A vacation with us includes luxurious Las Vegas mansions and villas you won’t find on Google, complete with a full food and beverage concierge service.
by Chef Dennis Hicks
Hello From the Kitchen!
July has finally arrived and that means loading up in the family truckster and beginning your vacation. Las Vegas is a vacation destination unlike another. We are ranked 5th worldwide and known as the ultimate playground. Our city is colorful and vibrant, making it ideal for various travelers looking to explore entertainment, nightlife and yes its amazing cuisine. However, if you are searching for unique Las Vegas vacation and dining experiences, we at Exclusive chefs have some of the most luxurious private mansions and vacation villa rentals that you will not find on Google or the VRBO sites. These dream stays are extremely exclusive for the person or persons looking for privacy. The accommodations come with full food and beverage concierge service: stocked pantries, fridge and bar hosting your favorite foods and drinks and complete with your own personal chef to prepare regional cuisine as intimate dinners, BBQ at the grill and meals on the go for when you leave to explore the Vegas sites. These award–winning chefs, hospitality attendants and mixologist will provide you with the perfect vacation getaway. This is modern luxury defined.
To give you a taste of what our Las Vegas private dining experience is like, we are sharing a few of our Exclusive Chefs recipes that will instantly take you on vacation:
Coconut Crusted Cod with a Champagne Citrus Butter Sauce
Sweet and crunchy, this meat lover’s fish will blend tangy citrus with sweet butter.PREP TIME: 15 minsCOOK TIME: 20 mins
TOTAL TIME: 35 mins
SERVINGS: 1
INGREDIENTS
- 1/4 cup jasmine rice
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 tbsp no pulp orange juice
- 2 oz cut and peeled baby carrots
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup white wine
- TT white pepper
- TT Kosher salt
- 2 oz chopped parsley
- 6 oz filet cod
- 2 tbsp honey garlic rub
- 1/3 cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 2/3 cup shredded coconut
- 1/2 cup unbleached flour
- 1 each whole egg
- 4 oz vegetable oil
- 3 each whole peppercorn
- 1 tbsp minced shallot
- 1/4 cup dry champagne
- 1/4 cup no pulp orange juice
- 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/2 stick unsalted butter
- 3 each mandarin orange segments
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350.
- In a sauce pot, add rice, water, and 3 tablespoons of orange juice. Cover and turn on low heat.
- In a sauce pot, over low heat, add carrots, half stick butter, brown sugar, white wine, white pepper to taste, and a pinch of salt to taste. Stir and allow to poach, approximately 15-20 minutes.
- Add oil to sauté pan approximately 1/4 inch depth and place on med-low heat.
- Set up breading station.
- Take three bowls and add flour to 1 bowl egg(whipped) to 2nd bowl, Panko and shredded coconut mix to 3rd bowl.
- Season filet with honey garlic rub.
- Place filet, one side only, 1st in flour 2nd in egg wash and finally breadcrumb mix.
- Remove filet from breadcrumbs and return to saute pan with oil. Tilting the pan away from you slightly place filet breaded side down for 30 seconds or until coconut becomes golden brown.
- Flip filet to other side and place in oven 15-20 minutes.
- Place saucepan over med-heat and add peppercorns, chop shallots and champagne. Reduce to au sec (to 1t). *Au sec is French for nearly dry.
- Add orange jus, and reduce au sec (1t).
- Add the heavy cream and continue to reduce.
- Lower the heat to med-low and add chilled butter a tablespoon at a time, stirring with a whisk to incorporate butter until each one has melted before adding the next one.
- Using a strainer, pour into cup and set aside.
- Remove fish from oven.
- Turn off heat from turn carrots and give it a stir.
- Turn off heat from rice and fluff with spoon separating the grains.
- Utilizing the 4 ounce plastic cups as mold place rice inside filling to the top and pressing into cup gently.
- Place cup of rice upside down onto plate popping out the rice from the plastic cup.
- Remove fish from pan and lean onto rice.
- Remove carrots and place to the left of fish.
- Using a spoon, add sauce to the bare open space and over fish filet.
- Sprinkle parsley over carrots to garnish.
- Place mandarin oranges in center of fish to garnish.
One of the things I always enjoyed the whole time on vacation was brunch. There is no early rise, no board meetings or PnL’s to review. You can wake up in the late morning or early afternoon and have brunch. This is vacationing where you do not have to miss breakfast or lunch by simply combining both. Listen, we are all busy going through our day living to our utmost potential. Now we have the time to relax and recharge the batteries if you will. Brunch is one of these experiences meant to slow you down and savor as you unwind. A crust–less quiche has all the breakfast/lunch indulgence without the fuss of a crust.
Easy Crustless Quiche with Broccoli
Healthy and delicious PREP TIME: 15 minsCOOK TIME: 50 minsTOTAL TIME: 1 hr 5 minsSERVINGS: 2
INGREDIENTS
- 3 large eggs
- 1/3 cup whole milk
- 1/4 cup half and half
- TT salt and pepper
- 1/2 tsp Dijon style mustard
- 1 pinch ground nutmeg
- 1/4 cup sautéed bacon
- 1/4 cup sautéed onion
- 1/4 cup sautéed broccoli
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat a muffin tin or pie tin with non-stick spray.
- Prepare the bacon, onion and broccoli.
- In a bowl mix, whisk together the eggs, milk, half and half, salt and pepper, mustard and nutmeg.
- Scatter the bacon/vegetable mix around the pie tin or place even amount onto the muffin tin.
- Sprinkle the cheese on top.
- Pour the egg mixture into the muffin slots or in pie tin. Place the tins on a baking sheet pan. Top with green onion.
- Bake for 35 minutes, eggs should rise and fluff up. Using your knife check center. The eggs should be cooked through with no visible liquid. Let cool for 3-4 minutes before removing from muffin tin or slicing from pie tin.
When in search for the decadent that is dessert, try something unassuming at first glance. Our pastry chefs recently prepared this for a dinner party for one of our most discerning clients…pudding. I have to say I questioned this choice but chef put a spoon in my mouth and I shut up quickly. This is by far not your average, everyday pudding. This is Salted Carmel Budino, Italian Pudding. If this is your first time, I encourage you to expand your expectations beyond American pudding norms which are set with gelatin and have a more Jell-O pudding style. Budino is a rich and decadent dessert with delicious caramel and is made with perfectly tempered eggs, vanilla, and hint of sea salt that brings the finish all the way to the front of your tongue. Simply flawless this unassuming yet sublime treasure was the perfect end to an evening. The client loved it, obviously.
Salted Caramel Budino
Italian pudding with a hint of salt and caramel PREP TIME: 20 minsCOOK TIME: 20 minsTOTAL TIME: 40 minsSERVINGS: 8
INGREDIENTS
Cookie Crust
- 1 cup crushed chocolate wafers
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter, melted
- 1/8 tsp Kosher salt
Budino
- 3 cups divided whole milk
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
- 5 large egg yolks
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp dark rum
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
Salted Caramel Topping
- 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1/2 each vanilla bean
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 2 tbsp light corn syrup
- 4 tbsp chilled cubed butter
- 1/4 tsp Kosher salt
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 tsp sugar
INSTRUCTIONS
Cookie Crust
- In a bowl combine the cookie crumbs with the butter and salt. mix with your fingers or a fork until all the crumbs are moistened. Set aside 2 tablespoons for later in an airtight container. Press the remaining mixture into the bottom of 8 small 8 ounce mason jars. Set aside.
Budino
- Heat 2 1/2 cups milk in a small saucepan to a simmer, set aside.
- In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the sugar and water. cook over medium heat, stirring gently until sugar dissolves. Stop stirring and increase the heat to medium high. Cook until a candy thermometer reaches 220. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk the remaining 1/2 cup milk and cornstarch.
- Whisk the egg yolks quickly in a large bowl. Carefully pour in the hot milk and then the cornstarch, whisking constantly. Lastly, whisk in the caramel. pour the mixture back into the heavy bottomed saucepan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium to 175 and the pudding thickens (3-7 minutes). Off heat, stir in the butter, rum and salt. Strain the mixture if needed and divide among the prepared jars. Cover with plastic wrap pressing directly onto the surface of each pudding and chill for 4 hours.
Salted Caramel Topping
- Split the vanilla bean down the center and scrape the seeds out. Add the bean to the measuring cup of heavy cream and allow to sit a few minutes.
- Stir the sugar, corn syrup and water in a heavy bottom saucepan and allow the sugar to dissolve over medium heat. Stop stirring and increase the heat to boil over medium high 95-8 minutes. Off heat, carefully stir in the vanilla cream. It will bubble rapidly, just keep whisking quickly. Return to medium heat and whisk until creamy (2-4 minutes). Remove from the heat and stir in the butter and salt until nice and smooth. Allow to cool before transferring to an airtight container.
- Spoon 2 tablespoons caramel sauce over each budino. Top with whipped cream. Sprinkle some of the reserved cookie crumbles over each.
Whipped Cream
- Beat the cream in a bowl with hand mixer for 30 seconds. Add the vanilla and sugar and increase the speed to medium high. Whip until soft moist peaks form.
So, you have toured the shops and taken in a show or two. You are back at your vacation mansion and the kids have been put down for the night. The time is now for an indulgent nightcap. Now I know this will bring up all connotations but this nightcap involves a more subtle end to the evening by closing out the day with relaxation and reflection. The Brandy Alexander is a classic cocktail only needing three ingredients: cognac, crème de cacao and heavy cream.
Brandy Alexander
Classic Boozy
INGREDIENTS
- 2 oz cognac
- 1 oz heavy cream
- 1 oz crème de cacao
- 1 pinch nutmeg
INSTRUCTIONS
- In shaker glass place ice and pour ingredients in. Shake and pour into glass.
- Top with nutmeg.
It’s said that vacations mean a change of pace, a gentleness with ourselves, a time of rest and renewal, to encounter new ways and new options. A vacation with us means all of this and more through what we do best: unique and unparalleled experiences in hospitality and food. Leave behind your busy schedules, we’re happy to talk about how we can take care of everything for you and make your dream vacation come to life!
