Noah Bekofsky
ARIA | Chicago
Thirty-four year old Noah Bekofsky began his career as a chef
working tables at a restaurant at the age of 14. Realizing his comfort
behind the stove, Bekofsky embarked on a 20-year adventure that
led him to his most recent position as Executive Chef at Chicago’s
aria restaurant at The Fairmont Hotel. Inspired by his
travels and cooking experiences throughout the world, Noah’s
menu at aria is both culturally inspired and comfortably American,
reflecting culinary and cultural traditions that transcend any one
cuisine. Bekofsky is also an active participant in the Chicago culinary
and social community. His exclusive program “shop with
the chef” is a summer-long education program in conjunction
with Chicago’s Green City Market to educate and inform Chicago
residents about local and organic purveyors. He also sits on the
Chef Advisory Board of Common Threads, a not-for-profit
program teaching at-risk children about tolerance and diversity
through food and nutrition.
Grilled Lamb Chop Caprese Salad
Chef Noah Bekofsky of aria at The Fairmont Hotel –
Chicago, IL
Adapted by StarChefs.com
Yield: 1 Serving
Ingredients:
Smoked Tomato Dressing:
- 1 smoked tomato
- ½ egg yolk
- 4 Tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 8 Tablespoons grape seed oil
Caprese Salad:
- 1 (5-ounce portion) rack of lamb
- 4 ounces various heirloom tomatoes, cut into ¼-inch
slices
- 1 cup sunflower sprouts
- 2 ounces buffalo mozzarella, cut into ¼-inch slices
Sweet Basil Dressing:
- 1 cup basil leaves
- ¼ cup white balsamic vinegar
- ½ egg yolk
- ½ cup grape seed oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Avocado Mousse:
- 1 ripe Haas avocado
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- ¾ cup heavy cream
Method:
For Smoked Tomato Dressing:
Smoke tomato for 45 minutes in smoker at 220° F with apple wood.
Peel off the skins and place tomato in an oven-proof pan or casserole
dish and cover half-way with extra virgin olive oil. Roast in the
oven for another 1½ hours at 250° F. Cool smoked tomato
confit to room temperature and puree with the egg yolk, salt and
vinegar. Add oil in a stream and adjust seasoning.
For Caprese Salad:
Trim up the rack of lamb, removing the bones and all visible fat.
Grill to medium-rare about15 minutes prior to serving the salad.
For Basil Dressing:
Place picked basil leaves in a blender with the salt and vinegar.
Puree in the egg yolk and add the oil in stream. Adjust seasoning.
For Avocado Mousse:
Slice avocado in half and remove the pit. Slice the avocado flesh
in the skin with tight horizontal slashes. Turn the avocado 90 degrees
and repeat. Spoon the avocado into a bowl. Whisk in the lemon juice
and salt. Add the heavy cream and whisk to stiff peaks. Immediately
transfer mousse to disposable pastry bag to minimize oxidation.
To Assemble and Serve:
Squeeze 4 rosettes of the avocado mousse in a diagonal line on a
rectangular plate. On top of the mousse, alternate the slices of
tomato, thinly sliced lamb, and fresh buffalo mozzarella. Toss the
sunflower sprouts in 1 Tablespoon of the sweet basil dressing and
season to taste. Scatter the dressed greens over the layers of tomato,
lamb and cheese. Sauce the plate with swirls of both the sweet basil
dressing and the smoked tomato dressing. Crack fresh pepper over
the entire plate and serve.
Wine Pairing:
Long Meadow Ranch, Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, California 2000
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