How to elevate comfort foods to Michelin-star level

Nostalgic Epicurean experiences are trending, from cocktails playing into favorite childhood beverages like the Dirty Shirley to chefs elevating comfort foods at Michelin-star restaurants.

“The nostalgia is mostly correlated with the story behind the preparation and the main flavor that it carries,” explains chef Gabriel Kreuther, chef-owner of Gabriel Kreuther Restaurant in NYC. He adds that often the flavors of a common childhood dish are associated with happy, light-hearted moments which make for an emotive mind to mouth connection. Once these flavors are identified, chefs seek out the highest quality ingredients to present a fine-dining experience that appeals to the senses. Below, discover three ways to honor your inner child while satiating the adult you are today.

Grilled cheese by Gabriel Kreuther

A cross between a grilled cheese and a croque monsieur, this mouthwateringly gooey, smoked salmon and horseradish grilled cheese sandwich is an effortless elevation of the classic. Kreuther says the most important part of this dish is its presentation. “When it comes to comfort food, we will prompt people in using their hands to eat it so that it creates a liaison in their experience and hopefully childhood memories of that specific food.”

Serves 4

Ingredients

8 slices of brioche or pullman bread
2 oz/60g soft butter
1/3 lb/150g aged Comte cheese
1/3 lb/150g raclette cheese
5 tbsp/75g mayonnaise
2 tbsp/30g Dijon mustard
4 tbsp grated fresh horseradish (4 soup spoons)
Fresh grated nutmeg to taste
4 large slices smoked salmon
1/2 lb/225g lion’s mane mushrooms, sliced
1/2 butter (2 oz/60g) and 1/2 (2 oz/60g) olive oil for cooking

Method

• Grate the cheeses and mix them together. You will achieve a better result by grating your own quality cheese. Store-bought, pre-shredded cheese is coated with anti-caking products which prevents it from melting properly.
   
• Mix the mayonnaise and the Dijon mustard with a pinch of freshly grated nutmeg. Whisk together and add in the freshly grated horseradish before mixing again.
   
• Take the 8 bread slices and butter them with soft butter on one side each. Turn them over and place the 8 slices of bread in front of you on a cutting board buttered side down. Start with the mayonnaise mix on each slice and spread it out evenly. Then, add a generous layer of the mixed grated cheeses on 4 slices. Press them lightly, then add a slice of smoked salmon on top; follow with a layer of the slices of the lion’s mane mushrooms. Finish with one more layer of grated cheese, press lightly again and then close with the second slice of bread, being careful of turning the bread so that the side spread with mayonnaise is on the inside of the sandwich. Press generously with your hands or the back of a spatula.
   
• In a nonstick pan, melt the butter with the olive oil, until it becomes frothy, then add in the sandwiches and cook for about 3 minutes at medium high heat, pressing them occasionally until they are deep golden brown. Keeping an eye on the heat, flip the sandwiches over carefully and cook them for another 3 minutes or until the bread becomes a deep golden brown, and you notice the cheeses melting together and becoming really gooey. Once the cooking process is done take them out from the pan and while moving them, flip them over and let them rest on a rack for a few minutes before serving.

The ultimate hamburger by Nancy Silverton

“Elevating comfort food always starts by identifying what it is about that dish that makes it so delicious that we come back to it time and time again,” says Silverton, chef/co-owner of the Osteria Mozza Restaurant Group, Los Angeles, who says a classic dish like a hamburger is always going to be nostalgic and personal. With “personal” as a key factor in connecting the dish to a memory, Silverton likes to serve a selection of condiments with her patties, these include: flavored mayonnaises, special mustards, her secret sauce, bacon, caramelized onions, and avocados. Another tip is cooking the burgers “animal style,” a phrase coined by the LA burger chain, In-N-Out, and referring to a mustard-crusted burger patty, which requires a cast iron or griddle. The charred mustard brings the flavor of the burger to “another level,” she says.

Serves 6

Ingredients

3 lbs/1.35kg coarsely ground beef
2 tbsp/30g kosher salt
2 tsp/8.4g fresh coarsely ground black pepper
¼ cup/56g Dijon mustard
12 thick-cut applewood-smoked bacon slices
6 soft hamburger buns (preferably sesame seed buns)
4 tbsp unsalted butter (½ stick)
2 tbsp/30g canola oil, or any other neutral-flavored oil
6 slices of Gruyere cheese

Condiments: caramelized onion, avocado halves, garlic mayonnaise, pickled mustard seed mayonnaise, Dijonnaise, olive anchovy mayonnaise, chipotle mayonnaise, spicy tarragon mustard and 6 large leaves of iceberg lettuce.

Method

• Form six 8-ounce (226g) patties from a blend of quality burger meat (my local butcher uses equal parts short rib, chuck, and brisket but whatever blend you use, aim for a 75-25 meat-to-fat ratio). Lay the patties on a baking sheet. Season each patty with ½ teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper divided evenly over the 6 patties and spread 1 teaspoon of the Dijon mustard on each patty; repeat with the same measurements on the second side.
   
• Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350°F/176°C. Lay the bacon on a baking sheet and bake until cooked all the way through but not crisp (about 15 to 17 minutes rotating the baking sheet from front to back halfway through). Remove the bacon from the oven and transfer it to a bed of paper towels to drain; cool to room temperature. Set aside.
   
• Melt one-third of the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add 2 buns to the sauté pan, cut side down, and cook until they are lightly toasted (about 2 minutes). Remove the buns from the pan. Add another third of the butter, let it melt in the pan, and toast 2 more buns; repeat once more for the final 2 buns.
   
• Pour enough canola oil into a large cast-iron skillet or griddle to barely cover the bottom and heat over high heat until it’s almost smoking, about 2 minutes. Lay 3 or 4 of the hamburger patties in the pan—make sure not to overcrowd the pan—and cook them until a crust forms on the bottom side (about 3 minutes for medium-rare burgers). Using a spatula, gently flip the burgers. Reduce the heat to medium and lay the cheese on the burgers. Put the lid on the pan to melt the cheese and cook the burgers for 3 to 4 minutes for medium-rare. For a well-done burger, cook it for 1 to 2 more minutes on each side. Remove the patties from the pan and cook the remaining patties in the same way, adding more oil to the pan if it gets dry and let it heat up each time before adding the meat to the pan.
   
• Assemble a burger patty, cheese side up, on each toasted bun. Rest the top bun on the burger but off to the side, inviting guests to dress up their burgers the way they wish with the selection of condiments served alongside.

Lobster mac and cheese by Justin Cogley

Simple pasta dishes are what Cogley, Executive Chef/partner at L'Auberge Carmel and Aubergine Restaurant, in Carmel-By-The Sea, California thinks of when it comes to nostalgic dishes. “It’s the most comforting,” he shares, adding how “such simple ingredients can be turned into an extraordinary dish.” He points to lobster mac and cheese as a favorite—combining delicate pieces of lobster meat with cheesy pasta and crispy breadcrumbs as well as fresh herbs to finish. You can serve this in a traditional bowl or easily elevate the presentation by serving it in a lobster shell or large clam shell surrounded by seaweed.

Serves 2

Ingredients

8 oz/226g elbow macaroni
2 lobster tails, cooked and chopped into bite-sized pieces
3 tbsp/44g butter
3 tbsp/44g all-purpose flour
2 cups/473ml whole milk
2 cups/453g shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 cup/227g shredded Gruyere cheese
1/2 tsp/2.8g smoked paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup/113g breadcrumbs
2 tbsp/30g chopped fresh parsley and chives

Method

• Preheat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and set aside.
   
• Cook the macaroni according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
   
• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown and fragrant.
   
• Gradually whisk in the milk, stirring constantly until smooth and thickened.
   
• Reduce the heat to low and stir in the shredded Cheddar and Gruyere cheeses until melted and smooth.
   
• Season the cheese sauce with smoked paprika, salt, and pepper to taste.
   
• Add the cooked macaroni and chopped lobster tails to the cheese sauce, stirring until well combined.
   
• Transfer the lobster mac and cheese mixture to the prepared baking dish, spreading it out evenly.
   
• In a small bowl, mix together the breadcrumbs and chopped parsley. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture evenly over the top of the mac and cheese.
   
• Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the top is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
   
• Remove from the oven and let cool for a few minutes before serving.