Lifestyles

Nearly 30 years ago, chef Klaus Fritsch staked his fortune on a restaurant focused on seasoned steaks.

He sold the huge, prime cuts -- with generous vegetable and starch sides and salads -- a la carte for hefty prices. And people filled the Chicago venue, also lured by signature cocktails, crab cakes and hot chocolate cakes.

Although his name isn't featured on the restaurant door -- it says Morton's, The Steakhouse -- Morton's wouldn't be Morton's without Fritsch, the co-founder of the international restaurant chain that boasts 77 locations, from home base Chicago to Hong Kong to Singapore, including six sites in Washington, D.C.

Fritsch visited Pittsburgh Thursday to attend "A Recipe for a Delicious Evening" at the Downtown restaurant, signing his new cookbook, "Morton's Steak Bible" (Clarkson/Potter Publishers, $30) and raising funds to benefit a scholarship program for underprivileged youth aspiring to be chefs.

"I'm halfway through my book tour, and we broke the $100,000 mark," says Fritsch, a native German with heavily accented English. "We'd like to raise enough to get at least six or seven through school, get them off the streets."

Fritsch's family owned a restaurant in Germany. He studied cooking formally for four years, then served an apprenticeship at Restaurant Kaiser Keller in Frankfurt. His experience continued at several Swiss resorts and restaurants before he moved to the United States in 1967. He was assistant food and beverage director at the Royal Sonesta Hotel, in New Orleans, and a chef at the Sonesta Beach Hotel, in Bermuda.

Fritsch recalls his stints in Switzerland and Bermuda with great fondness.

"It was fun," he says. "We'd work in the morning, go skiing or to the beach in the afternoon, work in the evening, then go skiing or to the beach at night. It was a great lifestyle."

He began his career in Europe when professional kitchens still used coal-fired ovens, and the job of shoveling coal went to the rookie apprentice.

He remembers one butcher who bet everybody that he could bone a leg of veal blindfolded.

"He just used his fingers to feel where to make the cuts," he says. "Everybody lost. I did, too."

Fritsch says he decided to "get out of the kitchen before I went crazy" and went into restaurant consulting. He took a job in Chicago with Playboy Clubs International, where he met his future business partner.

Arnie Morton was in charge of the clubs. The two men traveled the world together in the early 1970s to open different locations -- at one point, Playboy Clubs were in nearly 40 different cities.

It was during a trip to move one club from one part of a city to another that Fritsch endeared himself to Morton, the chef says.

"One day I made a hamburger, a simple $1 hamburger, and Arnie said it was the best one he had ever had. He told me that when I came back to Chicago, he wanted to see me."

They opened several restaurants and nightclubs in the Windy City. Morton's, The Steakhouse was born in an empty basement below one of their disco clubs, called Zorine's, after Morton's wife.

"We served high-class food (at Zorine's)," says the chef, who also is vice chairman of Morton's, now a publicly owned company. At the time, "there were hardly any steakhouses left, so we decided to open one that was very simple -- but served the best and biggest steaks."

Pointing to a set table at Morton's Pittsburgh, Fritsch says, "We use the same inexpensive plates and china and butter knives that we did at the beginning."

Morton's also is known for its open kitchen and "no froufrou."

"We don't have trays, and we don't bring your dinner to the table covered with a top and pull it off for presentation," he says. "We carry it from the kitchen right to your table, fresh and hot."

One thing that has changed are the wine glasses -- the restaurant features Riedel, fine European crystal produced for connoisseurs.

The portions remain ample.

"We are one of the more expensive restaurants. I hate that new American cuisine that gave you 2 ounces of meat and two flowers on your dish. If I wanted a picture, I'd ask for it. On the way home, you stop at McDonald's because you still are hungry.

"We average $80 a person at Morton's. It's a value. We encourage people to share. You couldn't eat all of this by yourself. People should leave the restaurant feeling it was worth it -- and taking home a doggie bag."

Fritsch says that although he's not at the stove at Morton's -- his duties involve business growth and menu development -- he loves to cook and entertain. His four-story custom-built house in Chicago features a huge kitchen with two islands, a big television for watching football games, three sinks and a professional stove. There's a room for smoking fine cigars. He has a wine cellar, but hardly anybody goes there.

"Everything happens in the kitchen," he says.

Baked Crab Cakes with Mustard Mayonnaise Sauce

Chef Klaus Fritsch, co-founder of Morton's, The Steakhouse, developed this recipe with John Bettin, the former president of Morton's, one weekend in Fritsch's Chicago kitchen. "Be sure to handle the crab meat with care," Fritsch says, "and once the crab cakes are formed, handle them even more gently, as you would a ripe peach."

• 1 cup Alex's Bread Crumbs (recipe follows)
• 8 tablespoons Mustard-Mayonnaise Sauce (recipe follows), divided
• 1 pound fresh lump crab meat (about 3 cups loosely packed)
• 1 large egg
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh curly parsley
• 1 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
• 6 tablespoons Clarified Butter (recipe follows), melted, or olive oil

Prepare Alex's Bread Crumbs. Prepare the Mustard-Mayonnaise Sauce.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Drain the crab meat and put in a medium-size bowl. Pick through to remove any bits of shell, if necessary. Add the bread crumbs and gently toss until combined.

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, 2 tablespoons Mustard-Mayonnaise Sauce, the parsley, mustard, and Worcestershire and hot pepper sauces. Pour over the crab meat. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg mixture into the crab meat.

Divide the crab meat into 6 equal portions, each measuring 1/2 cup. Gently form each portion of crab meat into a ball and flatten into a 1-inch-thick cake.

Put the clarified butter in an 11- by 7-inch ovenproof dish and add the crab cakes. Bake for 7-8 minutes, until golden brown on the bottom. Gently turn the crab cakes and bake for 7-8 minutes longer, until the cakes are golden brown on both sides and cooked through.

Serve with the remaining 6 tablespoons Mustard-Mayonnaise Sauce on the side.

Makes 6 servings.

Alex's Bread Crumbs

• 8 ounces firm white bread (4 to 5 slices)
• 4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
• 2 teaspoons minced fresh shallot
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh curly parsley
• Salt and freshly ground white pepper

Slice the crusts from the bread and then cut the bread into large chunks. Discard the crusts or reserve them for another use.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, grind the bread to fine crumbs. Transfer the crumbs to a mixing bowl.

Pat the garlic and shallot dry, using a paper towel. Add to the bread crumbs and toss to mix. Add the parsley, toss, and season with salt and white pepper. Mix well. Use right away, or store in a tightly covered container for as long as 24 hours.

Makes about 2 cups.

Mustard-Mayonnaise Sauce

• 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Dijon-style mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish

In a mixing bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and horseradish. Whisk, using a wire whisk, until lightened and smooth.

Use immediately or transfer to a lidded container and refrigerate for as long as 5 days.

Makes about 1 3/4 cups.

Beef Filet Diane

The sauce for this can be made ahead of time and kept warm until the steaks are cooked. Veal demiglace can be purchased in a small container in specialty food stores, some supermarkets and even at some price clubs. Brown sauce can substitute for the demiglace.

• 6 slices (3/4-inch thick) dense white bread
• 14 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup Cognac
• 3 cups reconstituted store-bought veal demiglace
• 2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 1 1/3 cups heavy cream
• 20 ounces white or cremini mushrooms, stemmed and sliced about 1/4-inch thick (about 6 cups)
• 6 filets mignons (10 ounces each), about 2 1/2 inches thick
• Seasoned salt, to taste
• Chopped fresh flat-leaf (Italian) parsley, for garnish

Lay the bread slices on a work surface. Using a 3-inch-wide round cookie cutter or water glass, cut out 6 rounds. Transfer the rounds to a baking sheet. Bake, turning once, for 5-7 minutes, or until the croutons are light golden brown and crisp. Watch them carefully; they brown quickly around the edges. Cool on wire racks.

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. add the garlic and cook, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes, or until softened. Add the wine and Cognac. Raise the heat to medium-high and simmer, uncovered, for 8-10 minutes, or until most of the liquid has evaporated. add the demiglace, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and tomato paste. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and add the cream. Return to a boil and reduce the sauce, whisking often, for about 15 minutes, or until the sauce thickens to a creamy consistency and deepens in color.

In a large saute pan, melt the remaining 12 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and saute for about 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms begin to release their moisture and start to soften.

Stir the sauce into the mushrooms and heat over low heat until gently simmering. Let the sauce simmer over low heat for 12-15 minutes, until reduced to about 6 cups and slightly thickened. Cover and keep warm over very low heat until ready to serve.

Remove the steaks from the refrigerator and let them rest at room temperature for 30-60 minutes. Season lightly on both sides with seasoned salt.

Heat the broiler, if using an electric broiler.

Broil the steaks about 4 inches from the heat source for 5-6 minutes per side for rare, 6-7 minutes per side for medium-rare, or to the desired degree of doneness.

To serve, place a filet on top of each crouton. Ladle some of the sauce over the steaks. Garnish with chopped parsley. Pass the remaining sauce on the side.

Makes 6 servings.

Baked Lemon-Oregano Chicken

You might have to special-order the chickens from the butcher because they are small -- young chickens are tender.

• 3 chickens (2 1/2 pounds each)
• 2 tablespoons dried oregano
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper
• Juice from 3 lemons (about 3/4 cup)
• 3 cups coarsely chopped red onions (1 pound)
• 6 curly parsley sprigs, for garnish
• 3 lemons, halved, for garnish

Ask the butcher to cut the chickens along each side of the backbone. Remove and discard the backbones. Remove the wing tips and discard.

In a small bowl, mix the oregano, salt, garlic powder and white pepper. Sprinkle half the mixture over the chicken and then drizzle with half the lemon juice. Rub into the chickens. Turn the chickens over and repeat with the remaining herbs and spices and lemon juice.

Sprinkle the onions over 2 small, shallow nonreactive (nonaluminum) baking pans. Lay the chickens, skin-side-up, on top of the onions. Add enough cold water to the baking pans to cover the bottoms to a depth of about 1/4 inch. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Heat the oven to 450 degrees.

Remove the chickens from the refrigerator and let them rest on the counter for 20 minutes to reach room temperature. Turn the chickens over so that they are skin-side down and bake for about 10 minutes. Turn and bake for 20 minutes longer or until golden brown and cooked through.

Remove the rib bones and the bones connected to the thigh bones. If this is too difficult, halve or quarter the chickens for serving. Cover and set aside to keep warm.

In a small saucepan, heat 1/2 cup of the pan juices and onions over medium-high heat until hot. Spoon over the chickens, and garnish each serving with a lemon half and a sprig of parsley.

Makes 6 servings.

Morton's Legendary Hot Chocolate Cake

This is Morton's No. 1 dessert, followed by souffles.

• 1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing souffle cups
• Granulated sugar
• 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
• 8 large egg yolks
• 7 large whole eggs
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 18 fresh raspberries
• 6 scoops vanilla ice cream

Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter six (6-ounce) souffle cups and sprinkle each with granulated sugar. Tap out the excess sugar.

In the top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, melt 1 1/2 cups butter and the chocolate together. Remove the top of the double boiler from the heat.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and set on low speed, beat the egg yolks and whole eggs for about 2 minutes, or until light and smooth. With the mixer running, pour the melted chocolate into the bowl and mix for about 2 minutes more.

Put the confectioners' sugar and flour in a fine-mesh sieve and sprinkle into the chocolate mixture. After the confectioners' sugar and flour are sprinkled into the chocolate mixture, beat for 30 seconds on medium speed, or until well mixed.

Pour the batter into the prepared souffle cups, leaving about 1/4 inch of space below the rim. Set the souffle cups on a baking sheet and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until puffed and about 1 inch higher than the rim. The centers will be soft, but not sticky.

Remove the cakes from the oven and immediately invert each onto a serving plate. Remove the cups and garnish each plate with 3 raspberries and a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Makes 6 servings.

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