Office Chef’s Last Hurrah Is a Meal With Imagination

How we miss Randall in our office. Throughout the winter he brightened the darkest morning with little snacks. One day it was barbecued chicken wings marinated in Sherry and ginger, another it was baklava with pistachio and chartreuse.

“Just something I thought I’d try out,” he’d say, unwrapping another tempting little package. When he departed to study French cooking in Paris, he left a big gap.

As a last hurrah, he cooked us an imaginative dinner.

DINNER WITH RANDALL FOR SIX Shrimp-and-Scallop Salad With Green Peppercorns Chicken Breasts Stuffed With Figs and Blue Cheese Rice Pilaf Chocolate-Hazelnut Tart Suggested wine: California Chardonnay SHRIMP-AND-SCALLOP SALAD

WITH GREEN PEPPERCORNS

3/4 pound shrimp

3/4 pound bay scallops

2 tablespoons green peppercorns, drained

1/2 cup parsley leaves

1/4 cup lime juice

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon sugar

Salt, pepper

3/4 cup oil

6 cups salad greens

Bring medium pan of salted water to boil. Add shrimp. Poach 3 to 5 minutes, just until firm when pinched. Lift out, let cool slightly and peel. Add scallops to boiling water. Poach until opaque, about 1 minute. Drain and add to shrimp.

Puree green peppercorns, parsley, lime juice, vinegar, sugar and salt and pepper to taste in food processor or blender. With machine running, gradually add oil, blending until smooth. Taste to adjust for seasonings.

Toss shrimp and scallop mixture with dressing. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 day or up to 2 days so flavors mellow.

To finish, arrange salad greens on 6 individual plates and pile seafood in center of each. Serve chilled. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Serve salad on colorful assortment of salad greens.

CHICKEN BREASTS STUFFED WITH FIGS AND BLUE CHEESE

3 green onions, sliced

2 tablespoons butter

4 ounces mushrooms, chopped

1 cup fresh bread crumbs

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1/4 cup chopped dried Mission figs

6 boned chicken breast halves

Melted butter

Salt, pepper

Rice Pilaf or boiled rice

Saute green onions in butter in small skillet until tender. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until liquid given off evaporates. Remove from heat. Mix in bread crumbs, cheese and figs. Taste stuffing to adjust for seasonings. Cool.

With small sharp knife, cut pocket in thicker side of each chicken breast. Divide stuffing among pockets, pushing in as far as possible. Arrange chicken breasts in large buttered baking dish. Brush with melted butter. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Place piece wax paper over chicken and cover dish with foil. Chicken can be refrigerated up to 1 day.

To finish, bake chicken at 350 degrees 25 to 30 minutes or until springy to touch and cooked through. Meanwhile, reheat Rice Pilaf or boil rice.

Cut each chicken breast in 4 to 5 diagonal slices. Pile rice on 6 individual plates and arrange chicken around edge. Spoon pan juices over chicken. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Mission figs are recommended, but any other dried figs may be substituted.

Rice Pilaf

3 tablespoons butter

1 onion, finely chopped

2 cups long grain rice

1 quart chicken stock or water

Bouquet garni of 1 thyme sprig, 1 bay leaf and 6 parsley stems

Salt, pepper

Melt butter in heavy pan and saute onion until tender, but not brown. Add rice and cook, stirring, until grains look translucent. Add stock, bouquet garni and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Cover pan and bring to boil. Simmer on top of stove or bake at 350 degrees 18 minutes. If all liquid has evaporated but rice is still not cooked, add more liquid and cook until tender. Pilaf can be refrigerated up to 3 days or frozen.

To finish, reheat pilaf at 350 degrees 15 to 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes. Remove lid. Fluff rice with fork. Taste to adjust for seasonings. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Using brown rice, recipe takes 40 to 50 minutes to cook.

CHOCOLATE-HAZELNUT TART

1 cup hazelnuts or blanched almonds

2/3 cup butter, softened

3/4 cup sugar

Grated peel of 1 orange

2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 egg

2 egg yolks

Frangelico liqueur

Tart Pastry Shell

6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

1/3 cup butter

2 teaspoons honey

12 whole hazelnuts

If using hazelnuts, spread on baking sheet and toast in oven until browned and skins crack, 10 to 15 minutes. Leave oven on. Roll hazelnuts in rough cloth to remove skins. Grind nuts in food processor or rotary cheese grater.

Cream 2/3 cup softened butter and sugar in bowl. Stir in orange peel and cocoa, then add egg, egg yolks and 1 tablespoon liqueur, beating constantly until mixture is very smooth. Stir in ground nuts.

Pour filling into Tart Pastry Shell. Bake at 350 degrees on lowest rack of oven about 45 minutes or until crust is crisp and skewer inserted in center of filling comes out clean. Let tart cool.

Melt chocolate and 1/3 cup butter in top of double boiler over hot, not boiling, water. Remove from heat and stir in honey and 1 tablespoon liqueur. Continue stirring until glaze is smooth.

Allow glaze to cool until beginning to thicken, 10 to 15 minutes, then pour over tart. Place whole hazelnuts in decorative pattern around edge. Tart can be stored 1 day in airtight container at room temperature. Makes 6 servings.

Note: Orange liqueur can be substituted for Frangelico liqueur in recipe.

Tart Pastry Shell

1 cup flour

Dash salt

2 tablespoons cornmeal

2 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup butter, cut in pieces

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

Sift flour and salt onto work surface. Stir in cornmeal. Make well in center. Place sugar, butter, egg and vanilla in well. Work with fingertips until ingredients in well are smooth. Mix in flour to form smooth dough, kneading lightly just until all flour is incorporated. Wrap dough and chill 30 minutes.

Butter 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Roll dough into circle. Line pan with dough, fluting edges. Chill until firm.

Line shell with wax paper. Fill with dried beans or pie weights. Bake at 375 degrees 15 minutes. Remove beans and paper. Bake another 10 minutes or until shell is light brown. Makes 1 (10-inch) shell.