Blue Duck Tavern Blog

National Tequila Day!

Happy National Tequila Day! Celebrate with our freshly prepared Margarita, available in the restaurant or Lounge.  Our Margarita mixes Patron Silver Tequila with Triple Sec, Agave Nectar and Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice. 

The Margarita was invented in October 1941, at Hussong's Cantina in Ensenada, Mexico, by bartender Don Carlos Orozco. He was experimenting with mixing new drinks when Margarita Henkel, the daughter of a German ambassador, who lived with her husband Roy Parodi near the city, arrived. Don Carlos offered the drink to Margarita, and named it after her for being the first person to taste it. He concocted a mixture of tequila, orange liqueur, and lime, served over ice in a salt-rimmed glass.

Happy National Sugar Cookie Day!

In celebration of National Sugar Cookie Day today, we are giving you the recipe for our signature sugar cookies. Did you know these cookies have been a staple on our menu since we opened over 6 years ago?!?

Old Fashioned Sugar Cookies

By Pastry Chef Peter Brett

Yields: 2 dozen

Ingredients

1 1⁄3 cups sifted flour
1⁄3 teaspoon baking powder
1⁄3 teaspoon salt
1½ sticks (6 ounces) butter
2 tablespoons plus ¼ cup white sugar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
1 egg

Method

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Using an electric mixer, cream the butter with 2 tablespoons of white sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Beat in the egg. Stir in the dry ingredients. Place the remaining ¼ cup sugar in a clean bowl. Using a small ice-cream scoop, shape 1-ounce balls of the cookie dough and roll each in the sugar. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until the cookies are just browning at the edges.

 

BDT Bircher Muesli Cereal

Muesli is a breakfast cereal using uncooked rolled oats, fruit and nuts, that became popular in the 1960's as part of an increased interest in health food and vegetarian diets. Muesli is offered here, at
Blue Duck Tavern, during breakfast hours in the Lounge, or all-day through the hotel's In-Room Dining.

While Muesli has been on our menu for a few years, Chef Sebastien and his team have recently tweaked this traditional breakfast dish for our guests.  This recipe is simple and easy, and can definitely be made at home.

Ingredients

16 oz McCain Cereal

4 oz honey

1 lb lowfat yogurt

3 oz raisins

1 qt milk

2 tbsp hazelnut flour

1 green apple, grated

1 banana

Method

Mix all ingredients together with bananas, well-blended.  Serve.

 

Poached Egg with Field Mushroom Ragout & Foie Gras

Executive Chef Sebastien Archambault grew up in his parents' restaurant in Perigold, Southwestern France, where he used to watch his dad make egg "cocotte", using a little bit of cream amongst a variety of ingredients.

On the weekends, he used to assist his parents in the kitchen and help make poached eggs - while he was only 10 years old! Naturally, he still enjoys making poached eggs, just adding his own spin on the dish, including mushrooms, foie gras and black truffles.

He shares his recipe for Poached Egg with Field Mushroom Ragout and Foie Gras.

Ingredients:

3 oz mushroom ragout (recipe below)

1/2 oz foie gras terrine

1 fresh egg

1 slice, country top white bread

.4 oz butter

.2 oz black truffles

black pepper

Method:

Warm the mushroom ragout and place into a small cast iron (Le Cruset). Crack the egg on top of the ragout and then place into a double boiler and cover. Cook until the egg is medium, then remove. Cut the foie gras into a half moon and place next to the egg.

Toast the bread and spread the butter on top. Cut the bread into 4 batonette pieces and stack next to the cast iron. Season with cracked black pepper and black truffle. Serve.

Mushroom Ragout Ingredients:

1 lb shitake mushrooms

1 lb oyster mushrooms

1/4 lb thyme

5 cloves, garlic

1 cup olive oil

1 cup heavy cream

Method:

Wash the mushrooms, then dice. Mix mushrooms with oil, garlic and thyme. Cook in the oven on a sheet pan for 10 minutes at 350F. Let mushrooms cool down. Chop the mushrooms. Add the cream and cook for 10 minutes. Cool down and store in refrigerator.

 

RECIPE: BDT Peppermint Ice Cream

Pastry Chef Peter Brett's new BDT Peppermint Ice Cream is sure to put anyone in the holiday spirit.  With its beautiful blue color and zestful mint taste, from Zoe's Chocolate's handmade blue and white candy canes, this new treat is a must-have this winter season! 

But for those who want to try it at home, the recipe is rather simple, and makes a perfect dessert for your next holiday gathering! 

Ingredients

1 qt milk

8 oz sugar

12 egg yolks

8 oz honey

1 tsp peppermint extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 qt heavy cream

6 oz crushed candy canes

Method

Scald 1 quart of milk with 8 ounces of sugar.  Gradually stir the hot mixture into 12 egg yolks.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and reaches 175 degrees on a candy thermometer. Stir in 8 ounces of honey and 1 teaspoon each of peppermint and vanilla extracts.  Chill overnight.  Stir in 1 quart of heavy cream and process in ice cream machine. Mix in 6 ounces of Zoe's Chocolates homemade, blue and white crushed candy canes and freeze overnight.

Thanksgiving Day Brussels Sprouts with Pickled Red Onions

Yesterday, Chef de Cuisine John Melfi made his first TV appearance on WUSA9, preparing Brussels Sprouts with Pickled Onions alongside news veteran JC Hayward.

Click here to view the video, plus get the recipe to make this delicious side dish at your own Thanksgiving Day gathering. 

To make reservations for Blue Duck Tavern Thanksgiving Day Brunch, click here or call +1 202 419 6755.

 

 

Recipe for Thanksgiving

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, now is the perfect time to start thinking about your family feast.  To bring a little bit of Blue Duck Tavern into your house this holiday season, we are sharing a traditional stuffing recipe using chanterelle mushrooms and chestnuts. 

Chanterelle and Chestnut Stuffing

Ingredients

1 cup chanterelle mushrooms

1/2 cup cooked and peeled chestnuts

1 onion, diced

4 ounces sausage meat, casing removed

6 - 8 croissants, broken up

2 stalk celery, diced

2 clove garlic, diced

4 tablespoons butter

1 cup chicken stock

3 eggs

1 pint cream

1 teaspoon sage, chopped

salt & pepper

Method

Melt butter in large saucepan.  Add mushrooms, celery, onion and garlic.  Slowly saute until vegetables become translucent.  Season with salt and pepper.  Dice chestnuts and add to vegetables.  Add sausage meat and allow to cool for 8 - 10 minutes over low heat. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil and remove from the heat.  Allow to cool.

When cool, mix eggs, cream and sage in a bowl.  Add broken-up croissants to the vegetable sausage mix, fold in cream and mix well.  Place in a buttered casserole. Bake at 350F for one hour.

Fall Cheese & Charcuterie

Now that the temperatures are cooling down, it's time to settle in the Lounge with a glass of wine and selection of artisan American cheeses.  Together with our cheese & charcuterie expert Lauren Weissman, we have added a variety of new tastes and flavors that pair nicely with fresh bread and sliced meats from the berkel. 

Tumbleweed, Cow's Milk from Fire Spoke Creamery in Lancaster, PA.  Semi-hard cheese, cave-aged for 12 months, rich, brown butter aroma and finishes like a creamy cheddar

Ewe's Blue, Sheep's Milk from Old Chatham Dairy in Old Chatham, NY - Creamy rich cheese made in Roquefort style, aged for 6 months, tangy blue flavor

Camembert, Cow's Milk from Blythedale Farm in Corinth, VT - Mild and creamy with a bloomy white mold rind, handmade using the milk from only a small herd of Jersey cows

Chapelle, Cow's Milk from Chapel's Country Creamery in Talbot County, MD - All natural, bloomy rind cheese aged 60 days, mellow flavor with earthy undertones

Coupole, Goat's Milk from Vermont Butter & Creamery in Barre, VT - Delicate, hand-shaped cheese, mild and dense with a creamy center

Additionally, Lauren has created her own Cinnamon Peanut Butter Brittle and Pinor Noir Jelly to pair with the cheeses. 

To try her recipe for Pinot Noir Jelly at home, you will need: 3.5 cups pinot noir, 1/2 cup of fresh lemon juice, 1 package liquid pectin, & 4.5 cups white sugar.

Combine wine, lemon juice, and pectin in a large saucepot. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Add sugar, stirring until dissolved. Return to a rolling boil and continue boiling for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.  Pour into glass jars and allow to cool.

 

 

 

Holiday Mint Sandwich Cookies

Last Friday, our Pastry Chef Peter Brett, appeared live on WUSA9's noon newscast, preparing Holiday Mint Sandwich Cookies.  Peter wowed news anchor JC Hayward with these easy-to-make treats, perfect for the winter season.  The recipe is available on WUSA9's website. 

A Springtime Recipe, as seen in the Wall Street Journal

This past Friday, March 26, the Wall Street Journal ran a story on how restaurants, including Blue Duck Tavern are starting to show a sign of spring.  In the article, I talk about rack of lamb from Elysian Fields, which we will soon serve with a mustard glaze and roasted asparagus. 

Click here to read the article and to obtain the recipe for Blue Duck Tavern's Mustard-Glazed Rack of Lamb with Roasted Spring Asparagus.