Dining in--Minneapolis/St. Paul cookbook

Jordan Sonoma Cabernet Sauvignon, 1977 or Burgess Cellars Napa, 1978 Laurence Jeffery, Managing Director Stephen Evans, General Manager Paul O'Brien, Director of Food and Beverages Andreas Sellner, Executive Chef For ten years, a boudoir-like restaurant tucked into an alcove on the third level of the Marquette Inn catered to the aristocracy in Minneapolis. The Inn’s discerning patrons dined there. Visiting film and opera stars and international artists and authors slipped incognito into recesses of soft salmon plush and beaded chandeliers, areas made very private by lace-veiled windows. The dining room also won a Club-like following among the local cognoscenti, who weren’t telling. The Marquis restaurant became the best-kept secret in town. But secrets like that are too precious to husband, and now the word is out—as are a few of the venerable cobwebs. The formal French service that spoke to the seventies has been eliminated. Elegant simplicity has replaced ostentation, just as soft pastels and patterned china have replaced the original pristine whiteness of the tables. A creative new signature menu has retired the tableside tournedos and chateaubriands in vogue ten years ago. The new wizard in the kitchen is Executive Chef Andreas Sellner, who brings with him much professional experience. A native Bavarian, he trained in Baden-Baden, went on to hotel posts in St. Moritz, Karlsruhe, and Sao Paolo, and then to dining rooms on America’s east coast before arriving in Minnesota. “He brings the best standards in the business,” attest his sous-chefs, who willingly deliver the inventive design, precision, and professional dedication he demands of them. “We will not compromise on consistency and quality,” Andreas affirms, and the menu testifies to that. A meal at the Marquis might begin with turbot in a fresh tomato-basil vinaigrette with salmon quenelles or with artichokes with chicken mousse. Inspired soups follow: cold papaya soup, kirsch-laced quail consommé or the Mussel- Saffron Soup whose recipe is included here. Salads, such as Italian radicchio or Belgian endive swathed in hazelnut oil, next show off the chef's international flair. Veal medallions set over a sauce of watercress and chives is an entrée typical of the chef’s inventiveness, which banishes flour-heavy sauces and large portions in favor of delicate reductions. To accompany the entrée, perhaps hand-sculpted carrots, a bright purée of beets, or a nut and chopped spinach custard. Marquette Inn 710 Marquette Avenue Minneapolis MUSSEL SAFFRON SOUP 12 quarts mussels, 4 cloves garlic, chopped washed and debearded 1 (6-ounce) fish 2 cups good-quality fillet (halibut, whiting, white wine or turbot) 4 shallots, minced 3 cups whipping cream 3 tablespoons butter Pinch of Spanish saffron 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon sea salt 2 onions, coarsely chopped Pinch of cayenne pepper 2 leeks, cleaned and 6 (1-inch) coarsely chopped French bread 4 ripe tomatoes, blanched, Ya cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese Bouquet garni: 1 sprig parsley 1 bay leaf 1 sprig thyme 1 teaspoon fennel seeds — . In a stockpot, combine the mussels, wine, and half the shallots. Over medium heat, steam 6 to 8 minutes, or until the mussels open. Discard any that do not open. Remove the mussels from the shells and set aside. Discard the shells. . Strain the cooking liquid through a sieve lined with dampened cheesecloth and reserve. . Ina Dutch oven, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter over low heat; add the olive oil. Slowly sweat the onions and leeks in the oil and butter until transparent, approximately 10 minutes; do not brown. Add the tomatoes, the reserved cooking liquid, bouquet garni, garlic, fish fillet, and 1 quart water. Simmer over low heat for 45 minutes. Remove and purée in a food processor; strain. Return the strained