BLIND DATE WITH GARLIC
- Roasted Garlic Mayonnaise
- Trout w/ Prosciutto and Sage
- Grilled Vegetables w/ Garlic Anchovy Dip
- Wild Rice Pecan Salad
- Nicoise Salad
1 Large garlic bulb, skin in tact
1 tablespoon of olive oil (15ml)
Fresh cracked pepper
½ teaspoon of fresh baby thyme (2.5ml)
tin foil
3 large egg yolks, at room temperature
2 tablespoons of boiling water (30ml)
Salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (30ml)
1 ½ cups of olive oil (375ml)
Preheat the grill to medium high heat
Cut the top off of the garlic. Poke the exposed garlic with a fork. Rub the garlic bulb liberally with olive oil and season with cracked black pepper. Add a few sprigs of fresh thyme. Wrap in the tin foil and place the package on the grill. Close the lid and cook for approximately ½ hour.
Remove garlic from foil and let it cool until easily handled. Squeeze out the roasted garlic from the skin into a blender. Add the egg yolks and blend in short bursts until smooth. Continue to blend and add the oil gradually in a very thin stream to begin with and in a thicker stream as the sauce begins to thicken. Blend until the sauce becomes thick and creamy like mayonnaise.
Place the sauce in the fridge for one hour to let the flavours deepen and serve at room temperature.
Yield: 2 cups
TROUT WITH PROSCUITTO AND SAGE
6 Trout -10 oz (315 g) each, cleaned, boned, scaled with heads in tact
Salt & pepper to taste
2 teaspoons of freshly ground pepper (10ml)
20 fresh sage leaves
12 large thin slices of Proscuitto
½ cup of olive oil (125ml)
Prepare grill to medium heat
Cut a shallow diagonal slits in the meatiest part of both sides of the fish. Season both the inside and outside of the fish with salt and pepper. Place 4 sage leaves in the cavity of each fish. Place two slices of proscuitto down vertically so that they overlap slightly. Place the fish at the end closest to you and wrap the fish in the proscuitto.
Brush both sides of the fish generously with olive oil and place gently on the grill. Turn only once during the cooking process when the proscuitto is nice and golden brown.
Serve warm.
Yield: 6 servings
GRILLED VEGETABLES WITH GARLIC ANCHOVY DIP |
Vegetables
3 red peppers
12 cherry tomatoes
6 small sweet Potatos (1½ lbs)
6 carrots (375 g)
2 lbs of asparagus, trimmed (1000 g)
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil (60ml)
Salt and ground pepper to taste
Preheat the grill to medium high heat
To make the dip first roast the garlic. Cut the top off of the garlic bulb. Using a fork, poke holes in the exposed garlic. Rub with olive oil and season with cracked black pepper. Add a few sprigs of thyme and wrap it all in tin foil. Place on the grill for approximately ½ hour.
When the garlic has completely roasted, squish the bulbs from the skin into a blender. Add the chopped anchovies and butter and whiz. Season with freshly ground pepper.
For the vegetables, cut the sweet Potatos, carrots, and red peppers lengthwise into large even pieces (thirds or quarters) and place them in a large glass bowl. Add the cherry tomatoes and asparagus. Add the olive oil and season generously. Toss the vegetables.
Arrange the vegetables on the grill and cook for approximately 1 ½ minutes per side with the lid up.
Serve warm with the dip on the side.
Yield: 6 servings
WILD RICE PECAN SALAD Dressing |
Cook the wild rice according the package instructions and pour the finished rice into a bowl. Add mushrooms, cranberries, green onion and orange zest.
Whisk the ingredients for the dressing together in a bowl. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix it well. Cover the salad with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour to a day.
Place the pecans on a tray and place on the grill to toast. Stir the pecans into the salad and serve chilled.
Yield: 6 servings
NICOISE SALAD
Dressing
1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice (15ml)
2 teaspoons of Dijon mustard (10ml)
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar (15ml)
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
4 roasted cloves of garlic
¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil (62ml)
2 anchovy fillets rinsed, blotted dry and finely chopped
2 tablespoons of capers
18 fresh basil leaves
3 fresh tuna steaks (6oz, 1 inch thick each)
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
Coarse sea salt& cracked black pepper to taste
12 small red Potatos, scrubbed & cut in half
8 ounces of green beans, ends trimmed
1 medium red onion, peeled and cut into wedges
Salt & pepper to taste
6 cups of baby greens
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into wedges
2 hard boiled eggs, cut into wedges
1/3 cup Nicoise or other black olives, rinsed and drained.
Start with the dressing. Place the lemon juice, mustard, vinegar, salt, pepper, and garlic into a blender and whiz. Start adding the oil in a thin stream. Add the anchovies, capers and basil. Blend until desired thickness. Adjust seasoning to taste and refrigerate until ready to use.
Place the tuna steaks in a glass or ceramic dish. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil, lemon juice and season with salt and pepper. Turn the steaks to ensure that they are well coated. Wrap the dish and place in the fridge to marinate for 30 minutes.
Preheat the grill to high
Place the Potatos in salted boiling water. Reduce to simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Remove the Potatos with a slotted spoon and refresh them under cold water to stop the cooking process. Set them aside.
Bring the water to a boil again and add the green beans. Cook for 1-2 minutes and refresh them under cold water.
Place the grill basket on the grill for 5 minutes to preheat. Toss the tomatoes, green beans and red onion in the remaining oil and season. Place them into the now heated grill basket.
Arrange the other vegetables on the grill and cook for 3-6 minutes pre side until nicely charred. Set aside.
Oil the grill liberally with vegetable or grape seed oil. Drain the tuna and plate it dry. Place directly on the grill over high heat. Grill for 4-6 minutes per side for medium rare. Slice the tuna crosswise into thin slices.
Compile the salad with the tuna on top and drizzle with the dressing.
Yield: 6 servings
---
Comments