Sew what's cooking with Joan!: A Private dinner with Chef Jason Wilson! Beef short rib!

Oh what a night! Chef Jason Wilson (Crush restaurant) honored us with a private dinner, in our home.....well, it was to die for! The event, my daughter Holly's birthday! Ten guests were treated to a memorable evening, that none will forget.............ever!!

Crush began as the dream of owners Nicole and Jason Wilson in 2003 when they set out to remodel and build an original 1903 Victorian house into a Modern American Restaurant that showcases the best in Jason's Cuisine and seasonal ingredients of the Northwest. Opening in 2005 CRUSH has quickly become a destination for an unparalleled dining experience in Seattle. Jason's approach and inspiration to food has been noted as Modern American, with personal influences and French technique. Using the best ingredients, focusing on quality first, the seasons & relationships with the best producers and growers dictating the ingredients has been the philosophy to our cuisine. Jason's awards follow-

2008 James Beard Foundation Nominee, Best Chef Northwest
2009 James Beard Foundation Nominee, Best Chef Northwest
2010 James Beard Foundation Winner, Best Chef Northwest

2006 Food and Wine Magazine Best New Chef
2006 Seattle Magazine Very Best Restaurant
2006 Zagat 28 Rating
2007 Zagat 28 Rating
2008 Zagat 28 Rating
2009 Zagat 27 Rating
2010 Zagat 28 Rating
2011 Zagat 28 Rating
2007 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
2008 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
2009 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence
2010 Wine Spectator “Best of Award of Excellence”
2011 Wine Spectator “Best of Award of Excellence”

WOW!

Crush is considered one of the top restaurants in the Seattle and with a well-earned reputation for excellence, they're firmly planted on the national radar.

The Menu- Appetizers

STUFFED GOUGERES

PARSNIP FLAN paired with champayne

SALMON TARTAR

2nd course

HOUSE BAKED BREADS

SALTED PRETZEL / ROSEMARY BREAD

ALASKAN PURE SALTED PLUGRA

SALAD OF SPRING VEGETABLES & GREENS FROM THE CRUSH GARDEN

ROASTED WALNUT VINAIGRETTE / CHEVRE

The freshness of the vegetables brought me back to childhood when I would go out to the garden, pluck a carrot or radish out of the garden, wash it off with a hose, and eat it! Right there in the garden!!

Jason spoke about his food philosophy and the commitment to organic and sustainable cuisine. He had a captive audience, as he waltzed around my kitchen effortlessly preparing each dish. It was a magical evening!

His vegetables are all grown in his garden, about 7 blocks from the restaurant and served within the same day. Jason brought his sous vide, and taught us how it's used. If you are unfamiliar with it, here is a short description. The term sous vide (pronounced soo-veed) is a French term meaning under vacumn. Sous vide is a culinary technique in which vacuum-sealed food is immersed in a water bath and cooked at a very precise consistent temperature. This cooking technique typically involves cooking food for longer periods of time at a lower temperature. The precise temperature control allows you to cook food to perfection, while the forgiving nature of this cooking method also eliminates concerns about overcooking. Sous vide cooking is extremely simple and fool-proof, and produces extraordinary results, our meal was cooked to perfection. Jason has a commercial version, but, there are home versions that range from $300.00-$500.00.

3rd Course

OLIVE OIL POACHED COPPER RIVER SALMON

ROASTED RADISHES / BROWN BUTTER CAULIFLOWER

GREEN ALMOND SORREL PISTOU / FAVAS

4th Course

48 HR BRAISED SHORT RIB

YUKON POTATO PUREE / TRUFFLE PARSLEY PISTOU

BABY CARROT / CIPOLLINI ONION

I was fortunate enough to have taken a cooking class with Chef Jason at Sur la Table, a few years ago. The Braised short rib was one of the dishes he prepared for us. With his permission I am sharing that recipe.

Jason Wilson's Braised Short Rib

Ingredients

5 pounds (3-inch thick cut) bone-in beef short ribs
1 bunch each fresh thyme, rosemary, and sage leaves, chopped
2 tablespoons each kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 (750-ml) bottles Cabernet-Savignon
Olive oil, for searing ribs
1 yellow onion, medium dice
2 carrots, peeled and medium dice
2 ribs celery, medium dice
3 garlic cloves
4 quarts veal stock
3 bay leaf
1-ounce dry porcini mushrooms

Directions

Season the ribs liberally with herbs, salt and pepper. Place in a large non-reactive bowl or deep container and cover with wine. Marinate for 12 hours in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Remove ribs from marinade, pour all the wine into a sauce pot, and reduce by half. Meanwhile, heat a layer of olive oil in a large cast iron pan over medium-high heat. Sear ribs on all sides until well browned. Place browned ribs into a braising or deep roasting pan. Brown onion, carrots, celery, and garlic in the same cast iron pan, adding more oil as needed. Scatter browned vegetables over the ribs. Add the reduced wine, the stock, bay leaves, and mushrooms. Cover the pan with parchment paper and foil and place in the oven for 5 hours. Transfer from the oven and allow the ribs to rest for 1 hour before removing the bones. Skim any fat from the sauce. Remove vegetables from the pan and set aside. While ribs are resting, strain sauce into a sauce pot and reduce for 1 hour. Pour hot sauce over ribs and vegetables and serve.

*Allow about 1 pound of short ribs per serving. Wilson calls for ribs that are cut 3" thic; this allows a nice 2 rib portion. If you can only find ribs cut 2" thick, allow 3 ot 4 ribs per serving. Wilson recommends a Bordeaux style blend of cabernet and merlot for the marinade. When I make this dish, I use a nice Washington state wine.

*If you do not make your own stock, use beef broth enriched with gelatin.

The finale

LAVENDAR SCENTED ALMOND CAKE

WITH THAI BASIL INFUSED STRAWBERRY & VANILLA PASTRY CREAM

Holly was thrilled and honored to have her family there to help her celebrate and to have Jason prepare such a beautiful meal. Holly has recently been more aware of organic and sustainable food, so it was perfect for her to be learning from Chef Wilson.