When you think of ArtsQuest, fine dining isn't the first thing that comes to mind. The unique venue on Bethlehem's South Side is known primarily for entertainment, wowing audiences with music and the 20-story-tall blast furnaces that serve as a backdrop for the indoor and outdoor stages.
The way ArtsQuest Executive Chef Fred Grant sees it, all those oohs and aahs can be yours alone when you host your special event or party at the ArtsQuest Center.
Amid the loud music and raucous applause, Grant is quietly emerging as ArtsQuest's next star performer, and the kitchen is his stage.
He's the guy behind the first-floor Mike & Ike Bistro, where you can grab a tasty dinner or snack on a to-go plate before a concert or film. He's also the guy behind the upstairs Musikfest Café, where you can partake of a burger, sandwich or dinner from the full menu while watching a show.
But it's on the catering and special events side where Grant really shines. “Since we opened four years ago,” he says, “the business at ArtsQuest has grown exponentially.” And he has big aspirations. “I want to be that person in the Lehigh Valley you can go to with anything, whether it's a wedding for 300 people, a plated dinner for 700 or an intimate meal for 50, and I want to be the best at it.”
He has every right to be excited for the future. Business leaders and brides alike love the special treatment Grant bestows on them. If you can dream it, he can do it.
Case in point: not long ago, a group of hunters approached Grant asking him to create a dinner using their take for the year. They presented him with venison, pheasant, partridge, quail, duck, goose, elk and the freedom to do whatever he wished. What they got in return was a nine-course dinner that included wild fowl consommé, a citrus goose with butternut squash risotto, crispy duck breast with fennel orange salad, pheasant roulade with chestnut puree, coffee-crusted elk, juniper-crusted venison and more. A “simple” dessert request wound up as pears poached in cranberry juice reduction, plus passion fruit transformed into little jelly pearls known as fruit caviar. The group was thrilled.
Grant puts a lot of thought—deep thought—into his creations. It's no accident that shrimp, scallops, lamb and beets appear in the recipes he chose for this Valentine's Day issue. “Lamb and scallops are nice for a dinner and date; they have an intimate feeling when you eat them. Lamb has a much deeper color than other things, and when you think of a deep feeling you think about love.”
The simple seared scallop dish is something he makes for his wife. “She used to hate scallops, but loves them now and will only eat them when I make them.” Speaking of love, Grant loves beets. “I eat them like an apple.” Like everything else, he kicks his beet chips up a notch by using candy cane beets—sweet!
Grant, 31, has a history in kicking things up a notch, coming to ArtsQuest from Emeril's Chop House, Burgers and More and the Carnegie Deli at The Sands, plus Starters Riverport. The Freedom High School alumnus got his start cooking at Chili's and Top of the 80's in Hazleton before getting a maternal nudge out of the nest and into the Culinary Institute of America.
“I was such a procrastinator when I was younger and now I am so far ahead on everything,” Grant says. He has to be. He is responsible for such huge events as St. Luke's Health Network annual Night of Heroes, which takes over the entire building. “There are times when you have plated dinners for 300 people three times a week,” he adds. Plus, a non-stop schedule of concerts; even proms—Easton and Liberty High School have held theirs here.
Smaller intimate affairs are given the same TLC as the big ones. Wedding receptions are especially popular and last year there were 50 of them. “We've done $10,000 weddings and $125,000 weddings,” Grant adds. “We can do lobster stations and more. Literally, whatever people want, they get.”
It's his signature that he doesn't sleep much during big events. Grant is known for coming in as early as 2:30 in the morning to triple- or quadruple-check everything from salads to entrees and make sure the counts are right and his kitchen staff of 12 knows what is expected of them. He credits his West Point-grad father for instilling in him a strong sense of organization.
Whatever the event, dining at ArtsQuest is a sensory and culinary experience you can't get anywhere else.
You may have heard the saying, “Give your problems to God—He'll be up all night anyway.” Anyone planning a special event at ArtsQuest can take comfort knowing Chef Fred Grant will be burning the midnight oil to make sure the day goes off without a hitch.
Shrimp Lo Mein
1 pound fresh lo mein noodle
1 pound assorted fresh vegetables julienned (red peppers, peeled celery, carrots, zucchini)
1 quart lo mein sauce
8 oz. rock shrimp
Boil fresh lo mein noodles in salted water until tender. When they reach desired tenderness, toss them hot with all raw vegetables (the heat of the noodles will wilt the vegetables). Add in lo mein sauce with hot noodles. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
Garnish with steamed broccoli and sautéed rock shrimp.
Lo Mein Sauce
Yield: 1 quart
3 cups ABC sweet soy sauce
3/4 cup Maggi
3 Tablespoons Sambal
Mix together thoroughly.
Seared Scallops
1 to 11/4 pounds dry sea scallops, approximately 16
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch sauté pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops.
Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 and one-half minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4 inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.
Beet Chips
2 pounds large beets, peeled
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a mandoline, thinly slice beets to a thickness of 1/16”. In a large bowl, toss beet slices with oil to coat evenly.
On prepared baking sheets, in a single layer, arrange as many slices as will fit without crowding. Bake until crisp, 25-30 minutes, rotating pans once halfway through baking. Cool chips and blot with paper towels to remove any excess oil. Repeat—using a cool prepared baking sheet for each batch, until all beet slices are baked.
Toss chips with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
Sweet Potato Puree
2 ea. sweet potato (peeled and chunked)
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Puree in blender with maple syrup and heavy cream until smooth. Add more cream if the mixture is not smooth enough. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
Rosemary Crusted Lamb Chops
1 pound lamb chops (lamb rib chops are what are pictured here)
2 Tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
In a small bowl, mix the rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil together. Coat the lamb chops with the mixture, massaging it into the meat with your fingers.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in an ovenproof sauté pan over high heat. When the oil is shimmering hot, sear the lamb chops on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
If you would like your chops more cooked, you can put them in a 400°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or keep them in the hot pan, remove from heat and cover the pan for a few minutes. Then remove from the pan to a plate or cutting board, cover with foil and let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Polenta
6 cups water
6 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
31/2 cups cornmeal
6 Tablespoons butter
Bring 6 cups of milk and water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.
Red Wine Reduction
1 cup full-bodied red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon)
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 Tablespoons beef demi-glace
3 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 10 minutes). Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Add butter, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in salt and pepper.
When you think of ArtsQuest, fine dining isn't the first thing that comes to mind. The unique venue on Bethlehem's South Side is known primarily for entertainment, wowing audiences with music and the 20-story-tall blast furnaces that serve as a backdrop for the indoor and outdoor stages.
The way ArtsQuest Executive Chef Fred Grant sees it, all those oohs and aahs can be yours alone when you host your special event or party at the ArtsQuest Center.
Amid the loud music and raucous applause, Grant is quietly emerging as ArtsQuest's next star performer, and the kitchen is his stage.
He's the guy behind the first-floor Mike & Ike Bistro, where you can grab a tasty dinner or snack on a to-go plate before a concert or film. He's also the guy behind the upstairs Musikfest Café, where you can partake of a burger, sandwich or dinner from the full menu while watching a show.
But it's on the catering and special events side where Grant really shines. “Since we opened four years ago,” he says, “the business at ArtsQuest has grown exponentially.” And he has big aspirations. “I want to be that person in the Lehigh Valley you can go to with anything, whether it's a wedding for 300 people, a plated dinner for 700 or an intimate meal for 50, and I want to be the best at it.”
He has every right to be excited for the future. Business leaders and brides alike love the special treatment Grant bestows on them. If you can dream it, he can do it.
Case in point: not long ago, a group of hunters approached Grant asking him to create a dinner using their take for the year. They presented him with venison, pheasant, partridge, quail, duck, goose, elk and the freedom to do whatever he wished. What they got in return was a nine-course dinner that included wild fowl consommé, a citrus goose with butternut squash risotto, crispy duck breast with fennel orange salad, pheasant roulade with chestnut puree, coffee-crusted elk, juniper-crusted venison and more. A “simple” dessert request wound up as pears poached in cranberry juice reduction, plus passion fruit transformed into little jelly pearls known as fruit caviar. The group was thrilled.
Grant puts a lot of thought—deep thought—into his creations. It's no accident that shrimp, scallops, lamb and beets appear in the recipes he chose for this Valentine's Day issue. “Lamb and scallops are nice for a dinner and date; they have an intimate feeling when you eat them. Lamb has a much deeper color than other things, and when you think of a deep feeling you think about love.”
The simple seared scallop dish is something he makes for his wife. “She used to hate scallops, but loves them now and will only eat them when I make them.” Speaking of love, Grant loves beets. “I eat them like an apple.” Like everything else, he kicks his beet chips up a notch by using candy cane beets—sweet!
Grant, 31, has a history in kicking things up a notch, coming to ArtsQuest from Emeril's Chop House, Burgers and More and the Carnegie Deli at The Sands, plus Starters Riverport. The Freedom High School alumnus got his start cooking at Chili's and Top of the 80's in Hazleton before getting a maternal nudge out of the nest and into the Culinary Institute of America.
“I was such a procrastinator when I was younger and now I am so far ahead on everything,” Grant says. He has to be. He is responsible for such huge events as St. Luke's Health Network annual Night of Heroes, which takes over the entire building. “There are times when you have plated dinners for 300 people three times a week,” he adds. Plus, a non-stop schedule of concerts; even proms—Easton and Liberty High School have held theirs here.
Smaller intimate affairs are given the same TLC as the big ones. Wedding receptions are especially popular and last year there were 50 of them. “We've done $10,000 weddings and $125,000 weddings,” Grant adds. “We can do lobster stations and more. Literally, whatever people want, they get.”
It's his signature that he doesn't sleep much during big events. Grant is known for coming in as early as 2:30 in the morning to triple- or quadruple-check everything from salads to entrees and make sure the counts are right and his kitchen staff of 12 knows what is expected of them. He credits his West Point-grad father for instilling in him a strong sense of organization.
Whatever the event, dining at ArtsQuest is a sensory and culinary experience you can't get anywhere else.
You may have heard the saying, “Give your problems to God—He'll be up all night anyway.” Anyone planning a special event at ArtsQuest can take comfort knowing Chef Fred Grant will be burning the midnight oil to make sure the day goes off without a hitch.
Shrimp Lo Mein
1 pound fresh lo mein noodle
1 pound assorted fresh vegetables julienned (red peppers, peeled celery, carrots, zucchini)
1 quart lo mein sauce
8 oz. rock shrimp
Boil fresh lo mein noodles in salted water until tender. When they reach desired tenderness, toss them hot with all raw vegetables (the heat of the noodles will wilt the vegetables). Add in lo mein sauce with hot noodles. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
Garnish with steamed broccoli and sautéed rock shrimp.
Lo Mein Sauce
Yield: 1 quart
3 cups ABC sweet soy sauce
3/4 cup Maggi
3 Tablespoons Sambal
Mix together thoroughly.
Seared Scallops
1 to 11/4 pounds dry sea scallops, approximately 16
2 teaspoons unsalted butter
2 teaspoons olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Remove the small side muscle from the scallops, rinse with cold water and thoroughly pat dry.
Add the butter and oil to a 12 to 14-inch sauté pan on high heat. Salt and pepper the scallops.
Once the fat begins to smoke, gently add the scallops, making sure they are not touching each other. Sear the scallops for 1 and one-half minutes on each side. The scallops should have a 1/4 inch golden crust on each side while still being translucent in the center. Serve immediately.
Beet Chips
2 pounds large beets, peeled
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Sea salt
Freshly cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line several baking sheets with parchment paper.
Using a mandoline, thinly slice beets to a thickness of 1/16”. In a large bowl, toss beet slices with oil to coat evenly.
On prepared baking sheets, in a single layer, arrange as many slices as will fit without crowding. Bake until crisp, 25-30 minutes, rotating pans once halfway through baking. Cool chips and blot with paper towels to remove any excess oil. Repeat—using a cool prepared baking sheet for each batch, until all beet slices are baked.
Toss chips with 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
Sweet Potato Puree
2 ea. sweet potato (peeled and chunked)
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
2 Tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and pepper
Boil sweet potatoes until tender. Puree in blender with maple syrup and heavy cream until smooth. Add more cream if the mixture is not smooth enough. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
Rosemary Crusted Lamb Chops
1 pound lamb chops (lamb rib chops are what are pictured here)
2 Tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove, minced
4 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
In a small bowl, mix the rosemary, salt, pepper, garlic, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil together. Coat the lamb chops with the mixture, massaging it into the meat with your fingers.
Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in an ovenproof sauté pan over high heat. When the oil is shimmering hot, sear the lamb chops on all sides, about 2 to 3 minutes per side.
If you would like your chops more cooked, you can put them in a 400°F oven for 3 to 5 minutes, or keep them in the hot pan, remove from heat and cover the pan for a few minutes. Then remove from the pan to a plate or cutting board, cover with foil and let rest 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Polenta
6 cups water
6 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
31/2 cups cornmeal
6 Tablespoons butter
Bring 6 cups of milk and water to a boil in a heavy large saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons of salt. Gradually whisk in the cornmeal. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the mixture thickens and the cornmeal is tender, stirring often, about 15 minutes. Turn off the heat. Add the butter, and stir until melted.
Red Wine Reduction
1 cup full-bodied red wine (such as cabernet sauvignon)
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots
2 Tablespoons beef demi-glace
3 thyme sprigs
1 bay leaf
2 Tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Combine first 5 ingredients in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 3 tablespoons (about 10 minutes). Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl; discard solids. Add butter, stirring constantly until smooth. Stir in salt and pepper.
