Voltaggio’s recipes are a bit complicated

Another chef we watched at last month’s Baltimore Book Festival may be familiar to those of you who follow the Cooking Channel’s competition programs. Bryan Voltaggio, who has the distinction of appearing as a finalist on both "Top Chef" and "Top Chef Masters," assembled a rich corn chowder for the attentive audience in Baltimore.

His first cookbook was a collaboration with his brother Michael, one of the chefs he competed against during the sixth season of "Top Chef." The focus of their book, "VOLT.Ink" was to showcase the complex creations served at the upscale tables in Michael’s restaurant, Ink.

As a potential purchase for the home chef, the recipes in this collection expect a high degree of culinary skill. Many dishes require esoteric ingredients, as well as professional tools and equipment, like a sous vide machine for cooking plastic-sealed ingredients in a temperature-controlled circulating water bath.

Bryan’s new solo book, "Home: Recipes to Cook with Family and Friends," intended to change the focus to comfort-food, family-friendly meals. Some of the dishes can be found on the menus of his restaurants scattered throughout Maryland, D.C. and Virginia, while others are dishes he remembers his mother serving when he was young.

During the demo, he narrated while dicing and stirring, sharing stories about the creation of the cookbook. He had all the photographs taken in his home kitchen to convince his readers these can be made by any home cook with familiar tools and techniques.

One anecdote he told (probably for the umpteenth time, as it’s included in every review and book-selling website) was about his enthusiastic young son. According to Bryan, they had just started the first photo shoot when 6-year-old Thacher, who had been assigned some prep chores, got up on the counter and started cooking.

Although the exact recipe doesn’t appear in the cookbook, photos of Thacher’s Cola-Braised Potatoes and his handwritten sticky notes are included. The detailed instructions can be found on the "Today Show" website and include several complex steps, especially for an oddly seasoned (garlic, fennel and poppy seeds) breadcrumb topping.

We made the dish (see photo) but found the instructions in the book overly complicated (do you really need to fry parsley?). I’ve included a simplified version here, without the breadcrumbs and chili oil. If you make these, watch the skillet closely, as the sugar in the cola can easily burn.

Bryan talked during the demo about his love for crab, specifically, how his crab waffles are designed to re-create the layers of texture and flavors in a crab cake: crunchy bits of crab meat along the edges and creamy lumps of crab inside. He described plating the waffles by topping them with poached eggs and and a beer-based take on Béarnaise sauce.

This is a recipe that may be too time-consuming for a harried home cook, but perfect for someone with lots of leisure hours. Voltaggio doesn’t reach for Old Bay, but lists the specific spices to mix a batch of what he calls “Our Bay Seasoning Blend.” The “Beer-Naise” sauce is tricky to pull together, as the extra liquid fights blending with the egg yolks and melted butter. A yeast-based waffle batter requires two hours to rise before you can heat the waffle iron.

While the dishes in this cookbook may be delicious and beautiful to look at, the chef-turned-author may have missed the mark.

These recipes are exacting and complicated, and call for unusual ingredients that may be familiar to Voltaggio, but less so to the home chef. If you cook from the cookbook, "Home," you may need to set your expectations before beginning - you’ll be at home in your kitchen for quite awhile.

Simple Cola Braised Potatoes*

1 lb potatoes
1 T olive oil
3/4 C cola soda
1/4 C broth
salt, to taste
red pepper flakes
chives for garnish

Slice the potatoes lengthwise into quarters or eighths so they are about 1-inch wide. Heat the olive oil over medium and add the potato pieces, cut side down. Pour in the cola and broth, cover the pan and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Check the potatoes from time to time, turning the pieces for even browning. Season to taste with salt and red pepper flakes; garnish with snipped chives. *Inspired by Bryan Voltaggio’s "Home."

Our Bay Seasoning Blend*

1 dried shitake mushroom
1 T black peppercorns
4 bay leaves
1 T coriander seeds
1/8 t yellow mustard seeds
1/2 t red pepper flakes
1/2 t piment d’Espelette
2 t onion powder
2 1/4 t paprika
2 1/2 t celery seeds
1/2 t garlic powder
7 t fine sea salt

Place all ingredients except salt in a spice grinder. Process to a fine powder. Remove to a bowl and whisk in salt. *Adapted from Bryan Voltaggio’s "Home."

Waffle Batter*

1/2 C lukewarm water
1 pkg instant yeast
1 T sugar
2 1/2 C flour
1/2 t salt
1/4 t baking soda
2 C buttermilk
2 eggs
2 t vanilla extract
1/2 C melted butter

Combine water, yeast and sugar in a measuring cup; whisk to combine. Combine the flour,salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl and whisk together. Pour in buttermilk, eggs, vanilla and yeast mixture; stir just until combined.

Whisk in the melted butter. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to double in size; about 2 hours. *Adapted from Bryan Voltaggio’s "Home."

Beer-Naise Sauce*

1 1/2 C pilsner or ale
1/4 C malt vinegar
1 sliced shallot
4 sprigs tarragon
1 C butter
3 large egg yolks
2 t bay seasoning
1/2 t salt
juice of 1 lemon
Tabasco, to taste

Combine the beer, vinegar, shallot and tarragon in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Strain mixture into a measuring cup; set aside. Melt butter in a small pot over medium heat; set aside.

Place egg yolks in a blender and process on medium until the yolks become pale yellow and thickened. Slowly drizzle in the beer reduction and continue to puree until fully absorbed. Add the melted butter slowly, processing until absorbed. Add bay seasoning, salt, lemon juice and Tabasco. Transfer sauce to a bowl and keep warm while making waffles. *Adapted from Bryan Voltaggio’s "Home."

Assembly

1 lb crab meat
waffle batter
Beer-Naise Sauce
poached eggs

Fold half the crabmeat into the waffle batter and make waffles on preheated waffle iron. To plate, top each waffle with a poached egg, scoop of crabmeat and ladle of Beer-Naise sauce.

Send comments, questions or recipe ideas to capeflavors@comcast.net.