Cooking Class: Illuminating Culinary Creations

Candlestick Inn Chef, Alan Jackson, prepares a delicious four-course feast for this months 417 Cooking Clas.

Kaitlyn McConnell

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With exactly 50 years on the books, Branson's Candlestick Inn has proven itself as a mainstay in 417-land's restaurant scene. This upscale venue specializes in fine dining in a casual atmosphere and serves three features every night in addition to its dinner menu. Not only does it offer dishes to delight the plate, but the restaurant's view overlooking Lake Taneycomo is another perk for diners. For this month's 417 Magazine Cooking Class, chef Alan Jackson teaches attendees to prepare a Ceaser salad with basil and thyme croutons, a beef saute, seared scallops with shiitake and lees risotto and Candlestick Cookies for dessert.

Ceaser Salad
with thyme and basil-seasoned croutons
Serves 4

For the croutons:
1 package puff pastries
Olive oil, for coating
Thyme to taste
Basil to taste

For the Ceaser salad:
1 leek
2 heads romaine lettuce
1 roma tomato
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/2 cup of your favorite Caesar dressing
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese

To Prepare the croutons:
Preheat oven to 350degrees F
Unroll puff pastry sheet, and ly on baking pan
Coat in olive oil, sprinkle with thyme and basil
Twist pastry several times, and then bake for 8-10 minutes
Cut into bite-size pieces

To Prepare the Ceaser Salad:
Take leek, cut off the bottom
Peel away the layers
Blanch leeks until soft
Take each leek, and cut into 1/2 inch strips; tie two pieces together
Wrap leek strips around romaine head to hold romaine together
Chop and de-seed tomato, then cut into strips
Reduce balsmic vinigar by three-quarters
Place romaine and leek on top of Caesar dressing and balsamic reduction
Top with tomato and Parmesan cheese, then garnish with croutons