The Kentucky Bourbon Festival’s Culinary Bourbon-Style Cooking School celebrated its 20th anniversary this year. This sell out event was hosted by Jim Beam 7th generation Master Distiller Fred Noe and featured culinary artist and restaurateur John Varanese. Chef Varanese was honored as one of the country’s top culinary talents in the premier edition of Best Chefs America and named “Restaurateur of the Year” by the Kentucky Restaurant Association. John owns and operates Varanese Restaurant located at 2106 Frankfort Ave in the Historic Clifton neighborhood in Louisville, Ky.
Chef Varanese was kind enough to let us share one of his delicious recipes with our readers. If your someone that doesn’t make anything with more than three ingredients, stop right here, do not pass go, do not collect $200. If however, you are looking for an amazing dish that makes my mouth water just to think about it, read on.
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Chef John Varanese of Varanese Restaurant
Kentucky Bourbon Festival: Culinary Bourbon Style Cooking School
My Old Kentucky Home State Park, Bardstown, Ky
The school took place on the grounds of My Old Kentucky Home State Park. This house has come to symbolize Kentucky’s gracious hospitality and according to legend inspired Stephen Collins Foster to write his immortal song, “My Old Kentucky Home. ” It’s one of the most cherished historical sites in the commonwealth. The home was built between 1795 and 1818, Federal Hill, for Judge John Rowan
Jim Beam Honey Bourbon BBQ Duck Crepe with Pickled Vegetables & Micro Cilantro
Duck Crepes
- 4 each duck leg quarters
- 2 cups duck or bacon fat, rendered
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Cilantro
Pat dry the duck quarters. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on a bakers rack with a sheet pan underneath. Place in refrigerator overnight. Place in a baking pan, skin side up in a single layer, cover with rendered fat, and wrap in foil. Bake in 200 degree oven for 12 hours. Let duck cool in fat. Slightly heat the fat, pull duck out, and separate from bones. Reserve fat for another use. Heat the duck confit with the Honey BBQ and serve Savory Crepe. Top with Pickled Vegetables and micro cilantro.
Honey BBQ
- 16 oz. tomato sauce
- ½ cup Jim Beam Honey
- ½ cup molasses
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
- ½ cup water
- ½ each chopped onion
- 6 each garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp Worcestershire
- 1 tsp coarse black pepper
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 tsp Tabasco
- 1 tsp chili powder
- ½ tsp dry mustard
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan and simmer for one hour. Let cook and puree in a blender until smooth.
Pickled Vegetables
- 2 each cucumbers
- 1 each carrot
- 1 each jalepeno
- 4 each red radish
- ½ each red onion
- 1 ½ oz apple vinegar
- 1 ½ oz Jim Beam Sherry Cask
- 1 tsp sugar
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Seed and cut membrane of jalapeno, then cut in thin strips. Julienne the red onion using a knife. Using a vertical slicer, julienne the carrot, radish, and cucumber (discard cucumber once seeds are reached). Heat Jim Beam Sherry Cask Bourbon and vinegar. Dissolve sugar, salt, and pepper. Toss with vegetables and set aside. Prepare 4 hours before. Do not refrigerate.
Savory Crepes
- 1 each whole egg
- 1 each egg yolks
- 2 oz water
- 3 oz milk
- 1 ½ tsp sugar
- Pinch salt
- 2 1/3 oz flour
- ½ tsp chopped chives
In a blender, mix ingredients thoroughly. Heat a well-seasoned 6 inch non-stick pan over moderately high heat. Add a small amount of pan spray. Ladle a small amount of batter in pan, tilting it to spread thinly across bottom . Cook until crepe is set and bottom begins to brown (about a minute). Using a toothpick, lift edge of crepe, flipping it over using your fingers or spatula. Cook for an additional 30 seconds. Layer crepe on parchment paper to cool.
