Roasted Beets and Basque Bisque at Ibiza Food & Wine Bar for Houston Restaurant Weeks

August 17, 2011

Chef Charles Clark, owner of Ibiza Food & Wine Bar, located in Midtown, shows Cleverley Stone, founder and chair of Houston Restaurant Weeks, how to properly roast a raw beet for a salad and make a delicious Basque green pepper & crab bisque. These two dishes are from the Ibiza Food & Wine Bar menu for Houston Restaurant Weeks. Ibiza Food & Wine Bar is offering a variety of three-course dinners for $35 per person to benefit the Houston Food Bank from August 1-31. Everytime someone orders a special HRW dinner, Ibiza Food & Wine Bar will donate $5 to the food bank. This donation will create fifteen meals to feed someone who is food insecure. To view the entire HRW menu for Ibiza Food & Wine Bar, visit the Houston Restaurant Weeks website.

Roasted Beets and Basque Bisque at Ibiza Food & Wine Bar 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 restaurant gift certificates on every show in August!)

Ibiza Food & Wine Bar Soup, Entree and Dessert for Houston Restaurant Week

Ibiza Food & Wine Bar is participating in Houston Restaurant Week between August 1 and 21. Chef/partner Charles Clark demonstrates how to prepare a soup (Green Pepper & Crab Bisque), entree (Braised Lamb Shanks) and dessert (Carrot Cake) from his HRW menu.

Houston Restaurant Week benefits the Houston Food Bank.

For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, catch Cleverley‘s radio show,
Saturdays at Noon on KIKK-Talk 650 AM. (PS: She gives out free restaurant gift certificates on every radio how!)


Braised Lamb Shank (serves 6)

Ingredients

6 – 1 lb lamb shanks (seasoned good with salt and pepper)
2 – Lb mire poix (1 part carrot, 2 parts yellow onion, 1 part celery) coarsely chopped
1 – gallon veal or beef stock
1 – pint red wine
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil as needed

Directions

1. Using large braising pan, place over high heat till hot about 5 minutes.
Add just enough oil to cover bottom of pan (about 2 tbs).

2. When oil is starting to smoke add all shanks and sear till nice color on all sides.

3. When lamb is seared on all sides, add mire poix and wine, simmer till wine is (sec)
or till wine has almost become a glazed. Add stock and bring to a simmer.

4. Cover with parchment paper to make a false lid; push paper down till paper is level
with stock and then cover with foil tightly.

5. Place in 325 degree oven for 4 hours.

6. Ladle out about ¾ of braising liquid, strain and reduce by half.

7. Place one or two lamb shanks into sauté pan and ladle 3 or 4 oz
of reduced lamb stock over top of shank pan, place in 400 degree oven for 7 minutes till hot and serve.

8. Serve with polenta or risotto.


Beets with Feta Cheese and Pistachio (serves 6)

Ingredients

2 lb red beets
12 oz feta cheese
2 oz pistachio (minced fine)
Virgin olive oil (as needed)

Directions

  1. Wrap the beets individually in tin foil
  2. Slice feta into 6 -2oz portions
  3. Place beets into preheated oven at 375 degrees for 90 minutes or until beets or fork tender
  4. Unwrap beets and under cold water wash the peelings away using your fingers
  5. Set beets aside and let cool to room temperature
  6. Cut beets in half and slice 1/8 of an inch or just really thin
  7. Place onto center of plate and garnish with feta and pistachio dust
  8. Drizzle with olive oil and serve


Peaches with Fresh Mint #43 Liqueur Toasted Almonds and Ice Cream (Serves 6)

Ingredients

2 lb fresh peaches (Texas if possible)
3 sprigs of fresh mint (minced)
2-tbs of minced toasted un-salted almonds
2-pints blue bell vanilla ice cream
½ cup #43 Spanish liqueurs

Directions

  1. Clean and pit peaches, cut in half and slice into ¼ inch half moon slices
  2. Place peaches into medium bowl-add liqueur mint and toasted almonds and fold together
  3. Place peach mixture into freezer for 30 minutes till cold
  4. Place six large scoops of vanilla ice cream into six small bowls and garnish with peach mixture

Cleverley’s Corner: March Means Halibut Season!

Source: Chef Charles Clark, Ibiza Food & Wine Bar

Harvested along the Pacific coast from Northern California to Alaska, halibut is low in fat and mild in flavor. Chef Charles Clark from Ibiza Food & Wine Bar shows Houston restaurant journalist Cleverley Stone how to make a melt-in-your-mouth dish with this fish.

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

Serves 6

Ingredients

  • Six 8 ounce halibut filets
  • 6 heirloom tomatoes (can substitute regular tomatoes)
  • ¼ lb black olives with seeds (can substitute olives without seeds)
  • garlic, as needed
  • ¼ lb unsalted butter (cold)
  • 1 cup virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup white wine
  • grape seed oil, as needed
  • sea salt, as needed
  • roasted ground pepper, as needed

Directions

  1. To braise tomatoes: Core, clean and cut tomatoes in half.
  2. Place onto baking sheet, cut side down, season with garlic, salt, pepper and olive oil.
  3. Cook in oven at 200 degrees for 4 hours.
  4. Turn oven temperature down to 100 degrees and keep warm till served.
  5. De-seed the black olives and place into food processor.
  6. Add olive oil and pulse until mixture is cloudy and black (about 5-7 seconds).
  7. Season to taste and set aside at room temperature.
  8. Season the halibut filets with oil, salt and pepper. Place next to stove.
  9. Place a large, oven proof skillet onto burner, heat to very high temperature.
  10. Add 1 tablespoon of grape seed oil, heat to smoke point.
  11. Place all halibut filets into skillet and sear for 2 minutes, turn filets over add half cup
    of white wine and ¼ lb of butter, place into 400 degree oven till done about 8-10 minutes.
  12. To serve: Place two braised tomatoes on center of dinner plate, place one halibut filet
    on top and drizzle with black olive oil mixture and serve.