Dunkin' Dips by DRAFT Staff

Magazines » January/February 2009 Issue » Dunkin' Dips

Dunkin' Dips

Chef: Akira Back
Akira Back, executive chef at Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant & Bar inside the Las Vegas resort casino Bellagio, used to be a professional snowboarder, but he quit the slopes and took his spot in the kitchen. Look familiar? You might remember him from an episode of last year’s “Iron Chef America.” For this recipe, chef Back combines modern and traditional Japanese ingredients with local flavors from Vegas-based Big Dog’s Brewing Co. If you’re light on things to dip, chef Back suggests his beer-battered cod tempura.

Yellowtail Sushi Restaurant & Bar
Bellagio Resort & Casino
3600 S. Las Vegas Blvd., Las Vegas
702.693.7223

Beer-Battered Cod Tempura with
Ume-Stout Dipping Sauce
Serves 4

Ume-Stout Dipping Sauce:
5 tablespoons Big Dog’s Black Lab Stout
5 tablespoons tartar sauce
1 tablespoon ume paste
4 teaspoons mirin
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds, coarsely ground
1 teaspoon shiso leaves, minced

Pale Ale Tempura Batter:
1 liter Big Dog’s Holy Cow! Original Pale Ale
4 tablespoons store-bought tempura batter mix
2 tablespoons ice cubes
2 egg yolks

Cod Fillet:
1 5-ounce cod fillet, cut into strips
5 liters canola oil, for frying
2 tablespoons tempura flour, for dredging
1 tablespoon lotus root, peeled, sliced thin
crosswise against the grain
salt and black pepper to taste

Ume-Stout Dipping Sauce:
• Combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Pale Ale Tempura Batter:
• In a mixing bowl, combine pale ale,
ice cubes and egg yolks, whisking thoroughly.
• Add tempura mix slowly. Batter should be
slightly chunky.

Cod Fillet:
• Heat canola oil to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry lotus root in oil until crispy and slightly golden brown. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Season immediately with salt and set aside.
• In a mixing bowl, dredge cod strips in tempura flour to dry off. Dust and remove to a separate plate.
• Place cod strips in tempura beer batter, covering cod completely. Drop battered strips into frying oil delicately. Cook until crispy on the outside, about 90 seconds. Remove cod from oil and drain on paper towels. Season with salt and black pepper immediately.
• On a serving platter, place lotus chips on one side of the platter and cod tempura on the other.
• Scoop dipping sauce into a small serving bowl. Place on a platter beside lotus chips and cod tempura and serve.

Chef: Roger Freedman
Chef Freedman is a 22-year veteran of the restaurant industry and founder of Q Roadhouse, a rustic eatery in Jackson, Wyo., where savory barbecue mingles with specialty entrees like Ratatouille Crepes and Grilled Jerked Jamaican Pork Loin. Here, Freedman devises an onion dip that uses Zonker Stout by Jackson-based Snake River Brewing Co.

Q Roadhouse
2550 Moose Wilson Road, Jackson, Wyo.
307.739.0700

Q Roadhouse Porter Onion Dip
Serves 4

1 12–ounce bottle Zonker Stout
3 yellow onions, finely diced
11⁄2 cups sour cream
1 1⁄2 cups crème fraîche
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon horseradish
salt and pepper to taste

• In a saucepan, caramelize onions in butter for 20 minutes over medium heat.
• Add garlic and thyme, cook for 1 minute. Add beer, cook down until reduced by 90 percent.
• Remove from heat and let cool.
• Stir in remaining ingredients and serve.

Chef: Pete Janiak
On the eastern border of Presidio National Park in downtown San Francisco, Chef Janiak whips up fare inspired by Presidio Social Club’s slogan “all the comforts of a club, without the dues.” Mouthwatering favorites abound, like sloppy Joes made with imported Kobe beef, Anchor Steam beer-battered fish and chips, and Sonoma range chicken with cipollinis and garlic jus. His Guinness Broccoli Cheddar Dip is the perfect accompaniment for watching the big game on a chilly San Francisco day.

Presidio Social Club
563 Ruger St., San Francisco
415.885.1888

Guinness Broccoli Cheddar Dip
Serves 8 to 10

1 14.9-ounce can of Guinness Draught
2 pounds broccoli, steamed and grated
on box grater
11⁄2 pounds cheddar, grated
4 shallots, diced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
1⁄2 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
10 ounces heavy cream
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard

• In a saucepan, cook shallots and garlic in oil until soft and colorless.
• Add mustard, Guinness and 8 ounces of cream, reserving 2 ounces.
• Reduce by half on medium heat.
• Turn heat to low and whisk in 1 pound
of cheddar. Remove from heat and let cool for 3 minutes, then stir in 2 ounces cream, broccoli, 1⁄2-pound of cheddar and herbs.
• Once incorporated, transfer to Pyrex or microwave dish, cool completely in refrigerator.
• When ready to serve, heat in microwave or oven at 350 degrees until hot and bubbling. Let cool for a few minutes.
Serve with chips, vegetables, crostinis, pita chips or pretzel rods.