Macaroni and cheese. A juicy bone-in filet. Bread pudding crowned with vanilla ice cream. These familiar comfort dishes are elevated at 5 Fifty 5 in New Orleans, where Executive Chef Mark Quitney reinterprets classic flavors with bold, refined technique.
Chef Mark Quitney discovered his love of cooking at 14 and is a Culinary Institute of America graduate. Over a 30-year culinary career that includes 17 years with Marriott, Quitney became executive chef at 5 Fifty 5, the New Orleans Marriott’s fine-dining restaurant, when it opened in October 2007. His cuisine blends New Orleans, Cajun, French, American and Creole influences into modern, approachable dishes.
Lobster Mac & Cheese Spoons Serves 8
Ingredients:
6 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 wheel Boursin cheese
1 cup shredded white cheddar cheese
1 box elbow macaroni, cooked and chilled
1 cup chopped cooked Maine lobster
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
1 pint heavy cream
1/4 cup cornstarch
Salt and pepper, to taste
Green onion leaves for garnish
Method: Cook the elbow macaroni and cool it completely. Heat the heavy cream in a saucepan until it nearly boils, taking care not to scald. Stir in the mascarpone and Boursin cheeses, then thicken the mixture with a cornstarch slurry. Remove from heat and fold in the chilled macaroni, lobster, shredded white cheddar and chopped parsley. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spread the mixture on a half-sheet pan and chill overnight.
The next day, use a round cutter to portion eight rounds of lobster macaroni and cheese. Wrap each portion with a green onion leaf and warm briefly in the oven. Serve each portion on an individual ceramic spoon as an elegant appetizer or amuse-bouche.
Bone-in Filet with Foie Gras Demi Ravioli over Oven-Dried Vegetables Serves 8
For the filets:
8 bone-in filets, 8 ounces each
Sea salt, cracked black pepper and olive oil
Season the filets with sea salt and cracked black pepper, brush lightly with olive oil, and grill to the desired doneness. Rest before plating.
For the ravioli dough:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2/3 cup semolina
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 eggs
2–3 teaspoons hot water
Method: Sift flour, semolina and salt into a bowl and form a well. Add the olive oil, eggs and a tablespoon of hot water. Work the mixture with your fingers until it forms a smooth dough. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and knead until elastic, about 15 minutes. Roll the dough to roughly 1/4-inch thickness and cut into 16 circular portions.
For the foie gras demi filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh chopped garlic
1/4 cup cognac
1 cup demi-glace or reduced stock
1 teaspoon finely chopped oregano
1/4 cup diced foie gras
1 stick softened butter
Sauté garlic in olive oil until softened but not browned. Add cognac, remove from heat briefly, then stir in demi-glace, oregano and foie gras. Return to heat and reduce by about one third. Cool the reduction, then blend in the softened butter to create a foamy foie gras demi butter.
Assembly: Place 1 tablespoon of foie gras demi butter in the center of eight dough circles (reserve some for plating). Top each with a second dough circle, moisten the edges with water and crimp closed. Cook the ravioli in seasoned simmering water until tender, then drain and keep warm.
For the oven-dried vegetables:
8 beet slices
8 carrot slices
8 parsnip slices
Olive oil, sea salt and cracked black pepper
Arrange overlapping slices of carrot, parsnip and beet on a parchment-lined half-sheet pan. Season with sea salt and cracked black pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Slow-cook in a 200°F (about 93°C) oven for about one hour until concentrated and tender.
To plate: Divide the oven-dried vegetables among eight plates. Place a grilled bone-in filet atop each bed of vegetables. Spoon a portion of foie gras demi butter over each filet and finish each plate with a single foie gras ravioli.
Bread Pudding with Vanilla Creole Ice Cream Serves 8
For the bread pudding:
1 quart milk
1 quart heavy cream
3 tablespoons sugar
1 ounce vanilla extract
8 large eggs
12 egg yolks
8 plain croissants or 12 slices white bread
1 cup chopped white chocolate
Method: Combine milk, cream, sugar and vanilla extract in a saucepan and bring to a gentle boil. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the whole eggs and egg yolks. Add torn croissants or bread and stir until the mixture is thoroughly combined and begins to thicken. Fold in chopped white chocolate. Transfer to a baking dish and bake in a water bath at 350°F (about 175°C) until the pudding is set and golden on top.
For the vanilla Creole ice cream:
2 quarts half-and-half
3 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 vanilla beans, seeds scraped out
2 egg yolks
8 ounces Creole cream cheese or low-fat cream cheese, softened
Method: Heat half-and-half, sugar and the vanilla bean seeds and pods over medium heat until it reaches a gentle boil. In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and softened cream cheese. Temper the egg mixture by slowly whisking in the hot half-and-half, then remove the vanilla beans. Chill the custard base in the refrigerator for 24 hours, then churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer instructions to produce a silky vanilla Creole ice cream.
5 Fifty 5
New Orleans Marriott
555 Canal St.
New Orleans, LA 70130
tel 504 553 5638