Tag Archives: Chef Randy Evans

Brunch at Haven, A Seasonal Kitchen for Houston Restaurant Weeks

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July 29,2011

Chef Randy Evans from Haven, A Seasonal Kitchen, shows food radio talk show host Cleverley Stone, how to make perfect scrambled eggs. What is Randy’s secret ingredient? You’ll have to watch the video to find out. Scrambled eggs are an ingredient in migas, a dish Evans is serving for brunch every Saturday in August during Houston Restaurant Weeks. Haven will donate $3 from every special HRW $20 brunch and lunch and $5 from every special $35 HRW dinner sold, to the Houston Food Bank be August 1-31,2011. For more information and to view Haven’s entire HRW menu, visit the Houston Restaurant Weeks website.

Brunch at Haven, A Seasonal Kitchen for Houston Restaurant Weeks: MyFoxHOUSTON.com

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 prizes on every radio show!)

Chateau Loin of Beef with Migas and Mole
Makes 6 servings
Chef Randy Evans
Haven, A Seasonal Kitchen

Ingredients
6 each beef chuck clod tender (6 ounce portion)
salt and pepper to taste
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 recipe migas
1 recipe mole
1 recipe pico de gallo

Ingredients for Migas
1 tablespoon vegetable oil or unsalted butter
12 eggs, slightly beaten
Salt and black pepper to taste
6 tablespoons chopped tomato
3 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
2 tablespoons Mexican style sour cream (crema)
2 cups corn tortilla chips, broken into bite size pieces

Ingredients for Mole: Makes ¾ gallon
10 ounces (5 each) tomatillos, husked and rinsed
¾ cup (3 ounces) sesame seeds
1 cup vegetable oil
6 ounces (12 each) dried mulato chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn
3 ounces (6 each) dried ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn
3 ounces ( 10 each) dried pasilla chiles, stemmed, seeded and torn
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1 cup (4 ounces) raw almonds
1 cup (4 ounces) raisins
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon anise
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1 ripe plantain, peeled and chopped
2 ounces (about 2/3 of a 3.3-ounce tablet) Mexican chocolate, roughly chopped
3 quarts chicken broth
Salt to taste
1/3 sugar

Ingredients for Pico de Gallo: Makes 1½ cups
2 medium Roma tomatoes, chopped
½ cup finely chopped yellow onion
½ jalapeño, minced
2 teaspoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions for the Migas
1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add eggs, salt and pepper; stir.
2. Fold in tomato, onion and sour cream; cook until eggs are almost set, yet creamy.
3. Toss in tortilla chips and reserve.

Directions for the Mole
1. On a baking sheet, roast the tomatillos until splotchy black and soft. Place in a large bowl.
2. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the sesame seeds, stirringly constantly, until golden, about 5 minutes. Combine with the tomatillos.
3. Brown other mole ingredients, in a very large soup pot, heat the oil over medium. When hot, fry the chiles, three or four pieces at a time,
flipping them constantly with tongs until their interior side has changed to a lighter color, about 20 or 30 seconds total frying time. As they
are done, remove them to a separate large bowl, being careful to drain as much fat as possible back into the pot.
4. Cover the toasted chiles with hot tap water and let re-hydrate 30 minutes, stirring frequently to ensure even soaking.
5. Remove any stray chile seeds left in the fat. With the pot still over medium heat, fry the garlic and almonds, stirring regularly, until browned
(the garlic should be soft), about 5 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove to the tomatillo bowl, draining as much fat as possible back into the pot.
6. Add the raisins to the hot pot. Stir for 20 or 30 seconds, until they’ve puffed and browned slightly. Scoop them out, draining as much fat as
possible back into the pot, and add to the tomatillos. Set the pan aside.
7. To the tomatillo mixture, add the cinnamon, black pepper, anise, cloves, plantain and chocolate. Add 2 cups water and stir to combine.
8. Taste the chile soaking liquid: if it’s not bitter, discard all abut 6 cups of the liquid. (if you’re short, add water to make up the shortfall).
If bitter, use 6 cups water. Scoop half of the chiles into a blender jar, pour in half of the soaking liquid (or water) and blend to a smooth puree.
9. Press through a medium-mesh strainer into a large bowl; discard the bits of skin and seeds that don’t pass through the strainer. Repeat with the remaining chiles.
10. Return the soup pot to medium heat. When hot, pour in the chile puree—it should sizzle sharply and, if the pan is sufficiently hot, the mixture should never stop boiling.
Stir every couple of minutes until the chile puree has darkened and reduced to the consistency of tomato paste, about a half hour.
11. In two batches, blend the tomatillo mixture as smoothly as possible (add water if needed), then strain it in to the large bowl that contained the chiles.
When the chile paste has reduced, add the tomatillo mixture to the pot and cook, stirring every few minutes until considerably darker and thicker, 15 to 20 minutes. Simmer.
12. Add the broth to the pot and briskly simmer the mixture over medium to medium-low heat for about 2 hours for all the flavors to come together and mellow.
13. Taste and season with salt.

Directions for the Pico de Gallo
1. Combine ingredients and reserve.

To serve:
1. Season meat with salt and pepper, in a large sauté pan add oil, and sear meat over high heat for two minutes on each side.
Finish in 450° oven until desired doneness. Remove from the oven and allowing to rest for 5 minutes. Slice and serve with migas
and mole garnish with pico de gallo.

Chef Randy Evans and Texas Super Bowl Snacks

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With Super Bowl XLV taking in north Texas on February 6, 2011, Chef Randy Evans shares some game snacks that are made with ingredients grown in Texas and shows talk show host Cleverley Stone how to prepare them.

Evans is starting a new farmers market at his restaurant Haven on Saturday, Feb. 5 between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m., so visitors can shop for the ingredients there and make the dishes at home for the big game Sunday. He is also start offering Saturday Brunch from 12 p.m. until 3 p.m. on Feb. 5 as well.

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 prizes on every radio show!)

Pola ‘Beer-Bathed Tomme’ Cheese Fondue (Serves 4-6)
Source: Chef Randy Evans, Haven

Note from the Chef: Any variety of hard cheese can be used for this recipe, but he wanted to bring attention to the Beer-Bathed Tomme from Pola Artisan Cheese based in Houston. Serve with bread and fresh vegetables.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon flour
  • ¼ cup beer (microbrew with a hint of sweetness)
  • ½ cup whole milk
  • ½ cup shredded Beer-Bathed Tomme cheese
  • Salt and white pepper to taste

Directions

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan. Add garlic and cook for 2 minutes on medium-low heat. Stir in flour to make a roux; cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring continuously.
2. Deglaze the pan with beer. Increase heat and add the milk. Bring to a boil.
3. Reduce heat to low; slowly stir in cheese; season with salt and pepper.
4. Transfer to a fondue pot; keep warm.  Serve with bread or fresh vegetables for dipping.

Baked Spinach and Shrimp Dip (yields 12 servings)

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh spinach, rinsed and stemmed
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • ½ pound fresh goat’s cheese
  • 1 garlic clove, chopped
  • ½ pound cooked Gulf shrimp, chopped
  • ¼ cup chopped crispy bacon
  • ½ cup sour cream
  • ½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

1. Microwave spinach in a large, microwave-safe bowl at HIGH 3 minutes or until wilted.
2. Drain spinach well, pressing between paper towels. Chop spinach.
3. Melt butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add goat cheese and garlic; cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly, until cheese melts.
4. Fold in spinach, shrimp, bacon, sour cream, and 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese; stir until cheese melts.
5. Transfer mixture to a shallow baking dish. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350° for 15 minutes or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately with your favorite bread toasted or crackers.

Haven – a seasonal kitchen Makes ‘Best New Restaurant List’

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Something good is afoot at one Houston restaurant: Haven – a seasonal kitchen. It has been named to the Esquire Magazine 2010 list of ‘Best New Restaurants in America.’ Executive chef and partner Randy Evans shows food radio talk show host Cleverley Stone how to make the recipe that impressed food writer John Mariani: Crispy Pig Trotter Fritters.

“It’s about the total usage of the beast,” says Evans.

“Evans’s cooking shows a peerless understanding of how flavors interact,” says Mariani.

To read the full list of restaurants in the November issue of Esquire, visit

http://www.esquire.com/features/food-drink/best-restaurants-2010/haven-houston-1110


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

Chef Randy Evans’ Grilled Okra with Avery Island Sauce

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Source: Chef Randy Evans of Haven Restaurant

Grilled Okra with Avery Island Sauce (serves between six and eight people)

Ingredients

  • 24 whole okra
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
  • salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Toss the okra in olive, salt and pepper.
  2. Place okra on a pre-heated grill and cook over high heat on all sides until charred and tender.
  3. Remove from grill to platter and serve with Avery Island Sauce.

Avery Island Sauce (3 cups)

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup small diced 1015 onions
  • ¼ cup small diced celery
  • ¼ cup small diced bell pepper
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • ¼ sweet pickle relish
  • ¼ Tabasco Mash (substitute with ½ cup chili sauce)
  • 2 hard boiled eggs, grated
  • salt to taste

Directions

  1. In a mixing bowl combine all the sauce ingredients and mix well.
  2. Season to taste and refrigerate.

Homemade Corn Dogs from the Sea?

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It is not too early to start thinking about food to serve during the most important football game of the year!
Chef Randy Evans, known for his innovative cuisine, shows his twist on the traditional corn dog to diva of dish and radio talk show host Cleverley Stone.

Evans’ newest restaurant, Haven, is Houston’s first-of-its-kind green restaurant that offers farm-to-market modern Texas cuisine.

For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, listen to Cleverley’s radio show on Saturdays at 12 p.m. on KIKK-CNN 650 AM. (By the way, she gives out free restaurant gift certificates on every radio show!)

Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs with Tabasco Mash Rémoulade Sauce (yield 1 dozen)
Source: Randy Evans, executive chef/partner of Haven

Wild Gulf Shrimp Corn Dogs

Ingredients

  • 12 (16-20) peeled and deveined shrimp
  • 12 6” wood skewers
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • 1 cup flour (for dusting)
  • 3 cups cornmeal
  • 1½ cups flour
  • 1¼ teaspoons baking soda
  • ¾ teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon Texas honey
  • 1½ cups buttermilk
  • 1¼ cups water
  • 1 egg

Directions

  1. Skewer the shrimp lengthwise starting at the tail end.
  2. Season the shrimp and dredge in seasoned flour.
  3. Roll the shrimp in the batter and fry in a 350° fryer until golden brown.
  4. Serve with Tabasco Mash dipping sauce.

Tabasco Mash Rémoulade Sauce

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup finely chopped green onions
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • Pinch Tabasco Mash (or use 2 tablespoons horseradish & dash of Tabasco)
  • 2 tablespoons Creole mustard
  • 1 tablespoon prepared yellow mustard
  • 1 tablespoon white vinegar
  • 2 teaspoons lemon juice
  • ¾ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 egg
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
  • 6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Directions

  1. Place all the ingredients except for the oil in a blender or food processor; mix at high speed until well blended.
  2. While processing, gradually add the oil in a slow, steady stream. Sauce will thicken to a creamy consistency.
  3. Adjust spice with the Tabasco mash.
  4. Store the sauce in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

New Houston Restaurant Offers Farm-to-Market ‘Modern Texas Cuisine’

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Chef Randy Evans has employed the phrase “Modern Texas Cuisine” to describe the menu at his newest restaurant Haven, which is green-certified. The dishes are influenced by favorite Texas foods that Evans grew up with.

Evans shows restaurant journalist Cleverley Stone how to make Goat’s Buttermilk Pecan Pie on FOX 26 Morning News.

For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, catch Cleverley’s radio show on Saturdays at Noon on KIKK-CNN 650 AM. (By the way, she gives out free restaurant gift certificates on every radio show!)

Goat’s Buttermilk Pecan Pie
Makes 2 pies

2 deep dish 9” pie shells

2 cups pecan pieces

3½ cups sugar

4 rounded tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 sticks unsalted butter

2 cups goat buttermilk * (see recipe below)

6 large eggs

dash nutmeg

2½ teaspoons vanilla

2 tablespoons lemon juice

pinch salt

1. Place one cup of pecans into pie shells and blind bake in a pre-heated 350° oven for 5 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool on a cooling rack.

2. Meanwhile in a large mixing bowl combine the remaining ingredients.
Mix until well combined. Pour into cooled pie shells and bake at 350° for 50-60 minutes.

Goat’s Buttermilk

2 cups goat’s milk

½ cup cultured buttermilk

1. In a clean mixing bowl combine goat’s milk and buttermilk and store in a clean sealed jar over night in a warm area of the kitchen.
2. After 24 hours milk should be the thickness of buttermilk. Taste to make certain the buttermilk has a tart flavor, but not off.
Refrigerate until needed.

Pie Dough

2½ cups all-purpose flour

¾ teaspoon salt

1 cup vegetable shortening

6-8 tablespoons ice cold water

2 (9-inch) pie pans

1. Place flour and salt in a large bowl; add shortening and work mixture with hands or pastry cutter just until shortening is incorporated and appears like sand for mealy dough.
2. Add 6 tablespoons water and mix until dough just comes together. If needed, add additional water a teaspoon at a time.
3. Divide dough into 2 equal portions. Form into thick, round disc shapes. Wrap each in plastic wrap. Refrigerate until dough is firm.
4. On a lightly floured surface, evenly roll out dough. Turn frequently so it does not stick to the counter. Roll from center out to the edges, until dough is an even 3/16-inch thickness and more than large enough to cover pie tin. Use flour to dust, as needed, under and on top of dough to keep it from sticking to surface or rolling pin.
5. Fold dough in half and carefully lay across half of pie pan. Carefully unfold and center in the pan with an edge overlapping all the way around pan. Lightly pat dough down into pan.
6. To form a fluted edge, double the overlapping edge up above the rim of the pan about 1 inch. With left index finger and thumb about inch apart on the outside edge of shell, use right thumb or index finger and press the dough between the fingers on left hand.

Indoor No-Heat Needed Recipes

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Source: Chef Randy Evans of Haven

Gazpacho

Serves 4-6

  • 3½ cups diced seeded tomatoes
  • 1 cup diced red bell pepper
  • 1 cup diced seeded peeled cucumber
  • ½ cup diced red onion
  • Juice and zest of 1 lemon
  • 1 cup tomato juice
  • 2 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
  • 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, stemmed
  • Pinch cayenne pepper
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste
  • Garnish
  • ½ cup pint yellow sweet grape tomatoes, halved
  • ½ cup red sweet grape tomatoes, halved
  • 1 small avocado, diced
  • 1 tablespoon minced red onion
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil, divided
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

For The Soup

Combine all ingredients in a nonreactive container; cover and refrigerate overnight. Purée in a blender; strain through a medium mesh strainer. Return to container. Refrigerate until chilled. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

For The Garnish

Marinate the tomatoes, avocado and onion in lime juice and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

To Plate

Place a 2-inch ring in the center of a chilled bowl. Fill with 2 tablespoons marinated vegetables. Ladle cold soup around the ring; gently remove ring and serve.

Homegrown Tomato Salad
With Creamy Goat Cheese Dressing
Serves: 4

  • 4 ripe tomatoes, sliced ½ inch thick
  • Sea salt and black pepper to taste
  • 4 oz arugula
  • 1 small 1015 onion, sliced paper thin
  • 1 recipe Goat cheese dressing

Goat Cheese Dressing

  • 4 ounces fresh goat’s milk cheese, softened
  • 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon minced spring onion
  • 1 teaspoon chopped flat leaf parsley
  • ¼ teaspoon lemon zest
  • 2 tablespoons milk
  • Salt and black pepper to taste

In a small mixing bowl combine all the ingredients excluding the milk, using a hand blender. Blend in the milk and season to taste.

Season tomatoes then arrange tomato slices around the plate. In a bowl combine the shaved onion and arugula then toss with ¼ cup of goat cheese dressing. Mound dressed greens in center of the plate. Drizzle the dressing over tomatoes and around the plate.

Savory Cold Peach Soup

with a prosciutto and peach relish

Serves: 4-6

  • 6-8 ripe peaches (4 cups), peeled, pitted and chopped
  • 1 cup milk
  • 1 cup plain yogurt
  • 1 cup Prosecco (sparkling wine)
  • 1 tablespoon smoked paprika
  • Pinch cayenne

Salt to taste

Peach Relish:

  • 1 ripe peach, peeled, pitted and chopped
  • 1 shallot, minced
  • ½ teaspoon cider vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon olive oil
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh sage leaves, plus a few sprigs for garnish
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • 4 slices prosciutto, torn

For the Soup

Purée peaches in food processor or blender, adding enough milk to puree the peaches until smooth. Add the remaining milk, the yogurt, sparkling wine, paprika and cayenne, and blend until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning. Transfer soup to bowl and refrigerate 1 hour.

For the Relish:

Combine the peaches, shallot, vinegar, oil and sage in a mixing bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.

To Plate:

Place a spoonful of relish in the center of a chilled bowl and ladle the soup into bowl. Garnish with pieces of torn prosciutto and a sage leaf.