The Tavern Downtown Offers Better Deal

We've worked out deals with some of Connecticut's best restaurants to offer you $100 gift certificates for $50. This week, a chefs from The Tavern Downtown gives us a recipe along with a great deal.

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Lobster And Celery Root Salads

Ingredients:

2 cup cooked, flaked lobster, 1 small lobster

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup finely diced celery

1/3 cup mayonnaise, or to moisten

1/4 teaspoon salt

dash pepper

1 tsp chopped cilantro

Preparation:

Sprinkle lobster with lemon juice. Add celery, salt and pepper. Gently stir in mayonnaise and cilantro; chill thoroughly.

Ingredients:

2 pounds celery root

1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 cup good mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

Pinch freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Use a serrated knife to peel the celery root of all the brown outer portions, like peeling a pineapple. Cut the celery root into thin matchsticks with a mandoline, or grate them in a food processor fitted with the coarsest grating blade. With the food processor, press a little as you feed the chunks through and you will have larger shreds. Place the celery root in a large bowl, sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, and allow to stand at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, in a small bowl whisk together the mayonnaise, the 2 mustards, the remaining tablespoon of lemon juice, the vinegar, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper. Add enough sauce to lightly moisten the salad. (You may have some sauce left over.) Serve cold or at room temperature.

Zucchini-Gorgonzola Fritters

Ingredients:

1 lb of zucchini (about 2 medium sized), coarsely grated

Kosher salt

Ground black pepper

1 large egg

2 scallions, finely chopped

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

1/2 cup grape seed oil or olive oil

Method:

1: Salt the zucchini with about 1 teaspoon of salt. Try to remove the excess moisture from the zucchini by either squeezing the liquid out with a potato ricer, or by squeezing with paper towels.

2: Whisk egg in a large bowl; add the zucchini, flour, scallions, and 1/4 teaspoon of pepper. Mix to combine well. Fold in crumbled gorgonzola.

3: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook fritters in two batches. Drop six mounds of batter (2 Tbsp each) into the skillet. Flatten slightly. Cook, turning once, until browned, 4-6 minutes on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt. Repeat with remaining batter.

Serve immediately.