Chef Guide for Chefs: Chef June Jacobs
Chef2Chef Recipe Club - Volume 1 Number 013 - October 3, 2001.
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Good Morning. It's Wednesday and half way through the week. I hope you are enjoying Chef June Jacobs recipes so far. Last night I tried her Fish Sandwich and Salad. Yum! Did you know that she has planned a 8-day week of marketing, cooking, wine tasting, shopping and -- OF COURSE! ­ dining in the City of Light this coming February. 

Have a great day, Chef David Nelson
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Wednesday:

Butterflied Leg of Lamb à la Provençal

This is one of the most delicious and spectacular dishes you can cook on your grill. Your guests will be totally wowed by how fabulous it tastes, and you will love how quickly it cooks. (Leftovers make great sandwiches!)

Makes 8 servings

1 Leg of Lamb, trimmed and boned (approximately 5 pounds trimmed weight)
(Be sure to ask your butcher to remove the fell.)

Marinade:
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon fresh marjoram leaves
3 cloves garlic
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 lemon, juice and zest
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1. Coarsely chop leaves and garlic. Add lemon zest and mix with oil and juice of the lemon. Add salt and pepper. Rub lamb well, all over. Wrap in plastic, and marinate at least 1 hour. (You can let it sit up to three hours in the refrigerator.)

1. Grill over rosy red coals, or an electric range top grill, for 45 minutes (to 130 degrees F. internal). Or, you may roast it in the oven--375 degrees F. for 20 to 25 minutes, then slide under the broiler 2 minutes (to 125 degrees F. internal) to achieve that crusty grilled look.

2. Let sit at least 10 minutes before carving.

Wine Tip: Although Bordeaux-style wines traditionally pair with lamb, and are suggested on many food-and-wine pairing charts, I think the garlic and the grilling indicate a more robust wine. A Provençal-style syrah-based red, a Côtes-du-Rhône, or a chewy Zinfandel (such as Shenandoah) from California are more worthy companions to this flavorful roast.

Niçoise Potato Salad with Tiny Green Beans (atop a bed of fresh Spinach)

This variation on Salade Niçoise also makes a fabulous luncheon main course. You can leave the anchovies out of the dressing if you must, but then be sure to add 1/4 teaspoon of fine sea salt. You can make all the components ahead of time, but don't assemble the salad until you are ready to serve.

Makes 6 servings

Vinaigrette:
2 anchovy fillets, well drained and very finely chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, very finely chopped
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a bowl, whisk together the anchovies, mustard, garlic and vinegar. Add the oil, one tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly. Set the dressing aside so the flavors can mellow.

Potato Salad:
8 medium-sized red potatoes (2 pounds) scrubbed, with skins intact
2 tablespoons dry French vermouth
1/4 red onion, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chervil or flat-leaf parsley
1 cup tiny ripe Niçoise olives (or choose oil-cured ripe olives from Nyons or Morocco)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound haricots verts (tiny French green beans)
2 pounds fresh, young spinach, washed several times to remove any sand, and well dried

1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the potatoes and cook until they are tender when pierced with a fork.

2. Trim the green beans and blanch in a large pot of salted boiling water for about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat immediately and refresh in an ice water bath to stop the cooking. Toss with about 2 tablespoons of the vinaigrette

3. While the potatoes are still hot, but cool enough to handle, slice them thickly and layer them in a wide, shallow bowl. Sprinkle each layer with some of the vermouth, red onion and parsley. Pour the vinaigrette and olives on top and, with your hands, gently toss the potatoes with the olives and dressing. Wipe the sides of the dish; add salt and pepper, to taste.

2. Cover with plastic wrap and let the potatoes sit at room temperature for at least 1 hour before serving.

3. To serve, arrange atop the spinach and garnish with more olives and very thinly sliced red onions.

Teacher's Tip: Any waxy potato, such as Yukon Gold or Rattes, will work well in this salad.

Wednesday's Shopping List:

1 leg of Lamb (have butcher bone and butterfly it - fully trimmed, should weigh about 5 pounds)
1 bunch fresh thyme
1 bunch fresh rosemary
1 bunch fresh marjoram
1 head garlic
extra-virgin olive oil
1 jar anchovies in olive oil
Dijon mustard
White wine vinegar
2 pounds red-skin potatoes
dry French vermouth (Noilly-Prât)
1 red onion
1 bunch flat-leaf parsley or chervil
1 cup Niçoise olives
1 pound thin young green beans
2 pounds fresh spinach

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