INDULGE’s Daily Dish: Heat things up in the kitchen with Brad Kilgore’s fire-roasted lasagna

One year ago, Miami was abuzz about Ember, the soon-to-be-opened restaurant by one of the industry’s most recognizable names. Chef Brad Kilgore was on a roll. His already-successful restaurants, Alter (in Wynwood) and Brava by Brad Kilgore at the Adrienne Arsht Center, each had bustling dining rooms. Over at Miami Design District, Kilgore’s newest spot Kaido was bringing sexy back to the food scene with its black lacquered decor and a private room that locals were lining up to experience. In May 2019 came Ember (located just downstairs from Kaido) and a menu filled with comfort food done the Kilgore way: innovative, interesting and delicious to the last morsel.

These days, Kilgore is busy raising funds to help Miami restaurants by getting the word out about the Restaurant Employee Relief Fund, as well as offering meal kits and takeout dining through a revamped AlterQ menu. Today, he offers INDULGE readers the recipe for Ember’s Fire-Roasted Lasagna with Mushroom Bolognese and Gruyere Fondue. Savory and slightly smoky (in good way), it’s a dish worth the long list of ingredients and worthy of one of Miami’s top chefs.

Click here to order from Chef Kilgore’s AlterQ menu and follow in at @brad_kilgore.

Ember’s Fire-Roasted Lasagna with Mushroom Bolognese and Gruyere Fondue

Ingredients:

For the pasta:

15 sheets lasagna, preferably fresh or frozen and thawed

Salt

For the ricotta filling:

4 cups Italian ricotta, pressed

1/2 cup Parmesan Reggiano, microplaned

1/2 cup parsley, minced

1/4 gram garlic, minced

1/4 gram shallot, minced

4 tablespoons chives, minced

4 tablespoons chervil, minced

1 egg whites

2 tablespoons salt

Extra-virgin olive oil for greasing

For the mushroom Bolognese:

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 garlic cloves, sliced

4 shallots, sliced

24-ounce can San Marzano tomatoes, crushed by hand

2 thyme sprigs with stem, finely minced

2 rosemary leaves, minced

1 tablespoon ground black pepper

4 tablespoons red miso paste

1/2 cup green olives, chopped

1/4 cup olive brine

1/4 cup capers, chopped

1 teaspoon, chili flake

3/4 cup water

2 cups mushroom mix (cremini, oyster, etc.)

For the Gruyere fondue:

3 ounces butter

3 ounces all-purpose flour

1 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup whole milk

6 ounces cave-aged gruyere

3 ounces Parmesan Reggiano

3 ounces sharp white cheddar

1/2 lemon, juiced

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon white truffle oil

For garnish:

Fresh basil leaves

Extra-virgin olive oil

Preparation

In a large pot, bring 1 1/2 gallons of water to a boil and season gently with salt. Add the lasagna sheets and cook until tender, 5-7 minutes, then strain. In a large bowl, combine all the ricotta filling ingredients except the olive oil. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Generously grease a large, rectangular casserole dish with olive oil. Cover the bottom with the pasta sheets and spread the ricotta mixture on top. Continue layering until the casserole is filled, starting and ending with the pasta. Transfer to the oven and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from oven, cover with another casserole dish to weigh down, and transfer to fridge to cool as you prepare the sauces.

For the mushroom bolognese: In a large saucepan, heat olive oil and garlic together over medium-high heat until the edges are lightly browned. Add shallots and sweat for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, thyme and rosemary and cook over high heat until reduced by 15 percent. Add remaining ingredients except for mushrooms and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the mushrooms and simmer for 15 minutes more. Set aside.

For the gruyere fondue: In a large saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Whisk in the flour and gently cook for 1-2 minutes. Add the cream and milk to the roux and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring regularly. Transfer the cream base to a blender and blend on medium-high speed. Continue blending as you sprinkle the cheese through the ingredient slot until fully incorporated. Add lemon juice, salt and white truffle oil and blend to combine. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Remove lasagna from refrigerator and cut into individual portions. Cover a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a nonstick baking mat and grease with olive oil. Space apart lasagna portions on baking sheet and transfer to the oven for 15 minutes until crispy and slightly charred around the edges and tops.

For each plate, use a spatula to place a lasagna piece in the center. Spoon some bolognese over the top and spoon some fondue on the plate. Garnish with fresh basil leaves and a drizzle of olive oil. Serves 8-10.

This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 3:28 PM.