Carrabba's At Home...

Back when I was working at Fleming's Steakhouse, that was when I really began to understand quality ingredients and cooking techniques. They used the best meats and the freshest produce. You don't need 30 different ingredients to make a delicious dish. Just use the best stuff you can find.

First: Caprese Salad w/ Balsamic Reduction
Main 1 : Breaded Chicken Cutlets w/ Sun dried Tomato & Caper Sauce
Side: Jalapeno & Cheddar Potato Gratin
Side: Sauteed Spinach

Caprese Salad w/ Balsamic Reduction
Difficulty: 2/10
Prep Time: 10 min
Cook Time: 15 min

• 4 large, vine ripened tomatoes, sliced into half-inch slices
• Fresh, whole milk mozzarella in water, sliced into half-inch slices
• 3 cups good quality balsamic vinegar
• EVOO
• Fresh basil leaves
• Kosher salt
• Fresh black pepper

1. In a sauce pot, bring the balsamic vinegar to a simmer and reduce to a third of its original volume. The end product should coat the back of a spoon. Let cool to room temperature.
2. Arrange the mozzarella and tomatoes on a plate in an alternating pattern. Season w/ SnP. Drizzle w/ EVOO and balsamic reduction.
   
3. Add fresh basil leaf and serve.

Jalapeno & Cheddar Potato Gratin
Difficulty: 4/10
Prep Time: 20 min
Cook Time: 1 hr

• 3 pounds of Russet Idaho potatoes (about 4-5 large potatoes)
• 1 qt heavy cream
• half red onion, quartered
• 5 cloves of garlic, peeled and smashed
• 5 jalapeno peppers
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 spring of fresh rosemary
• 5 fresh sage leaves
  
• 2 cups aged cheddar cheese
• 1/2 tspn fresh nutmeg
• 2 green onions
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• EVOO

1. Cut slits into 4 jalapeno peppers deep enough to penetrate the seeds, but do not cut in half. For the last pepper, remove the seeds and membrane and slice into super thin slices. Slice the green onions into very thin slices as well. Only use the white ends for this recipe.
   
2. In a sauce pot, add the heavy cream, red onion, garlic, bay leaves, 4 jalapenos, rosemary, sage leaves, and nutmeg. Place on med-low heat and steep the cream for about 20 min. Don't bring the cream to a boil!! What this does is infuse the cream with all these awesome flavors.
3. Let the infused cream come to room temp and strain into a separate bowl.
   
4. Peel all the potatoes and slice into 1/8" slices using a mandolin slicer or by hand.
   
5. Rinse the potato slices with water and dry using a clean dish towel. Dry them well so you don't have a water mess at the end.
6. Coat the bottom of a 9"x9" oven safe dish with EVOO. Layer potatoes and cream into the dish. Season every other layer with SnP. When you're halfway up the pan, add the sliced jalapeno peppers, green onions, and 1 cup of cheese.
7. Continue layering with potatoes and cream until 1 inch from the top of the pan.
8. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and then with foil. Bake at 375 degrees F for 45 min or until cream is absorbed by the potatoes and you can insert a knife into the layers.
9. Remove the plastic wrap and foil. Add the remaining cheese and bake uncovered for 15 min until cheese is melted on top.
10. Finished w/ chopped parsley and serve.

Sun Dried Tomato-Caper Sauce
Difficulty: 4/10
Prep Time: 15 min
Cook Time: 20 min

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• half red onion, chopped
• 3 tbspn capers, drained
• 3 tbspn sun dried tomatoes
• 1/2 cup white wine, Chardonnay
• 3 anchovies
• 3 tblsn butter
• juice from half a lemon
• 1/2 tspn sugar
  
• Kosher salt
• Black Pepper
• EVOO

1. In a large sauce pan under med-high heat, add EVOO and saute onions and garlic for 2 min.
2. Add anchovies, capers, and sun dried tomatoes. Saute for another 4 min until the anchovies have dissolved into the mixture.
   
3. Add white wine and reduce until there is barely any liquid remaining.
   
4. Add lemon juice and sugar.
   
5. Reduce heat to low and add butter. Stir butter in well to incorporate into sauce.
6. Season w/ SnP.