Spicy Barbequed Lamb

Michael takes his cooking outdoors and grills a leg of lamb over a wood fire when a friend and fellow chef comes to visit. Michael completes the Mediterranean-inspired feast with sun-dried tomato/olive/mint salsa, grilled polenta and roasted vegetables.

• Corn Polenta
• Grilled Lamb with Dried Tomato Mint Tapenade

Grilled Lamb with Dried Tomato Mint Tapenade

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Few things I cook are as good as grilled lamb. I always take the time to build a wood fire because nothing else compares to its flavours. This marinade is very simple and features the strong flavour of oregano. The mustard helps the lemon juice and oil combine into a smooth marinade.

Ingredients:

Lamb

• A boneless leg of lamb, boned
• 1 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 cup of dried oregano
• 8 x garlic cloves, minced
• the zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 1/2 cup of grainy mustard
• Ground pepper
• Salt

Tapenade

• 1 cup dried tomatoes, preferably oil packed
• 1 cup Calamata style black olives, pitted
• 3 x garlic cloves
• 2 tbsp of capers
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• 3 x anchovy fillets, more if you like
• 2 bunch of mint

Directions:

Lamb

1. Build a fire with a hard wood like maple or birch. Don’t use a soft wood such as pine because it produces a noxious tasting resinous smoke. If you can find it, use a fragrant fruitwood like cherry or apple. Let it burn down to glowing coals. Fit with a grill. Alternately, heat a gas barbeque to medium-high heat.
2. Butterfly the lamb by cutting it open into one piece through the center hole where the bone was removed. You may end up with two pieces, which is fine. The point is to make it easier to grill by making it thinner.
3. Whisk together the olive oil, oregano, garlic, lemon zest and juice, grainy mustard and pepper in a dish large enough to hold the leg of lamb. Mix well then add the lamb. Rub mixture over lamb and cover with plastic wrap. Put in the refrigerator to marinate for 1 hour. For maximum flavour marinate overnight. You may also make the marinade in a smaller bowl and pour into a large Ziploc bag with the lamb, less mess!
4. Season the lamb with salt and place on the hot grill. For medium rare - grill for 15 minutes on one side then turn and grill on the other side for a further 10 minutes or so. The lamb should be medium rare. To double check feel free to cut a small slit into the thickest part and have a peek! Rest on a rack for at least 10 minutes before slicing. This will allow the meat that’s stressed out from the heat of the grill to relax and reabsorb the juices that are driven to the center of the cut. By letting it rest you won’t end up with a platter of juice and dry meat!
5. Slice thinly and serve with Dried Tomato Tapenade.

Tapenade

1. A tapenade is just a paste of seasoned olives. This version complements the brininess of the olives with salty anchovies and the bright flavours of dried tomatoes and airy mint. Place all ingredients in a food processor and puree until the mixture is well combined but not smooth. Store in a clean mason jar.

Corn Polenta

Ease of Preparation: Easy
4-6 with left overs

Polenta is a traditional Italian pudding thickened with cornmeal. Freshly made it has a soft creamy texture but it hardens when cool and is then easily cut into slices that can be grilled or pan seared. This method cuts the traditional hour-long stirring time in half by finishing the polenta in an oven.

Corn Polenta

A splash of vegetable oil
A chopped onion
Two cups of milk
Two cups of chicken broth or two more cups of milk
A cup of coarse yellow cornmeal
A cup of frozen corn
One-half cup of top-notch Parmesan cheese
A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring, until they just begin to turn golden brown, about five minutes. Add the milk and broth and bring them to a simmer.

Add the cornmeal in a slow steady stream, whisking constantly to prevent lumping. Switch to a wooden spoon as soon as all the cornmeal is in the broth. It will quickly thicken beyond the point that a whisk is useful. Lower the heat and continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture really thickens, about ten minutes.

Stir in the corn, cheese, salt and pepper then pour into a loaf pan or baking dish. Bake for fifteen minutes then rest five minutes before serving while hot and creamy. Alternatively, refrigerate until firm then reheat by cutting it into slices and grill them. You may also toss the slices with more cornmeal and pan-fry them.



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Chef At Large

Unilever Test Kitchen

How do you achieve the successful marketing of your favorite recipe? Join Chef Michael as he attempts just that. There is more to this than greets the taste buds. Michael must survive the rigors of testing, tasting, sizing, coloring, marketing, and general appeal, if he wants this product to sell!

Spicy Southwestern Soup

Chicken Broth

Ease of Preparation: Easy
1 Large Jar

A good homemade chicken broth can be a lifesaver. It’s easily turned into a soup, sauce, stew or side dish and its unmistakable hearty richness just can’t be duplicated with what’s in the carton or can at the grocery store. I keep some on hand all the time.

Chicken Broth

A large package of fresh chicken wings
A large onion
A large carrot
A few stalks of celery
A bay leaf or two
A sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

Roughly chop the vegetables into small chunks then toss everything into a sauce or stockpot. Cover with a few inches of water then bring the works to a boil over a high heat. Reduce the heat to low and continue simmering for two hours or so.

Pass through a strainer and voila – chicken broth! Lightly season with a pinch or two of salt.

Fresh Salsa

Ease of Preparation: Easy
A Few Cups

A freshly tossed salsa of juicy ripe tomatoes and aromatic flavours is an easy-to-make, easy-to-enjoy snack. Sweet tomatoes, pungent onions, sour lime, aromatic herbs, salt and spicy pepper all balance each other in a vibrant harmony of tastes. A good salsa doesn’t ruin your day with too much spicy heat; it brightens it with just enough!

Fresh Salsa

Two or three chopped ripe tomatoes
One minced chili pepper
The juice and zest of one or two limes
A handful of cilantro leaves
A big splash of your best olive oil
A few thinly sliced green onions
A heaping spoonful of tomato paste
A spoonful of ground cumin seed
A sprinkle or two of salt
Dipping chips

Toss everything together until well combined. Try not to eat it all in one sitting!

Southwestern Corn Soup with Red Peppers

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you?ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don?t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Many of the bright flavours of the southwest are found in this distinctively thick soup. Many cooks in that region toss toasted corn tortillas into a simmering broth where they break down and thicken the liquid. I realized I could simply jump-start the process by using cornmeal, the flour the tortillas are made from.

Ingredients:

Grill

• 4 x cobs of corn, husked
• 3 x red peppers
• 4 tbsp of corn, olive or vegetable oil

Soup

• 2 tbsp of corn, vegetable or olive oil
• 4 x small onions, thinly sliced
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp of cumin powder
• 4 cups of chicken broth, homemade or canned
• 1 x ancho pepper
• 1 cup of cornmeal, fine of coarse
• 1 cup grated of cheddar cheese, sharp or old for the most flavour
• 1 x lime, juice and zest
• 1 cup of chopped cilantro

Directions:

Grill

1. Preheat your grill. This is an optional step, you may choose to use a can of creamed corn instead but you’ll miss the toasty flavours of the grill if you do!
2. Halve and remove the seeds and stem from the red peppers. You may also use green, yellow or orange peppers for a multi-hued effect.
3. Toss the corn and pepper halves with the oil.
4. Grill until they start to char and become tender, about ten minutes. If you don’t have a grill, you may roast the corn and peppers under your oven’s broiler; turning frequently. Place the hot peppers in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap allowing the steam to loosen the skins. After 10 minutes or so – when the skin is easily peeled off – thinly slice the peppers and set aside to add to the finished soup. Meanwhile allow the corn to cool then cut off the kernels with a sharp knife and set aside with the peppers.

Soup

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a thick-bottomed soup pot over a medium-high heat. You may use a regular-bottomed pot, but thicker versions spread the heat more evenly as a result the ingredients in the pot don’t burn over any inadvertent hot spots.
2. Add the onions and cook – stirring frequently – until golden brown. After a few minutes the onions will lose their pungency and actually taste quite bland, once they begin to brown their flavour revives considerably.
3. Add the garlic and cumin powder. Stir for a few minutes longer until you can smell the garlic and cumin. It’s best to add the garlic now instead of with the onions as the garlic will burn in the time it takes the onions to brown. The cumin may be stale from sitting in a can. The high heat of the browning toasts it a bit, brightening its distinctive flavour.
4. Add chicken broth and ancho pepper and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes until the pepper softens and infuses the soup with its mildly spicy flavour. Remove it, mince it and add it back to the soup base. You may also choose to puree the soup at this point with a handheld blender.
5. Slowly stir in the cornmeal. The cornmeal will swell in the surrounding hot liquid and thicken the soup. This will take about 10 minutes. If you prefer you may add more cornmeal for a thicker soup.
6. At this point the soup is ready to be finished and served. Alternatively you may refrigerate it overnight then reheat it when needed and finish it just before serving. You may also finish it and refrigerate or freeze it, – but if you do the cilantro will lose its bright flavour and colour.
7. To finish - stir in the reserved corn kernels, the reserved red pepper strips, grated cheddar cheese, lime (juice and zest) and the cilantro.
8. Taste, and season with salt. Garnish with a few more sprigs of cilantro and perhaps a dollop of sour cream or even plain yogurt. Enjoy!

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Simple Baked Trout

Balsamic Fennel Seed Vinaigrette

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once it becomes yours so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Balsamic Fennel Seed Vinaigrette

• 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup of balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 cup of honey
• A few heaping spoonfuls of fennel seeds
• A heaping spoonful of Dijon mustard

Directions:

Balsamic Fennel Seed Vinaigrette

1. Briefly pulse the fennel seeds in a coffee grinder, spice grinder or food processor. Don’t turn them into a powder; leave them a bit rustic. If you’re using a food processor add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth. Alternatively whisk the fennel seeds together with the remaining ingredients in a bowl until smooth.

Oven-Dried Tomatoes 3

Yield: 24

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish so you?ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once it becomes yours so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don?t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Oven-Dried Tomatoes

• 12 x or so plum tomatoes
• Olive oil for drizzling
• Salt and pepper

Directions:

Oven-Dried Tomatoes

1. Preheat your oven to 300° F. Slice the tomatoes in half lengthwise and arrange skin side down in tight rows on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Drizzle a touch of oil on each and lightly season with salt and pepper. Place in the oven and begin drying. After a few hours turn the oven down to 250°F and continue drying. Because ovens – and tomatoes – vary it may take six to eight hours in total or even overnight. You’ll know they’re done when they shrink noticeably, lose their fleshiness and taste amazing.

Pan Fried Trout with Barley Asparagus Risotto

Yield: 4

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason, this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish, so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once, it becomes yours, so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

The time honored tradition of frying freshly caught trout in bacon fat over a campfire is alive and well in my kitchen. In particular, I like the fish with the earthy flavours of barley. This risotto-style cooking method of the grain coaxes out a rich and creamy texture that perfectly complements the fish.

Ingredients:

Risotto

• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 2 x onions, sliced
• 4 x garlic cloves, minced
• 1 cup of barley
• 4 cups of chicken stock, simmering hot
• 2 x bay leafs
• 8 spears of asparagus, sliced into half inch pieces

Trout

• 4 slices of bacon, chopped
• 2 tbsp of flour
• salt and pepper
• 2 x whole trout, 1 pound each, cleaned and gutted

Directions:

Risotto

1. Preheat a thick-bottomed medium-sized saucepot over a medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and onions and cook until they soften and begin to caramelize. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes longer. Because the garlic will burn quickly – long before the onions – it is always best to add it last. Add the barley and stir, coating it with the oil. Stir for 3 or 4 minutes. This will actually toast it a bit and add quite a rich flavour to the dish!
2. Add the bay leaf then slowly begin to add the hot stock while continuously stirring. As the stock is absorbed, add more, one ladle at a time – stirring continuously – until the barley is tender, about 30 minutes. This slow addition and constant stirring will coax the starches out of the barley and into the surrounding sauce-like liquid. If you run out of stock and the barley is still a bit crunchy you may use more stock or hot water.
3. Taste, then season with salt and pepper. Add asparagus and stir well. Place a lid on the risotto and turn off the heat. Let rest until you are ready to serve. This will hold in the heat and allow the asparagus to cook through.

Trout

1. Fry the bacon in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until crisp and golden brown. This will render the fat from the bacon, which will then become the cooking fat for the trout. Remove the crisp bacon and reserve for another use.
2. Sprinkle the trout thoroughly with the flour, salt and pepper. Fry the trout in the bacon fat over medium-high heat for 8 minutes or so on each side. You may of course choose to fry the trout in vegetable oil, which is healthier but not quite as tasty!

Tuna Fish Sandwich

Yield: 2

A recipe is merely words on paper; a guideline, a starting point from which to improvise. It cannot pretend to replace the practiced hand and telling glance of a watchful cook. For that reason this is also an account of what happens when I make this dish so you’ll understand each step. Of course when you cook it once it becomes yours so personalize it a bit. Add more of an ingredient you like or less of something you don’t like. Try substituting one ingredient for another. Remember words have no flavour, you have to add your own!

Ingredients:

Tuna Fish Sandwich

• 1 can of water-packed tuna
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp minced red onion
• 1 tbsp minced celery
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley
• Salt and pepper
• 4 slices of whole wheat bread
• handful of potato chips

Directions:

Tuna Fish Sandwich

1. Flake the tuna with a fork then mix it with the lemon juice, olive oil, mustard, onion, celery, and parsley. Have a taste then add enough salt and pepper to season to your liking.
2. Spread a thick layer of the tuna salad on two slices of bread. Top with a layer of crisp potato chips. Slap on the remaining bread. Press down a bit to even out the chips then have a huge bite. Remember to share the other one!

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