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Guest chef - Luciano's of Chicago
DINING & ENTERTAINMENT GUIDE - JULY 2005
Guest chef - Luciano's of Chicago
Luciano's Lorenzo Martinez
Set in a former mansion, overlooking beautiful Nassau Harbour, Luciano's of Chicago is simply picture-perfect - so it is only fitting that patrons can expect aesthetically pleasing, yet delicious, Italian dishes in this elegant and sophisticated restaurant.
The task of creating these tasty works of art falls to Chef Lorenzo Martinez, who considers it a pleasure.
"It is very beautiful here," he says. "It's easy to get inspiration."
Martinez, who has lived in The Bahamas for 13 years, is originally from Brownsville, TX.
"Since I was very young I was interested in cooking," he says. Martinez was a fan of renowned chef Julia Child, who hosted a series of popular cooking shows and wrote many books before she died in August 2004 at the age of 91.
While living in the US, Martinez developed his skills as a chef at Opryland USA, a country music theme park in Nashville, TN, and at The Breakers, a five-star resort in Palm Beach, FL.
While working at the Hyatt Regency hotel in San Antonio, TX, Martinez received a letter from a friend who was working at the Carnival Crystal Palace resort, now the Wyndham Nassau, telling him of an opening for a chef's position at the resort. He applied and got the job, becoming the chef garmanger - responsible for the "cold kitchen."
"I made ice sculptures, food carvings and arranged cold platters," he explains, sometimes for up to 600 people.
Martinez enjoyed the job so much that he stayed for 12 years, until recently deciding to take the position of head chef at Luciano?s of Chicago.
"I like it here," he says. "I enjoy the freedom I have to experiment with dishes."
As head chef, Martinez coordinates a kitchen staff of 13. "It is pretty small, but we do a lot," he says.
Luciano's recently hosted about 500 visiting students from Bentley College in Massachusetts, as well as a group from the international gastronomic society, Chaine des Rotisseurs, which Martinez says, "was a very important visit and a good experience."
Even regular guests can always expect a good experience at Luciano's of Chicago. On the following pages are some of Martinez's favourite dishes.
Argentina balls
(serves two)
3 cups risotto
1 cup ground pork
2 eggs
2 tbsp Parmesan cheese
3/4 cup each green peas, diced tomatoes
1 white onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste
Prepare risotto according to instructions, set aside. Combine eggs with ground pork, saute with onions, garlic, tomatoes and green peas. Fold mixture into Parmesan cheese with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Combine risotto with mixture, form into balls and roll in bread crumbs. Deep fry until golden. Serve with pomodoro or red sauce.
Lobster salad
(serves two)
8 oz boiled lobster, shelled, cooled and minced
2 tbsp each of onions, celery and diced tomatoes
2 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tbsp cream cheese
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 lemon
Salt, pepper, to taste
Combine minced lobster with onions, celery, diced tomatoes, cream cheese and mayonnaise to create mixture. Splash with lime juice and add salt and pepper to taste.
Serve on a bed of lettuce and green beans (optional). Dress with balsamic vinegar and garnish with lemon.
Veal saltimbocca
(serves four)
8 oz veal for each serving
4 slices prosciutto
2 tbsp olive oil
Flour, to dust veal
3 oz Muenster cheese
Sage leaves, to garnish
Pound veal until thin and dust with flour.
Heat olive oil in skillet, add veal and sear on both sides.
Add sage leaf on each piece to garnish and top with slice of Muenster cheese. Set aside.
Sauce
1 can of beef broth or veal stock
2 oz butter
White wine, to taste
Heat skillet, add broth, butter and a splash of white wine. Reduce sauce, remove from heat and pour over veal pieces.
Serve with roasted potatoes or sliced beefsteak tomatoes topped with buffalo mozzarella and balsamic vinegar.
Bread pudding
(serves four)
1/2 loaf day-old French bread, cubed
3/4 cup dark chocolate, shaved
2 tbsp black raisins
2 tbsp gold raisins
4 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup white sugar
2 tbsp brown sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 cup Bacardi rum
Cinnamon and nutmeg, to taste
Blend together cream, vanilla, rum, sugars, cinnamon, chocolate shavings and eggs. Set aside.
Combine bread cubes and raisins. Pour wet mixture in and mix well. Allow to soak overnight.
Preheat oven to 350 degree F. Spray baking pan with non-stick cooking spray and line with parchment paper. Add bread pudding mix to pan. Cover pan with aluminum foil and place into a water bath (larger baking pan with water).
Bake for one hour, remove foil and continue baking for additional 20 mins.
Remove from oven, let cool for one hour. Serve warm with caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream or rum-raisin ice cream.
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