Originally from Gonzales, Chef Ryan Andre has the resume to prove that he is a veteran in the culinary world. Andre started out at Baton Rouge Community College, where he was studying to be a process operator, but he soon realized that culinary arts was his true passion and has stuck with it ever since. After graduating from the Louisiana Culinary Institute in 2007, where he was valedictorian of two classes, he went on to work at a handful of restaurants including Commander’s Palace and Mandina’s in New Orleans and Le Creole in Baton Rouge, which he helped build from the ground-up.
He has received awards for his work including Louisiana Cookin’ magazine’s 2012 “Chef to Watch,” and he has also been featured on Louisiana Sportsman TV. He currently works at City Pork Brasserie and Bar as the corporate chef, where he oversees several restaurants.
Smoked Oyster and Bacon Spaetzle
Sauce:
¼ cup butter
1 cup julienned onion s
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 quart shrimp stock
6 1⁄5 cups heavy cream
½ cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 teaspoon white pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
2 cups grated Romano cheese
Saute vegetables in butter until tender. Add remaining ingredients except cheese and cook for 20-25 minutes on medium heat. Stir in cheese until melted and cook for an additional 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use hand blender and puree until smooth and pass through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside until later.
Spaetzle:
4 cups AP flour
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon nutmet
3 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
1 ½ cups milk
Place 10 quart saucepot with water on stove and bring to a boil. In mixing bowl, mix dry ingredients together. Blend eggs and milk together before adding to dry ingredients. Mix the two together until free of lumps. Using a spaetzle maker or strainer, proceed to pass dough through into boiling water. Continue until all dough is used. Stir pot to keep them from sticking and cook for approximately 4-5 minutes.Remove from boiling water and place into an ice bath to cool
For Completed Dish:
2 tablespoons diced bacon
2 tablespoons julienned red onion
1 teaspoon minced garlic
6 ounces sauce
2 tablespoons chopped
green onion
7 large cold smoked oysters
In skillet, render bacon for 2-3 min before adding onions and garlic. Cook until vegetables are tender. Ladle in sauce and green onions and cook for an additional 3-4 min on medium heat to allow sauce to reduce. Add in oysters at last minutes and allow to cook for an additional 2 minutes. Toss in 1¼ cups cooked spaetzle and cook just enough to heat. Place finished dish in bowl and top with shredded cheese if desired.
