Chef Bradley Ogden

Many people are going back to their kitchens to dig out recipes for American classics. Before you rummage through your family's cookbooks, try a simple and delicious menu from Bradley Ogden, award-winning chef of Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. Known for his farm-fresh American cuisine — inspired by his youth spent on his grandparents' farm in Michigan — Ogden shares an old-fashioned pot roast with mashed red potatoes and a winter vegetable garni.

• 2 pounds boneless chuck roast – trussed
• To taste, kosher salt
• To taste, freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 medium carrot, peeled and diced
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and diced
• 1 celery stalk
• 1 cup leeks, white part only, washed well and diced
• 8 each garlic cloves
• 1 each Poblano chili, roasted and seeds removed
• 2 medium fresh tomatoes – ripe, quartered
• 1 cup chopped canned organic tomatoes, plus juice
• 1 quart tomato ham hock broth
• 1 1/2 cups red wine
• 1 cup balsamic vinegar
• Sachet bag of 8 Italian parsley stems, 1 bay leaf, 1 teaspoon peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon chili flakes, 4 springs fresh thyme

Trim excess fat from the chuck roast and truss. Season the roast with salt and pepper. Preheat a heavy-bottomed roasting pan over medium heat and add the oil. Lightly brown the roast on all sides. Remove the roast, add the diced carrots, onions, celery and leeks and lightly caramelize. Add the garlic cloves and cook for a few more minutes. Return the meat to the roasting pan and add the stock, red wine, balsamic vinegar and sachet bag. When the liquid comes to a simmer, cover and place on the lower shelf of the preheated oven. Cook the pot roast for about 3 hours. Turn the meat once or twice during the cooking.

When the meat is fork tender, remove the roast to another pan and pour some of its juices over to keep moist. Cover lightly with aluminum foil. Hold in a warm place to maintain the heat. Discard the sachet bag from the original roasting pan. Strain the juices into sauce pots. Add the cooked vegetables to a food processor and puree until fine. Use this to thicken the sauce (you may not have to use all of the puree for thickening). Strain the pot roast sauce and adjust the seasoning if needed with a splash of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Keep the sauce hot until ready to serve.

To heat the vegetables, add them to a pan and dot with butter and salt and pepper. Roast lightly in a hot oven. To serve, cut the pot roast across the grain into 4 portions. Place a spoon full of mashed red potatoes at the center of the place. Place a slice of the pot roast and pour about 5 ounces of sauce over the top and arrange the vegetables around the plate. Sprinkle with a little chopped Italian parsley and serve.

• 1 1/2 pounds small red potatoes
• 1 head fresh garlic
• 1 cup cream or half-and-half
• 1 cup milk
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• Kosher salt
• Fresh-cracked black pepper
• 3 tablespoons fresh chives, chopped
• 1/2 cup crème fraiche

Cook the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain potatoes and dry them out in a 350-degree oven for 10 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, peel all the cloves from the head of garlic and in a small saucepan, simmer them with the cream or half-and-half, milk and butter. When the garlic is very tender, set the mixture aside.

Puree the potatoes and garlic through the medium disc of a food mill. Add half the garlic milk liquid and fold in chives and crème fraiche. If necessary, thin with more milk mixture. Season with salt and pepper and keep warm until serving.

• 8 baby carrots, peled
• 4 ounces (or 1 cup) baby Blue Lake green beans, snap and discard ends
• 1 small peeled rutabaga cut into 8 wedges
• 1 peeled turnip cut into 8 wedges
• 4 small Chioggia beets
• 4 small red beets
• 4 small golden beets
• 1/ cup sweet English peas

In boiling salted water, parboil separately the carrots, Blue Lake green beans and sweet peas. Cook until al dente, then shock in ice water and reserve for service. In the preheated oven, roast the cut rutabagas and turnips in separate pans with a little water, and dot of butter and salt and pepper. Cook for 10-15 minutes or until tender and lightly caramelized.

Coat the beets with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Cook in separate pans covered. Roast the beets until almost finished cooking, about 15-20 minutes. Let cool slightly and rub the skins off the beets with a towel. Cut the beets in half and reserve for service.

Optional: Poached garlic cloves. 2 to 3 per serving. Poach in half milk and half water until tender.

Parker House Bun

INGREDIENTS:

• 8 ounces sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1-3/4 cup milk
• 1-1/2 cup cream
• 4 eggs
• 1.3 ounces yeast
• 4 pounds 6 ounces bread flour
• 2 ounces salt
• 6 ounces butter

METHOD:

Mix sugar, water, dairy, and eggs with yeast until well combined
Add flour
Add salt
Add Butter
Mix on speed 2 on mixer for 12 minutes
Wrap in a plastic bag and let rest until slightly proofed
Scale out 2 ounces and shape and let proof for 10 minutes
Brush with egg wash cook at 325ºF for 10 to 12 minutes one sheet tray with parchment paper.
Make about 24 Buns

Ground Meat Mix
45 percent Chuck
45 percent Ribeye
10 percent Kobe Beef

For 20 Burgers at 8oz
4.5 pounds Chuck
4.5 pounds Ribeye
1 pound Kobe Beef

Vidalia Onion, Bourbon and Horseradish Mustard

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 cup Vidalia onion, diced
• 1/4 cup bourbon
• 2 tablespoons ground mustard seed, toasted
• 5 tablespoons fresh horseradish, ground
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 cup Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup Pommery mustard
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon

METHOD:

In small stainless steel sauce pot, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil. Add onions and cook over medium heat. Stir occasionally until onions start to caramelize
Remove from heat and add the bourbon. Place back on the flame and let the bourbon reduce by half. Remove from heat and let Cool.
In a separate bowl mix the rest of the ingredients. When onions are room temperature fold into the mustard refrigerate until needed.

Mango Mustard
INGREDIENTS:

• 1-1/2 cup mango puree
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 teaspoon toasted ground mustard seed
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup yellow mustard
• 1/4 cup kosher salt
• Fresh ground pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup fresh peaches, 1/4-inch diced

METHOD:

Peel Mangos, cut around and discard the seed. Dice 1/4 cup of mango and puree the rest in blender till smooth.
Place the puree in wide heavy bottom, non corrosive sauce pan on low heat.
Add lemon juice and dry mustard. Reduce by half over low heat.
Add the rest of the ingredients except the diced mango and cook for 8 minutes.
Remove from heat and cool immediately over ice bath. Fold in the diced mango. Refrigerate until needed.

Spring Seafood Stew Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons B.R. Cohn extra virgin olive oil
1 cup or 4 ounces Spanish chorizo or Andouille sausage, thinly sliced
½ cup carrots, peeled, small dice
1 cup yellow Spanish onions, small dice
½ cup celery, small dice
½ cup minced hot and mild chiles such as Anaheim, Poblano, Jalapeno
¼ cup red bell pepper, minced
½ cup fennel bulb, sliced thinly
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
½ cup Carolina short grain rice, soaked in cold water and rinsed
1 pound Wild King Salmon filet, skin on scaled cut into 4 ounce slices
8 ounces bay scallops
8 fresh shrimp (16/20) peeled and devained, 2 each per serving
¼ cup chives, chopped
¼ cup Italian parsley, chopped
1 cup asparagus, peeled and cut in ½ inch diced
¾ cup sugar snap peas, ½ inch diced
½ cup fava beans, blanched
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 cups vegetable broth (recipe to follow)

METHOD:

Heat olive oil in a heavy bottom 4 quart sauce pot on high heat. Add sausage and brown. Lower to medium heat then add carrots, onions, celery and fennel. Cover and sweat for 5 minutes. Add rice and garlic and cook uncovered for 2 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the chiles and red bell pepper and cook another 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 4 cups of the broth and cover. Turn heat to low and cook for 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Remove cover, add seafood, asparagus and sugar snap peas. Cover and cook for approximately 10 minutes. Finish with fava beans, fresh herbs and lemon juice. Season to taste and serve.

Vegetable Broth

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons B.R. Cohn extra virgin olive oil
2 ounces Spanish chorizo or Andouille sausage
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
2 medium yellow Spanish onions, peeled and sliced thinly
1 cup top of 1 fennel bulb, chopped
½ cup of minced Poblano chile
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
2 cups B.R. Cohn dry white wine
½ teaspoon B.R. Cohn Balsamic Shallot mustard
2 cups vegetable stock, fish stock or water
1 bay leaf
2-3 fresh thyme sprigs
10 Italian parsley stems
2 tablespoons of tarragon champagne vinegar
½ teaspoon orange zest, micro plane
1 teaspoon lemon zest, micro plane
2 teaspoon ground turmeric

METHOD:
In a heavy bottom stainless steel 4 quart pot on medium heat add olive oil, garlic, onions, fennel and chiles. Cover and sweat for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain and reserve 4 cups.