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City chefs reinterpret Elvis’s ol’ standbys

Give a chef some lemons, and he’ll whip up a chicken fricassee with carrots, mustard greens and avgolemono sauce.

Ask him to put his spin on Elvis Presley’s favorite foods and watch him twiddle his apron strings while (probably for the first time in his life) pondering the mix of peanut butter and bananas.

We asked (sort of begged) a half-dozen local chefs to turn a basic Elvis dish up a notch into something rare.

We scanned the newspaper’s Elvis archives (there are 673 hits on his name for this year alone) to find the foods he loved.

Of course, there’s the classic peanut butter and banana sandwich. But Elvis liked other foods, too. So we also asked the chefs to make meatloaf, BLTs, banana pudding, cheeseburgers and turnip greens and cornbread.

We lumped the greens and cornbread together because what good is one without the other?

Oddly enough, the last to be chosen was the one we expected to be the first: peanut butter and banana sandwich.

It practically dances with possibilities since it’s a fusion not found on traditional menus - even in the South - unless, of course, you visit Elvis Presley’s Memphis, the signature restaurant at 126 Beale.

Some might call peanut butter and banana an acquired taste. Others call it a fat bomb since the way Elvis’s aunt used to make it included lots of butter.

There are others, seemingly culinary snobs, who will slurp down snails from an appetizer plate at a classy French restaurant but dismiss the peanut butter and banana combo as low-brow and unsophisticated.

But we don’t care because Elvis food is our food. His taste is our taste. Of course, his hardened arteries could be ours if we ate this stuff all the time. But since it’s Elvis Tribute Week, we should live a little. All of the chefs plan to include their creations on their menus this week to celebrate Elvis with culinary homage.

Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Banana Brioche

The quintessential Elvis food - peanut-butter-n-nanner-samich - looks like it got dressed up to go to the opera at Erling Jensen: The Restaurant, 1044 S. Yates.

Jensen along with executive chef Jimmy Gentry and pastry chef Ryan Luttrell spent a couple of days batting about ways to make their mark on that familiar skillet-grilled Elviscacy. It’s a toss-up whether their concoction serves as a main course or dessert. Either way, it’s sweet and rich.

They pitched the Skippy and Wonder Bread and opted for their own hazelnut butter and handmade brioche caramelized with a honey smear.

They sliced bananas lengthwise, sprinkled sugar on them, then ran a blowtorch along the top to caramelize the sugar for added crunch.

They garnished the dish with some music notes and a cone made from colored sugar, and placed the sandwich on swirled basil oil.

The Cheeseburger that Killed Elvis

Not really, but if Elvis had eaten this fat-laden little biscuit of a burger very often, it wouldn’t have been an overdose that killed him.

Chef Scott Lenhart at Melange, 948 S. Cooper, spent about a day building a burger worthy of the King of Rock and Roll. It took his taste testers (employees) only a bite to demand that it be included at least on the tapas bar menu, although this little burger is far from a light appetizer.

The burger begins with julienned beef tenderloin and is topped with a slice of foie gras and a dollop of St. Andre cheese, a buttery triple-creme cheese. The cheese can be found in the grocer’s specialty cheese department or you can get it and the white truffle oil used in the hand-made mayonnaise at Mantia’s at 4856 Poplar.

Lenhart made his own poppyseed rolls to serve the burgers on, but you can use store-bought. He fried up some dill pickles. If it can be eaten, any true Southener knows it can be dipped in batter and fried.

Elvis’s Banana Pudding Souffle with Banana Caramel Sauce

You have to forgive chef Stan Gibson at the University Club of Memphis if he feels a little closer to the King than some of the other local chefs.

That’s because as a mere chefling, Gibson and his little brother, Steve, used to play in the front yard at Graceland.

They lived in Oak Acres apartments across from Elvis’s mansion in Whitehaven.

The guard would let the kids in, with permission from Elvis, of course, so they could play. Elvis and his wife, Priscilla, often rode their horses on the estate, and he would sometimes talk to the children.

For special occasions, Gibson always includes Elvis-themed creations on his menu at the University Club, 1346 Central.

One of the most popular is a banana concoction that graduates to a souffle from its pudding status.

He adds banana liqueur to turn up the fruit’s flavor and takes care to barely fold in the meringue to keep the egg whites fluffy.

Jailhouse Rockin’ Meatloaf

It took chef Rick Farmer at Jarrett’s longer to come up with the name of his dish than it did to create it.

That’s because Farmer already had a basic meatloaf quite popular at his restaurant at 5689 Quince.

It includes ketchup (albeit homemade ketchup) and a couple of slices of Elvis’s favorite add-on: bacon. He dices up onions and peppers and adds garlic and parsley to give the ground chuck a little pep.

He cooked two loaves on a baking sheet and topped the sliced pieces with a mushroom and onion gravy.

Beauty Shop BLTA

Chef Karen Blockman Carrier believes her latest restaurant, the Beauty Shop, 966 S. Cooper, a throwback to the 1950s, should always have the classic American sandwich composed of bacon, lettuce and tomato. But the chef, known for her funky style and spicy dishes, adds her own panache to the BLT by adding an avocado.

She tosses the traditional white bread for ciabatta, a flat, Italian bread.

She uses smashed avocados and, in honor of Elvis, sautes bananas in salad oil and pops them on her triple-decker sandwich.

“I was going to use plantains, because that’s what I normally use at my restaurants, but Elvis wouldn’t have eaten a plantain. He liked bananas,” Carrier said.

Alcenia’s Turnip Greens and Hot Water Cornbread

If Elvis walked in the door at Alcenia’s Desserts and Preserve Shop at 317 N. Main, B.J. Chester Tamayo wouldn’t change a thing in her greens and cornbread.

It’s a sin to mess with perfection and after years of cooking greens, Tamayo has it down to a science.

The key to cooking greens is to wash, wash, wash - then wash them again, she says. Dirt and grit ruin an otherwise delightful pot of greens.

She recommends using a little salt or baking soda to help gently scour the leaves. She washes her greens at least eight times.

She starts with a smoked turkey butt or neck in a stock pot half full of water. Some stalwart green cookers still like hamhocks, but Tamayo says the leaner turkey butt, while it still offers some fat, is healthier than the fatty hock.

She adds spices, a little sugar and peanut oil to the pot and lets the broth simmer for about an hour.

Tamayo adds the greens and cooks them for about three hours over medium heat.

Don’t worry, she says you can’t overcook greens. As for the cornbread, while some prefer the cake-like squares, Tamayo likes the little flat disks of hot water cornbread.

It’s important to add enough boiling water to the three parts cornmeal and one part sugar so that the mix just sticks together. Then she sprays an electric skillet with oil and dabs the mix out, a half an ice cream scoop full at a time.

Tamayo said she raises the cornbread with a spatula, checking for a golden brown color before she flips. She also touches the middle of the patty when it’s nearly done to make sure it’s not soft.

“It will be gummy inside if it’s too soft,” said Tamayo. “You always have to make sure they get completely done.”

Hunka Hunka Burnin’ Banana Brioche

2 bananas per sandwich

HAZELNUT BUTTER

12 oz. hazelnuts

4 oz. butter

2-5 tbsp. hazelnut oil (peanut or vegetable oil may be used)

Pinch salt

HONEY SMEAR

4 oz. butter

1 lb. brown sugar

4 oz. honey

BRIOCHE

6 oz. water

2 oz. dry active yeast

6 cups high-gluten flour

1 tbsp. salt

3/4 cup sugar

3 large eggs

8 oz. butter

Recipe is for at least a dozen brioche. Dough can be frozen for future use. Store leftover smear in refrigerator. Smear and hazelnut butter can be used for other dishes. Each sandwich requires two bananas.

Hazelnut butter: Toast the hazelnuts in a 350-degree oven until golden brown (approximately 7-10 minutes). Transfer to a food processor. Puree the nuts until they are completely ground and the nuts begin to make a paste. Add the butter, oil and salt to the mixture and process until it becomes a semi-smooth paste.

Honey Smear: Mix all ingredients and set aside.

Brioche: Mix water and yeast together in a mixing bowl and place to the side to ferment. Add in flour, sugar and salt on top of the water/yeast mixture. Let sit until it begins to make cracks and starts coming through the flour. Beat with a mixer on low speed for two minutes. Add in eggs and mix on medium speed until it forms a ball (about 2-3 minutes). Knead butter until it’s pliable. Add the butter into the dough while mixing on low speed. Once the butter is incorporated, mix on high speed until the dough is sticky (2-3 minutes). Divide the dough into 12-ounce balls, cover and place in a warm, humid place until balls double in size. Flatten the dough into thin sheets, then roll into loaf shapes. Place seam side down in buttered or greased loaf pans. Allow the loaves to double in size inside of pans (covered) in the same warm place. Bake the loaves at 350 degrees for about 17-22 minutes.

To prepare: Cut brioche in half and spread with honey smear. Heat pan or skillet on high and sear (smear side down) for about a minute until smear is caramelized. Remove.

Slice two bananas lengthwise and place on cookie sheet. Sprinkle with sugar and caramelize with a creme brulee torch or place in broiler or in oven until tops are brown.

Spread hazelnut butter on both sides of bread. Add bananas and slice in half.

Source: Chefs Erling Jensen, Jimmy Gentry and Ryan Luttrell at Erling Jensen.

ELVIS’S BANANA PUDDING SOUFFLE WITH BANANA CARAMEL SAUCE

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup sugar

3 tbsp. cornstarch

3 egg yolks

1 tbsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. banana liqueur

2 sliced bananas

1 cup crushed vanilla wafers

9 egg whites (medium stiff)

1/4 cup sugar

Granulated sugar to sprinkle inside souffle dishes

Powdered sugar for top of souffles

SAUCE

1 cup brown sugar

4 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. heavy cream

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 sliced banana

1 oz. rum

1 oz. banana liqueur

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter 8 large individual souffl(0×8E) dishes and sprinkle with sugar. Combine 1/4 cup sugar and cornstarch. Heat half-and-half to a simmer and whisk into the sugar and cornstarch mixture with the egg yolks, vanilla and banana liqueur. Return to stove and whisk until thick on the whisk (about 160 degrees). Remove from the stove and pour into a bowl with crumbled vanilla wafers and 2 sliced bananas. Cool this mixture to room temperature. Whisk egg whites until stiff but not dry with 1/4 cup sugar. Gently fold egg whites in into the banana pudding mixture, using one-third of the egg whites at a time. Pour mixture into 8 souffle dishes and bake for about 15 minutes until tall and golden. Serve immediately with a dusting of powdered sugar and banana caramel sauce on the side.

To prepare sauce: combine the brown sugar with the butter, cream and cinnamon. Stir over medium heat until the sugar is dissolved and caramel starts to form. Add sliced banana and then flambe (ignite) the rum and liqueur to warm. Serve sauce on the side with the souffle.

Source: Chef Stan Gibson, University Club

THE CHEESEBURGER THAT KILLED ELVIS

3 lbs. julienned beef tenderloin

1 egg

salt and pepper to taste

8 1/2 oz. thinly sliced pieces of foie gras

St. Andre cheese

4 oz. truffle mayonnaise (recipe to follow)

Bibb lettuce

16 tomato slices (thinly sliced)

2 onions, sliced thinly

8 semi-hard poppyseed rolls

MAYONNAISE

1 egg yolk

1 tbsp. red vinegar

1 tbsp. water

1 clove garlic (finely minced)

3 oz. extra virgin olive oil

1 oz. white truffle oil

salt and fresh cracked black pepper

Julienne beef, add egg and salt and pepper. Form into eight patties. Sear in hot skillet or saute pan. Finish in the oven to rare to medium rare. Sear individual pieces of foie gras on both sides. Peel and halve onion, slice into small strips.

Using medium heat, sear onion slices in small amount of oil in skillet until dark golden in color.

For mayonnaise, combine water, vinegar and egg yolk; whip until frothy. Add garlic, salt and pepper and drizzle in oils slowly until thick.

Spread mayonnaise on both sides of buns. Top the patties with a dollop of St. Andre cheese. Add foie gras, onions and tomatoes.

Source: Chef Scott Lenhart at Melange

ALCENIA’S TURNIP GREENS AND HOT WATER CORNBREAD

1 dozen bunches of turnip greens

1 smoked turkey butt or neck

6 tbsp. peanut oil

Dash of salt

Dash of sugar (Not enough to taste, but to bring out flavor of greens)

Red pepper (optional, to taste)

3 cups self-rising cornmeal

1 cup sugar

boiling water

Wash the greens thoroughly in sink making sure no dirt or grit remains on leaves. Fill pot about halfway full of water and add turkey butt or neck, peanut oil, salt and sugar. Let simmer for about an hour over medium heat. Add greens and pepper, if desired. Let cook for three hours over medium heat.

For cornbread: mix cornmeal and sugar in bowl. Bring water to a rolling boil and slowly add water to dry mixture in small increments until meal begins to stick together. Coat a skillet with cooking spray. Place mix in skillet about a half an ice cream scoop at a time. Cook on medium heat, checking to see if bottom is golden brown. Flip. Push center with finger to make sure it’s not soft. Let cook until center is firm.

Source: B.J. Chester Tamayo at Alcenia’s Desserts and Preserve Shop

JAILHOUSE ROCKIN’ MEATLOAF WITH MUSHROOM MADEIRA GRAVY

2 1/2 lbs. ground chuck

1 large poblano pepper

1 large red pepper

1 medium yellow onion

1/2 tbsp. chopped garlic

2 tbsp. chopped parsley

salt and pepper to taste

4 oz. ketchup

3 slices Tennessee smoked bacon

GRAVY

2 cups Madeira

1 tbsp. chopped shallots

1 cup chopped mushrooms

2 tbsp. butter

Sprig of thyme

2 cups beef stock

2 tbsp. cornstarch

Dash of Madeira

Finely dice peppers and onion. Combine all ingredients except ketchup and bacon. Form into a loaf and spread ketchup all over. Place bacon slices on top and bake for 25 minutes at 350 degrees.

Gravy: Slowly saute (sweat) mushrooms and shallots in skillet using a dab of butter until limp and translucent. Add Madeira and thyme and cook down to almost two tablespoons. In separate bowl mix cornstarch with enough Madeira to make a slurry. Mix with mushrooms. Add beef stock and simmer until a gravy consistency. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and serve immediately over slices of meatloaf.

Source: Chef Rick Farmer at Jarrett’s.

BEAUTY SHOP BLTA

3 slices ciabatta

5 slices apple-smoked bacon

Golden and red Ripley tomatoes

Arugula lettuce (one or two pieces)

1 avocado (mashed)

1/2 cup mayonnaise

2 tbsp. lemon juice

1/4 tsp. garlic (minced)

1 banana

Grill bread. Cook bacon. Slice tomatoes. Saute banana (sliced lengthwise) in salad oil until golden brown. Mix mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic and spread on inside of bread. Stack a layer of bacon, tomatoes, arugula, banana and avocado. Add slice of bread and repeat layers for triple-decker sandwich.

Source: Executive chef Karen Blockman Carrier of Beauty Shop, Automatic Slim’s and Cielo.