Etta serves up wood-fired food featuring seasonal dishes from pizza to focaccia and crisp salads. Joining us now in our studio 41 kitchen with a taste of its menu is Executive Chef Jake Peterson.
River North – 700 N. Clark St
Bucktown – 1840 W. North Ave
Facebook @ettarestaurant
Instagram @ettarestaurant
Roasted Japanese Sweet Potato
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients
8 baby Japanese Sweet Potatoes (in not available use the smallest kind you can)
As needed Grapeseed or Canola oil
As needed Kosher Salt
8 oz crescenza cheese
4 oz Garlic Honey
5 oz Whipped Lemon
1 tsp smoked sea salt
7 pieces parsley leaves
7 pieces chervil or tarragon leaves
7 pieces chives 1” batons
Procedure;
Preheat broiler or grill if preferred.
Clean and dry the sweet potatoes. Small blemishes are ok. Poke small holes in the potatoes with a fork to allow moisture to escape during the cooking process.
Toss the potatoes with 2 tbsp of oil and 1 tbsp of kosher salt.
Put the potatoes on a cookie sheet line with foil.
Cook the potatoes under the broiler or on top of a hot grill until the skin starts to blister and char. Turn the potatoes every few minutes to ensure even color.
Once potatoes are evenly blistered, transfer to a casserole dish or pyrex dish that has been lined with a ½” layer of kosher salt.
Put potatoes on top of the salt and cover with foil and cook in a 350 oven until potatoes are cooked through and tender. About 30 minutes.
Once the potatoes are cooked, remove from salt and brush off any excess. Let potatoes cool until room temperature in order to easily handle them. Transfer the potatoes to a cookie sheet and using a small parry knife, make a small incision on top of the potatoes roughly 2.5” long and 1” deep. Gently push the potatoes on both sides simultaneously to “open” the center. Fill the center of each potato with 1oz of crescenza cheese. Once filled, put the whole cookie sheet of potatoes under the broiler and cook until the cheese is melted, bubbling and slightly caramelized on top. Once potatoes are done, transfer to a serving platter or plate and arrange however you prefer. Season the center of each potato with a pinch of smoked sea salt. Where there are empty spaces between the arranged potatoes, put dollops of the whipped creme fraiche, roughly 5-6 dollops. Drizzle the platter with the garlic honey and garnish with whole pieces of herbs.
Garlic Honey
Yield: 8 oz
Ingredients:
8oz wild flower honey
5 cloves fresh garlic
On a cutting board and with a heel of a chef’s knife smash the fresh garlic cloves and remove the papery skin. In a mason jar or other airtight container, mix the smashed garlic with the honey. Let the honey sit out at room temperature for at least 24 hrs before using. The longer it sits, the more garlicky the honey will become.
Whipped Lemon Creme Fraiche
Yield: 2 ½ cups
Ingredients:
2 cups Creme Fraiche
2 tbsp chopped chives
1 tsp kosher salt
Zest of 2 lemons
In a medium size bowl, whisk the creme fraiche to firm peaks. Fold in the remaining ingredients. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
Daytime Chicago airs weekdays on WGN from 10 a.m. – 11 a.m.
