Chef Scott Conant’s Favorite Recipes (Access Hollywood Live)

Scott Conant, known for his stints on “Top Chef” and “Chopped,” as well as his Scarpetta restaurants, stopped by Access Hollywood Live to promote the Los Angeles Food and Wine Festival, Aug. 22-25.

Of course, we couldn’t let Scott leave without sharing some of his favorite recipes.

Ricotta Cavatelli, Braised Duck Legs, Shiitake Mushrooms, Corn & Mustard

Braised Duck Legs:

• 2# duck legs
• 2 cups onions, medium dice
• 1 cup of celery, medium dice
• 1 cup of carrots, medium dice
• 1 cup of garlic
• 3 sprigs of thyme
• 3 sprigs of rosemary
• 2 cups of canned tomatoes
• 1 bottle of red wine
• 1/2 gallon of brown chicken stock or white chicken stock
• Salt, to taste
• Pepper, to taste
• Blended oil, as needed

Season duck legs are both sides generously with salt and pepper.

In a large rondeax on medium high heat add blended oil to coat and with skin side down first start to brown duck legs on both sides.

After searing duck legs, remove oil and add fresh oil and start to caramelize onions, carrots, celery, garlic, add tomato and cook for additional ten minutes. Then, add red wine and reduce till dry.

Place duck legs back in rondeux and cover with white chicken stock.

Place in a 300 degree oven and cook for 1 hour.

Remove duck legs from braise and strain braising liquid through a chinois.

Once duck legs are cooled, remove skin and meat from the bone. Do not shred meat. You want to keep it as large strands.

In a separate pot, add braising liquid and reduce by half.

Assemble the dish:

• 1/2 # of ricotta cavatelli
• 1 cup of shiitake mushrooms, julienned
• 2 cups of braised duck legs
• 1 cup of reduced braising liquid
• 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1 cup of corn kernels
• 1 tbsp of tarragon, chiffonade
• 1 cup of parmigiano
• Pinch of peperoncino

Get a 4 quart pot of water boiling with salt. Once boiling drop cavatelli

In a large sauté pan start on medium heat and add evoo to coat and start to sauté the shiitake mushrooms.

Then add corn, salt and peperoncino.

Add duck legs, braising liquid.

Remove cavatelli and add to sauté pan with duck legs and 4 oz of pasta water. Cook pasta while stirring till liquid has reduced and has coated the pasta. Remove from heat and toss with parmigiano and tarragon. Taste and adjust salt content if needed.

Place in a bowl and garnish with more parmigiano on top.

Summer Vegetable Salad w/ Burrata, Croutons & Herb Vinaigrette

• 1/2 pound burrata
• 2 Heirloom tomatoes, cut various ways
• 1/2 cup of baby heirloom tomatoes, halved
• 1 cup of corn, cut from the cob – do not cook
• 1/2 cup of blanched green beans, cut in half
• 1/2 cup of blanched yellow wax beans, cut in half
• 1/2 cup of blanched romano beans, cut into ½ inch
• 1/2 cup of persian cucumber, sliced into thin coins
• 1 cup of sugar cube melon, medium dice
• 1/2 cup of mixed radishes, sliced thin coins
• 1 cup of sugar snap peas, cut on a bias
• 1/4 cup of tarragon, chiffonade
• 1/4 cup of mint, chiffonade
• 1/4 cup of basil, chiffonade
• 1/4 cup of parsley, chiffonade
• 2 cups of arugula
• 1/2 cup of purple mustard frills
• 1/2 cup red wine vinaigrette

Red Wine Vinaigrette:

• 1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
• 1/2 tbsp of kosher salt
• 3/4 cups of extra virgin olive oil

Take each vegetable and place in large mixing bowl. With a rubber spatula, gently mix with the chiffonade of herbs and salt.

In another bowl, whisk vinaigrette by first placing vinegar and salt and slowly adding evoo while whisking, until it emulsifies.

Add 1/2 cup of the vinaigrette to vegetables and toss gently with rubber spatula.

Place vegetables in center of a bowl.

Take burrata and dollop over the salad. Season burrata with salt and evoo.

In a separate bowl mix greens together and place over the salad and lastly drizzle more evoo.

San Remo Cocktail

(Serves 1)

• 1 1/2 oz Carpano Antica
• 1 oz St. Germain
• 1 oz Campari
• 1/2 oz Bourbon (any kind)
• 1 oz Orange Juice
• 1/2 Lime, squeezed
• Orange

Mix ingredients in shaker with ice. Shake well and strain over ice in rocks glass. Garnish with orange twist. Alcohol can be mixed in larger batches then shaken as needed.

For more, visit ScottConant.com/restaurants.