Creating innovative, yet sophisticated American fare is a never ending challenge that Chef Mark Dommen from One Market Restaurant (San Francisco, CA) constantly rises to; as can be attested to by his recent award of 2007 StarChefs "Rising Star". Chef Dommen says "At One Market, Bradley Ogden set the bar in creating sophisticated American fare and menus shaped by fresh-from-the-farm ingredients. I'm proud to continue their stellar reputation and to create my own interpretation of American dishes".  One example is his "Beet Carpaccio with Marinated Rock Shrimp" appetizer.   Crispy ginger serves as the basis for a wonderful ginger flavored grapeseed oil vinaigrette that marinades the rock shrimp.  Served with farm-fresh seasonal beets, this dish begs to be tried.  Another example of Chef Dommen's cuisine is "Roasted Liberty Farms Duck Two Ways". 

And in case you are wondering what does a "Rising Star" Chef eat when he is not busy in the kitchen?  Some of Chef Dommen's favorites include pizza and barbequed beer-can chicken cooked over apple wood chips. 

Beet Carpaccio with Marinated Rock Shrimp

Chef Mark Dommen, One Market Restaurant
Serves 6

• 3 large red beets or 4 medium red beets
• 1 gallon water
• 2 cups red wine vinegar
• 1 cup fine sea salt
• 1 cup sugar
• 3" piece of ginger
• 1 shallot
• 1 cup grapeseed oil
• 2 tablespoons mirin
• 1 tablespoon champagne vinegar
• ½ teaspoon sea salt
• ¼ teaspoon sugar
• 8 oz rock shrimp
• fresh ground pepper
• 3 French breakfast radishes
• 1 pkg daikon sprouts (4oz)

Wash the beets and place them in a saucepot large enough to fit the water, red wine vinegar, 1 cup of salt and 1 cup of sugar.  Bring to a boil and turn down to a simmer, cooking until the beets are soft and a toothpick can be inserted easily into the beet.  The beets will take approximately 1 to 1 ½ hours to cook depending on the size.  If the water level begins to reduce below the beets add more water back into the pot until the beets are covered.  When the beets are cooked remove from the water and allow them to cool.

Peel the ginger and using a mandoline, slice 18 very thin pieces, slicing the ginger lengthwise.  There should be a small piece of ginger left which should be set aside for later use.   In a small saucepot heat the grapeseed oil to 250 degrees and add the ginger, fry until golden brown.  Remove the ginger from the oil and place onto a paper towel, sprinkle with salt and set aside.  Allow the oil to cool, it will have acquired a nice ginger flavor and you will use most of it in the other preparations for this dish.  The rest you can refrigerate and use for other dishes.

Place the peeled shallot and left over ginger into a blender with the mirin, champagne vinegar, ½ teaspoon salt and the ¼ teaspoon sugar.  While blending, slowly add ¼ cup of the reserved ginger flavored grapeseed oil.  When the oil is incorporated, check the seasoning, adjust as necessary and strain through a fine mesh strainer.  Set aside.

Heat ¼ cup of the ginger flavored grapeseed oil in a medium sauté pan over moderate heat.  Season the rock shrimp with salt and freshly ground pepper and add to the hot sauté pan.  Cook the rock shrimp until just barely opaque in the center.  Remove to a bowl and allow to cool.  Once cool, marinate the rock shrimp with half the ginger vinaigrette.  Set aside until ready to use.

Peel the beets and use the mandoline to slice into paper thin pieces.  Arrange them directly onto the serving plates in a nice even layer.  Brush the top of the beets with the remaining vinaigrette, sprinkle lightly with salt and pepper.  Divide the rock shrimp among the six plates and place them in a "scattered" manor on the beets.  Thinly slice the radishes using a mandoline and divide them among the six plates and arrange them in a scattered look.  Finally, finish by scattering the daikon sprouts on top of the beets.

Roasted Liberty Farms Duck Two Ways

By Chef Mark Dommen, One Market Restaurant

Serves 6

• 2 liberty farms ducks approximately 6 pounds each
• 6 cups duck fat (rendered)
• sea salt
• cracked black pepper & fresh ground black pepper
• ½ bunch sage
• 1 bunch thyme
• 2 bay leaves
• 12 cloves garlic
• 1 lb caul fat
• 3 medium turnips
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup cream
• 1 ½ sprig rosemary
• 2 bunches Swiss chard
• 1 cup duck jus
• 2 oz huckleberries

Debone the ducks, removing the breasts and legs from the carcasses, or ask your butcher to do this for you.  Reserve the carcasses for the duck jus.  Preheat your oven to 250 degrees.  Season the duck legs with sea salt and cracked black pepper and let sit for a couple of hours allowing the salt a chance to penetrate the meat.  Place the duck legs and rendered duck fat into a saucepot large enough to hold everything along with half of the thyme, the garlic cloves, the bay leaf and 1 sprig of the rosemary.   Bring the duck fat and legs to a simmer, cover and place in the oven for approximately 1 ½ to 2  hours until the duck meat is soft and falling away from the bones.  Gently remove the duck legs from the fat, discard the herbs, and allow the legs to cool.  When cooled enough to handle, remove the meat from the bones and skin reserving the meat and throwing away the rest.  Place the duck leg meat into a bowl and season with chopped thyme, chopped sage, fresh ground pepper and sea salt to taste.  Divide the duck leg meat into six even sized portions.  Spread the caul fat out onto a cutting board and carefully wrap the individual leg portions shaping them into a disk.  

Peel the turnips and cut into small pieces about 3/8" cubes.  In a small pot, melt the butter and add the chopped turnips, cook without giving them any color.  Add the cream and rosemary, bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and continue to cook the turnips until the cream has reduced and the turnips are soft.  Season to taste with salt and fresh ground pepper.  Remove the rosemary from the turnips and transfer the mixture to a blender and blend to a fine puree.  Adjust the seasoning accordingly and reserve keeping hot.

Wash the Swiss chard, removing the stems and coarsely chop it into manageable pieces.  The stems can be pickled and added back to the chard when cooked or you can throw them out.  In a large sauté pan, heat a tablespoon of butter, add the Swiss chard and cook until soft.  If necessary, add a few drops of water to the chard while cooking to create a little steam.  This will help it wilt and cook faster.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper.  Place skin side down into a heavy bottom skillet and cook on top of the stove at a low temperature until you have rendered most of the fat from the skin, this can take 15 minutes or so.  When the skin looks crispy, turn up the heat and flip over the breast to get a nice sear on the flesh side.  Cook until medium rare, remove from the pan and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes in a warm place.   Meanwhile, in another heavy bottom skillet, over medium to high heat, place 2 tablespoons of duck fat from the confit and sear the duck confit disks until they are golden brown.  In a small sauce pot, bring the duck jus to a boil, turn the flame down to low and add the huckleberries, check the seasoning one more time.   To plate the dish, divide the turnip puree evenly among six plates.  Place the sautéed chard on top of the turnip puree, put a duck confit disk on top of the turnip puree.  Slice the duck breasts and divide among the six plates laying it on top of the duck leg disk.  Finish by spooning the huckleberry sauce around. 

Duck Jus

• duck bones, coarsely chopped into small pieces
• 2 onions, coarsely chopped
• 2 carrots, coarsely chopped
• 2 ribs of celery, coarsely chopped
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 cups red wine
• 2 cups port wine
• 1 ½ qts chicken stock
• 3 sprigs thyme
• ½ sprig rosemary
• 2 fresh bay leaves

In a large heavy bottom pot, over medium to high heat, add the duck bones and allow them to brown evenly.  Continuously stir them in order to brown evenly.  When the bones are nice and brown, strain off any excess fat that has rendered out from the bones and add the chopped vegetables to the pan.  Continue to brown the vegetable and the bones, when the vegetables are nice and brown, add the tomato paste and cook for two more minutes to cook out some of the raw tomato flavor.  Deglaze the pot with the red wind and port wine, allowing to reduce until almost dry.  Cover with the chicken stock, add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a boil.  Turn down until it barely simmers and cook for 2 ½ to 3 hours.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer or cheese cloth and skim off any excess fat that may rise to the surface.  Once degreased, place back on the stove and reduce over high heat until it coats the back of a sauce spoon.  This should yield approximately 1 to 2 cups of duck jus.

About One Market Restaurant

One Market Restaurant, the Lark Creek Restaurant Group's vibrant 160-seat dining emporium at One Market Street in San Francisco, epitomizes the company's core value of providing guests with an unparalleled dining experience featuring award-winning seasonal, farm-fresh American cuisine, a polished and convivial atmosphere, and an all-American wine list featuring more than 400 superb selections.  Under nationally acclaimed Chef Mark Dommen, the menu changes with the seasons - or even the day, depending on the finest ingredients available - to highlight the best of local fish and shellfish, produce, meats, poultry, game, and other products delivered fresh from local and national artisans and producers. 

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