MasterChef: The Ultimate Cookbook

by The Contestants and Judges of MasterChef, Graham Elliot (Foreword by), Joe Bastianich (Introduction)

Overview

The ulitmate guide to becoming a MasterChef in your own kitchen. 

You don't have to be a professional chef to make a gorgeous gourmet meal! MasterChef contestants' dishes, exquisitely turned out under pressure, prove that any amateur cook can achieve excellence. Let MasterChef: The Ultimate Cookbook help you make the leap from kitchen amateur to culinary master with tips and recipes from the show's most creative contestants and award-winning judges. Enjoy more than 100 delectable recipes & 50 gorgeous photographs. From tender venison medallions to over-the-top seared lobster with bourbon and shallots, from perfectly crisp pan-fried potatoes to a decadent apple caramel spice cake, these recipes will help broaden your food landscape and perfect your home-cooked classics.

With expert wine pairings from restaurateur and New York Times bestselling author Joe Bastianich and a foreword from Graham Elliot, an award-winning chef and Lollapalooza Culinary Director, MasterChef: The Ultimate Cookbook is all you need to take the next step in your own culinary journey.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781609615130
Publisher:	Harmony/Rodale/Convergent
Publication date:	09/18/2012
Sold by:	Random House
Format:	eBook
Pages:	320
File size:	18 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

MasterChef airs on FOX. The contestants and judges of Season 3 are the authors of MasterChef: The Ultimate Cookbook.

Read an Excerpt

Chapter 1

Breakfasts

FRUIT CUP

The sheer variety of fruits in the bowl makes this fruit cup an elegant morning treat or even a wonderful dessert for later in the day. You can mix and match the fruits depending on what's fresh and available at your local market. Be sure to use equal proportions of all the fruits, cutting or slicing them into similarly shaped pieces, to keep your version true to the original recipe, with no one fruit predominating. If you can't find dragon fruit, try to add at least one dramatic fruit to mix it up a bit, such as carambola, also called star fruit.

For the competition, the team members used precisely equal amounts of fruit for each serving, but you may prefer to just use an appropriate quantity to avoid waste. If you like, try the recipe using one dragon fruit, a quarter each of the melons and pineapple, and a cupful of each type of berry.

6 ounces cubed cantaloupe
6 ounces cubed honeydew
6 ounces cubed pineapple
6 ounces cubed watermelon
6 ounces sliced dragon fruit
6 ounces sliced fresh strawberries
6 ounces fresh blackberries
6 ounces fresh blueberries
6 ounces fresh raspberries
4 whole strawberries

Divide the fruit, except for the whole strawberries, equally among 4 serving bowls. Slice the whole strawberries without cutting through the stem ends, then fan the strawberries on top of the fruit and serve.

SERVES 4

Recipe courtesy of THE RED TEAM
(Christine Ha, Becky Reams, Felix Fang, Mike Hill, Scott Little, Stacey Amagrande, Tanya Noble)

SKILL SET/How to Train Your Dragon Fruit

Dragon fruit is the fruit of a cactus. It has knobby skin that's bright fuchsia or yellow and a seed-speckled interior that's either pink or white, depending on the variety. It has long been popular in Southeast Asia, and now it's becoming increasingly available in American stores. Dragon fruit is also grown in South America and Israel, but wherever your dragon fruit originated and no matter what its color, be sure that the one you're buying is in top condition: firm flesh, evenly colored, and just ripe enough to give very slightly to the pressure of your thumb, like a perfectly ripe avocado. The stem and the little leaves that protrude from the surface should still be soft and flexible, not dry and brittle. A soft fruit with brown spots on the skin is past ripe and should be avoided.

The flavor is mild and creamy, not at all tart, with a texture sort of like a medium-crisp apple, such as a Golden Delicious. The tiny black seeds have a gentle crunch that's reminiscent of the tiny seeds in a kiwifruit.

To cut up a dragon fruit, halve the fruit from end to end with a knife, and then use the sharp edge of a teaspoon to scoop the fruit from the tough skin. It will come out of each half in one domed piece that can then be evenly diced.


OATMEAL WITH BROWN SUGAR AND GOLDEN RAISINS

For a team challenge, the contestants thought they were flying to Hawaii. They were transferred to an airport hotel and woke up to find that instead of boarding a plane to a tropical paradise, they were expected to serve room-service breakfast to an entire hotel! The teams managed admirably to perk up some classics with new twists, but it wasn't exactly a holiday.

Nevertheless, ordinary oatmeal became a luxurious morning treat, thanks to a simple but novel technique: cooking the oats with golden brown sugar. It adds a caramel-like note to the nutty flavor of the oats and elevates them from everyday cereal. Be sure to use traditional rolled oats here, not quick-cooking oats. Golden raisins and milk stirred in at the end add chewy sweetness and creaminess.

4 cups water
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
6 tablespoons golden raisins
About 1 cup whole milk
Additional light brown sugar

Combine the water and salt in a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan, and bring to a boil over high heat. Stir in the oats and the brown sugar and return to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer until the oats are tender and the oatmeal is thick, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Stir in the raisins and cook until they're plump, about 2 minutes.

Just before serving, stir enough milk into the oatmeal to thin it to the desired consistency. Divide the oatmeal among 4 bowls. Sprinkle with more brown sugar and serve immediately.

SERVES 4

Recipe courtesy of THE RED TEAM
(Christine Ha, Becky Reams, Felix Fang, Mike Hill, Scott Little, Stacey Amagrande, Tanya Noble)


EGGS FOUR WAYS

For a Pressure Test, Monti Carlo found herself required to do nothing more than cook eggs--but to utter perfection. Cooking eggs is simple, right? But doing it without a single flaw is a challenging matter. Monti was really feeling the pressure because she had one shot to get each one right. But she did it, and so can you. For example, if your poached eggs never seem to come out as delicate ovals with tender whites and perfectly runny yolks and without any trailing strands, try Monti's method. It's a winner.

OMELETS

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat an 8- to 10-inch nonstick omelet pan over medium heat until hot. Add 1/2 tablespoon of the butter and cook until it melts, swirling the pan to coat. Beat 3 of the eggs in a large bowl until frothy, and season with salt and pepper. Pour the beaten egg mixture into the pan. Cook, lifting the edges with a silicone spatula and allowing the uncooked eggs to run onto the pan until the bottom is set and just beginning to brown and the top begins to set, about 3 minutes. Using the spatula, fold over one-third of the omelet (the edge closest to the pan handle) onto the center of the omelet, then tilt the pan and slide the opposite edge of the omelet onto a plate, rolling the center of the omelet onto the unfolded portion to create a trifold. Repeat to make 3 more omelets.

MAKES 4

POACHED EGGS

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
4 large eggs

Bring 4 inches of water to a boil in a deep saucepan. Stir in the vinegar and salt. Reduce the heat so that the water just barely simmers. Using a slotted spoon, stir the water to create a slow-moving vortex in the center. Break 1 egg into a cup and slide it into the vortex. Poach until the white is firm and the yolk thickens slightly but is still runny, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, lift the egg out of the poaching liquid and drain it briefly in the spoon on paper towels before serving. Repeat with the remaining eggs.

MAKES 4

SOFT-BOILED EGGS

4 large eggs

Bring 4 inches of water to a boil in a deep saucepan. Add the eggs (still in the shells) and cook for 5 minutes. Remove the eggs from the water, place them into egg cups, and set them aside for 2 minutes. Cut off the tops of the eggs and serve immediately. Or, to serve them later, transfer the eggs to a bowl of ice water to stop them from cooking, then rewarm them in the boiling water for 1 minute before serving.

MAKES 4

SUNNY-SIDE-UP EGGS

2 tablespoons canola oil
4 large eggs
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Spray two 4-inch-diameter ring molds with nonstick cooking spray, and set the rings in the skillet. Crack 1 egg into each ring, and fry until the whites are cooked through and the yolks are thick but still fluid, about 3 minutes. Remove the rings, then transfer the eggs to 2 plates. Repeat with the remaining oil and eggs.

MAKES 4

Recipes courtesy of MONTI CARLO

Table of Contents

Fruit Cup 212 Oatmeal with

512

612 Lemon Pancakes with Mixe

812 Egg White Omelet

1012 Pu

1212 American Breakfast 1512 Eggs Benedi

1711 Chapter 2

Bombay Fl

2312 Tom Kha Kai 2512 White Clam Pizza with Bloody Ca

2712 Cheddar Cheese Sou

3012 Chicke

3

Made-from-Scratch Pork Dumplings 35

Garam Masala Chicken

3912 Live Crab Cocktail 4112 Ro

4512 The Offal Trio13 Part

Chicken Liver Crostini with Pickled C

4813 Part 2 Fried Sweetbreads with B&eacut

5013 Part 3 G

5212 Sweetbreads Nuggets with Bok Choy and Soy-Chile S

5512 Pan-Fried Sweetbreads and Watercress Salad,

5712 Sweet Corn Bisque with Cilantro Marshmallow

Chapter 3 Pastas and Rice Dishes12 Stir-Fry Noodles

6512 Homemade Tortellini in Chicken Broth 6912 Whitney's Cauliflow

7212 Homemade Orecchiette with

7312 Uni T

7612 Uni Risotto 7912 Poblano

8012 Artichoke Risotto

8312 Pasta a

8611 Chapter 4 Vegetables and Sides12 Savor

9312 Roasted

9512 Coles

9612 Mashed Sweet Potatoes 9

Sautéed Green Beans with Ham 9812 Asian Avocado, Kale, and M

10012 Spicy Egg Curry and Pilaf with Peas and Pomegranate Rai

10312 Grill

10612 Ga

10712 Pan-Fried Pota

10812 Mixed Tempura 110

Corn Fregola Salad 11211 Chapter 5 Seafood12 Thai Seafoo

117

California Rolls 12012 Ni

12212 Uni and Rock Shrimp Sushi with

124

Escolar with Whippe

12612 Presiden

12812 Salm

1

Spring Vegetable Terrine with Prawn Mousse, Pea Puree, and Microgreen Salad 1

Indian Catfish in Coconut-Leek Broth with Garam Masa

13612 Spanish-S

14012 Spot Prawn Ceviche 14312 Clay Pot Catfish wit

14512 Tempura-Style Shrimp with Thai C

14712 Thai Crab Trio: Crab Thai Curry, T

1511

Shrimp Étouffée 15412 Dirty New England Lobster 15612

15812 Crispy-Skin Rockfish with Cauliflower Puree, Chardonnay Emulsion, H

16012

16411 Chapter 6 P

Buttermilk Fried Chicken with Creamed Kale 16912 Roast Chicken with Red Pepper Grits and Col

17112 Roast Chicken and Biscuits with Pan Gravy and Fried Green Tom

17512

17912 Southern-Inspired Chicken Galantine with Roast

18212 Indian Curry Cornish Hen 185

Hoisin Duck with Roasted Daikon Puree and Crispy Bamboo Rice 187

Five-Spice Duck Breast with Sweet Potato and Eggplant Chips 19111 Chapter 7 Meats12 Ribeye

Pan-Seared T-Bone Steaks with Peach-Tarragon Sauce and Roaste

19812 Grilled T-Bone with Corn Sauce, Peach-Wat

20012 Joe's Po

20212 Filets Three Ways 20312 Grilled NY Strip Steak with Smoky Spi

20612 Steak Tacos with Bell Peppers, Guacamole, and Pico de Gallo 20912 P

21

Barbecue Pork Chops

Pan-Roasted Pork Chops with Mushrooms and Pomegranate Gastriqu

21612 Stuffed Lamb Saddle with Roasted Baby Vegetables and Israe

21812 Carimanolas with Th

22112 Grilled V

2

Rustic Roasted Leg of Rabbit with Roasted Carrots, Hen of the Woods Mush

22712 Pan-Seared Ra

23211 Chapter 8 Desserts12 Strawberry Shortcake 23612 Caramel-Ginger Apple Pie 2

Decadent Apple-Caramel Spice Cake 24112 Coconut and Tropical Fruit Verrine 24412 Caramel Roasted Peach wit

24712 Raspberry Souffl&

24912 Dark Chocolate Souffl&eac

25012 Chocolate Crème Br&uci

25212 "Classy Corn, Trashy Corn": Corn Panna Cotta with Rum Ca

25312 Meyer Lemon Tiramisu

Corn Budino with Chocolate Sauce and Candied Corn and Pine N

25812 Exotic Fruit Tart 26012 Chocolate Mousse with Pomegranate-Lemon Sauce and Candied Lemon Zest

White Chocolate Mousse

26412 Banan

26712 Italian

27012 Molten Lava Cake 27

Acknowledgments 27601 Index 277