Spaghetti. Specifically my Sweet Lady Wife's spaghetti. For the 37 years we've been married it…
Macaroni Grill’s Lemon Butter Sauce
OK, I confess, I have a weakness for Macaroni Grill’s Chicken Scaloppini.
I’ve tried to duplicate the flavor with no success. The stumbliing block has been the Lemon-Butter sauce. There are innumerable copycat recipes on the web; They are all about the same and the flavor of the lemon-butter sauce doesn’t match Macaroni Grill’s.
It just so happens that I have a nephew who is a proffessional chef. And it just so happens that he worked at Macaroni Grill back in the days when their chefs made the sauces themselves. (I understand that their sauces now come premixed in a plastic bag).
We were celebrating the 4th of July at his house. Knowig my plight, he said, “Uncle Dave, How about if I show you how I made Lemon-Butter Sauce at Macaroni Grill?”. Well, he did. I took notes and I can tell you that it bears little resemblence to the recipes all over the web.
3 Leeks
5 Bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon whole back peppercorns
Juice of 6-8 lemons (depending upon size. Our lemons we small so we used 8)
1 Cup Chardonnay
1 pound unsalted butter, cut into chunks
4 Tablespoons heavy cream
Cut the leafy end and root off the leeks. Split them lengthwise, then cut crosswise into 1/2 inch widths. Wash them thoroughly.
Use your mixer to whip the butter. You want to get lots of air incorporated into it. Whip until light and creamy. Set aside.
Put a saute pan over medium heat and add enough oil to coat the bottom. Toss in the leeks before the oil gets hot and saute until just tender. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns, and a pinch of salt.
Let the ixture saute for another minute, then turn the heat to high and let the mixture get good and hot. Let the mixture cook for another minute or so then add the chardonnay. Let the mixture reduce by half then add the lemon juice and the heavy cream. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let the mixture slowly reduce until it just coats the back of a spoon.
Strain the lemon juice mixture into a small bowl. Start whisking in the butter a 1/4 cup or so at a time, whisking thoroughly to make a nice smooth mixture. Keep adding butter and tasting until you get the taste you are looking for.
I made some up and served it over sear-roasted salmon tonight, but it was consumed so fast I never got the chance to take a picture.
It is possible, BTW, to make the sauce right up to the point of staining the lemon juice-wine mixture. Instead of straining, put it in an airtight bown in the refridgerator. When you are ready to use it, add a little more wine and heat it back up.
When I’m cheating on my diet I’ll order their Shrimp Portofino, which I think has the same sauce! Thanks for sharing.
Hi Kalyn! They also have a new item on the menu that is basically Chicken Scaloppini with some shrimp added. It is fast becoming my favorite.
This is pretty close. There was celery in the reduction as well.
Does anyone have a receipe for the new Chardonnay shrimp pasta? Just had it tonight and would like the receipe.
the lemon butter recipe is close but not exact.. for the chardonnay shrimp your going to want to get a hot saute pan and pour 6oz chardonnay wine into it and let it reduce. In another pan take 1oz chopped garlic, 4 oz olive oil 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper, 1/8 teaspoon salt and then 1/2 teaspoon chopped parsely. You will also need lemon butter. then to season your shrimp with salt pepper and paprika. Then get a saute pan hot and put some oil in there to saute the shrimp. cook them for 1 minute on each side or untill cooked. in the pan with the shrimp put in artichoke hearts, tomatos and roasted garlic cloves. poor in the garlic sauce you made over along with the wine reduction. Serve this with angel hair pasta with lemon butter sauce on it then pour your shirmp arts toms and roasted garlic along with the chardonnay garlic sauce over it.
Close but you forgot one ingredient. Red Wine Vinegar. Just add a touch at the end.