Good Day Atlanta viewer information story August 29, 2016

Student-Run Restaurant Called “Atlanta’s Best Kept Secret” :

Imagine this: A three-course meal at a chic Atlanta restaurant where you’re in and out in 30 minutes and your bill is less than $20.  Sounds impossible, right? 

 

Not at Creations, the student-run dining lab at the Art Institute of Atlanta.  The restaurant is operated by culinary students, and is a chance for them to gain real-world skills before moving out into the real world.  All the food is prepared by upper-level students under the direction of chef faculty, and the servers are also upper-level students who are learning about dining room management.  Lunch is served Mondays through Wednesdays, beginning at 11:30 a.m., and the current menu for this quarter includes Thai Chicken Lettuce Cups, Osso Bucco Style Chicken, and dessert choices of Creations' Peach Melba or Italian Ricotta Cheesecake for dessert.  The lunch costs $16, and those with a valid Art Institute ID get a $4 discount.

 

Always one to help students (and help himself to food), Good Day Atlanta’s Paul Milliken stopped by Creations, which is located on the campus of The Art Institute of Atlanta on Peachtree Dunwoody Road.    

   

WEB LINK:  www.facebook.com/creations-aia

 

Brunch with 5Church on Good Day Atlanta.  Chef RJ Cooper will demonstrate how to cook one of the restaurants brunch mourth watering brunch recipes "Poached Pasture Eggs with Crawfish Maque Choux and Sauce Choron."   For more information on 5Church click here For today's recipe see below. 

Poached Pasture Eggs, Crawfish Maque Choux, Sauce Choron

Serves 4

 

For Poached Eggs:

 

8 pasture-raised hen eggs

1 qt. distilled water

2 tsp. white vinegar

1 tsp. kosher salt

 

  1. Heat the water: Add enough water to come 1 inch up the side of a narrow, deep 2-qt. sauce pot.  Add 1 teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons white vinegar and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Meanwhile, crack the eggs in 4 ramekins or bowls.
  2. Use the handle of a spatula or spoon to quickly stir the water in one direction to create a vortex.
  3. Add the egg: Carefully drop the eggs into the center of the whirlpool. The swirling water will help prevent the whites from “feathering,” or spreading out in the pan.
  4. Let the eggs poach: Turn off the heat, cover the pan and set a timer for 5 minutes. Don’t peak, poke or stir the egg in anyway.

 

For the Maque Choux

 

2 Tbsp. unsalted butter

4 cups corn, (about 6 ears)

½ cup red peppers, small diced

1 Tbsp. minced Fresno pepper

1 tsp. Espelette pepper

Zest of 1 lemon

1 cup crawfish tails

½ cup heavy cream

½ cup sliced scallions

1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

 

  1. Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add the corn, onions and peppers. Season with salt, pepper and Espelette pepper; let cook for 10 minutes
  2. Add cream and reduce for 2 minutes. Finish with chopped scallions.


 

 

Sauce Choron:

 

3 Tbsp. white wine vinegar

3 Tbsp. white wine

10 peppercorns, crushed

2 Tbsp. chopped shallots

1 Tbsp. chopped tarragon

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 Tbsp. water

3 eggs yolks, beaten

1 cup unsalted butter, melted

Salt and pepper

 

  1. In a sauce pan, combine the vinegar, wine, peppercorns, shallots, tarragon and tomato paste. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to 1 tablespoon.
  2. Add egg yolks and whisk over medium heat, until frothy, about 3 minute to 4 minutes.
  3. In a steady stream, add the butter until the sauce thickens. Season with salt and pepper.
  4. Pass through a fine mesh sieve. Set aside.

 

Assembly

  1. Cover the bottoms of 4 large bowls with maque choux. Place 2 poached eggs on top of each mixture. Top each egg with choron sauce and sprinkle with chopped parsley