Grilled Shrimp and Lemon Wedges on Rosemary Skewers

 

                    For an Asian flavor, marinate the shrimp in a combination o fresh ginger, garlic, lime juice and sesame oil.

Makes 4 servings

• 45 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 45 ml olive oil
• 5 ml grated lemon zest
• 2 or 3 fresh basil leaves, cut into fine julienne strips
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 750 gr large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 lemons, cut into 8 wedges, seeds removed
• 8 sturdy fresh rosemary sprigs, each 6 to 8 inches long
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large, nonreactive bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, olive oil, lemon zest, basil and garlic ; add the shrimp, stir to coat them evenly, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and no more than 3 hours.
2. Preheat an outdoor grill, an indoor doubled-sided grill, or the broiler.
3. With the tip of a small, sharp knife, carefully remove any visible seeds from the lemon wedges.
4. Strip the leaves rom each rosemary sprig, leaving just a tuft at one end ; with the knife, trim the opposite end o each branch to a point.
5. Remove the shrimp from the marinade and skewer them on the rosemary sprigs, passing the point of each branch through both the head and tail end of each shrimp and alternating the shrimp with lemon wedges on the skewers.
6. When the grill or broiler is ready, season the shrimp on both sides with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Place the skewers on the grill rack directly over the fire or under the broiler, and cook until they turn bright pink all over, 1 to 2 minutes per side, turning the skewers once with long-handled tongs (if using an indoor double-sided grill, grill for 2 minutes only).
8. Serve immediately with rice or roasted potatoes.

BON APPÉTIT

Potato Pancakes with Smoked Sturgeon

 

                    These small, crisp latkes make a star opener topped with sour cream or crème fraîche and dill and sprinkled with smoked sturgeon. You can add a little paddlefish caviar or salmon roe to the topping.

Makes 4 servings, 12 to 14 latkes

• 450 gr russet baking potatoes, peeled
• 1 small onion, peeled
• 1 egg, beaten
• 30 ml all-purpose flour
• 2 ml baking powder
• 2 ml salt
• 1 ml freshly ground black pepper
• Cooking vegetable oil
• 125 ml crème fraîche ou sour cream
• 5 ml minced fresh dill
• Lemon juice
• 250 gr smoked sturgeon, seperated into large flakes, skin and bones removed (you may substitute smoked whitefish, trout or smoked salmon)

1. Using the large holes of a box grater/shredder or the grating disk on a food processor, shred the potatoes into a mixing bowl ; grate in the onion.
2. Line a large bowl with a clean kitchen towel ; transfer the mixture to the towel-lined bowl, twist the towel around it and squeeze out as much liquid as you can.
3. Transfer to another bowl and add the egg, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper ; stir with a fork until well blended.
4. Heat about ¼ inch of oil in a large, heavy skillet ; with a metal tablespoon, carefully place a spoonful of the mixture into the hot oil.
5. Press down on the mixture with an offset spatula to form an evenly thick pancake about 3 inches in diameter ; add more spoonuls, taking care not to overcrowd the skillet.
6. Cook the pancakes until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side, turning them carefully with a slotted metal spatula ; transer to a tray or platter lined with paper towels to drain.
7. Continue with the remaining mixture (you can make potato pancakes in advance. Leave the cooked pancakes at room temperture and when guests start to arrive, preheat the oven at 400F (200C). Spread out the pancakes on a large, dry baking sheet, taking care not to overlap them. Bake them until they are hot and crispy, about 10 minutes).
8. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche or sour cream and dill ; season to taste with lemon juice, salt and pepper.
9. To serve, transfer the hot potato pancakes to a platter ; spoon a small dollop o crème fraîche mixture onto each pancake and top with lakes o sturgeon.
10. Serve immediately.

BON APPÉTIT

Scallop Ceviche with Jalapeno and Fresh Lime

 

Makes 4 servings

• 450 gr resh sea scallops or bay scallops, cut into ½-inch pieces
• 160 ml fresh lime juice
• 2 garlic cloves, peeled
• 3 green onions, finely chopped
• 2 medium ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
• 1 medium jalapeno pepper, stemmed, seeded, deveined and finely chopped
• 30 ml olive oil
• 30 ml chopped resh cilantro
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• Cilantro or parsley leaves or garnish

1. Put the scallop pieces in a glass or stainless steel bowl ; pour the lime juice over them and stir gently to coat them thoroughly.
2. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24 hours.
3. Before serving, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil ; add the garlic cloves and blanch them in the boiling water for 1 minute to remove some o their harshness.
4. Drain the cloves well, pat them dry with paper towels, and then chop them finely.
5. Drain most of the lime juice from the scallops and return them to the bowl ; add the chopped garlic, green onions, tomatoes, jalapeno, olive oil and cilantro to the scallops.
6. Mix well and season to taste with the salt and pepper.
7. Garnish with cilantro or parsley leaves.
8. Serve immediately or cover the bowl and refrigerate until serving time.

BON APPÉTIT

Grilled Vegetable Panini with Fontina Cheese and Pesto

 

                    The vegetables can be grilled ahead and the panini assembled and grilled just before serving

Makes 4 servings

• 4 thick squares focaccia bread, each 4 to 5 inches across (or ciabatta bread)
• 1 medium eggplant, cut crosswise into ½-inch slices
• 1 medium sweet yellow onion such as Vidalia or medium red onion, peeled and cut into ¼-inch slices
• 60 ml balsamic vinaigrette, recipe below that page
• 1 large red bell pepper, white ribs removed, quatered, stemmed, and seeded
• 125 ml good-quality prepared pesto
• 250 ml shredded fontina cheese

1. Preheat an electric panini maker or double-sided electric indoor grill.
2. With a bread knife, cut each piece of focaccia in half horizontally to make 2 squares of the same size for the top and bottom of your sandwich,
3. Toss the eggplant and onion slices with the dressing, turning to coat the slices lightly on both sides ; set aside.
4. Put the pepper quarters side by side in the panini maker or grill ; close the machine and cook until tender, 5 to 8 minutes ; remove them and set aside.
5. Grill as many eggplant slices as will fit comfortably side by side in the double-sided grill for 4 to 5 minutes, or until tender ; remove and repeat with any remaining eggplant slices.
6. Then grill the onion slices the same way, about 5 minutes per batch.
7. Spread the cut side of each focaccia piece with some of the pesto ; top half of the slices with 30 ml of shredded fontina cheese.
8. Top with the bell peppers, then evenly distribute the eggplant slices, onions, and remaining fontina ; place the remaining focaccia pieces,cut side down, on top.
9. Put the sandwiches in the panini maker or double-sided grill, close the machine and cook until the cheese has melted and the bread is golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes.
10. Remove the sandwiches, cut each in halfwith a sharp knife and serve.

Balsamic Vinaigrette

• 45 ml balsamic vinegar
• 15 sherry wine vinegar
• 15 ml Dijon mustard
• 1 small shallot, minced
• 10 ml chopped fresh herbs, such as thyme, tarragon, chives or parsley
• 1 ml salt
• 1 ml freshly ground pepper
• 125 ml olive oil
• 80 ml walnut oil

1. Whisk together the vinegars, mustard, shallot, herbs, salt and pepper.
2. Slowly whisk in the oils and continue to whisk until emulsified.
3. Refrigerate in a covered container, and whisk again before using.

BON APPÉTIT

Pizza with Sausage, Fennel and Peppers

 

Makes 4 small (8-inch) pizzas

• 30 ml olive oil, plus additional for brushing the pizza crusts
• 2 medium fennel bulbs, cut into eights, cored, and thinly sliced
• 5 ml finely chopped garlic
• 5 ml chopped fresh thyme
• 1 recipe pizza dough, see below that page for the recipe
• 125 ml prepared pesto
• 500 ml grated mozzarella cheese
• 500 ml grated fontina cheese
• 60 ml grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 large roasted red pepper (fresh or bottled)
• 180 gr fennel sausage or mild Italian sausage, crumbled or sliced

1. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the olive oil ; when the oil is hot, add the fennel and sauté until it is just tender, about 5 minutes, and remove the pan from the heat, stir in the garlic and the thyme.
2. Place a pizza stone on the middle rack of the oven and preheat the oven to 500F (250C).
3. Roll or press out the piza dough ; divide the dough into four equal balls.
4. Shape each ball by gently pulling down the sides of the dough and tucking each pull under the bottom o the ball, working round and round the ball 4 or 5 times.
5. Then, on a smooth, unfloured surface, roll the ball around under your palm until it feels smooth and firm, about 1 minute Put the balls on a tray or platter, cover them with pan-sprayed plastic wrap or a damp towel, and leave them rest for at least 30 minutes (at this point, the dough balls can be covered with plastic wrap and refrigerated for 1 to 2 days, you will need to punch them down again when you are ready to roll out the pizzas).
6. Roll or press the pizza dough, brush lightly with olive oil, then brush each pizza with 30 ml of the pesto ; sprinkle the cheeses evenly over the pesto.
7. Top with the fennel, red pepper and sausage.
8. Using a lightly floured baker's peel or a rimless flat baking tray, slide the pizza onto the baking stone and bake until the pizza crust is nicely browned, 10 to 12 minutes ; remember that the oven is very hot and be careful as you place the pizza in the oven and again when you take it out.
9. Transfer the pizza to a firm surface and cut into slices with a pizza cutter or a very sharp knife.
10. Serve immediately.

All-purpose Pizza dough

                    Pizza dough can be rolled out, covered airtight with plastic and foil, frozen, than transfered directly from the freezer to a hot oven.

• 10 ml active dry yeast
• 250 ml warm water
• 5 ml honey
• 15 ml olive oil
• 375 ml all-purpose flour
• 5 ml salt

1. In the bowl of a stand mixer, or in a large bread bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water ; add the honey and stir together.
2. Let sit 2 or 3 minutes, or until the water is cloudy ; stir in the olive oil.

Using the stand mixer

1. Combine the flour and salt and add it to the yeast mixture all at once ; mix together using the paddle attachment, then change to the dough hook.
2. Knead at low speed for 2 minutes, then turn up to medium speed and knead until the dough comes cleanly away from the sides of the bowl and clusters around the dough hook, about 5 minutes.
3. Hold on to the machine if it bounces around.
4. Turn out onto a clean work surface and knead by hand for 2 to 3 minutes longer ; the dough should be smooth and elastic, when you press it with your finger it should slowly spring back, and it should not feel tacky (back to the recipe).

Kneading the dough by hand

1. Mix together the yeast, honey, water, and olive oil as directed in a medium-size or large bowl.
2. Combine the flour and salt ; fold the flour in a cup at a time using a large wooden spoon.
3. As soon as you can scrape the dough out in one piece, scrape it onto a lightly floured work surface and knead it for 10 minutes, adding flour as necessary until the dough is smooth and elastic.
4. Transfer the dough to a clean, lightly oiled bowl, rounded side down first, then round side up.
5. Cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and leave it in a warm spot to rise for 30 minutes (ou can leave it for up to an hour).
6. When it is ready the dough will stretch as it is gently pulled (back to the recipe).

BON APPÉTIT

Tagliatelle with Pancetta, Shrimp, and Roasted Tomatoes

 

Makes 4 servings

• 60 ml olive oil
• 120 gr pancetta, cut into small dice
• 15 ml chopped garlic
• 12 large shrimp, cleaned and butterflied
• 5 ml chile flakes
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 roasted tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and cut into large chunks
• 400 gr tagliatelle
• 30 ml freshly grated Parmesan cheese
• 30 ml coarsely chopped basil

1. Heat a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil ; when the oil is hot, add the pancetta and sauté until crispy and nice and brown.
2. Add the garlic and cook, stirring , or 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant ; stir in the shrimp, chile flakes, and salt and pepper, and continue to cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes and simmer slowly for 5 minutes.
4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and add the pasta ; cook until slightly al dente.
5. When the pasta is cooked, drain well, add to the pan with the shrimp, toss well, and garnish with the grated Parmesan cheese and chopped basil.
6. Serve immediately.

BON APPÉTIT

Crab Louie on Belgium Endive

 

Makes 4 servings

• 250 gr lump crabmeat
• 45 ml Thousand Island or Russian dressing
• 30 ml minced chives
• 1 vine-ripened tomato, diced and well drained
• 30 ml red onion, diced
• 30 ml olive oil
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Pinch of sugar
• 5 ml minced flat-leaf parsley
• 24 endive leaves
• 1 avocado, diced

1. Pick over the crabmeat to remove any pieces of shell and place in a mixing bowl ; fold in the dressing and chives.
2. In another bowl stir together the tomato, red onion, olive oil, salt and pepper to taste, sugar and parsley.
3. Place 6 endive leaves in a flower pattern on each of the four serving plates ; place a small mound of the crab mixture in the center.
4. Top the crab with the diced avocado and place a spoonful of the tomato mixture on top.

BON APPÉTIT