Marcus Samuelsson's 4th of July Feast
Marcus Samuelsson has had a busy spring. He was recently asked by the White House to help spearhead a healthy eating initiative for kids, he won the second season of Bravo's "Top Chef Masters," and is busy prepping the opening of his new restaurant, Red Rooster. And Samuelsson, author of the "New American Table" appeared on the broadcast Tuesday to help "The Early Show" count down to the 4th of July with a menu of surf, turf, burgers and shakes.
Grilled Gulf Shrimp Skewers
6 servings
6 wooden skewers
2 tablespoon olive oil
6 jumbo Gulf shrimp, peeled and de-veined
Pinch of salt
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Juice from 1 lime
2 teaspoons chopped cilantro
1. Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes. Heat large grill pan over medium-high heat and brush with olive oil.
2. Season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, chili powder and cumin. Thread shrimp onto skewers and add to the grill pan. Grill until opaque, about 4 minutes on each side.
3. Squeeze lime over skewers and sprinkle cilantro over top to garnish.
Flank Steak with Chimichurri
1 1/2 pounds trimmed flank steak
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1. Preheat broiler.
2. Pat steak dry. Mix together salt, cumin, coriander, and pepper in a small bowl and rub mixture onto both sides of steak. Grill for 12 minutes on each side, until medium rare. Remove from pan and let stand 5 minutes.
3. Thinly slice steak and serve with Chimichurri sauce.
Chimichurri
Makes 1 cup
1/2 cup olive oil
2 shallots, chopped
6 garlic cloves, chopped
3 tablespoons lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons chopped basil
3 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and half of the garlic and sauté until translucent, about five minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool
2. In a large bowl combine the lemon juice, lemon zest and the remaining olive oil and garlic. Stir in the sautéed shallots and garlic, basil, parsley, cilantro, salt and pepper.
Rhubarb Lemon Shake
Makes 4
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 1/2 cup strawberries
2 cups diced fresh rhubarb
1/2 vanilla bean
1 pint Häagen-Dazs Five Lemon ice cream
1/4 cup yogurt
1. Combine sugar and ginger with 1/4 cup water in a large sauce pan over medium heat and bring to a boil. Add strawberries and rhubarb.
2. Use a sharp knife to slice the vanilla bean lengthwise, then use the back of the knife to gently scrape the seeds into the pot.
3. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until fruit starts to release its liquid and break down, about 2 minutes.
4. Remove from heat and let cool for 10 minutes.
5. Put rhubarb strawberry mix, ice cream and yogurt in a yogurt and blend until smooth.
Burger with Spicy Ketchup
4 servings
1 1/2 pounds 70/30 ground beef
2 garlic cloves, chopped, plus 1 garlic clove, thinly sliced
2 shallots, chopped
1/4 pound shredded jack cheese, plus 4 slices
5 drops Tabasco sauce
4 drops Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt, plus more for eggs
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, plus more for eggs
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 Napa cabbage leaves, cut in half
4 potato buns
4 eggs
Spicy Ketchup (see below)
1 red onion, thinly sliced
1 heirloom tomato, sliced
1. Place the chopped meat in a large bowl with the chopped garlic, shallots, shredded cheese, Tabasco, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, pepper and chili powder and mix with your hands until well combined. Shape the meat into 7-ounce patties, about 4 inches in diameter and 1/2-inch thick.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the cabbage and sliced garlic and sauté for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and set aside.
3. Prepare a grill over high heat. Place the buns on the grill and toast.
4. Place the burgers on the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side. Let rest for 3 minutes.
5. While the burgers are resting, heat a non-stick pan over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the pan and cook to over-medium. Season with salt and pepper.
6. To serve, place a dollop of Spicy Ketchup on the bottom half of the toasted bun. Layer with the cabbage-garlic mix. Place the burger on top and arrange an over-easy egg, cheese, tomato and onion slice on the burger. Top with the other half of the bun.
Spicy Ketchup
Makes 1 1/2 cups
2 red bell peppers
2 Poblano peppers
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons horseradish
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
8 drops Tabasco
1. Brush the peppers with olive oil. Using tongs, char over a gas flame then peel the skin and remove the ribs and seeds.
2. In a jar of a blender combine ketchup and peppers, puree until smooth.
3. In a medium bowl combine the puree, mustard, horseradish, paprika, chili powder, pepper, garlic powder and Tabasco in a small bowl and mix until well combined.
Tomato and Watermelon Salad with Almond Vinaigrette
6 servings
2 tablespoons sliced almonds
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons harissa
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 cup watermelon, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 jalapeno, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons torn Italian parsley
2 tablespoons torn mint leaves
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper
6 heirloom tomatoes, roughly chopped (about 2 1/2 pounds)
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
1. To make the vinaigrette, combine the almonds, garlic and harissa in a small sauté pan over medium heat and sauté for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
2. In a separate bowl, combine the olive oil, vinegar, lime juice and shallots. Whisk in the almond-harissa mixture.
3.Toss the watermelon, jalapeno, parsley, mint and capers in a large bowl. Season with salt and a few grindings of fresh pepper. Add the tomatoes and toss with the vinaigrette. Garnish with goat cheese and serve immediately.
Marcus Samuelsson is a big supporter of seafood from the South in this time of the oil crisis. As you think of what to grill this weekend, consider seafood from the region, as the fisherman are fighting for their very survival every day as this crisis continues. They post daily updates on the seafood of Louisiana at Louisianaseafoodnews.com.