David LeFevre
WATER GRILL | Los Angeles

The unwitting genesis of David LeFevre’s future career as a chef began at home in Madison. “I loved to eat and realized that if I knew how to cook, I could eat anytime I wanted,” he remembers. After initially pursuing industrial engineering at the University of Wisconsin, he left and enrolled at the Culinary Institute of America. He interned at Charlie Trotter’s restaurant in Chicago, landing a job as tournant at Trotter’s Las Vegas venue after graduating. With Trotter’s support, LeFevre traveled to France and completed internships at the late Bernard Loiseau’s restaurant, La Côte d’Or, Restaurant Jean Bardet and Roger Vergé’s Le Moulin de Mougins. LeFevre moved to the Windy City to work at Trotter’s flagship restaurant, where he quickly advanced to executive sous chef. LeFevre spent 6 years working with the renowned chef, who is known for his exacting standards. After two years of intensive globetrotting, LeFevre was recruited for the position of executive chef at LA’s acclaimed Water Grill, where his fascination with the cuisines of northern Africa, Southeast Asia and India influence his seafood-centric menu.

Slow-Poached Sturgeon with Roasted Beets and Horseradish-Celery-Red Radish Salad
Chef David LeFevre of Water Grill - Los Angeles, CA
Adapted by StarChefs.com

Yield: 8 Servings

Ingredients:

Roasted Beets:
• 3 large red beets
• Sprig of thyme
• Salt and pepper
• 1 ounce olive oil
  
  Horseradish Vinaigrette:
• 2 Tablespoons horseradish, freshly grated
• 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  Celery Salad:
• ½ cup celery, peeled, destringed, and thinly sliced on the bias
• 16 celery leaves, cleaned
• ½ cup smoked sturgeon, diced
• 12 red radishes, cleaned and finely julienned
• ¼ cup mustard sprouts
• Horseradish Vinaigrette
• Salt and pepper
  
  Horseradish Sauce:
• ½ cup white wine
• 3 ounces shallot, minced
• ½ ounce garlic, minced
• 1 cup heavy cream
• ½ cup horseradish, freshly grated
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 1 Tablespoon white wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper to taste
  
  Slow-Poached Sturgeon:
• 3 cups court bouillon
• 8 (6-ounce) portions fresh sturgeon fillets

Method:

For Roasted Beets:
Preheat oven to 400°F. In a large bowl, toss the beets with thyme, salt, pepper and olive oil. On a sheet pan, roast the beets until knife tender. Peel and cut into 1 ¾ inch disks. Save scraps for the puree. At service, warm up the beet disks in a hot oven.

For Horseradish Vinaigrette:
Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until completely emulsified.

For Celery Salad:
In a small bowl, toss the salad ingredients together with the horseradish vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

For Horseradish Sauce:
In a saucepan, reduce the white wine, shallots, and garlic until the wine is almost completely evaporated. Add the heavy cream and horseradish and continue to cook, reducing by half. Add olive oil and vinegar to the above mixture, whisking to thoroughly combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

For Slow-Poached Sturgeon:
In a large shallow pot, heat the court bouillon until barely simmering. In batches, place the sturgeon fillets inside the pan and cover. Slowly poach in the court bouillon until just cooked.

To Assemble and Serve:
On each plate, place a small amount of horseradish sauce. Cover with 2 slices of beets. Layer the celery salad and creamed spinach on top of the beets. Cover with the sturgeon fillet. Drizzle the beet puree, horseradish sauce and chive oil decoratively on the plate and garnish with additional radish and mustard sprouts and caviar, if desired.

Wine Pairing:
Chardonnay/Viognier Blend, Qupe Bien Nacido Cuvee, Santa Maria Valley, California, 2005

CAVIAR PROVIDED BY 

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