The Peninsula Beverly Hills to dish up its famous dishes at 90210 Celebration Event - Beverly Hills Courier, Beverly Hills Newspaper

Posted Friday August 13, 2010 - 2pm

By Brenton Garen, Beverly Hills Courier

At the helm of The Peninsula Beverly Hills, Executive Chef James Overbaugh knows how important it is to produce food that represents its history and traditions.

When it comes to the 90210 Celebration Event on September 2, Overbaugh will be serving up a storm of the Peninsula’s finest cuisine.

“We have a couple of very famous dishes that are our smoked salmon pancakes with caviar and we’ll be doing miniature versions of those along with our truffled macaroni and cheese, which is a long standing tradition,” Overbaugh said.

To complement these two dishes, he will also prepare avocado and cilantro shooters complete with tapioca pearls.

He will also perform a demonstration creating his California Inspired Bouillabaisse dish on Friday night.

“It’s a very traditional dish from the south of France. And of course it’s centered around the tradition of the city of Marseille,” he said.

“While the inspiration is there, I use a lot of the traditional ingredients which are onion, garlic, fennel, basil, tomato and I make it very fresh and very light.

“But when it comes to fish and shell-fish, I use the best of what’s available to us and it's presented a little differently than what they might have done back in the days of boiling it in the cauldron.

“The showcase is the beautiful bright red rare ahi tuna on top.”

For more information on The Peninsula click here.

To buy tickets to the 90210 Celebration Event on September 2 click here.

California Inspired Bouillabaisse

(Serves 8 as an appetizer or 4 as an entree)

Ingredients

3 tbsp. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 small Onion, peeled and sliced thinly

1 bulb Fennel, peeled and sliced thinly

1 medium Carrot, peeled and sliced thinly

1 bulb roasted Garlic, with meat removed and pureed

(actual amount of garlic may depend on its strength)

1 cup dry Vermouth

5-6 cups Fish Broth

½ tsp. toasted Coriander Seeds, lightly crushed

½ tsp. Fennel Seeds, lightly crushed

1 pinch Saffron

2 Bay Leaves

1 tbsp. Thyme, chopped

Pinch Orange Zest

2 tbsp. Oil

1 ½ lbs. #1 Ahi Tuna, cut into logs

16 Mussels, washed with beards removed

2 medium Tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced

1 large Russet Potato, peeled, small cubed and blanched

8 stems of Basil, chiffonade, reserve six nice leaves for decoration

2 tbsp. Pernod

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Heat a heavy bottomed sauce pot over medium heat and add olive oil.

Add and slowly sauté onions until translucent. Season.

Add fennel and carrot and cook until soft.

Add roasted garlic and vermouth, reduce until alcohol is cooked off.

Add fish broth and a sachet made from toasted coriander and fennel seeds.

Add saffron, bay leaves, thyme and orange zest.

Bring to a simmer, reduce heat and simmer slowly for at least 20 minutes. Reserve.

Heat a heavy skillet until hot and add oil. Season and sear tuna. Remove and slice.

Reheat broth and mussels. Cook until open. Add tomatoes, potatoes and basil. Adjust seasoning and add Pernod.

Serve in warmed bowls with grilled french bread. Arrange tuna on top. Decorate with basil sprig.

via bhcourier.com

Posted on: Beverly Hills Real Estate-Beverly Hills Homes For Sale