Frank Morales
Executive Chef
Rustico, Alexandria VA
Frank Morales brings over 16 years of culinary expertise to his position as Executive Chef of Rustico. At the 130-seat restaurant, located in Alexandria, Virginia, Morales is carving a new niche on the culinary scene, cultivating unique recipes inspired by Rustico’s 330+ beer list and developing pairings that enhance his simple and rustic menu items that feature time-honored cooking techniques and regionally-sourced ingredients. Since joining Rustico, Morales and the restaurant have been featured in numerous consumer, food and trade publications, including The New York Times, Food Arts, USA Today, The Associated Press, The Washington Post and DC Magazine.
Prior to his position at Rustico, Morales served as the executive chef at Zola, dubbed “Washington’s hottest new restaurant” by The New York Times, and “one of the 75 best new restaurants in the world for 2003” by Conde Nast Traveler. In addition to leading Zola’s culinary team, Chef Morales directed the catering operations for the International Spy Museum and its Spy City Café. Under Morales’ leadership, Zola’s straightforward American cuisine earned three-stars in The Washington Post’s “Dining Guide”.
Before joining Zola, Morales was the executive chef at the Oval Room, one of Washington’s favorite power hangouts. After graduation from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park in 1995 and prior to his departure for Washington DC, he worked at several noted New York restaurants, including Union Pacific, as sous chef under Rocco DiSpirito; Le Cirque under Sylvan Portay; and An American Place under Larry Forgione.
During his career, Morales has participated in numerous culinary events, including the Singapore World Gourmet Food Summit, the Aspen Food & Wine Festival, and the Boca Raton Resort and Club's 13th annual Food & Wine Weekend with Gourmet magazine. While in Orlando, FL at the 2007 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival as the head chef for the “Regional Feast,” Morales was tapped to create an appetizer for the National Honey Board, a festival sponsor. As Morales explains it, Grilled Cheese with Green Apples and Colorado Buckwheat Honey Sabayon is his fanciful riff on a grilled cheese sandwich. At Epcot, they called it a crowd pleaser.
Grilled Cheese with Green Apples and
Colorado Buckwheat Honey Sabayon
(Serves 6)
4 |
Tablespoons butter, melted until fat separates from the solids |
1 |
kilo wheel of Brie cheese, not overripe |
8 |
sheets Phyllo dough |
|
Freshly ground pepper, to taste |
1 |
quart cold water |
1 |
lemon |
2 |
Granny Smith apples |
1/2 |
cup granulated sugar |
1/4 |
cup apple cider vinegar |
1/2 |
cinnamon stick |
1/2 |
cup whipping cream (liquid form) |
4 |
egg yolks |
3 |
Tablespoons Buckwheat Honey (or any other favorite honey) |
2 |
Tablespoons mead (honey wine), or a favorite dessert wine |
12 |
Tarragon leaves |
- Warm butter until melted and the fat begins to separate from the milk solids*. Chill the cheese well before using and keep chilled while cutting. One wheel will yield approximately 6 equal squares; refrigerate until ready to use.
- Thaw phyllo dough, dampen a kitchen towel and keep phyllo sheets covered to prevent drying. With pastry brush, cover 1 phyllo sheet with melted butter; grind fresh pepper over butter. Put a second sheet on top; repeat butter/pepper. Repeat twice with remaining 4 phyllo sheets. Cut each set of 2 phyllo sheets in half for a total of 6 halves.
- Place a cheese square in the center of the halved phyllo sheets and completely seal, using more butter, if needed. Refrigerate until ready to cook. Be sure to cover with plastic wrap when in the refrigerator or they will dry out.
- Place water into a mixing bowl and squeeze the juice of one lemon into the water.
- Peel 2 apples and hold in the lemon water. Cut each apple into a small dice and place into the lemon water.
- In a small saucepot, place the vinegar, sugar and cinnamon stick and cook over medium heat until a syrup forms.
- Strain the diced apples and add to syrup mixture. When the apples become translucent and syrup clings well, remove from heat and reserve this Apple Compote until ready to use. Be sure to remove the cinnamon stick before serving.
- Whip the cream until stiff and set aside refrigerated.
- Place the egg yolks, honey and Mead (honey wine) into a metal bowl and place over a hot water bath, whipping continuously until the mixture is thick and frothy. Remove from the water bath and place over ice, stirring until cold. Fold in the whipped cream and place this Sabayon in the refrigerator. Do not hold for more than 2 hours as the mixture will begin to deflate.
*Using the milk solids from the butter will affect the browning of the phyllo; a vegetable spray can be substituted.
TO SERVE
- Using a non-stick pan at medium to high heat, brown the phyllo wrapped cheese. After each is browned all the way around, check centers for firmness, depending on the ripeness of the cheese you may need to warm the squares in a low oven till soft, approximately 3 minutes.
- Place one square on each plate and top with honey sabayon then the apple compote.
- Finish with a drizzle of buckwheat honey and garnish with fresh tarragon leaves.