Braised Beef, Sweet Potato Risotto Cake

Sweet Potato Risotto Cake Ingredients:
1 cup arborio rice
3 cup chicken stock
2 oz butter
4 oz onions, chopped
2 oz cream
1 oz Parmesan
4 oz sweet potatoes, small dice
4 oz duck fat
2 eggs
4 oz flour

Steps:
Heat butter and sauté onions until translucent. Add rice and toast lightly, until it begins to smell nutty. Add warm stock at 4 oz intervals, wait until stock is absorbed before adding more. Cook sweet potatoes quickly in boiling water and put aside. When rice is 90% done add cream, Parmesan and potatoes. Mix thoroughly. When finished, spread on a sheet pan about 1/2 inch in thickness to cool. When cool cut into circles. Roll through egg and then coat in flour. Heat Duck fat to 375. Cook risotto on both sides in Duck fat until brown and somewhat crispy and warmed through.

Wild Mushroom Sauce Ingredients:
8 oz Beef Stock
4 oz Red Wine
4 oz Wild Mushrooms
2 oz Butter cubed
1 oz Thyme
1 oz Shallots
Salt and Pepper to taste

Steps:
Add 1/2 oz of butter and sauté shallots, add thyme, mushrooms and wine to reduce. When pan is almost dry, add stock and reduce by 50 to 75 percent. Slowly add butter and stir to combine. Salt and pepper to taste.

Beef:
Braised piece of Inside Round Sliced in 2 oz Portions

Presentation:
Serve sweet potato risotto cake and wild mushroom sauce with braised beef sliced to 2 oz portions.

Mobile County Master Gardeners
A program of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System
1070 Schillinger Road, North
Mobile, AL 36608
251-574-8445
www.aces.edu/Mobile/mg 
Facebook: Mobile County Master Gardeners

SPECIAL EVENT INFORMATION:
Mobile County Master gardeners will be hosting their inaugural Farm to Table Dinner on Tuesday, September 25, 2012, from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m. at the Jon Archer Agricultural Center located on Schillinger Road N. The goal is to raise public awareness of the local agricultural and seafood community and to encourage buying fresh and local foods. Tickets are $65 per person and the event is limited to 100 people.

ABOUT THE GUESTS:
Chef Jason Lafferty, Culinard Program Director, and the chef instructors at the Culinary Institute of Virginia College in Mobile are partnering with the Mobile County Master Gardeners to prepare a four-course gourmet meal, made from fresh, local ingredients and served by Culinary Institute students. Chef Lafferty is an enthusiastic supporter of eating local, eating seasonally.

He has worked for Zagat-rated Naples Tomato as corporate chef and was the executive chef for Viking Range. He performed cooking classes and demonstrations with such chefs as Paula Deen and Cat Cora. Chef Lafferty has been featured on the Food Network and other TV programs and recently represented the Alabama Gulf Seafood Commission and Tourism Board by presenting a cooking demonstration at the Smithsonian Institute for the Gulf States Fisheries Commission in Washington.

Chef Lafferty is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University with degrees in Culinary Arts and Food Service Management. He is currently seeking a Master of Science degree in Hospitality Management from Florida international University where he has received the Tianjin China Graduate Scholarship for the second year.

Regina Gunn, a Mobile County Master Gardener, is chairing the inaugural Farm to Table dinner being hosted by Master Gardeners in cooperation with many partners who are food producers in Mobile County.