Great Holiday Recipes of Philadelphia Chefs

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Everyone loves a secret family recipe, but sometimes you need something new and fresh to treat your palate to. Why not try one of the recipes below that have been shared by our own local chefs. The city of Philadelphia is home to many fantastic restaurants, some of the regions finest actually! Now you can enjoy some of the local favorites at home in between date nights or special occasions.

Don’t forget to leave a comment below, letting us know your thoughts, success, and even failures attempting some of these recipes!

#1 Turkey Cutlets with cider and ginger snap sauce

By, Chef Philip Pinkney of the Restaurant School of Walnut Hill

Ingredients

4 x 5 oz Turkey cutlets, boneless
Seasoned flour
2 Tbsp Canola oil
1 Large apple, medium diced
2 oz Apple liqueur
8 oz Apple cider (I prefer the un-pasteurized variety)
2 oz Ginger snap cookies (crushed)
Fresh sage, minced

Directions

Dust the cutlets with the seasoned flour, heat 2 medium skillets over a full flame and divide the oil between them. (I recommend two skillets when cooking 4 portions at the same time as the pans “recover” their heat much faster), an alternative would be to cook the cutlets in two batches. Sauté the first side for 2 minutes, turn each cutlet and then add the diced apples. Cook for a further 2 minutes and then flambé with the apple liqueur. Remove the cutlets and place them on a serving platter and reserve in a warm oven. Deglaze the skillets with the apple cider and add the crushed cookies. Allow the sauce to reduce and thicken until it reaches your desired consistency. Nape the cutlets with the sauce; sprinkle with the sage and serve immediately.

#2 Butternut Squash Risotto

: Chef Terence Fuery

By, Chef Terence Feury of FORK

Ingredients

1 fall squash (butternut or kabocha), about a pound
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper
2 shallots
3 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup minced white onion
1 cup Arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine
3 tablespoons finely gratedParmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup Gorgonzola dolce cheese,broken into small chunks
Pepitas (toasted pumpkin seeds)to garnish

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Split the squash lengthwise and scoop out the seeds. Coat the insides with butter; season with salt and pepper. Slice shallots and sprinkle over the top of the squash. Place in a roasting pan and cover with foil. Roast in oven until the squash is tender (45 minutes to an hour).

Heat the vegetable stock in a sauce pot and keep hot. In a large saucepan, sauté the onions in olive oil until translucent, then season with salt and pepper.
Add the Arborio rice and cook for a minute until well-coated in oil and slightly toasted. Add the wine and cook on low heat until completely dry. Add 1
cup of the vegetable stock and stir slowly until absorbed. Add another cup and repeat. Add the rest a half-cup at a time until the rice is tender but not
mushy. Keep warm.

Scoop the meat from the squash and purée in a food processor until smooth. Stir one cup of the purée into the risotto until it’s creamy and smooth. Finish with
grated Parmigiano and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the risotto into bowls and place chunks of the Gorgonzola on top; sprinkle with pepitas and more Parmigiano.

#3 Yukon Gold Potatoes

: Chef Walter Staib

By, Walter Staib, City Tavern

Ingredients

2 extra large Yukon Gold potatoes, sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, as needed
1 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 pound Dietz & Watson® Cheddar with Horseradish, thinly sliced

Directions

In a medium-mixing bowl, combine the potato slices with the olive oil, salt, and pepper. Grill over medium heat until fork-tender. When almost done, sprinkle a pinch of the marjoram on top of each potato slice and top with a slice of the cheese. Continue to grill until the cheese begins to melt.
Remove from the grill and stack 4-6 cheese-covered potato slices on top of one another to form a tower. Pierce with wooden skewers and cut in halves or quarters, depending on the size of the slices.

#4 Pasta Tunisiano

By, the Chefs at Monshu

Ingredients
Salt
1 pound rigatoni
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1/4 cup harissa
1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/4 pound fresh mozzarella, chopped
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
6 fresh basil leaves, torn

Directions

Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil. It should taste like sea water! Cook the pasta until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and garlic. Sweat in the pan for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the harissa and cook for 2 more minutes. Add the
tomato sauce and cook an 2 additional minutes. Remove the pasta from the pot and add to the saute pan. Add the mozzarella, Parmesan and basil and toss well. Taste for seasoning and serve.

#5 Seared Scallops with lemongrass sauce and greenbeans

: Chef Chris Scarduzio

By, Chris Scarduzio, Table 31

Ingredients

For the Sauce

2 T. Olive Oil
8 button mushrooms
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 stalks lemongrass, chopped
2 T. ginger, minced
2 scallions, chopped
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 rib celery, chopped
2 c. chicken stock
6 sprigs cilantro
1/2 c. coconut milk
1/4 c. heavy cream
4 T. salted butter
juice of 1 lime
Salt and fresh ground pepper

For the Rice:
1 c. jasmine rice
3 T. Olive Oil
2 small quarter size pcs of ginger, peeled
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 jalapeno, seeded
1 shallot, thinly sliced
2 c. chicken stock
2 sprigs cilantro
12 large sea scallops
3 T. olive oil
salt and fresh ground pepper
2 c. cooked green beans

Directions

TO MAKE THE SAUCE: In a large an over medium-high heat, heat the oil. Add the mushrooms, garlic, lemongrass, ginger, scallions, shallots, and
celery and cook for 3 minutes. Add the chicken stock and cilantro and reduce the liquid for 25 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced down to 3/4 cup
liquid. Add the coconut milk and heavy cream, and reduce for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat and add the butter and stir constantly until the butter has melted.
Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer, return the sauce to the pan and stir in the lime juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste and keep warm
until you are ready to serve.

TO MAKE THE RICE: Wash the rice in cold water until the water runs clear. In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, heat the oil, add the ginger, garlic, chili and shallot and sauté for 1 minute. Add the rice, chicken stock and cilantro, cover and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the rice is tender.

TO COOK THE SCALLOPS: In a large, heavy bottomed nonstick skillet over high heat, heat the oil. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. Sear the scallops until they are a dark golden brown, about 1 1/2 minutes per side. Immediately remove the seared scallops from the pan to prevent them from overcooking.

TO SERVE THE DISH: Pour a layer of sauce onto the plate and place a mound of rice in the center. Top the rice with the green beans and place the scallops around the rice.

#6 Crab Cakes

By, George Perrier, Le Bec Fin

Ingredients

1 bunch scallions
1 teaspoon butter
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
14 ounces large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 eggs
1 pint heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Cross cut the green part of the scallion 1/8-inch thick and sweat in 1 teaspoon butter. Mix together with picked crab meat. Set aside. Put shrimp in very cold bowl of food processor. Process on high speed for 1 minute. Add eggs and process on high speed until mixture is smooth and shiny (approximately 2 minutes). Keep shrimp mixture in bowl and put into freezer to rechill. Return bowl to machine and slowly add heavy cream while machine is running. Scrape sides of bowl. Process one more time to make sure the cream is incorporated. Add mustard, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire to the mousse, then fold into crab meat and scallions.

To Cook: Saute 1/2 cup portions in oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Cook approximately 2 minutes on each side

#7 SUPER Easy Lemon Bars

: The great Steven Starr

By, Steven Starr, Starr Restaurants

Ingredients

1 c. Flour
1/2 c. Butter
1/4 c. powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 c. granulated sugar
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2 T. lemon juice

Directions

Spray 8×8 pan with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350.
Blend flour, powdered sugar and butter until course texture, pat into an 8×8 pan. Bake 20 min.
Mix remaining ingredients and pour over baked crust. Return to the oven and bake 20 – 25 minutes. Cool on rack, sprinkle with powered sugar, cut and enjoy!

#8 Spiced Cranberry Sangria