Michael Chernow’s Signature Style

Whether it’s the Meatball Shop or Seamore’s, celebrity restaurateur Michael Chernow’s NYC restaurants have a style unmistakably their own.

“My signature style sort of resonates throughout all the restaurants,” Chernow says. “I like to think of style being a much broader term here. Music is such a part of that. I can change the whole environment with music,” he adds.

From his infectious smile to his weekend breakfast memories, Chernow exudes his happiness and enthusiasm for cooking – especially with sausage – in the above video.

“Coming up with a menu item, every aspect of that dish has to be fun,” Chernow explains as he puts together the ultimate breakfast sandwich – including Jimmy Dean Premium Maple Pork Sausage.

“One of the greatest memories I have as a kid was my mom used to make me breakfast sausage with French toast on the weekends. I would always take my sausage and drench it with maple syrup,” he recalls.

The recipe below, courtesy of Chernow, showcases his childhood memory-inspired cooking – and Jimmy Dean’s signature sausage – in a whole new way.

Breakfast Sliders

Ingredients:

• Five (5) mini brioche buns

• One (1) 16 oz. package of Jimmy Dean Premium Maple Pork Sausage

• Three (3) large eggs

• 3/4 cup of milk

• 3/4 block of Gruyère cheese

• Three (3) tbsp of butter

• Salt to taste

• Thai chili mayonnaise:

    – One (1) cup of mayonnaise

    – One (1) tbsp of Thai chili paste

    – Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Drop one (1) tbsp of butter in heated sauté pan.

2. Using hands, form five (5) sausage patties (two (2) inches in diameter).

3. Cut Gruyère cheese into cubed squares.

4. In sauté pan, cook patties through. Once patties are cooked through place two (2) to three (3) cubes onto each patty. Cover pan and continue cooking on very low heat.

5. Using a different pan, add another tbsp of butter. Beat three (3) eggs with milk, making sure to always move the eggs and not to let them sit. Pour egg mixture into pan and cook over medium-high heat.

6. Take eggs out of the pan, add salt and place onto cold plate.

7. Take five (5) buns and put butter on both sides of the bun. Place face down in same pan that was used to cook eggs to toast brioche.

8. For the Thai chili mayonnaise, combine mayonnaise and Thai chili paste in a mixing bowl. Add more Thai chili paste depending on taste preferences, and salt and pepper to taste.

9. On a large plate, lay each bun open and add one patty to each bun.

10. Add one (1) tbsp of egg, spread a layer of Thai chili mayo on top bun, close bun and put toothpick in top.

11. Serve.

Not in a breakfast mood? Try Chernow’s Orecchiette Pasta with Jimmy Dean Premium Sage Pork Sausage and Swiss Chard instead. Recipe below.

Orecchiette Pasta with Jimmy Dean Premium Sage Pork Sausage and Swiss Chard

Ingredients:

• Four (4) cups of dry orecchiette pasta

• One (1) 16 oz. package of Jimmy Dean Premium Sage Pork Sausage

• One (1) bundle of finely chopped swiss chard (bite-sized pieces)

• Four (4) tbsp of olive oil, (two (2) tbsp to cook sausage, two (2) tbsp to finish)

• Two (2) cloves of thinly sliced garlic

• Six (6) tbsp of finely chopped chives

• Grated parmesan to taste

• Salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Using a medium sized pan, bring six (6) quarts of water to a boil. Season water with salt to taste like the ocean. Add pasta to water.

2. In a sauté pan, add two (2) tbsp of olive oil. Once heated add sausage and cook through.

3. Once sausage is cooked, let the fat render out. Add Swiss chard, garlic and sauté chopped chard into bite size pieces. Let cook for three (3) to five (5) minutes. Note: Do not let garlic burn. Pull off the heat until pasta is done.

4. Drain pasta into a colander and reserve 1/2 cup of pasta water. Pour pasta, one (1) tbsp of butter and 1/2 cup of pasta water into pan and toss.

5. Bring everything to temperature, season with salt and cracked black pepper.

6. Put pasta into a medium-sized oval bowl. Sprinkle grated parmesan cheese and finely chopped chives onto pasta. Drizzle with olive oil.

7. Serve.