Slow and smoky barbecued brisket

The past week has been chock full of wildlife - and for once I don't mean my little monkey of a 21-month old. One morning last week, Jeff got her out of bed and brought he into the kitchen and immediately went running out the backdoor. A deer had made an appearance. She was pointing and saying "deer" in her cute little voice as daddy carried her across the grass in her jammies. The deer quickly took flight.

Then on Saturday, we took her to the zoo. There's a great zoo in suburban NJ called the Turtle Back Zoo. Perfect for a day-trip, we arrived at 10 a.m. and made our rounds in about 2 hours. She loves pointing at the animals, especially the horses and monkeys ("ah-ahs").



One would think that was enough for animal sightings, but on Monday night, we sat on the deck eating dinner and something caught my eye out by her slide. It was a raccoon that was about twice her size. Brave daddy quickly left the deck to scare it off.

And last but not least, this morning I looked out the window and saw a big, orange fox. Now, I don't live in a woodsy area. My neighborhood is pretty developed so wildlife is usually limited to squirrels, birds and such. So now I'm wondering what will show up next... a wolf? (I tried to snap a pic of the fox and went running barefoot across the grass, but it took off when it saw me coming. I'll be better prepared next time - I've got the zoom lens on my camera now)

Anyway, enough about wildlife in suburban NJ. I took advantage of the recent Jewish holiday to get a great deal on a beef brisket. I've never made brisket, but have long wanted to make barbecue (other then ribs). I turned to my old friend Laurent Tourondel for some guidance.

This could be served plated, but we decided to go with sandwiches. I topped them with homemade cole slaw and some aged cheddar from Oscar's Smokehouse... Delish!



Barbecued Beef Brisket with BLT BBQ sauce
Adapted from The BLT Cookbook by Laurent Tourondel

Dry Rub:
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoons dried oregano
1 tablespoons garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
3/4 teaspoons black pepper
3/4 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoons dry mustard
1/4 teaspoons ground cloves
3/4 teaspoons celery seed
3/4 teaspoons salt

2-1/2 pounds beef brisket, trimmed

3 Tbsp hickory chips for an indoor smoker (or use an outdoor smoker if you have one)
3 cups BLT Barbecue Sauce, (recipe follows)

To serve: Homemade cole slaw, buns and sharp cheddar cheese

Make the Dry Rub  
In a bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients.  Place the meat in a roasting pan and rub on all sides with the mixture.  Cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Smoke the Brisket  
In the bottom of a stove-top smoker, arrange the hickory chips, mounding them slightly in the  center.  Place the pan and rack on top, and place brisket on top of the rack.  Cover tightly with the lid and place over low heat for 1 hour.  For an outdoor smoker, follow manufacturer’s directions.

Preheat the Oven to 325° F.

Roast the Brisket  
Place the brisket in a large roasting pan.  Pour the Barbecue Sauce on top of the meat.  Pour 1-1/2 cups of water into the pan around the meat.  Cover with aluminum foil, making a tent so that it does not touch the meat.   Cook for 4 hours, basting occasionally, until the brisket is tender when pierced with a fork at the thickest part.

BBQ SAUCE

Makes about 5-1/2 cups

15 garlic cloves, peeled (about 1 whole head)
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt
3 cups ketchup
3 ribs celery, chopped
1-1/2 medium size sweet onions, such as Vidalia or Bermuda, chopped
1-1/2 cups water
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup (1-1/2 sticks) unsalted butter
3/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3/4 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon instant espresso powder
3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon ground cloves


Preheat the Oven to 375°F.

Roast the Garlic 
In a small baking pan, toss the garlic cloves with the oil and a pinch of salt.   Roast for 30 minutes or until very soft and beginning to brown.

Cook the Sauce  
Combine all of the ingredients in a large heavy saucepan.  Bring to a simmer over medium heat.  Cook the sauce, stirring it frequently to prevent it from scorching, for 45 minutes or until the vegetables are soft and the sauce looks dark and rich.

Blend the sauce  
Let cool slightly.  Pour the sauce into a blender or food processor.  Blend until completely smooth.  Taste for seasoning.

Sauce will keep for about a month in the refrigerator.

Steamed Lobster in Gingered Lime and Scallion Broth with Baby Bok Choy

My little eclair has gone mobile. No, no cell phone yet - not that kind of mobile. She started crawling (and is quickly bumping and bruising her way to walking). So when did this all begin? Oh, round about the time of my last post. (Moms reading this post are smiling right now with a note of recognition.) So instead of cooking and blogging, I've been chasing - and what fun it is. I simply adore that little tush crawling around the house - right through anything in her way.

It's taken awhile, but we're adjusting. Cabinets are locked, gates abound. She recently discovered that the handle on the oven makes a fabulous monkey bar. (Off I went to Babies R Us for an oven lock). But the kitchen's heating up as everything else settles down.

As is usually the case at this time of year in the Northeast, lobster prices are right about the same level as deli meat. So we had our share of steamed lobster and then I ventured out to try a few new recipes... This one is pretty simple to prepare and tastes great. We added more cayenne and salt and I switched the original shitake mushrooms to oyster mushrooms (hubby hates shitakes). The original calls for 6 lobsters, but I cut it down to two and kept the broth proportions about the same - that likely accounts for the lack of saltiness...

Ah and word to the wise - the veg stock used here is made from fennel, celery and onion with parsley and thyme. So don't think you can skate through with store bought stock...

Steamed Lobster in Gingered Lime and Scallion Broth with Baby Bok Choy
adapted from Fresh from the Market by Laurent Tourondel



2 live lobsters, 2 pounds each
1/2 cup Chablis or another dry white wine
3 cups Vegetable Stock (see below)
6-8 oyster mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons matchstick-size strips peeled fresh ginger
11/2 tablespoons ginger juice (see below)
6 baby bok choy
4 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, diced
4 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
Zest of 2 limes
Pinch of cayenne pepper

To make the ginger juice, grate a 5-inch piece of fresh, peeled ginger onto a piece of cheese cloth, then squeeze the juice into a small dish.

Vegetable stock
1 onion, thinly sliced

3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
½ fennel bulb, thinly sliced
5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 bunch parsley stems
1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Directions
Combine the onion, celery, fennel, thyme, parsley stems, and peppercorns in a medium pot along with 2 tablespoons water and place over medium heat. Sweat the vegetables just until they begin to wilt, making sure they do not develop any color. Add 6 cups of cold water and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming the top as necessary with a ladle or spoon.

Strain the stock through a fine-mesh strainer into a clean bowl set over a bowl of ice water to cool. Discard the solids. Once the stock has cooled, transfer it to an airtight container. The stock will keep in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days or several weeks in the freezer.


Prepare the broth
Holding the lobster body in 1 hand and the tail in the other hand, twist the lobster until the body and tail separate. Repeat with the remaining lobster. Using the back of a chef’s knife, crack the claws off the lobster bodies just below the knuckles. Reserve the bodies for making lobster stock or freeze them for another use.

Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add the lobster claws and cook until the shells become bright red and the claw meat is just barely cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer the claws to a bowl of ice water.

Once cool, remove the claw meat from the shells.

Using a chef’s knife, cut the lobster tails in half lengthwise and discard any intestines that may be clinging to the tail.

Leave the meat in the shells. Bring the Chablis to boil in a large saucepan. Add the lobster tails, flesh side down, and the vegetable stock. Cover and cook until the lobster meat is just barely cooked through, about 3 minutes.

Remove the tails from the broth.
Using a fine-mesh strainer, strain the broth into a clean medium saucepan over medium heat.

Add the shitake mushrooms, ginger, and ginger juice to the broth and simmer until the ginger is soft, about 3 minutes. Strain the broth again through a fine-mesh strainer and into a large saucepan, reserving the mushrooms and ginger.

Finish the broth
Bring a medium pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the bok choy and cook until crisp-tender, about 3 minutes.
Immediately transfer the bok choy to a bowl of ice water and allow to cool.

Using an immersion blender, blend the cold butter into the strained broth until emulsified.

Return the reserved mushrooms and ginger, lobster claw meat, and blanched bok choy to the broth along with the scallions, cilantro, lime juice, lime zest, and cayenne and continue to cook over low heat for 2 minutes.

To serve
Divide the lobster tails among 6 large shallow bowls. Arrange the claw meat and 1 bok choy over each lobster tail. Spoon the sauce and vegetables over the lobster tails and claws and serve.

Roasted veal chops with black trumpet ragu and crispy artichokes

Artichokes are interesting little beasts. Yes, I refer to them as beasts, because for the first time, I bought whole fresh artichokes and cleaned them myself. And it was beastly. OK, maybe it wasn't that bad, but there was prickly fluff all over my cutting board. And I was so awkward with them that they were turning black faster than I could clean them. Once cleaned, they're worth the effort. They have that unique taste that keeps sommeliers guessing. They don't really pair well with wines, but even so, these little beasts make plenty of appearances in my kitchen (try my artichoke pie for example).

The rest of this recipe is made up of equally yummy things: mushrooms, cream, onion and veal! Yum, yum and yum. Who could resist? I made this as an entree following our Bay scallops with smoked fingerling potato salad, endive and McIntosh apple. The cream makes it really rich. Let me repeat: really rich. It was delicious, but we thought it needed a little acid. We sprinkled a little lemon on it at the end and it helped bring out the flavors. Try it without and if you agree, add a little lemon.

I almost never broil chops. My husband doesn't mind grilling no matter the weather (he is Canadian after all). But these turned out great - I preheated the oven first then turned on the broiler. The veal was tender and juicy. I adapted the original recipe for 2 - I cut the sauce in half, used 2 chops instead of 6 and 2 artichokes instead of 3.

Roasted veal chops with black trumpet ragu and crispy artichokes
adapted from Fresh from the Market by Laurent Tourondel

For the black trumpet ragout:

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1 small onion, cut into medium dice
• 4 ounces black trumpet mushrooms, trimmed and cleaned
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 3/4 cups heavy cream
• 2 tsp. chopped fresh parsley
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the veal chops:

• 2 bone-in veal chops, frenched and cleaned, 14 ounces each

Artichokes

• Vegetable oil for frying
• 2 small globe artichokes, trimmed and cut into quarters 

For the black trumpet ragout:

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a medium sauté pan over medium-low heat. Once the butter begins to foam, add the onion and sauté until well caramelized, about 10 minutes.

While the onions are caramelizing, heat a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the remaining tablespoon of butter and sauté the mushrooms until tender and golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add the caramelized onion and deglaze with the wine. Continue cooking until the wine has reduced to just a tablespoon of liquid, about 5 minutes. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the cream is very thick, about 8 minutes. Add the parsley and season to taste with salt and pepper.

For the veal chops:

While the ragout is simmering, place the broiler rack about 4 inches away from the heat source and preheat the broiler. Season the veal chops with salt and pepper. Broil the chops until they are pink when cut in the center, about 7 minutes per side for medium-rare doneness. To check for doneness, make a small cut near the bone or insert an instant-read thermometer in the thickest part of the meat. The temperature should be 140–150 degrees. Remove from the heat, tent with aluminum foil and let rest.

Blanch the artichokes. Fill a deep heavy saucepan or deep fryer with 3 inches of vegetable oil. Heat the oil to 300 degrees. Blanch the artichokes in the oil until the leaves are golden brown and the artichokes are tender when pierced with a knife, about 5 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To serve, arrange the veal chops on 6 serving plates. Spoon the ragout evenly over the veal chops and top each with some artichoke. Serve immediately.

Bay Scallops with Smoked Fingerling Potato Salad, Endive, & McIntosh Apple

I have previously confessed my love for Laurent Tourondel... it's no secret. But I'll tell you something new: I love him even more now. Since my little eclair was born, I've been cooking, but not those spend-all-day-in-the-kitchen meals; it's been more the toss-something-in-the-slow-cooker dinners (which are delicious, don't get me wrong). But I know I'm adapting to motherhood when I get that urge to make a fab dinner, to pick recipes that take up a full page or maybe even two, have unusual ingredients or techniques, and look darn good on a plate. Enter Laurent. For my birthday in December, my mother-in-law sent me a copy of Fresh from the Market. I've drooled over it numerous times, and I finally got around to making a meal from it.

The first course is featured below. I am personally not a scallop fan. But every now and again I'll make a first course with them because my husband loves them. This recipe calls for bay scallops which I find more palatable than the big guys. I was intrigued by smoked potatoes (amazing!) and McIntosh happen to be my favorite apples. This is one great first course. It's got lots of different textures - creamy potato salad, crisp greens, crunchy apples and bacon and lush scallops. Jeff put it in his top five first courses (his long-standing favorite is also from Laurent...)

Watch for the main course: a veal chop with black trumpet ragu and crispy artichokes... mmmm.

If you're in the market for a new cookbook (and who isn't really???) check this one out. Not that I'm partial or anything.



Nantucket Bay Scallops with Smoked Fingerling Potato Salad, Endive, & McIntosh Apple
adapted from Fresh from the Market by Laurent Tourondel

SERVES 6

Potato Salad
2 slices thick-cut bacon
3/4 pound fingerling potatoes
Kosher salt
1 cup hickory wood chips, soaked in water (or use a stovetop smoker with chips if you have one)
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons store-bought barbecue sauce
1 tablespoon mustard oil, or grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon finely diced celery
1 tablespoon finely diced red onion
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Scallops
1 tablespoon canola oil
11/2 pounds Nantucket Bay scallops

Salad
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1 head endive, sliced on the bias into 1/2-inch strips
1 small McIntosh apple, peeled and cut into matchstick-size strips
1 bunch watercress, large stems removed

Make the potato salad
Cook the bacon in a small sauté pan over medium heat until crispy, about 5 minutes. Drain on a plate lined with paper towels. Once cool, roughly chop the bacon.

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover them with cold water. Bring the water to a boil over high heat and salt liberally with kosher salt. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 18 minutes. Drain the potatoes. When they are cool enough to handle, peel off the skins.

Line the bottom of a pot with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Drain the hickory wood chips and place them in the pot. Heat the wood chips over a burner until they are smoking. Place the potatoes in a steamer insert and set the insert in the pot. Cover tightly with a lid, allowing no smoke to escape from the pot. Smoke the potatoes over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Alternatively, smoke them for 5 minutes in a stovetop smoker.

Whisk the mayonnaise, barbecue sauce, mustard or grapeseed oil, and sherry vinegar in a large bowl to blend.

Add half the warm potatoes to the dressing and, using a fork, crush the potatoes into the vinaigrette. Cut remaining potatoes into quarters and then fold them in.

Fold in the chopped bacon, parsley, celery, and onion, and season to taste with sea salt and pepper. Let the salad stand for 20 minutes to allow all the flavors to incorporate, stirring occasionally.

Prepare the scallops
Heat the canola oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season the scallops with salt and pepper. When the pan is smoking hot, add the scallops. Sear the scallops on 1 side until caramelized, about 2 minutes. Once the scallops have caramelized, swirl the pan several times and continue to cook for 2 more minutes. Transfer the scallops to a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess moisture.

Assemble the salad
Whisk the olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Toss the endive, apple, and watercress in the vinaigrette to coat.

To serve
Spoon the potato salad in the center of 6 plates. Place the scallops over the potato salad and then top with the watercress salad. Serve immediately.

Restaurant review: BLT Market

I have a not-so-secret crush on Laurent Tourondel. I've long been familiar with his restaurants but had never been to any other than BLT Burger. I've cooked my way thru much of his cookbook, loving every recipe more than the last. It seems the man has got my number when it comes to flavor combinations...

So if you're expecting anything other than a rave review of BLT Market, too bad. I had one minor complaint about the meal, but we'll get to that...

At Christmas, restaurant gift certificates are a popular gift in my family of food lovers. This year, I was elated to get one for the BLT restaurant group from my brother and his family. It's been packed away for the right opportunity and with Spring weather upon us, Jeff and I ventured into the City for the day. I booked the reservation on Open Table about 3 weeks ago - it was surprisingly easy to get a prime-time table.

Situated on the corner of Sixth Avenue and Central Park South, the restaurant offers glimpses of Central Park. It's smaller than I expected, but very pretty. A chalkboard announces the additions to the seasonal menu and the hostess station is surrounded by shelves of market items for sale, including Tourondel's cookbook and postcards of the stunning paintings that add color and flare to the restaurant.

The menu offers a good selection of seasonal fare. Appetizers included Maine scallops, Mache salad, and an asparagus terrine, among other things. Entrees included fish, duck, chicken, veal, and lamb, all prepared with seasonal produce. Spring was definitely in full swing at BLT Market.

Our order was promptly taken and we were served an amuse bouche and some garlic bread. The amuse bouche was, well, odd. It was pigs in a blanket. When I heard that I thought it must be some sort of gourmet sausage, but to my surprise it was a hot dog. It was wrapped in a flaky dough and topped with a little sauerkraut and some mustard. It was very good as far as pigs in a blanket go, but seemed out of synch with the rest of the menu. Our only guess was that it was selected due to the beginning of baseball season, but it just seemed odd...

The garlic bread was another story. It was moist and delicious and each slice was slathered with a pesto that was flavorful but not too garlicky. Yum! That was more like it.

Our first course came quickly. We shared an appetizer portion of the risotto: Arborio risotto with English peas, morel mushrooms, Rock shrimp and Coach Farm goat cheese. This dish was sublime, divine, and well, just other-worldly. The peas were crunchy and sweet, the shrimp tender an surprisingly plentiful and the morels added an earthy flavor to the whole dish. The rice was al dente and the whole thing came together with creamy aged goat cheese. My mouth was in heaven.

I doubted my entree could top that, so I waited eagerly for a taste. The wait wasn't long. A server promptly placed our dinners in front of us - they say you eat first with your eyes, and this food looked good! I had opted for one of the additions to the menu: Branzino stuffed with seafood and served with a radish and micro green salad. Jeff selected veal cheeks blanquette with pearl onions, and fava bean ragu. The dishes were very different but equally delicious. My fish absolutely amazed me: it was a whole fish, skin on, but had not a bone in it. When you think stuffing, breadcrumbs usually come to mind - this didn't have a single breadcrumb. It was full of chopped shrimp and scallops and a few sweet plump raisins. Jeff's veal cheeks were tender beyond belief with perfectly cooked vegetables, including sweet, crunchy fava beans.

Needless to say, there wasn't a bite left on either of our plates. We did not, however, save room for dessert. We were presented with two cinnamon crusted donuts: little munchkin-like donuts, steaming hot and a perfect ending to the meal.

Gracious service and excellent food in a lovely setting put BLT Market on our list of restaurants we'd visit again. If you get the chance, give it a try - you'll experience some of the best seasonal cuisine around.

Lobster salad with avocado, pesto and tomato vinaigrette

Lobster is one of those foods that makes any day feel like a special occasion. We're lucky enough to live in an area where we can get Maine lobsters any time of year, often for less per pound than the cost of deli meat. Usually I simply steam them and serve with drawn butter and corn on the cob. But I found a recipe for a lobster salad with Avocado, pesto and tomato vinaigrette and it's simply divine. Big fresh flavors from tomatoes, pesto and sherry vinegar combine with creamy avocado and succulent lobster for a first course that will impress any guests.

Make the pesto mayonnaise and tomato vinaigrette a day ahead to save time. The leftover pesto mayo makes great chicken salad - just toss a few spoonfuls with some rotisserie chicken and pile into pitas or on your favorite bread with sliced tomato, baby arugula and some shaved parmesan cheese.

Lobster Salad, Avocado, Tomato Vinaigrette
adapted from The BLT Cookbook by Laurent Tourondel

Tomato Vinaigrette
3 Tbsp. Extra Virgin olive oil
1/4 medium onion, diced
3 tomatoes, chopped, plus 1/4 cup diced
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 tsp. sugar
2 tsp. sherry vinegar
1/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pesto Mayonnaise
1 egg
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
3 cups fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
4 garlic cloves
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Salad
2 Hass avocados, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2 large tomatoes, cut into 1/2 inch dice
1/2 small red onion, very thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
2 lobsters, cooked and cooled, meat removed from the shells
1 cup baby arugula leaves

To make the tomato vinaigrette
In a medium saucepan, heat 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and saute until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the chopped and diced tomatoes, thyme and sugar. Stir, cover and cook until tomatoes begin to soften. Remove from heat, discard stem from thyme sprig, and transfer the mixture to the bowl of a food processor. Process until well blended.

Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl. Discard the solids. Add the vinegar and Tabasco. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate at least 3 hours. This can be made a day or two ahead.



To make the pesto mayonnaise
Place the egg in a small saucepan with water to cover. Bring to a boil . Turn off the heat; cover and let stand for 2 minutes.

Scoop out the egg into a blender. Add the mustard and red wine vinegar. With the motor running, slowly add the grapeseed oil in a thin stream. Blend until creamy and smooth. Transfer to a bowl.

Put the basil, cheese and garlic into the blender (you don't have to clean it in between). With the motor running, add 1/4 cup of olive oil in a thin stream. Blend until thick and smooth.

Scrape the pesto into the bowl with the egg mixture and stir to combine. If making ahead, cover and refrigerate. Remove from refrigerator and stir well about 15 minutes before using.



Make the salad
In a bowl, toss the avocados, tomatoes, onion, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper. Arrange the salad on 4 dinner plates. Top with some of the arugula. Arrange the lobster on top of the arugula. Spoon the tomato vinaigrette around the salad and the use a small spoon to drop pesto around the outside.

Serve immediately. Serves 4.

My cookbook review in the Daring Kitchen!

I must say I feel a bit famous. Yesterday, a cookbook review I wrote went live on the Daring Kitchen website. Those of you who follow my blog will not be surprised to learn that I reviewed one of my favorite cookbooks: Bistro Laurent Tourondel: New American Bistro Cooking.

Check out the review in the Daring Kitchen. And while you're there have a look around!

If it's good enough for the princess of Thailand...

...it's definitely good enough for me and my husband (on a rainy Wednesday night). Regular readers will not be surprised to learn that I once again turned to the culinary wonder that is the Bistro Laurent Tourondel cookbook. This book simply does not disappoint. (and how do the months go by without making a visit to one of Chef Tourondel's restaurants???) This time I opted for the Lemongrass Rock Shrimp Risotto. Why not? We love risotto, we love shrimp, and we love Thai food. This one had to be good... and it was!




The intro for the recipe explains that Chef Tourondel first prepared it for the Princess of Thailand while he was working at the Four Seasons Bangkok. Not bad! It was a bit involved so I made the sauce a day ahead, right to the point of straining it, then I covered it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge overnight. I didn't have rock shrimp so I used jumbo shrimp. The combination of flavors and textures were simply delightful. Madras curry powder, green curry paste, lemongrass, ginger, garlic, Thai Basil. YUM! You can find the complete recipe online: Lemongrass Rock Shrimp Risotto. Don't be intimidated - you might have to swing by an Asian market for a few ingredients, but it's well worth the trip.


I did make a few modifications. I cut the sauce in half. And instead of 2 cups of Arborio, I used 1 1/2. I also stirred the chopped Thai basil into the risotto to bring out the flavor a bit more. To serve, I scooped the risotto into the middle of the plate and then ladled the sauce around it.


This makes 9 recipes I've made from this cookbook and we have loved everyone. Who told Chef Tourondel exactly what we like??? Or maybe it was just my mother-in-law who had a keen sense for that - after all she gave me the book for Christmas.


Now I'm off to give the book another flip through to find my next adventure. In the meantime, tomorrow at our house, leftover risotto!

Last Supper #14: Michelle Bernstein

Miami chef Michelle Bernstein's Last Supper was a lengthy list of delicious foods, so creating a dinner out of them took some restraint. She listed (among other things) oysters, caviar, foie gras, poached lobster, lasagne, steak, asparagus, and about 6 desserts. For those of you who follow my blog, it'll be no surprise I chose lobster. But instead of serving it as a main course, I did it as a first course. For the main course, I did grilled steak with chimichurri and grilled asparagus. Simple but delicious.

The lobster course came from my new favorite cookbook: Bistro Laurent Tourondel. It's Poached Lobster, Tomato Vinaigrette, Pesto, Tomato and Avocado salad. It was delicious. It began by creating a tomato vinaigrette. Cooked tomatoes were pureed and then passed through a sieve to leave nothing but the delicious flavor. A little sherry vinegar added a tart taste that was just enough. The pesto came together in the blender and then Mr. Lobster went into the pot. Jeff cleaned it for me and then all that remained was to assemble the salad. A mixture of tomatoes, avocado and a little redonion were tossed with some sherry vinegar and piled on the plates. I topped it with some arugula and then the chunks of lobster and then the pesto and tomato vinaigrette were drizzled around the whole thing. Delish!

The chimichurri was also from Chef Tourondel. After perusing a number of recipes, I chose his because it included roasted red peppers as well as parsely, cilantro and a healthy dose of fresh garlic. A little crushed red pepper gave it some heat and it went nicley with the gilled flank steak.

The salad was definitely one I'll make again. It'd be a beauftiful first course for a dinner party.

Lovely leeks

Jeff and I both love leeks so Laurent Tourondel's recipe for Leeks Vinaigrette caught my eye the first time I flipped through the BLT cookbook, a gift from my mother-in-law for Christmas. The recipe is simple, but the presentation elegant. It is listed as a first course in the book, but I served it along with our Saturday dinner of grilled steaks and twice baked potatoes stuffed with spinach and cheddar.

Find the recipe in BLT: Bistro Laurent Tourondel, by Laurent Tourondel. This is a new favorite cookbook. If you haven't seen it, check it out.

Here's how I made it (for 2 servings). The original cllas for a blue cheese such as Forme d'Ambert, but Jeff isn't a big fan of blue so I substituted an aged Crotin goat cheese. Delish!

Leeks Vinaigrette

3 large leeks

Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

About 3 tsp. walnut oil

about 3 tsp. sherry vinegar

2 tsp. chopped fresh chives

2 ounces aged goat cheese or blue cheese such as Forme d'Ambert or Gorgonzola

Carmelized walnuts (see below)

To prepare the leeks, remove the outer layer and trim off the root ends and darker green portions at the top. Wash thoroughly and thn tie together, 3 in a bunch, with kitchen twine so they hold their shape when cooked.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the leeks. Simmer the leeks until tender when pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes. Drain and shock by plunging them into a bowl of ice water. Drain well and squeeze the leeks gently in a paper towel to eliminate excess water. Remove the strings. Cut the leeks crosswise into 3/4 inch lengths.

Arrange the leeks slices with one cut-side down on serving plates. Season with salt and pepper. Drizzle with the oil and vinegar. Sprinkle the chives over them.

Place a little of the cheese on each leek. Scatter the walnuts over them. Serve immediately.

Carmelized walnuts

1/3 cup sugar

1/8 cup water

1/2 cup walnuts

Butter or lightly spray a cookie sheet. Set aside.

Combine the water and sugar in a small pan. Stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Then let is boil, untouched, until it turns a rich amber color. Remove from the heat and stir in the walnuts. Spread the nuts in a single layer on the baking sheet. Allow to cool, then coarsely chop them to break them apart.

Last supper #3: Laurent Tourondel

On Saturday night, we tried the Last Supper of Laurent Tourondel (of BLT Steak, BLT Fish, etc.). His request was for a seared tuna BLT the way he makes it at BLT Fish Shack in New York City, accompanied by French Fries and Heinz ketchup.

This was one of the simpler Last Suppers I've made so far and it's one I'll make again... and again. There are a lot of flavors packed into this hearty sandwich: Tuna, avocado, olive, bacon, arugula, lemon, egg, Parmeggiano Reggiano, a little mayo. The list seems neverending. But pile it all on and it's absolutely delicious. I prepped the toppings ahead of time so when we cooked the fish it was still warm.

The fish was about 1/2 inch thick and we grilled it on medium heat for just 1 minute per side. Any longer and it would have been overcooked. And who wants over cooked sashimi grade yellowfin tuna???

I also made homemade fries. I used a mandolin to cut 2 Idaho potatoes into 1/4 inch thick straws. I wrapped them in a towel in the fridge fro about an hour to remove some of the starch and let them dry. I then fried them in canola oil at 325 degrees for about 4 minutes. I let them drain on paper towels and cool for about 30 minutes then fried them again in the same oil, this time for about 2 minutes at 375 degrees. Golden brown and yummy!

If rare tuna doesn't scare you off, try this sandwich! the recipe looks long but it's easy. Oh and at Laurent's suggestion, we served it with a little Sriracha - Vietnamese hot sauce. Gave it a nice little kick!

BLT Grilled Tuna Sandwich

Serves 6

1½ pounds yellowfin tuna, cut into 12 slices, about 1⁄3 inch thick
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
½ cup olive oil
4 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ teaspoon chopped garlic
1 large bunch arugula, tough stems removed (about 2 cups)
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Tapenade
1 loaf rustic Italian bread, cut into twelve ½-inch-thick diagonal slices, toasted
12 slices applewood-smoked bacon, cooked until crisp
1 medium red onion, sliced
2 ripe tomatoes, sliced
3 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and sliced
6 ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, thinly sliced with a vegetable peeler or mandoline slicer
1 ripe avocado, preferably Hass
1 bunch fresh basil, tough stems removed

GRILL THE TUNA Preheat a grill pan or barbecue grill to high heat. Sprinkle the tuna on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the tuna on the pan or grill rack and cook 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until rare to medium-rare, depending on your preference.

DRESS THE ARUGULA In a medium bowl, whisk together the oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the arugula and toss well.

ASSEMBLE THE SANDWICHES Spread some of the mayonnaise and tapenade on each slice of bread. Divide the bacon, onion, tomatoes, eggs, cheese, and avocado over half of the slices. Top with the tuna, basil, and the arugula salad. Cover with the remaining bread, coated-sides down.

TO SERVE Cut the sandwiches in half and serve immediately.



Project Last Supper score:
3 down, 27 to go.
Not sure which meal we will do next, but it won't be this weekend since we will be out of town for a charity walk.