Will Hughes Catering and Market

The holidays are here! Here's one of my favorite recipes...a twist on the "same old" pumpkin pie! Try it this year, or better yet, order one from our holiday menu!
Enjoy!
Chef Will

Pumpkin Cheesecake
Recipe property of Chef Will Hughes, Will Hughes Catering & Market, Inc.

INGREDIENTS
For the crust:1 cup graham cracker crumbs
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
For the filling:1 ½ pounds cream cheese – room temperature
1 (15oz) can pumpkin puree
3 whole eggs
2 egg yolks
½ cup sugar
¼ tsp. baking powder
¼ tsp. vanilla
2 dashes each of:
ground clove
ground nutmeg
ground cinnamon
allspice
½ cup heavy cream
METHOD
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter and press evenly into the bottom and up the sides of a buttered spring form pan. Place pan on deep cookie sheet and surround sides of pan with foil to keep water bath from spilling into cake. MIx sugar and cream cheese into the bowl of an electric mixer. Add spices and whip until smooth, scraping sides. Add pumpkin puree, eggs (and yolks), vanilla, baking powder & heavy cream and mix for 2 minutes. Scrape sides and mix for 1 additional minute. Pour mixture into crust and bake at 425 degrees in a water bath for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 265 degrees and bake for an additional hour or until center of cake is firm.

Labels: cheesecakes, chef will hughes, holiday, pumpkin, pumpking cheesecake, recipes

It's summertime, and one of my favorite things to do is fish. We are lucky to be in a place where fresh fish is plentiful this time of year, whether caught or bought. Need an idea for preparing your fresh catch? Call Will Hughes Catering & Market and have me prepare a gourmet sauce & sides to serve with your fish OR schedule a catered dinner for you and your friends. I'll prepare your fresh catch, salad, sides, and dessert.
The best place to eat on the Eastern Shore might just be your own house!

Here's a fresh tuna appetizer recipe from my files....cook it yourself or order some for your next event!
Seared Tuna Appetizer
By Chef Will Hughes, Will Hughes Catering & Market, Inc.

Ingredients:
5 full size asian pasta wraps (won ton wrappers) cut into 8 triangles
½ pound fresh yellowfin tuna
2 oz avocado
6 oz cream cheese
1 oz sweet chili ginger sauce (available at Asian markets)

Preparation:
Whip together avocado, cream cheese and 1 oz sweet chili ginger sauce. Sear tuna to medium rare and slice very thin. Fry won ton wrappers until golden brown. Spread avocado spread on won ton, top with tuna. Add some sweet chili ginger sauce and cilantro for garnish. Serve at room temperature.

Eat Well!
Chef Will Hughes

Labels: catering, fish preparation, fresh tuna, gulf coast catering, recipes, summer

Chef Will Hughes is back to blogging! Here, he'll answer your questions, post recipes, and announce special events at the market. Check back often!

This week's news....
PIG IN THE PARK!
The official start of summer in Olde Towne Daphne is this Saturday, May 31st. Get your tickets today at Will Hughes Catering & Market and other Olde Towne retailers. Tickets include lunch and a limited edition t-shirt! Call 251-625-0345 for more information!

Eat Well,
Chef Will & the team at Will Hughes Catering & Market

Labels: chef will hughes, olde towne daphne, recipes

You can't beat fresh Baldwin County Tomatoes! Try local farmer's markets for the best and freshest. You can eat them fresh from the market with a little salt, pepper & mayo or try this more complicated recipe...perfect for a chilly spring day or a summer luncheon!

Ingredients:
6 Large Tomatoes
1 Med. Yellow Onion
1 Celery Stalk, Chopped
1 Green Bell Pepper, Chopped
1 Clove Garlic, Chopped
5 Sprigs Fresh Thyme
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
4 Cups Chicken Stock
6 Basil Leaves
Salt & Pepper to Taste


Score bottoms of tomatoes (cut a shallow X on the bottom) and peel off the outer layer of the onion skin. Toss onions and tomatoes with olive oil, thyme, garlic, & salt and pepper. Grill tomatoes and onions for 8-10 minutes, turning constantly, over a medium/high flame. Add tomatoes, onions, garlic, thyme, olive oil, celery & bell pepper to chicken stock. Bring mixture to a boil, then puree with hand mixer until well mixed. Continue cooking until consistency thickens, then add basil. Garnish with fried basil leaves, if desired.

Labels: Tomatoes

Filet Mignon with Truffled Local Grits, Portabella Mushrooms, & Caramelized Onions (serves 4)

Ingredients:
for beef & mushrooms:
4 beef tenderloin filets (6-8 oz each)
4 portabella mushroom caps
Extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, dried thyme, salt & pepper to taste
for grits:
1 1/3 cups Claude’s Stone Ground Grits (Fairhope, AL)
5 1/3 cups chicken stock
½ teaspoon salt
1 Tbsp. white truffle oil
1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ lb Pepato Asiago cheese from Sweet Home Farms (Elberta, AL)
for caramelized onions:
1 ½ yellow onions (from Allegri Farm Market)
4 Tbsp olive oil

Season beef with salt, cracked black pepper, & garlic powder. Grill to desired temperature. Season mushroom caps with salt, pepper, extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder & dried thyme. Grill 8-10 minutes over medium heat until tender. To prepare truffled grits, heat chicken stock to a boil, stir in grits. Add salt & return to a boil. Simmer, covered for 5-7 minutes over low heat, stirring occasionally until thickened. Add truffle oil, heavy whipping cream, and cheese. Stir until cheese melts and mixture reheats. For caramelized onions, preheat a skillet over high heat. When skillet is hot, add oil & onions and sautee until onion turns a caramel color. Add oil if necessary.

To plate, arrange a serving of grits in the center of the plate, place filet mignon on top of grits and top with grilled portabella mushroom cap. Drizzle onion & oil mixture around the edge of plate (as you would a sauce).

Wondering what to do with those leftover Mardi Gras Moon Pies?? Well, here's the solution, a Will Hughes original.
MOON PIE BREAD PUDDING

Ingredients (makes 2 9x13inch pans):

10 Double Stack Moon Pies, or 15 Regular Moon Pies (any flavor), diced
1 loaf french bread, small diced
15 Eggs
32oz. Whole Milk
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 stick butter

In one bowl, combine eggs, milk and seasonings. In a separate bowl, combine bread and moon pies. Pour liquid ingredients over bread and gently fold to combine. Butter baking dishes and divide mixture evenly between the two. Refridgerate for an hour and a half. Cube butter and distribute evenly over top of each dish. Bake in a water bath at 350 degrees uncovered for 45 minutes, or until toothpick stuck in the center comes out clean. Serve with a traditional bread pudding sauce (use your leftover Mardi Gras whiskey!).

Well, here we go, my first post! We're very excited at Will Hughes Catering & Market to be able to share some of our tips, secrets, & recipes with our loyal customers. Check back often!

This month my focus has been on figs, a very romantic fruit (some say an aphrodisiac), and one of my very favorite ingredients. The rich taste and texture of the fig makes it perfect in sweet dishes or even with a good vanilla bean ice cream, but I prefer figs as part of a savory dish. Figs are a wonderful accompaniment to duck, lamb, and pork dishes or cooked with walnuts or pecans and honey and poured over a wheel of brie cheese. Peak season for figs is mid-summer, so your best bet in February is to use good fig preserves. My favorite come locally from Punta Clara Kitchens in Point Clear. Try this salad with fig vinaigrette for your next romantic dinner!

INGREDIENTS:
9 oz of spring mix
½ of a red onion, sliced thinly
2 Tbsp each dried cherries, golden raisins, & cranberries (more if desired)
¼ lb Bayside Blue Cheese from Sweet Home Farms (Elberta, AL)
Vinaigrette:
1 small (2oz) jar of Punta Clara Kitchen’s Fig Preserves
½ cup rice vinegar
1 ½ cups salad oil
½ granny smith apple, sliced thinly

METHOD:
Toss spring mix, red onion, dried fruit & half of the blue cheese.
Puree preserves, vinegar, salad oil until well mixed. Add granny smith apple and allow to marinate. Pour over salad mixture and garnish with remaining blue cheese. Dried fruit may also be marinated in vinaigrette to soften, if desired.

Check back soon for a Mardi Gras Special.....MOON PIE BREAD PUDDING!!!