Jonny's Daily Dish

I found this recipe in the pages of Wine Spectator’s June 2012 edition and decided to give it a shot.  I paired it with Rosemary Roasted Potatoes, Sauteed Baby Fiddles & a BenMarco Malbec 2010.

How To Make Seared Flank Steak and Salsa Verde
4 6-ounce flank steaks
1 small bunch parsley
2 shallots, peeled
1 large piece of garlic, grated
1 medium lemon, zest and juice
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (plus more for seasoning)
2 cups olive oil (plus more for sautéing)

1. To prepare the salsa verde: Combine the parsley, shallots, grated garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, salt and 2 cups of olive oil in a blender and blend until bright green and smooth. (The salsa verde will keep for 3 to 4 days stored in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator.)

2. Season the steaks with kosher salt. Heat cast iron grill pan.  When pan is very hot, sear the steaks approximately 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Remove from pan and allow to rest for 1 minute.

3. Slice each steak and arrange on the plate. Spoon a generous amount of the sauce on top and serve immediately. Serves 4.

With last years main box moved to the center of the yard I had to build a 3rd box to house the cucumbers that I am hoping to trestle up the chain link fence that runs the side of my yard.  I opted for a more narrow 4’x1’ planter as I am only planting in a single row.  

Walked out of the office tonight and asked resident funny man Joe Burns what I should have for dinner.  He suggested lamb…albeit frozen lamb from Trader Joes.  

Lamb on the brain, I made my first stop at BottleRocket to find the wine pairing.  If you’ve never been to this wine shop, do yourself a favor and stop by, preferably on a Friday when they host tastings and when you’re likely to find me there.  The shop is organized in a really smart manner that I’ve never seen before.  Central stations by reason for drinking and side walls by type and region.  

Knowing that I wanted a red to pair with lamb, I went straight to the “meat friendly wines” station, found the side dedicated to lamb, and selected a Chateau Cheylus 2009 Cotes du Rhone from the 5 lamb friendly wines ranging from the $12 every day to the $60 no so every day.

Wine in hand, I walked to the Union Square WholeFoods where along the way I saw a lot of after-the-fact undercover police activity near the park’s South Side chess tables.  

Produce for Asparagus, Butcher for Lamb, Prepared Foods for Mashed Potatoes. Yeah, I said it.  Pre-cooked mashed potatoes.  Peeling, boiling, & mashing for 1 mouth just wasn’t in the cards tonight.

Enough with the foreplay…on to the meal:

Preparation:

Roasted Rack of Lamb:

• Rack of Lamb: 1-1.5 lbs French Trimmed Rack of Lamb, 8 bones for a proper cut.  If your butcher is unable or unwilling to French your rack, find a new butcher.
• Pre-Heated Oven: 400 degrees.
• 1st Seasoning - Salt and Pepper:  Place meat on a cutting board and season with Salt and Pepper, keeping in mind that this is only the first crust.
• Sear Rack: Heat olive oil in saute pan over high heat, add seasoned rack, and brown approximately 1 minute per side, 4-5 minutes total.  Use tongs if needed to balance along awkward edges.
• 2nd Seasoning - Dijon Mustard: Remove rack from pan and place on cutting board.  Spoon or brush light coat of Dijon Mustard on all surfaces.  
• 3rd Seasoning - Dry Herb Rub: Atkins Ranch Dry Lamb Seasoning, available at the butcher counter. 
• Place rack of lamb in 400 degree pre-heated oven for 20-25 minutes, depending on size of rack and desired doneness.  22 minutes proved perfect for me.
• Remove lamb from oven and place on cutting board.  Rest 10 minutes
• Slice rack every other bone and serve double chops.

Asparagus:

• Rinse aspragus and dry in salad spinner
• Trim of bottoms
• Boil 1/4” of water in frying pan, add asparagus, and lightly season with salt.
• Cover and cook 2-3 minutes depending on the thickness of asparagus spears.
• Remove from pan, drain in colander, and dress with Dijon Lemon Vinaigrette.

Found yet another use for the sage that I bought on Friday night in a recipe for Saltimbocca.  I served it with a side of pasta with marinara sauce that I made and froze over the summer with tomatoes I picked from my garden. 

We celebrated Harris’s birthday by dining at Laundry in Steamboat, Colorado.  Great cocktails, decent food, but disappointing service.  Then again it’s tough to serve small plates to a party of 12 after the waiter suggests 2-3 plates per person.

What to do with all the sage leftover from last nights Seared Scallop dish?  Apparently, it’s a great herb with which to make compound butter.

Maple & Sage Butter for the Sweet Potato and Garlic and Sage Butter for the Steak.

I was craving some seafood after a lot of meat in Steamboat and scallops came to mind.  Found a recipe on youtube and headed to BottleRocket to pick out a wine and then to WholeFoods for the ingredients.

Recipe courtesy of LightsCameraCook
1 lb green asparagus, trimmed and cut into slices on the diagonal 
3 tbsp olive oil, divided 
1 lb diver sea scallops 
1/2 tsp black pepper 
3/4 tsp salt, divided 
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1/3 cup white wine
2 tbsp butter 
2 tbsp mascarpone cheese 
1 tbsp fresh sage

Heat olive oil in a pan and sauté asparagus 4 minutes until tender.  Transfer asparagus to a plate and return pan to stove. 

Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper.  Add some more olive oil to the pan and sauté scallops 3 minutes per side until browned.  Once cooked, transfer to a clean plate. 

Return pan to the stove and add the garlic and shallots. Sauté for 30 seconds and add the white wine to deglaze.  Bring to a boil and reduce to about 2 tablespoons. Reduce heat to low and whisk in butter one tablespoon at a time.  Do the same with the mascarpone cheese. Once fully incorporated, add sage, asparagus and and cook until heated. Plate sauce and top with scallops.  

Served with Dr. Konstantin Frank 2009 Rkatsiteli from the Finger Lakes region on NY State purchased from BottleRocket Wines and Spirits.