Summer in Chicago is for outdoor, roofdeck parties and grilling.
Ahem. I said....Summer in Chicago is for outdoor, roofdeck parties and.....oh, nevermind. What does a girl have to do to get some good, outdoor-eating weather? This was Priya's first stint as hostess and the weather was uncooperative. We were cozily situated on the roofdeck. And it was warm enough, but the wind whipped around us, shutting down the grill and moving the furniture. Fat plops of rain came down intermittently while dark brooding clouds loomed behind. We took the hint, and moved downstairs to use the broiler.
The weather may have been bad, but the food was spectacular in comparison. Elisa's artichokes were tender and savory with its beautiful, charred edges. The shrimp were big and meaty, flecked with garlic and run under the broiler. They were served up with two sauces. One green with herbs and roasted garlic. One red with chilies and butter. On the side, we had grilled asparagus, corn on the cob and zucchini, plus a pasta salad, making it a certifiably-festive, indoor BBQ. Amanda, showed off her impeccable corn eating techniques, while some of us were indulging in a fabulously messy, need-some-floss and napkins kind of chow down. As for me, I now have a new go-to dessert for dinner parties, panna cotta. Impressive looking and sounding, it had to be one of the easiest desserts I've made in a long time. The evening ended with rum drinking until the wee hours. 3am to be exact. Take that stupid weather! We didn't need you anyway!
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Dill Dip
1 cup light mayonnaise
1 16 oz. container light sour cream
3 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon dried minced onion
1 tablespoon parsley flakes
Mix all ingredients. Cover. Refrigerate several hours or overnight. Great with rye bread, vegetables, crackers, etc.
Adapted from Quick Dill Dip recipe at KraftFoods.com
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Grilled Artichokes with Grilled Lemon Mayonnaise
4 large artichokes, rinsed well, top third removed, and leaf tips trimmed
1/4 cup salt, plus 1 teaspoon
2 lemons, cut in 1/2
1 cup olive oil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped garlic
1 tablespoon chopped parsley leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 ounces herbed goat cheese, crumbled
Grilled Lemon Mayonnaise, recipe follows
Fill a large pot 3/4 full with water. Add 1/4 cup of the salt and bring to a boil.
Rub the cut sides and bottoms of the artichokes with the lemon wedges and carefully add them to the boiling water. Weight the artichokes as necessary with a heavy dish or bowl, and simmer, partially covered, until the bottoms are just tender and can be pierced with a sharp knife and an outer leaf pulls out easily, about 15 minutes. Drain the artichokes upside down in a colander until cool enough to handle.
Cut the artichokes into quarters and discard the prickly purple leaves and hairy choke.
In a bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add the artichoke quarters and toss to coat. Let marinate for 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally.
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Remove the artichokes from the marinade and grill, turning, until warmed through and lightly charred around the edges, about 5 minutes. Place on a platter and top with the crumbled cheese. Drizzle with the grilled lemon mayonnaise and serve additional mayonnaise on the side for dipping.
Grilled Lemon Mayonnaise
2 lemons, halved
1 large egg*
2 to 3 tablespoons water
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch cayenne
Preheat the grill to medium-high.
Place the lemon halves, cut sides down, on the grill and cook until charred, about 1 minute.
Squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl of a blender or food processor. Add the egg and 1 tablespoon water and process for 20 seconds. With the processor running, slowly pour in the olive and vegetable oils through the feed tube and process until emulsified, adding additional water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin the mayonnaise to drizzling consistency. Add the salt and cayenne pulse to blend.
Adjust the seasoning to taste, transfer to an airtight container, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before using. (Mayonnaise will keep refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)
Yield: about 1 1/4 cups
*RAW EGG WARNING
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.
Emeril Lagasse
Emeril Live
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Grilled Shrimp With Roasted Garlic-Herb Sauce
Brining the shrimp and then grilling them in their shells will help retain flavor and the natural juices.
1 quart water
1/3 cup salt
1/3 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds uncooked large shrimp, unpeeled
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
Stir first 3 ingredients in medium bowl until sugar dissolves. Add shrimp. Refrigerate at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours. Drain and rinse shrimp.
Using shears, cut shrimp shells down center of back all the way to tail section. Using sharp knife, cut shrimp in their shells along the full length of the back (do not cut all the way through). Remove vein and pull off legs. Open shrimp.
Whisk olive oil, white wine, garlic, parsley, and crushed red pepper in clean medium bowl. Add shrimp and stir; let stand 30 minutes.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Place shrimp, flesh side down, on grill. Grill shrimp until pink and cooked through, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and serve, passing Roasted Garlic-Herb Sauce separately.
Makes 6 servings.
Bon Appétit
July 2001
Priya's Notes:I used the 13-15 size shrimp that had already been shelled. I didn't brine the shrimp, but marinated for 6-7 hours instead of the 30 min. stated in the recipe.
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Roasted Garlic-Herb Sauce
This pesto-like sauce would be great with just about any grilled seafood.
heads of garlic, top 1/4 inch of each cut off and discarded
1 teaspoon plus 2/3 cup olive oil
1 cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley
4 anchovy fillets, rinsed
2 tablespoons drained caper
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon grated lemon peel
Preheat oven to 375°F. Place heads of garlic in small glass baking dish. Drizzle with 1 teaspoon oil. Cover baking dish with foil. Roast until garlic is tender, about 1 hour. Cool slightly. Squeeze garlic from skin into small bowl. Mash with fork. Place mashed garlic, parsley, anchovy fillets, capers, basil and lemon peel in processor. With machine running, slowly blend in 2/3 cup oil. Season sauce with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Chill. Use at room temperature.)
Makes about 1 cup.
Bon Appétit
July 2001
Priya's Notes:
I used 5 cloves of garlic for the shrimp marinade, and I roasted 3 heads of garlic for the sauce instead of 2. Also I forgot to the put the anchovies in the sauce (I probably would only have used 2 filets instead of 4 anyway).
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Grilled New Orleans-style Shrimp
Serve these spicy grilled shrimp with bread for sopping up all the sauce.
Active time: 40 min Start to finish: 40 min
1 1/2 lb large shrimp (21 to 25 per lb)
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 medium garlic cloves, minced
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Special equipment: 7 (12-inch) wooden skewers
Accompaniments: a baguette and lemon wedges
Snip shells of shrimp with scissors down middle of back, leaving tail and first segment of shell intact. Make an incision along length of back where shells are cut and devein, leaving shells in place. (Shells will prevent shrimp from becoming tough on outside when grilled.) Toss shrimp with oil, garlic, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and marinate at cool room temperature 15 minutes.
While shrimp marinate, prepare grill for cooking. If using a charcoal grill, open vents on bottom of grill, then light charcoal. Charcoal fire is medium-hot when you can hold your hand 5 inches above rack for 3 to 4 seconds. If using a gas grill, preheat burners on high, covered, 10 minutes, then reduce heat to moderately high.
Heat butter, chili powder, pepper, Worcestershire sauce, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a small heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until butter is melted, then remove from heat and stir in lemon juice.
Thread 4 or 5 shrimp onto each skewer and grill, covered only if using a gas grill, turning over once, until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes total. Push shrimp off skewers into a bowl, then pour butter mixture over them and toss to combine well.
Cooks' note:
• Shrimp can be broiled on a broiler pan 6 inches from heat, turning over once, about 6 minutes total.
Makes 4 main-course servings.
epicurious.com (bombay dreams)
Priya's notes:
I made the marinade with 5 cloves minced, and for the sauce I used only 3 teaspoons worcestershire sauce and a little more than a teaspoon each of the chili powder and the black pepper. Also, I used the 13-15 size shrimp that had already been shelled.
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Panna Cotta with Strawberries and Balsamic Vinegar
Panna cotta
2 tablespoons water
1 1/4 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
2 cups whipping cream
1 1/4 cups plain goat's-milk yogurt or whole-milk yogurt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar
Strawberries
2 1-pint baskets strawberries, hulled, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
For panna cotta:
Pour 2 tablespoons water into small bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over water. Let stand until softened, about 15 minutes. Whisk 1 cup cream, yogurt, and vanilla in large bowl to blend. Heat remaining 1 cup cream and 1/2 cup sugar in small saucepan over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves and cream comes to simmer. Remove from heat. Add gelatin mixture, stirring to dissolve gelatin. Mix hot cream-gelatin mixture into yogurt mixture in bowl. Divide mixture among six 3/4-cup ramekins, using about 1/2 cup for each. Refrigerate desserts uncovered until cold, then cover and refrigerate overnight.
For strawberries:
Toss strawberries, vinegar, sugar, and pepper in large bowl to combine. Let stand 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Spoon strawberries over panna cotta and serve.
Makes 6 servings.
Bon Appétit
R.S.V.P.
April 2002
chef Mario Batali
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