Gordon Ramsay’s Golden Globe boy: Andrew Cook

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

The Golden Globe Awards get underway in a matter of minutes, which means that Ryan Seacrest is busy fawning over celebrities on the red carpet and the awards season is officially in full swing.

One person who won’t be spending much time in front of the TV tonight: The aptly named Andrew Cook, chef de cuisine at Gordon Ramsay’s restaurant at the London Hotel in West Hollywood. This year’s comeback kid, Golden Globes nominee Mickey Rourke (‘The Wrestler’), will preside over L.A. Confidential’s Golden Globes party at the restaurant Monday night, which means Cook is busy, well, cooking and otherwise getting ready for the shindig. (UPDATE: The party no doubt just got bigger — Rourke has taken home the Golden Globe statuette for best actor in a film drama.)

On the menu: lots of bite-sized bits including confit baby shrimp with cara cara orange, Applewood smoked bacon and rabbit ballottine, smoked duck and Asian pear brochette with white onion purée and port wine reduction, fried skate wing sushi with persimmon purée, Scottish salmon with lychee dressing, and tiger prawns with sweet miso.

Cook sent along a recipe — see below — for another menu item: braised short rib croquette with sauce gribiche.

‘The menu showcases what we offer on the restaurant menu, but with a twist in some cases. It’s an opportunity to have a little fun with things we have on the menu,’ Cook said.

Celebrities are nothing to Cook, or to the restaurant. That said, there’s no doubt that Ramsay’s new restaurant aspires to be a pit stop on the awards season circuit, so everything needs to be just so. That explains why Ramsay himself is back in town for several months, lording over everything that leaves the kitchen. The new season of Ramsay’s Fox TV show, ‘Hell’s Kitchen,’ also begins Jan. 29.

So is Cook worried about anything as he prepares to preside over a celebrity-studded party of more than 150, other than trying to figure out a dessert? (He was still mulling that over this weekend: ‘Quince is very good right now. Maybe we’ll do something with quince.’)

‘Every guest is important, so the standard has to be there, no matter what.... It’s exciting, and a little bit different when you have an event like this. It makes all the long hours and hard work worth it....

‘Any fear I have for the next three months is that Gordon will also be here,’ Cook joked.

Note: This recipe makes 20 appetizer portions

1 pc boneless short rib
10 black peppercorns
10 white peppercorns
10 cardamom pods
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 small pieces star anise
10 coriander seeds
1 cup sugar
salt
1 tbsp chopped shallot
1 tbsp chopped chive
sherry vinegar
flour
beaten egg
breadcrumbs

SAUCE GRIBICHE

3 tbsp Mayonnaise
1 tbsp chopped Capers
1 tbsp chopped cornichons
1 tbsp chopped Parsley
Juice of ½ lemon

1. Season the short rib and sear in a pan until nice golden colour.
2. Lightly toast the spices in a pan.
3. Separately make a caramel using the sugar and enough water to just cover. Once the caramel reaches a golden colour, add the toasted spices. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Pass through a strainer.
4. Place the seared short rib in a vacuum pack bag; add 5 tbsp of the infused caramel and seal.
5. Place the bag into a steamer, cook gently for 8 to 10 hours or until the short rib becomes tender. Remove from the steamer and allow to cool.
6. Once cool enough to handle, break down the short rib in a bowl, add the chopped shallot, chopped chive, sherry vinegar and salt to taste.
7. Put the mix in a vacuum bag, seal and refrigerate until solid.
8. Cut the cooled short rib mix into ¾ by ¾ inch cubes.
9. Bread the cubes following these steps: flour, egg, and breadcrumb. Do the same process twice on each cube. Keep the breaded short ribs refrigerated until use.
10. For the sauce, combine all the ingredients in a bowl.

To finish: Deep fry the short rib cubes at 350-degrees until golden crisp, drain on several paper towels, add a small dot of sauce on top, serve immediately.

Photo credit: Ben Anders