Does bigger always mean better?
INGREDIENTS:
20 Layer Grilled Cheese:
Assembly:
Bread x10
Cheese x10
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
30 Layer Crepe Cake:
Assembly:
Crepes x10
1 pint Hazelnut Praline
20 ounces nutella
Crepe Batter:
1 cup (120g) all-purpose flour
1.5 tablespoons (18g) sugar
2 eggs
1 egg yolk
1 cup (240ml) milk
1 tablespoon (14g) vegetable oil
Hazelnut Praline:
4 cups (720g) raw hazelnuts
3 cup (420g) granulated sugar
1 tablespoon (15g) fine sea salt
½ cup (120ml) water
50 Layer Potato Pave:
8 pounds (36kg) russet potatoes
3 cup (720ml) duck fat
Salt to taste
Duck fat, for searing
Creme fraiche for serving
Chili oil for serving
Chives, very thinly sliced for serving
100 Layer Lasagna:
Lasagna:
150 Dried Pasta Sheets
3 quarts (28kg) ricotta
6 quarts (56kg) bolognese
3 quarts (28kg) bechamel
2 tablespoons (28g) romesco
Grated Parmesan
Fresh Basil
Bolognese:
3 pound (1350g) chuck steak, ground
3 pound (1350g) pork shoulder, ground
1 ½ pound (675g) pancetta, ground
2 medium yellow onion, small dice
2 rib of celery, small dice
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 bay leaves
2 cup (240ml) dry white wine
2 cup (240 ml) chicken stock
2 can (17 oz, 500g) crushed tomatoes, pureed
6 tablespoon (180g) tomato paste
6 tablespoon (40g) olive oil
Salt to taste
Romesco:
2 red bell peppers
3 red fresno chilies
½ cup (70g) toasted Marcona almonds
4 tablespoons (56g) water
4 garlic cloves, peeled
4 olive oil packed sun dried tomatoes
1 ½ (7g) teaspoons smoked paprika
1 tablespoon (14g) red wine vinegar
½ cup (120ml) extra virgin olive oil
Salt to taste
Bechamel:
1 cup (120g) all purpose flour
1 cup (240g) unsalted butter
2 quarts (1.9L) warmed milk
Salt to taste
Basil Oil:
2 cups (50g) picked fresh basil
1 cup (240ml) neutral oil
Parmesan Cream:
1 cup (240ml) heavy cream
300g parmesan cheese, grated
METHODS:
30 Layer Crepe Cake:
Crepe Batter:
In a bowl, mix flour and sugar; in a separate bowl, add two eggs and one yolk, slowly add the vegetable oil while whisking. Then add the whole milk.
Whisk in the egg mixture with the flour until clump-free and homogenous.
Strain through a mesh or a chinois.
In a 10-inch nonstick pan over medium heat, spray some cooking oil; once the pan is hot, add ⅓ cup or 78 ml of the batter, immediately swirl and rotate the pan around to coat the entire surface and form it into an even large circle.
Let it cook until the top is dry and the underside is just barely starting to get golden brown; flip and cook for 15 seconds, place on a sheet tray and repeat this process with the rest of the batter.
Hazelnut Praline:
Preheat the oven to 350 Fahrenheit. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and pour your hazelnuts onto that same baking sheet. Once your oven is preheated toast for 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned, and their skins are falling off.
Remove the skins from your hazelnuts by placing them in a kitchen towel, and rubbing your nuts together to remove as much skin as possible. Remove from the towel and allow to cool completely on your prepared baking sheet.
Place sugar and water in a medium saucepan, stir lightly to combine, and set over medium high heat. Boil your mixture until it turns an amber color. Pour the mixture over your hazelnuts and allow to cool completely.
Once cooled, pulse in a food processor until you get a crumbly texture.
50 Layer Potato Pave:
Preheat oven to 300°F (150°C)
Spray a 8-inch baking pan with cooking spray, then using parchment paper line all sides of the pan. Allow 2 inches of overhang on all sides.
Peel potatoes, then using a mandolin slice potatoes lengthwise. The slices of potato should be about a ⅛ inch thick.
In a large mixing bowl combine potatoes and duck fat, and salt. Mix well by hand to ensure the potatoes are evenly coated.
Begin placing potatoes into the bottom of the pan. Be sure to place them in as uniformly as possible with little no gaps. Brush the layer of potatoes with duck fat. Repeat this process one layer at a time until the pan has been filled.
Cut an 8-inch square of parchment paper and press it directly into the top of the potatoes. Fold excess parchment paper from the sides onto the middle of the pan.
Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, then place into your oven. Bake the potato for 2-3 hours. Use a toothpick or cake tester to check for doneness.
While the potatoes are cooking, cube 2 ounces of guanciale and begin to render the fat over medium heat in a saute pan.
Remove the pan from the oven, then remove the foil. Place a separate 8-inch baking pan on top of the potatoes, and weigh down the potatoes using canned foods or whatever you can find.
Place in the refrigerator and allow to cool overnight for at least 8 hours.
Remove the weight and top sheet of parchment paper, then using an offset spatula, loosen the pave by running the spatula along the sides.
Trim the potatoes on all sides to get a square then equally dive into 8 pieces. Refrigerate pieces on a parchment lined baking sheet for 20-30 minutes.
Heat a saute pan over medium high heat and sear for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and crispy.
Transfer to a paper towel lined baking tray and season with flakey salt.
Top with a quenelle of creme fraiche that has a divot imprinted. Then add chili oil, and chives.
100 Layer Lasagna:
Bolognese:
Heat enough oil to cover the bottom of a large rondeau over medium high heat. Once extremely hot, add ground beef, pork, and ground pancetta. Cook until browned and beginning to develop crispy bits. Once this happens, remove the browned meat from the pan.
Add more oil to coat the bottom of the pan again, and reduce heat to medium. Once hot, add garlic, onion, and celery. Cook the vegetables until they begin to soften.
At this point you will add the tomato paste and cook until it begins to caramelize
Then deglaze with white wine and reduce wine by half, then add chicken stock and pureed tomatoes and bring to a boil
Once boiling, add cooked meat back into the pan.
Reduce heat to a simmer, add bay leaves, and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to keep the bottom of the pot from burning.
Remove the bay leaves after the sauce is reduced and mostly meaty. Season with salt, and allow to cool for lasagna assembly.
Romesco:
Begin by charring the Fresno chilis and bell peppers on the stove set over a wire rack. Char the peppers until they are completely black. Then transfer to a medium stainless steel bowl and tightly wrap with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to steam for at least 15 minutes.
Using a paper towel wipe all of the char off of the peppers.
Into a blender, add roasted peppers, almonds, garlic, sun dried tomatoes, smoked paprika, and red wine vinegar. Blend on high until fully pureed.
Once pureed, begin to stream in olive oil until smooth and emulsified.
Pass through a fine mesh strainer, or chinois to get as smooth as possible.
Transfer to an airtight container for later use.
Bechamel:
Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, stir in flour. Continue
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, add the unsalted butter and wait until fully melted. Next add the flour and whisk together until it forms a cohesive paste. Let cook for 1-2 minutes to cook out the remaining starchy floury taste.
Add the milk in batches to the roux, whisking in between to make sure everything is incorporated. Once all of the milk is added, let it sit and simmer to allow the flour to fully thicken.
Basil Oil:
preheat a large saute pan over medium high heat
Combine basil and oil in a blender and blend on high speed until a smooth puree is formed and the color begins to darken
Pour the puree into the saute pan and reduce heat to medium, stir constantly to keep from burning
Cook until the suturing has subsided and there are no more bubbles being produced in the pan.
Transfer the mixture into a small mixing bowl set into a larger mixing bowl that has been filled with ice and stir the oil mixture until it has cooled.
Transfer the oil to a chinois lined with cheesecloth and allow the mixture to drip for at least 1 hour
Parmesan Cream:
Heat heavy cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until the cream is steamy.
Add heavy cream to a blender and begin to blend on high speed.
Add small amounts at a time, add the cheese until all of the cheese is used.
Continue to blend until a smooth slightly loose puree has formed.
ASSEMBLY:
20 Layer Grilled Cheese:
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C)
Slice bread into 10 quarter inch slices
Lay down 1 pieces of bread onto a work surface
Place a sheet of cheese onto the bread.
Repeat steps 2 and 3 until all slices of bread have been used.
Spread butter onto the top layer of bread
Heat a saute pan over medium heat. Once the pan is hot, place the buttered side of bread into the pan.
While the bottom of the sandwich is browning, spread butter over the top layer.
Toast the bottom side for 3- 4 minutes, then carefully flip the sandwich.
Transfer pan with sandwich into the oven and bake for 6-8 minutes.
Pull the pan from the oven, and carefully remove the sandwich from the pan.
Slice in half diagonally and enjoy.
30 Layer Crepe Cake:
Place one crepe down onto cutting board
Using an offset spatula, spread Nutella evenly across the crepe. Ensuring to cover the whole crepe.
Sprinkle an even layer of hazelnut praline.
Repeat steps 1-3, building the layers as evenly as possible, until 10 crepe cakes have been used.
Top the last crepe with a layer of Nutella, then sprinkle hazelnut praline over the Nutella.
Finish with a dusting of cocoa powder.
Slice cake into 8 pieces, serve and enjoy
50 Layer Potato Pave:
Begin preheating a saute pan over medium high heat
Once hot, go into the pan with duck fat.
Place a portion of potato pave into the pan and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown and delicious.
Transfer seared pave to a plate, and season with flakey salt.
Using a spoon, place a quenelle of creme fraiche into the center of the pave at a 45° angle. Then using the back of the spoon, light press into the quenelle to make a small divot.
Using a spoon, drizzle chili oil into the divot that was created in the creme fraiche.
Sprinkle chives at a 45° angle across the pave.
Enjoy those magical bites of potato goodness.
100 Layer Lasagna:
Preheat oven to 350°F (176°C)
Begin by blanching pasta sheets for 2-3 minutes in boiling water. Reserve par cooked sheets on a parchment lined baking tray. Place another layer of parchment every time you fill the sheet.
Line a deep half hotel pan with parchment paper.
Using a 2 ounce ladle, pour some bolognese into the bottom of the pan, spreading evenly with the bottom of the ladle.
Place 6 sheets of lasagna evenly into the pan.
Using a 2 ounce ladle, pour some bolognese onto the sheets. Spread the sauce evenly using the bottom of the ladle.
Using a large spoon, place dollops of bechamel over the bolognese.
Using a spoon, dollop ricotta over the bolognese.
Continue to build the lasagna by repeating steps 4-7 until you have run out of pasta sheets.
Finish the lasagna with one more layer of bolognese. Then wrap the pan with aluminum foil.
Place the pan into the oven and bake for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Remove the pan from the oven and using an equal sized pan lightly press into the top and weigh down with a couple of cans of tomatoes, or whatever may be available.
Place into the refrigerator overnight.
Remove from the refrigerator, and using an offset spatula release the lasagna from the sides of the pan.
Flip the pan upside down onto a cutting board and tap all sides. You may need a heat sour applied to the bottom of the pan to help the lasagna release.
Portion lasagna into 32 equal pieces.
Heat a saute pan over medium high heat.
Once the pan is hot, add vegetable oil to the pan.
Lay a portion of lasagna into the pan and sear on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until it begins to brown and get crispy.
While lasagna is searing, spoon romesco into the bottom of a plate and lightly spread into a circle.
Place seared lasagna over romesco, then cover with grated parmesan.
Finish the plate by placing basil oil around the romesco, and topping lasagna with fresh picked basil.
