Blackbird
November 30, 2009
Blackbird Restaurant
Blackbird and its Executive Chef Paul Kahan have been providing Chicago with top-notch and award winning cuisine since its opening. Located at 619 W. Randolph, the space is also a James Beard Award-Winning Design. Thomas Schlesser and Demian Repucci designed the sleek modern space that has been one of Chicago’s hottest restaurants for nearly 12 years. With the recent addition of Chef de Cuisine Mike Sheerin formerly of WD-50 in New York, Blackbird continues to be at the forefront of the Midwest’s most innovative cuisine.
Blackbird’s menu items show Kahan and Sheerin’s backgrounds in classical French and American cuisines. Menu selections such as their sautéed veal sweetbreads with golden beets, perigord black truffles, molasses and pine aioli, and their abalone mushroom 'schnitzel' with brown butter yogurt, snow peas, apricots, crispy maitakes and oregano, the chefs of Blackbird show their selection of worldly ingredients and ability to bring it together into something totally unique.
The award winning partnership between Executive Chef Paul Kahan, Sommelier Eduard Seitan, Donnie Madia, and Rick Diarmit, has sparked a growing list of restaurants from Kahan and partners. With Avec (Blackbird’s neighbor,) The Violet Hour, and The Publican, a pork and fish inspired beer-friendly restaurant, the restaurants are all booming as some of Chicago’s top dining spots.
The sandwich recipe below is a great example of how their lunch menu differs from their well respected dinner menu and yet still provides totally unique menu options.
Smoked Sturgeon with Nori Cream Cheese on a Salt Bagel
Chef de cuisine Mike Sheerin, Blackbird, Chicago
Yield: 10 sandwiches, 15 bagels
BAGELS:
1 lb. all-purpose flour
3⁄4 oz. yeast
1 oz. light brown sugar
6 oz. water, plus water for cooking bagels
1 lb. box kosher salt
approximately 1⁄4 cup cornmeal
SMOKED STURGEON:
50 grams kosher salt
100 grams water
8 oz. sturgeon (freshest possible)
NORI CREAM CHEESE:
1 package nori seaweed
8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
1 oz. yuzo juice
to taste, salt and pepper
as desired for garnish, sliced red onion and sliced tomato
For bagels: Combine flour, yeast, sugar, 2 Tbsp. salt and water in bowl of electric mixer. Mix for 20 minutes on medium speed with dough hook. When dough acquires light sheen, turn off mixer and turn dough onto cutting board. Pour cornmeal onto baking sheet. Measure out 3-oz. dough portions and roll each into a 3" log. Connect two ends of each log to form a circle. Place bagels on cornmeal-dusted baking sheet and refrigerate for 2 hours. Bring large pot of water to boil. Place bagels in water, being careful not to crowd pot.
When bagels rise to top, remove from pot and return to baking sheet to cool slightly. Pour remaining kosher salt onto shallow, flat-bottom pan. Dip cooled bagels on puffy side into salt; shake off excess. Bake bagels on cornmeal-dusted baking sheet for 10-15 minutes at 420°F, until light golden brown.
For smoked sturgeon: Dissolve salt and water. Place sturgeon into brine and let sit one hour. Remove. Place fish in smoker on medium heat and smoke for 35 minutes. Reserve.
For nori cream cheese: Toast nori in 250°F oven for 7 minutes. Place nori into extremely dry food processor with blade attachment and pulse into a fine flour. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to a creamy texture. Season to taste.
To assemble dish: Cut bagel in half and toast to desired color. Slice sturgeon on bias to desired thickness. Spread nori cream cheese on toasted bagel and top with sliced sturgeon. Add onion and/or tomato slices, if desired, and cover with second half of bagel.
Blackbird and its Executive Chef Paul Kahan have been providing Chicago with top-notch and award winning cuisine since its opening. Located at 619 W. Randolph, the space is also a James Beard Award-Winning Design. Thomas Schlesser and Demian Repucci designed the sleek modern space that has been one of Chicago’s hottest restaurants for nearly 12 years. With the recent addition of Chef de Cuisine Mike Sheerin formerly of WD-50 in New York, Blackbird continues to be at the forefront of the Midwest’s most innovative cuisine.
Blackbird’s menu items show Kahan and Sheerin’s backgrounds in classical French and American cuisines. Menu selections such as their sautéed veal sweetbreads with golden beets, perigord black truffles, molasses and pine aioli, and their abalone mushroom 'schnitzel' with brown butter yogurt, snow peas, apricots, crispy maitakes and oregano, the chefs of Blackbird show their selection of worldly ingredients and ability to bring it together into something totally unique.
The award winning partnership between Executive Chef Paul Kahan, Sommelier Eduard Seitan, Donnie Madia, and Rick Diarmit, has sparked a growing list of restaurants from Kahan and partners. With Avec (Blackbird’s neighbor,) The Violet Hour, and The Publican, a pork and fish inspired beer-friendly restaurant, the restaurants are all booming as some of Chicago’s top dining spots.
The sandwich recipe below is a great example of how their lunch menu differs from their well respected dinner menu and yet still provides totally unique menu options.
Smoked Sturgeon with Nori Cream Cheese on a Salt Bagel
Chef de cuisine Mike Sheerin, Blackbird, Chicago
Yield: 10 sandwiches, 15 bagels
BAGELS:
1 lb. all-purpose flour
3⁄4 oz. yeast
1 oz. light brown sugar
6 oz. water, plus water for cooking bagels
1 lb. box kosher salt
approximately 1⁄4 cup cornmeal
SMOKED STURGEON:
50 grams kosher salt
100 grams water
8 oz. sturgeon (freshest possible)
NORI CREAM CHEESE:
1 package nori seaweed
8 oz. Philadelphia cream cheese
1 oz. yuzo juice
to taste, salt and pepper
as desired for garnish, sliced red onion and sliced tomato
For bagels: Combine flour, yeast, sugar, 2 Tbsp. salt and water in bowl of electric mixer. Mix for 20 minutes on medium speed with dough hook. When dough acquires light sheen, turn off mixer and turn dough onto cutting board. Pour cornmeal onto baking sheet. Measure out 3-oz. dough portions and roll each into a 3" log. Connect two ends of each log to form a circle. Place bagels on cornmeal-dusted baking sheet and refrigerate for 2 hours. Bring large pot of water to boil. Place bagels in water, being careful not to crowd pot.
When bagels rise to top, remove from pot and return to baking sheet to cool slightly. Pour remaining kosher salt onto shallow, flat-bottom pan. Dip cooled bagels on puffy side into salt; shake off excess. Bake bagels on cornmeal-dusted baking sheet for 10-15 minutes at 420°F, until light golden brown.
For smoked sturgeon: Dissolve salt and water. Place sturgeon into brine and let sit one hour. Remove. Place fish in smoker on medium heat and smoke for 35 minutes. Reserve.
For nori cream cheese: Toast nori in 250°F oven for 7 minutes. Place nori into extremely dry food processor with blade attachment and pulse into a fine flour. Add remaining ingredients and pulse to a creamy texture. Season to taste.
To assemble dish: Cut bagel in half and toast to desired color. Slice sturgeon on bias to desired thickness. Spread nori cream cheese on toasted bagel and top with sliced sturgeon. Add onion and/or tomato slices, if desired, and cover with second half of bagel.
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