Monthly Archive for September, 2009

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB

Published
by
Tyler Florence
on September 30, 2009
in Main Dishes
. 0 Comments

9.30.09-leg_of_lamb

GRILLED LEG OF LAMB
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for grilling
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
4 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
Juice of 1 lemon
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 (3 1/2 pound) boneless leg of lamb, butterflied but not tied
2 cups of mache or mixed baby greens
1 bunch mint, leaves only
2 scallions, sliced thin
Lemony Chickpea Puree, recipe follows

To make the vinaigrette, whisk together the oil, vinegar, garlic, oregano, thyme, and lemon juice in a bowl; season with salt and pepper.  Pat the lamb dry and put it on a shallow platter.  Season all over with salt and pepper.  Pour half of the vinaigrette over the lamb, turning the meat to get it well coated.  Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

Heat the grill (or large cast iron skillet) and oil it lightly. Remove the lamb from the marinade and grill for about 15 to 20 minutes per side for medium-rare.  (Adjust the time accordingly for other degrees of doneness.)  Transfer to a cutting board, cover with foil and let rest for 10 minutes.

Toss the mache (or mixed baby greens), mint leaves, and scallions in a bowl and dress the salad with about 3 tablespoons of the reserved vinaigrette.  Season with salt and pepper. Slice the lamb into thick slices and serve with greens.

LEMONY CHICKPEA PUREE
Yield: 4 cups
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

1 cup dried chickpeas, soaked overnight
1 bay leaf
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more as needed
Juice and zest of 3 lemons
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, for garnish

Drain and rinse chickpeas and put them into a saucepan.  Cover with cold water by 2 inches; add the bay leaf and salt and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer beans until tender, about 1 1/2 hours.  Drain, reserving about 1 cup of the cooking liquid.  Remove the bay leaf and discard.

Put cooked chickpeas into a food processor or blender.  Add the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.  Process until smooth; add some of the reserved cooking liquid to thin if needed.  Serve as a base to grilled marinated lamb or put into a serving dish and garnish with a drizzle of olive oil and the parsley.

THE ULTIMATE CRAB CAKES

Published
by
Tyler Florence
on September 29, 2009
in Main Dishes
. 2 Comments

THE ULTIMATE CRAB CAKES
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Serves 4 to 6

Crab Cakes:
Extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, finely minced
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
1 1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs (made from 3 or 4 slices of white bread with the crusts removed)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 large egg white
juice of 1 lime
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus whole leaves, for garnish
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Make the crab cakes first so they have time to firm up in the fridge before you cook them.  Heat a 2-count of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onion and garlic and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, until the onion gets kind of caramelised and delicious.  Dump that into a bowl and fold in the crabmeat, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, egg white lime juice, and cilantro, mixing just until well blended.  Season with salt and pepper.  Shape the mixture into 6 fat crab cakes.  Put them on a plate, cover, and stick them in the refrigerator to chill.

To serve, heat a 3-count of olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the crab cakes and cook for about 4 minutes each side until nice and crisp. Serve on torn butchers paper with fresh lemon wedges and roasted garlic aioli.

ROASTED GARLIC AIOLI WITH CELERY ROOT
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 head of garlic, roasted
juice of 1 lemon
1/2 cup shredded celery root, shredded using the grater attachment of a food processor
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.

Begin by roasting the garlic.  Take the whole head of garlic and cut the top off so the cloves are slightly exposed.  Take a piece of aluminum foil and fold it over to form a double layer – this will be used as the pouch.  Put the head of garlic in the middle of the foil and drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.  Fold the corners of the foil up to form a pouch and seal all around the edges.  Place in the middle of the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes until a knife pierces the garlic flesh without resistance.  Remove from oven and squeeze out the flesh into a food processor.

Add the sour cream, mayonnaise, celery seed, and lemon juice.  Pulse until well combined and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.  Pour into a mixing bowl and fold in the shredded celery root.  Give it a final taste and adjust seasoning if necessary.

ROASTED BRANZINO WITH GREEN OLIVE COUSCOUS

Published
by
Tyler Florence
on September 28, 2009
in Main Dishes
. 0 Comments

ROASTED BRANZINO WITH GREEN OLIVE COUSCOUS
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

9.28.09-branzino

Yield: serves 4

Time: 35 minutes

½ stick unsalted butter

zest and juice of 1 grapefruit

extra-virgin olive oil

4 whole branzino, 1 ½ pounds each, gutted and scaled

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Grapefruit wedges

Green Olive couscous (recipe below)

Arrange an oven rack about 4 inches from the broiler and preheat broiler.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan with the grapefruit zest and juice and simmer for a couple of minutes.  Oil a large baking sheet.  Sprinkle the fish all over with salt and pepper, including inside the cavities.  Put the fish in a single layer on the baking sheet, then stuff the cavities with some of the couscous.  Drizzle the fish with some of the grapefruit butter and broil, without turning, until the skin blisters and the fish is cooked through but still transluscent at the bone, 12 to 15 minutes.

Baste the fish a couple of times with the remaining grapefruit butter as it broils.  Serve fish with the remaining couscous and grapefruit wedges.

GREEN OLIVE COUSCOUS

Yield: serves 4

Kosher salt

½ pound green beans, trimmed

1 ½ cups cold water

1 cup couscous

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

2 tablespoons grapefruit olive oil (“O” brand grapefruit olive oil: www.ooliveoil.com <http://www.ooliveoil.com> )

1 fennel bulb, sliced paper thin

Freshly ground black pepper

¼ cup pine nuts, toasted

¼ cup halved, pitted green olives

Extra-virgin olive oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil for the beans.  Fill a large bowl with ice water and add salt to it until it tastes lightly salty – this is to refresh your beans.  When the water comes to a boil add the beans and cook until just tender about 3 minutes.  Drain and then refresh in the salted ice water.  Drain and cut into ½-inch pieces.

Meanwhile, pour cold water over the couscous in a medium bowl (using cold water reserves the couscous’ grainy, nutty texture).  Cover and let stand for 15 minutes.  Combine the vinegar, oil and fennel in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper and stir.  Fold in the couscous along with the pinenuts, green beans and olives.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and finish with a drizzle of olive oil.

CARAMELIZED ONION TOASTS

Published
by
Tyler Florence
on September 25, 2009
in Side Dishes and recipes
. 1 Comment

CARAMELIZED ONION TOASTS

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Serves 6 to 8

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 4 tablespoons, softened, for brushing the bread
2 onions, sliced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 baguette
12 anchovy halves
Pitted Nicoise olives
Extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

Preheat the oven to 450˚F.
Heat 4 tablespoons butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, thyme, salt and pepper and cook until the onions are golden brown, about 20 minutes.
Shave off the rounded sides of the baguette with a serrated knife and then cut the baguette in half lengthwise to make 2 long slices of bread. Brush both sides with the remaining 4 tablespoons butter. Put the bread slices on a baking sheet and spread with the onions. Garnish with anchovy halves and olives and drizzle with olive oil. Throw that in the oven and bake until the bread is crispy, about 15 minutes. Shower with Parmigiano. Cut into pieces and serve hot.

Fall is Here!

Published
by
Tyler Florence
on September 23, 2009
in Appearances
. 1 Comment

9.23.09-harvest

Hi everyone-

Fall is here!  Well, at least that’s what the calendar says.  Here in the San Francisco Bay Area, we’re having some record heat and it is absolutely gorgeous.
I wanted to let you all know about a fabulous new event that I’m taking part in called ‘Harvest: Farm-to-Table’ at one of the most beautiful places on Earth, Carmel, CA.  Food & Wine Magazine and the great folks from the Pebble Beach Food & Wine Festival have put together a two day event, September 26/27, that will celebrate the amazing agriculture, viticulture and cheeses of California.  I’ll be there doing cooking demo’s on both Saturday and Sunday with book signings to follow.  I hope you’ll come out for what promises to be a fantastic weekend.

For tickets and more information, please visit www.harvestcarmel.com

Herb & Lemon–Roasted Chicken with Smashed Broccoli and Garlic

Published
by
Tyler Florence
on September 11, 2009
in twitterlicious
. 6 Comments

Herb & Lemon–Roasted Chicken with Smashed Broccoli and Garlic


Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence

9.10.09-new_projects_13w

1 1/4 hours to make + 5 hours to marinate

Serves 2

Chicken

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Zest of 1 lemon, peeled in big strips

4 garlic cloves, smashed

4 fresh thyme sprigs

2 fresh rosemary sprigs

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh tarragon

1 lemon, sliced in paper-thin circles

2 bone-in chicken breasts, 8 ounces each, skin on

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock

Juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon unsalted butter



Broccoli

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of red pepper flakes

5 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

1 bunch broccoli, about 1 pound, including stems, coarsely chopped

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

1/4 cup plain yogurt

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

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Start by marinating the chicken because it will take the longest. To infuse the oil with flavor and create a base for the marinade, combine the olive oil with the lemon zest, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaves in a small pot and place over very low heat. You don’t want to fry the herbs, just steep them like you’re making tea. When the oil begins to simmer, shut off the heat and let it stand for 10 minutes. Pour the fragrant oil, solid pieces and all, into a bowl and put it in the refrigerator to cool.

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Combine the chopped chives, parsley, and tarragon in a small bowl. Stuff 2 lemon slices under the skin of each chicken breast, along with half of the mixed chopped herbs. Put the chicken in a resealable food storage bag and pour in the cool herb oil, turning to coat really well. Toss in the remaining half of the chopped herbs, seal the bag, and refrigerate at least 5 hours or as long as all day.

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Remove the chicken from the refrigerator about 15 minutes before cooking so it won’t be too cold when it goes into the pan; cold chicken takes longer to cook. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put a cast-iron (or regular ovenproof) skillet over medium heat. Drizzle the bottom of the pan with a 2-count of olive oil and heat until almost smoking; this will keep the chicken from sticking. Season the chicken with a fair amount of salt and pepper and put it in the pan, skin side down. Cook for 5 minutes or until the skin begins to set and crisp. Flip the chicken and brown another 5 minutes. Flip it yet again, so the skin side is down, and transfer the entire pan to the oven. You want the chicken to render its fat and the skin to crisp up. Roast the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes or until cooked through. While that’s in the oven, move on to the broccoli.

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Heat the olive oil in a medium pot; add the red pepper flakes and garlic. Throw in the broccoli and toss to coat in the garlic and oil. Pour in the chicken stock, cover, and let the broccoli steam for 10 minutes. When it is quite soft, pulse the broccoli a few times in a food processor, or better yet, use a handheld blender if you have one. The broccoli should be partly smooth and partly chunky. Stir in the yogurt to give the broccoli some body and season with salt and pepper.

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Transfer the chicken to a platter and keep it warm while preparing the pan sauce. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered chicken fat and return the skillet to the stovetop. Add the chicken stock and lemon juice and cook over medium heat, scraping up the flavors with a wooden spoon. Cook the liquid down to a syrup, about 5 minutes. Stir in the butter to smooth out the sauce and turn off the heat.
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Spoon the smashed broccoli onto 2 plates, lay the chicken on top, and drizzle with the pan sauce. This is comfort food!


New Projects

Published
by
Tyler Florence
on September 9, 2009
in Main Dishes
. 6 Comments

Hi everyone-

I wanted to take just a few minutes and tell you about some of the exciting new projects that I have coming up.  We’ve been working really hard to create some great new projects to bring to Northern California and after many, many months of concepting and development, I am really happy to be able to tell you about a few of them.

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The first new project that you’ll find open will be a new outpost of The Tyler Florence Shop at San Francisco International Airport.  Located in Terminal 1, Boarding Area B, (Southwest, Continental, US Air, Alaska) the Shop will feature many of the ‘greatest hits’ from the Shop in Mill Valley, with a particular focus on smaller, more portable items that make a great gift or snack for the plane.

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Grab a bag of the addictive Brown Butter Sea Salt cookies from the Brown Butter Butter Cookie Company or pick up some delicious Red Juicy Blood Orange Marmalade from San Francisco’s own CMB Sweets or a bottle of my latest vintage of TF Pinot Noir. Whether you are just beginning your visit to the Bay Area or heading out of town on business, we hope to be your first and last stop in and out of the City!

9.09.09-new_projects_06

So, once you’re here in San Francisco, I’d be remiss in not offering you a new and exciting place to eat.  San Francisco is without a doubt, one of the most important food cities in the world and I am very proud to be able to bring you my first signature restaurant right in the heart of San Francisco’s Financial District.  Located at 558 Sacramento Street, in a gorgeous space once occupied by my friend Drew Neiporent’s iconic Rubicon, I am opening Wayfare Tavern, an homage to the melting pot that was the Barbary Coast in the late 1800’s.  San Francisco has always been progressive and in the grand Bohemian days of San Francisco, there was nothing more exciting than the international mix of flavors and characters that defined the downtown scene. Wayfare Tavern will offer a sense of culinary preservation in its careful attention to the great culinary traditions of San Francisco as they began with the first San Francisco restaurants coming up under the tutelage of French, Italian and Spanish chefs.  Wayfare  Tavern will open in the first part of 2010 and I’ll keep you posted as the project progresses.  This is a city full of amazing chefs and I can’t wait to be a part of this great restaurant community.

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I’m also proud to announce two new ventures just 90 miles north in Napa, CA.  There, I’ll be launching both a Tyler Florence Shop and a new fast casual concept called Tyler Florence’s Rotisserie and Wine at the brand new Napa Riverfront Development (www.riverfrontofnapa.com), where I’m pleased to be joining my friend and colleague, Iron Chef Masaharu Morimoto and legendary Bay Area restaurateur, Michael Dellar.  The Shop will feature all of the great products you’ll find in the original Mill Valley location plus a fabulous selection of wines from Napa and Sonoma Counties, America’s greatest wine growing regions.  Just next door to the Shop, Tyler Florence’s Rotisserie and Wine will showcase locally and sustainably-raised meats roasted slowly and evenly on our signature rotisseries, moving around the heat source to create a juicer, more tender, self-basted meat that can’t be achieved by any other method of cooking.  Our salads will reflect the cornucopia of California’s bounty.  Our soups will be hearty and seasonal and desserts will range from the classic to the decadent.  Complementing the rotisserie’s offerings will be a full service wine bar featuring Napa’s and Sonoma’s finest offerings.  Look for a late spring 2010 opening.

Stay tuned for more updates and timing on these projects and even more to be announced soon.

Cheers,

Tyler

SPICY TUNA ROLLS WITH SESAME CUCUMBERS

Published
by
Tyler Florence
on September 4, 2009
in tyler florence fridays
. 3 Comments

9.04.09-tff-01

07.03.09-tyler_TWTLISH_02

SPICY TUNA ROLLS WITH SESAME CUCUMBERS

Yield: serves 4
Time: 18 minutes

Sesame Cucumbers:
1 hothouse cucumber, sliced
2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

Spicy Tuna Rolls:
1/2 pound sushi-grade tuna
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon hot chile paste, such as sambal
2 teaspoons sesame seeds, toasted
1/4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
2 sheets of nori
sprouts for garnish

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First make the cucumber salad. Toss together the cucumber slices, sesame oil, sesame seeds, lemonjuice, salt, and red pepper flakes in a bowl.  Set it aside so that the cucumber has time to absorb the flavors of the marinade.

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Cube the tuna and put it into a medium bowl.  Add the mayonnaise, chile paste, sesame seeds, sesame oil, and lemon juice and gently fold together.

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To assemble the rolls, cut each nori sheet into 4 squares.  Put one square on your cuting board but turn it so that it looks like a diamond, with the points at top and bottom.  put a spoonfulof tuna in the center and spread it out so that it covers the middle third of the diamond, running from top to bottom points.

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Top with a few radish sprouts.  Fold the left side over and then the right, like you’re folding a burrito, and seal the nori with a dab of water.

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Repeat to make 8 tuna rolls.  Serve with sesame cucumbers and eat immediately.

Today’s Recipe: THE ULTIMATE GRILLED SHRIMP

Published
by
Tyler Florence
on September 3, 2009
in Main Dishes
. 1 Comment

THE ULTIMATE GRILLED SHRIMP

Recipe courtesy of Tyler Florence
9.03.09-shrimp

Yield: 4 servings

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened

Leaves from 1 bunch of fresh basil

2 lemons

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

16 large head-on jumbo shrimp in the shell, shells split down the back

Put a large grill pan on two burners over medium-high heat or pre-heat an outdoor gas or charcoal grill and get it very hot.  If you’re using an outdoor grill, take a few paper towels and fold them over several times to make a thick square.  Blot a small amount of oil on the paper towel, then carefully and quickly wipe the hot grates of the grill to make a nonstick grilling surface.

Meanwhile, throw the butter into a food processor with the basil leaves (reserve a few for garnish), the juice of one of the lemons, and salt and pepper.  Puree.  Stuff about half of the butter under the shells of the shrimp (about ½ tablespoon per shrimp).  Lay the shrimp on the hot grill and cook for 3 minutes on each side, brushing with the remaining basil butter a few times as they cook.

To serve, put the shrimp on plates and dot with the remaining basil butter.  Squeeze the remaining lemon over the shrimp and garnish the plates with basil leaves.