For customers who frequent the best restaurants in Manhattan, five-star cuisine is now available on private yachts at a comparable price. With resumes rivaling many top chefs, Robert Stecker and Jorge Feliciano of Long Island, New York-based Culinary Visions Catering cater to an expanding clientele on the water that includes celebrities, Fortune 500 executives, politicians and Heads of State. Will Smith, Tom Cruise, Donald Trump and Steven Spielberg have all tested their fare.
Mr. Stecker and Mr. Feliciano began their exploration of non-traditional dining aboard the charter yacht Lexington in midtown Manhattan during the post-9/11 business recovery. They now offer French/American cuisine on over 30 luxury yachts available through Prestige Yacht Charters. Ships depart from marinas and clubs throughout the New York metropolitan area.
Creative gourmet selections are influenced by the seasons as each ingredient is hand-selected by chefs. They prefer components such as venison, pomegranate and black truffle in winter; sea bass, cherries and morels in spring; lobster, peaches and watercress in summer; and wild game birds, butternut squash and white truffles in the fall. Chefs often personally present their preparations on beautifully arranged plates.
The following specialties are highly recommended: Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Roasted Wild Mushrooms, Gnocchi and Cucumber Blossoms; honey-glazed duck with figs, daikon radish and black currant; and Japanese Kobe steak with seared foie gras, spinach and Pinot Noir sauce.
The recipe for one of his signature dishes, “Crispy Sea Bass Paupiette with Braised Leeks,” is included below.
After filling up, and perhaps enjoying tableside dessert presentations for crème brulée or cherry jubilee, diners can finish the meal by strolling the decks, enjoying panoramic views, or simply relaxing under the stars listening to the gently lapping water. the helmet. . The duration of the entire experience is the same as that of the best restaurants, about three hours.
Prestige Yacht Charters owner David Hackert allows diners to choose from a wide variety of “host” boats by viewing interior and exterior profiles on his company website. All yachts are climate controlled with closed dining areas in case of bad weather.
Crispy Sea Bass Paupiette with Stewed Leeks and Pinot Noir Reduction
Ingredients (makes 4 servings)
For the Sea Bass Paupiette:
or 4 sea bass fillets, 7 ounces each, skin removed, bones reserved for sauce
o Salt and freshly ground black pepper
o 3 sprigs fresh thyme: 1 leaf sprig, chopped, and 2 sprigs cut in half for garnish
or 2 very large baking potatoes, peeled
or 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
For the leeks:
or 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
or 2 leeks, white part only, thinly sliced
o Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Sauce:
or 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, for cooking
or 1/2 cup shallots, peeled and chopped
or 1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms, tops only
or 1/2 sprig fresh thyme
or 1 cup unsalted chicken broth
or 1 bottle (750 ml) of Pinot Noir or similar red cooking wine
or 1 tablespoon heavy cream
or 8 tablespoons unsalted butter
or a pinch of sugar
o Salt and freshly ground black pepper
or 1 tablespoon chopped chives
Preparation
For the Sea Bass Paupiette:
Make each fillet as rectangular as possible (about 5 inches by 2 inches) by trimming any ragged edges with a sharp knife. Season the fillets with salt and pepper and sprinkle with a teaspoon of chopped thyme.
Using a knife, shape each potato lengthwise by cutting off the rounded outside to form 4 rectangular slices (do not cut off the ends of the potatoes). Using a vegetable slicer or mandoline slicer, slice each potato lengthwise into very thin, long slices. Each potato should make about 16 slices (8 slices are needed to wrap 1 fish fillet). Do not rinse the potato slices, as the starch will help the wrapped slices stick together. Toss the potato slices in 1 tablespoon of melted butter and add a pinch of salt.
Lay a 10-inch square piece of parchment paper on the counter. Choose 8 potato slices of about the same length. Lay a fish fillet horizontally on top of the parchment paper so you can match the length of the potato wrapper to the length of the fish. Place the first potato slice perpendicular to the fish, starting on the left side. Lay a second slice overlapping the first about 3/8 inch from the left edge. Continue overlapping the potato slices until you have covered an area equal to the length of the fish fillet.
Center the fish horizontally in the middle of the potato wrapper and fold the edges of the potatoes over the fish to completely enclose it. Repeat the same process for the remaining fillets and refrigerate.
For the leeks:
Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the leeks and sweat until soft, about 4 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste. Stay warm on the side.
For the Sauce:
Heat the oil in a saucepan over high heat. Add the canned sea bass bones, shallots, mushrooms, and thyme sprigs, and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the chicken broth, bring to a boil and cook until completely reduced.
Add Pinot Noir, bring to a boil and reduce by half. Remove and discard fish bones with a mesh slotted spoon. Reduce the sauce to 2 tablespoons. Add heavy cream, stir and bring to a simmer. Cream the butter, sugar, and salt and pepper to taste. Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and keep warm on the side. (If the sauce is too thick, add a little water to thin it out.)
To cook the sea bass paupiette, preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in a large nonstick skillet over high heat. Add the sea bass paupiettes and sauté until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. If the fish is very thick, finish cooking in the oven for 4 to 5 minutes.
Presentation
Place a bed of leeks in the middle of 4 hot serving plates and spoon the sauce around the leeks (about 2 tablespoons per plate). Place a paupiette of sea bass on top of the leeks and decorate with 1/2 sprig of thyme. Sprinkle the plate with the chopped fries.
