
  5. Cook for about 2 minutes or until the flour is well distributed and the mixture thickens.
  6. Add Pernod and cook for about 3 min or until the alcohol is cooked out then add stock
    & bay leaves and simmer uncovered about 3 minutes.
  7. Add diced potatoes, simmer, and stir occasionally, cooking for about 25 minutes or until potatoes are tender
  8. Stir in the cream, bring to a boil, cook for 2 minutes, and add the oysters.
  9. Cook until the edges of the oysters curl, then season with salt, pepper and green onions.

Brennan’s of Houston and Houston Restaurant Weeks

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Chef Danny Trace of Brennan’s of Houston has created a dazzling menu for Houston Restaurant Weeks to benefit the Houston Food Bank. Diners will enjoy classics like turtle soup, bananas Foster, oak-smoked chicken and peach salad. He shows food radio talk show host Cleverley Stone how to make bacon tomato jam, an accompaniment to his Creole-spiced west Texas filet of beef dish.

Houston Restaurant Weeks takes place from Aug. 1 through Aug. 31, 2012.

Brennan’s of Houston will donate $3 from each Houston Restaurant Weeks lunch and $5 from each Houston Restaurant Weeks dinner sold to the Houston Food Bank.

The Houston Food Bank, founded in 1982, is a certified member of Feeding America, the nation’s food bank network.
The organization plans to grow to an annual distribution of 100 million nutritious meals by 2018.

For more information about Houston Restaurant Weeks visit: www.HoustonRestaurantWeeks.com

Houston weather, traffic, news | FOX 26 | MyFoxHouston

For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston,
listen to Cleverley’s radio show Saturdays at Noon on Talk 650 AM.
(By the way, she gives out restaurant gift cards on every radio show!)

 

Bananas Foster from Brennan’s of Houston

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Bananas Foster (yields 4 servings)
Source: Chef Danny Trace from Brennan’s of Houston

Bananas shipped into the bustling Port of New Orleans made their way into boundless Creole desserts. This star studded one came about to honor Owen Brennan’s pal, Dick Foster, who, as Vice Chairman of the Vice Committee, headed the clean up of the French Quarter during the fifties. This show stopper dessert is pure drama! It is justifiably number one in the hearts and appetites of legions of Brennan’s of Houston guests.

Remember this cardinal rule: NEVER pour liquor straight from the bottle into a hot pan. Refrain from even leaning towards the pan, so you are protected from any flame.

While the rum is lit, we sprinkle ground cinnamon from a small salt shaker directly into the flame. The spice produces a Fourth of July sparks effect that is pure food magic! If you want more cinnamon, adjust to taste after the flames subside.

Wendy Williams: ‘Say It Like You Mean It’: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter
  • 1 cup packed light brown sugar
  • 6 tablespoons light or dark rum, divided
  • 4 ripe bananas, peeled, sliced lengthwise and halved again into quarters
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Method

1. In flat sauté pan or medium skillet, add butter, sugar and 2 tablespoons rum; cook over medium-high heat while stirring to melt.
2. Add bananas; use a table fork to lightly prick bananas while cooking.
sauté about 1 minute, or until bananas start to soften.
3. Carefully tilt pan towards you to get top half of pan hot, then remove pan from ` heat.
4. Pour remaining 1/4 cup rum over bananas. To flambé bananas, carefully ignite rum by either tilting pan towards flame on range or cautiously lighting with a long taper match.
5. Gently shake flaming pan with one hand and sprinkle cinnamon over flame with other hand. This makes the cinnamon sparkle and glow.
6. When flames die out, immediately spoon bananas and sauce over ice cream.

Pepper Jelly with Saint Arnold Brewing Company Beer

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A Day Trip to Saint Arnold Brewing Company: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Weedwacker Pepper Jelly

  • 1 cup St Arnolds Weedwacker Beer
  • 1 cup Steens Cane Vinegar
  • 1/2 cup Agave Syrup
  • 1/2 red bell pepper brunoise
  • 1/2 green bell pepper brunoise
  • 1/2 yellow bell pepper brunoise
  • 1/2 jalapeno brunoise
  • Pinch red pepper flakes

Add first 3 ingredients to a small sauce pan and reduce by half on medium heat. Add in all peppers and reduce to sauce consistency.

Pick a Peppa buerre blanc

  • 1/3 cup Crystal Hot Sauce
  • 1 Tbs Pick a Peppa sauce
  • 2 Tbs heavy cream
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter

Add hot sauce and Pick a Peppa to a small sauce pot on medium heat and reduce by half. Add cream and bring to a boil remove from heat and slowly mount in butter.

Anahuac Softshell Saffron Bisque

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‘MasterChef’ Top 16 Compete: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

Source: Executive Chef Danny Trace, Brennan’s of Houston

Ingredients (Serves 8-10)

  • 6 medium-large soft shell crabs ( fresh )
  • 2 qts heavy cream
  • 1 pinch of saffron
  • ½ bunch fresh parsley (do not use dried)
  • 1 Vidalia onion, diced in large pieces
  • ½ cup chardonnay
  • ½ teaspoon finely crushed garlic
  • 2 tablespoons blonde roux
  • Salt to taste
  • White pepper to taste
  • ¼ cup unsalted butter

Directions

  1. After purchasing fresh crabs, remove deadman, eyes, and air sac from crabs. Rinse well, pat dry.
  2. Over moderate heat, place ¼ cup unsalted butter, 1 chopped Vidalia onion, ½ teaspoon of fresh garlic and a pinch of saffron in a 5 quart saucepan
  3. Sweat until onions are translucent.
  4. Add cleaned soft shell crabs and cook 4-5 minutes until crabs become shell pink.
  5. Deglaze pan with ½ cup Chardonnay and cook a sec then add fresh parsley.
  6. Add 2 quarts heavy cream and bring to a soft boil, then whisk in blonde roux.
  7. Blend all ingredients with an immersion blender or regular kitchen blender until soup is smooth.
  8. Strain through a fine strainer; taste; season with salt and white pepper to taste.

Brennan’s of Houston Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya

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Chicken and Andouille Jambalaya
Source: Danny Trace, Brennan’s of Houston

  • 12 whole chickens boned out meat diced 2” cubes
  • 15 # Andouille sausage cut into rounds 1/4 thick
  • 2 cups grapeseed oil or duck fat ( optional )
  • 24 bay leaves
  • 2 cups garlic crushed
  • 2 cups fresh chopped herbs ( thyme, oregano )
  • 3 cups Worcestershire French’s
  • 2 cups Crystal Hot sauce
  • 6 pack St Arnolds beer ( ice cold )
  • 12 onions medium dice
  • 12 bell peppers medium dice
  • 3 bunches celery medium dice
  • 5 gallons chicken stock
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Creole seasoning to taste
  • 5 bunches of green onions chopped
  • 1 oz dried thyme
  • 1 oz dried oregano
  1. In a 20 gallon cast ion pot on medium high heat add grapeseed oil.
  2. Add sausage, render and remove.
  3. Add creole seasoned chicken and cook until just done and remove.
  4. Add garlic, vegetables, dried herbs and bay leaves cook until wilted.
  5. Once vegetables are cooked add sausage and chicken back to the pot along with juices.
  6. Stir and caramelize mixture.
  7. Add rice, hot sauce, Worcestershire, 3 beers, ( the others are for drinking ) fresh herbs, and mix thoroughly.
  8. Add stock and stir rice mixture off the bottom of the pot.
  9. Season with salt, pepper, and creole seasoning to taste.
  10. Bring to a boil and cook on medium high heat stirring mixture off the bottom of the pot every 10 minutes or so until liquid dissipates.
  11. Shut off heat and cover to steam.
  12. Check within 10 minutes be careful not to over cook.
  13. Fold in green onions and serve immediately.

Serves around 100 people … or 75 jambalaya eaters.

Brennan’s of Houston Atchafalaya Basin Crawfish Cake

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Atchafalaya Basin Crawfish Cake (Serves 4 appetizers)

  • 1 # Fresh Louisiana Crawfish Tails
  • 2 TBS small diced pickled okra
  • 1/2 cup tri color Bell Peppers
  • 3/4 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Creole Mustard
  • 1tbs prepared horseradish
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 TBS chopped chives
  • 1TBS chopped parsley
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  1. In a sauté pan on medium high heat add 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil, peppers, crawfish, 2 tablespoons hot sauce, two tablespoons worcestershire and creole seasoning to taste.
  2. Heat mixture through, remove from heat and chill.
  3. In a mixing bowl add mayonnaise, creole mustard, horseradish, lemon juice, chives, parsley and pickled okra. Mix thoroughly.
  4. Fold in crawfish tails and season to taste.

New Orleans BBQ Sauce

  • 1TBS grapeseed oil
  • 1 TBS crushed garlic
  • 1/3 cup Crystal Hot Sauce
  • 1/2 cup French’s Worcestershire
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • 1/4 cup St Arnold Beer
  • 5 oz unsalted butter
  • Juice of 1/2 lemon
  • 1 TBS fresh rosemary chopped fine
  1. In a sauté pan on medium heat add oil and toast garlic.
  2. Add rosemary, beer and reduce a sec. Add Worcestershire, hot sauce, lemon juice and reduce by half .
  3. Add cream and reduce until sauce consistency.
  4. Remove from heat and mount in butter.
  5. Reserve sauce.

Brennan’s of Houston Blue Crab Scrambled Eggs and Caviar and Strawberries & Cream Pain Perdu

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Blue Crab Scrambled Eggs and Caviar

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

4 slices brioche bread, toasted

8 eggs, beaten

8 oz jumbo lump crab meat

4 oz leeks, sliced

4 oz oyster mushrooms, roasted

1 ½ tbsp paddlefish caviar

Oil, as needed

Salt and pepper, to taste

Sauce:

8 oz Saint Andre Cheese

6 oz champagne

½ tsp garlic, minced

1 each shallot, diced

1 cup heavy cream

2 tbsp chives, chopped

Procedure:

Sauce: In a medium sauce pot, add champagne, garlic, shallots and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half. Whisk in cheese until melted. In a blender, puree until smooth. Fold in chives.

Scrambled Eggs: Heat skillet over medium heat. Add oil to coat pan. Sweat leeks, add mushrooms and beaten eggs. While eggs are cooking, fold in crab meat. Cook to desired doneness. Season with salt and pepper.

Plating: Place toast on plate. Top with scrambled eggs. Garnish with paddlefish caviar. Ladle sauce around plate.

Strawberries & Cream Pain Perdu

Yield: 4

Batter:

1 ¼ cup milk

1 tsp grated nutmeg

1 tbsp cinnamon

¼ cup brown sugar

2 tbsp praline liquor

3 eggs

Mousse:

1 cup strawberries (rinsed and quartered)

¼ cup powdered sugar

2 cups cream cheese, large dice

Strawberry Sauce:

1 cup strawberries (rinsed and quartered)

Rum Sauce:

1 cup cane syrup

½ cup rum

1 tsp cinnamon

1 each vanilla bean

Pinch of salt

Pecan Studded Bacon:

8 slices bacon, cooked

1/8 cup pecan, chopped

½ oz Honey

4 slices brioche bread, 1 ½ inch slice

½ cup sugar

Preparation:

Mousse: In a blender, puree strawberries until smooth. Add cream cheese and powered sugar. Blend until smooth. Place mousse in a piping bag.

Strawberry sauce: In a blender, puree half of the strawberries until smooth. Add sugar and strain. Add the remaining strawberries.

Rum Sauce: Add all ingredients in a medium sauce pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until reduced to a thick, syrup consistency. Strain.

Batter: In a bowl, combine all batter ingredients. Mix until incorporated.

Pecan Studded Bacon: Drizzle honey over cooked bacon. Sprinkle with chopped pecans.

Procedure:

1.       Dip bread in batter to coat.

2.       Heat sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 tbsp butter.
Cook bread until golden brown on both sides (about 1 min per side)

3.       Make a 1 inch slit into the side of the toast. Pipe in strawberry mousse.

4.       Place toast on plate. Top with strawberry sauce.

5.       Drizzle rum sauce over and around the plate.

6.       Garnish with pecan studded bacon and powdered sugar.

Cast Iron Seared Elk Burger and Blue Cheese Onion Rings

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Cast Iron Seared Elk Burger (makes six 8 oz. portions)
Source: Chef Danny Trace, Brennan’s of Houston

  • 1 # Ground Elk
  • 1 # Ground Beef 70/30
  • 4oz Duck Fat or Pork Fat
  • 1 TBS Granulated Garlic
  • 1 TBS Granulated Onion
  • 2 TBS Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 TSP Tabasco Sauce
  • 2 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 3 Tsp Kosher Salt

Mix all ingredients together by hand in a large bowl and mix until fully incorporated. Do not over mix. Divide into 6 portions. Cook three at a time in a cast iron pan on medium heat. Top with herb compound butter while warm. Do not overcook.
Serve with your favorite condiments

Blue Cheese Onion Ring Batter

Ingredients

  • 3 ea yellow onions, made into rings
  • 2 qt buttermilk
  • 4 pounds Danish blue cheese
  • 2 ea lemons juiced
  • 1 pound all purpose flour
  • 1 wt. ounces kosher salt
  • 1 ½ wt ounce Creole seasoning

Method
For the blue cheese mix
In a blender add buttermilk, Danish blue cheese, lemon juice and blend until well incorporated. Reserve 3 cups aside (this will be used for the onion rings after they are fried). Marinate the onion rings with the remaining blue cheese mix.
For the onion ring flour mix
Mix flour, kosher salt and Creole seasoning.
Double dredge onion rings between flour and blue cheese mix ending with flour and crispy fry.

Herb Compound Butter

¼ pound unsalted butter, whipped until pearl white
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
½ teaspoon thyme, minced
2 tablespoons white wine
2 tablespoons shallot, minced
½ teaspoon sage, minced
1 tablespoon parsley, minced
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon tarragon, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice

In a stand up mixer with the paddle attachment add butter and whip until pearl white color. Add the remanding ingredients mix well and place it in the fridge.

Breaux Bridge Crawfish Potato Salad

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Breaux Bridge Crawfish Potato Salad (Yields 8 servings)
Source: Chef Danny Trace, Brennan’s of Houston

  • 2 Fingerling Potatoes ( or favorite )
  • 1 Fresh Louisiana Crawfish Tails
  • 1 shallot (small dice )
  • 1 small bell pepper (small dice)
  • 1 stalk celery (small dice)
  • 1/4 cup crispy bacon chopped (optional)
  • 1/4 cup boiled egg (finely chopped)
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • 2/3 cup Mayonnaise
  • 1/4 cup Creole Mustard
  • 1/2 cup Pickled okra (small dice)
  • 1/4 cup Pickled Okra brine
  • 1/2 bunch green onions chopped
  • Salt, pepper and creole seasoning to taste
  • 3 tablespoons Grapeseed oil
  1. Blanch potatoes until tender and chill.
  2. In a sauté pan, sauté crawfish tails in grapeseed oil and season with creole seasoning and chill. In the same pan with grapeseed oil sauté shallots, bell pepper and celery until tender and chill.
  3. In a large bowl add potatoes, shallots, bell pepper, celery, bacon, okra and chopped egg. Add mayonnaise, creole mustard, okra brine, lemon juice and mix gently until well incorporated.
  4. Fold in crawfish tails, green onions and season to taste .

Seasoning Secrets from Chef Danny Trace

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Creole Meat Seasoning

Yield: 2-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

¾ cup salt

6-1/2 tablespoons finely ground black pepper

4 tablespoons cayenne pepper

9-1/2 tablespoons paprika

7-1/2 tablespoons garlic powder

6 tablespoons onion powder

Directions:

Place salt, black and cayenne peppers, paprika, garlic and onion in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly.

Store seasoning in a covered container and keep in a cool, dry place up to six months.

Creole Seafood Seasoning

Yield: 3-1/2 cups

Ingredients:

¾ cup salt

6-1/2 tablespoons finely ground black pepper

4 tablespoons cayenne pepper

7-1/2 tablespoons garlic powder

6 tablespoons onion powder

1 cup paprika

½ cup tightly packed dried thyme leaves

7 tablespoons tightly packed dried oregano leaves

Directions:

Place salt, black and cayenne peppers, garlic, onion, paprika, thyme and oregano in a medium bowl; mix thoroughly.

Or, place in food processor and pulse lightly to make a finer mixture.

Store seasoning in a covered container and keep in a cool, dry place up to six months.