…aaaaand our reservations are now closed for July 19!

30 people are going to have one hell of a meal on Saturday night. (If you didn’t sign up, we hope you’ll still sign up on our website to get on the email list for the next Underground Kitchen dinner). We’ll let you lucky folks know where and what wine to bring in an e-mail tomorrow. And the location is going to be FANTASTIC too. We’re all quite excited about this go around (since we’ve done it before and know it’s a blast).

Here’s a menu tease…

Appetizer
X X Salad X in X X
X X X on X
X/X X Garnish

Salad
X X & X Salad with X/X Dressing
X X
X/X X Cheese
X/X X Garnish

Entrée
X X w/ X and X/X/X Sauce
X X Garnish Speared with X X

Dessert
X X w/ X X and WV X

Update: July 19th UNDERGROUND KITCHEN

Update I: Well, it’s three weeks until the next UNDERGROUND KITCHEN (on July 19th), and we’ve been blown away by the response. Dozens of new folks have signed up for the email list, and ten of the 30 seats for the 19th have already been reserved. If you are thinking about coming but have been hesitating to respond to the invitation, don’t hesitate too long . . . sign up for the invite, and when you get the invite, request a reservation & donate on PayPal. Then you can relax, go check out FestivaLL, etc.

Meanwhile, call us overachievers, but we’ve already got our SECRET DINING LOCATION scouted out & confirmed, and preliminary menu-planning/chicken-scratching underway. Yum:

Update II: So while Dan was scratching that menu up above, here’s what he was seeing and hearing. It was 30 minutes well spent on the banks of the Ohio River in Marietta, OH. Looking back across the river to Williamstown, WV with a cool June breeze blowing was the perfect setting to come up with a delicious menu for the next dinner.

Announcing: The Next UNDERGROUND KITCHEN July 19th

Put July 19th on your calendar, folks, and sign up on our email list so we can send you the invite. We’re requesting a donation of $40 for this dinner, and we’ll have space for 30 (we take reservations first-come, first-served).

Spice Rubbing London Broil and Thinking About Sauce

About four hours into the cooking at the first Underground Kitchen, the salad and dressing were done, the custards were chilling, the asparagus was grilled, the bruschetta mix was cooling and the bread was sliced and half-baked. So it was time to prep the London Broil, start the plum-cabernet sauce, and take a break. Really, Dan needed the break.

Grilled Asparagus Spears and Prosciutto with Honey-Mint-Goat Cheese Spread

GRILLED ASPARAGUS SPEARS and PROSCIUTTO with HONEY-MINT-GOAT CHEESE SPREAD

1 bunch of asparagus for 2 people
1 10 oz. brick of goat cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
1/8 cup honey

For asparagus:

1. Hold asparagus in hand and bend stalks until they break naturally. The tip and stalk that stays with it is what you want to cook and eat.
2. Toss asparagus in oil, salt and pepper.
3. Grill on medium high heat until crisp tender about 2-3 minutes with several turns.
4. Cut prosciutto lengthwise into three strips per piece.
5. Cool asparagus.
6. Tie asparagus with length of prosciutto in bundles of three stalks.

For cheese spread:

1. Mix cheese, mint, and honey in a bowl.
2. Chill and serve with asparagus.

Seared ‘Steak’ Medallions with Plum Sauce over Scallion Parmesan Polenta

SEARED ‘STEAK’ MEDALLIONS with PLUM SAUCE over SCALLION PARMESAN POLENTA

2-3 pounds london broil/flank steak or portabella mushrooms
equal parts cinnamon, ginger, and clove for rub totaling 6 tablespoons
olive oil
10 plums, peeled and chopped
½ vidalia onion, finely chopped
¼ cup orange juice
½ bottle cabernet sauvignon
corn starch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon water)
3 cups yellow cornmeal
3 cups vegetable stock
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
2 bunches scallions, green part chopped small
salt and pepper

For ‘steak’:

1. If you have a large flank steak, skip and cutting or prepping of the meat. Go to Step 2. If you have London Broil in a large ‘roast’ sized piece, slice it WITH the grain into 1 and ½ inch thick steaks. (Trust me on the grain, you’ll be cutting across the grain later).
2. Rub spices and oil over steak/mushrooms (gills of mushrooms).
3. Let steaks rest in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.
4. Bring steaks back to room temp.
5. Grill to medium rare over medium high heat.
6. Rest and thin slice on a bias AGAINST the grain.
7. Pour sauce over steak and serve with reserved sauce at the table.

NOTE: For mushrooms, grill cap side down first until liquid has started to bubble and spices have been cooked into mushroom.

For sauce:

1. Melt butter and add onions and salt to sweat. sauté until soft.
2. Add chopped plums and cook until softened.
3. Add wine and bring to slow boil for 2 minutes.
4. Add in batches to food processor or blender and pulse until totally blended.
5. Strain sauce back into pan and return to medium-high heat.
6. Add slurry and stir until thickened.
7. Keep warm over low heat, whisking occaisionally to keep smooth.

For the polenta:

1. Bring the stock to a boil.
2. Add the polenta and salt and reduce heat to medium. stir through until the polenta has softened and heated through.
3. Add the cheese.
4. Remove from the heat and stir through the scallion greens.
5. Serve immediately.

Fruited Couscous Salad with Tarragon, Citrus & Buttermilk Dressing

This was inspired in large part by our friend Alex’s curried couscous salad with dried cranberries and walnuts. I de-curried, un-nutted, and upped the fruit and sweetness with cooked down fruit in brown sugar and butter.

The dressing was a riff on my new standard buttermilk/citrus/cilantro coleslaw dressing. Instead of lime, i went for orange juice to match the tart and sweet with the fruit. Instead of cilantro, I went tarragon for a fresh herb that would contrast the fruit and couscous and pair well with the slightly sour buttermilk.

FRUITED COUSCOUS SALAD with TARRAGON, CITRUS & BUTTERMILK DRESSING

Equal parts totaling 2 cups cherries (pitted and chopped), dates (pitted and chopped), and dried apricots (chopped)
2 cups couscous
3 cups water
¾ stick butter, divided
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons sugar
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup buttermilk
¾ cup chopped fresh tarragon
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
salt and pepper to taste

For the salad:

1. Heat ½ stick butter and brown sugar in a sauté pan. add fruit over medium heat and heat through/begin to break down the fruit.
2. In a large pot, add the water, sugar, remaining butter, and salt. bring to a boil.
3. As soon as the water comes to a boil, add the fruit mixture and the couscous. stir through quickly.
4. Cover and remove from heat. ready to serve in 20 minutes (or when all liquid is absorbed).
5. Use a cup or ramekin to mold the individual salads and turn them out onto a lettuce bed.

For the dressing

1. Mix all ingredients in large bowl.
2. Pour over individual salads.

Bruschetta with Wild Mushrooms, Tomato, Madeira & Asiago

Our first course from the June 7/08 Underground Kitchen. A great combination of pungent Creminis and Shitakes with earthy tomato flavor and a Madiera wine high note. The Asiago binds it all down on crusty French baguette. Watch yourself on the shallots, the Underground Kitchen chef almost lost a finger!

BRUSCHETTA WITH WILD MUSHROOM, TOMATO, MADEIRA & ASIAGO TOPPING

1/2 baguette
3-4 minced shallots
1 lb mixed wild mushrooms (cremini, shitake, oyster), chopped
2 t tomato paste
¼ cup madiera wine, divided
olive oil, salt, pepper
½ cup shredded asiago cheese

1. Sweat the shallots in oil with salt over medium high heat. add the chopped mushroom, pinch of salt, cracked black pepper, and sweat until mushrooms give up their liquid.
2. Add tomato paste and stir through to coat. saute for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add half the madiera off heat and deglaze the pan. cook off the madiera.
4. Taste, repeat deglazing if needed. if the madiera has cooked off and left it’s flavor, you’re done here.
5. Slice baguette into rounds, drizzle with olive oil, salt, and pepper and half toast the baguette in a 375 degree oven until just crispy in the center.
6. Remove from the oven and top each slice with approx 2-3 t of the mushroom topping then top with shredded asiago.
7. Bake off at 400 degrees until cheese is melted.
8. Serve immediately.

Underground Kitchen 06.07.08

Our goal was simple: lure unsuspecting charlestonians to an undisclosed location, feed them a delicious meal, and have enough fun that we feel like doing this again. Charleston’s very first UNDERGROUND KITCHEN was a success on all counts.