THE Dish: Chef Mike Isabella's ultimate 3-day marinated rack of lamb
(CBS News) Chef Mike Isabella is hot.
The "Top Chef All-Star" was recently named "The People's Best New Chef: Mid Atlantic" for 2012, by Food and Wine magazine.
He's the chef and owner, or co-owner, at two of Washington D.C.'s top restaurants -- Graffiato and Bandolero -- with two more planned for 2013.
And he's the author of a new cookbook, "Mike Isabella's Crazy Good Italian."
On "CBS This Morning: Saturday" for THE Dish segment, Isabella shares his ultimate dish: 3-day marinated rack of lamb.
Three-Day Marinated Rack of Lamb
Serves 4 as a small plate
Active Time = 30-35 minutes
Inactive Time = 3 days
1/2 cup lemon juice
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 tablespoon thyme
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 1/2 cups canola oil
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 racks of lamb, cleaned and frenched (New Zealand lamb recommended)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
Lamb tastes best when served medium-rare, and this marinade brings out incredible flavor. Ask your butcher or person working the meat counter to French the rack of lamb for you.
1. Blend lemon juice, rosemary, thyme, and oregano in a blender on medium speed. With blender running, slowly stream in both oils.
2. Cut racks of lamb into 1-bone chops and arrange in a glass baking dish in a single layer. Pour the marinade over the meat and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 3 days.
3. Remove lamb from refrigerator and season with salt.
4. Heat an outdoor grill or indoor grill pan to medium high. Grill the chops for 2 minutes on each side to medium rare. Serve immediately.
Brussels Sprouts with Pancetta and Maple Glaze
When the weather gets colder, I look forward to making Brussels sprouts. I didn't really like eating them until I figured out how to make them sweet and salty. The sweet maple glaze complements the saltiness of the pancetta and brings out the great cabbage flavor in the sprouts.
1. Preheat the oven to 475 deg. F.
2. Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the pancetta and saute for 8-10 minutes, or until the fat has rendered and the pancetta is crispy. Add the shallot and saute 2 minutes longer.
3. Stir in sherry vinegar, maple syrup, and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then lower heat to medium and simmer to reduce the liquid by half. This will take 20-25 minutes.
4. While the maple glaze is reducing, toss the Brussels sprouts with remaining 3 tablespoons olive oil and salt. Stir to evenly coat and season the Brussels sprouts. Arrange them on a baking sheet in a single layer and roast for 20-25 minutes.
5. Toss Brussels sprouts with maple glaze, transfer to a serving dish, and serve hot.
Serves 4 as a small plate
Active Time = 35-40 minutes
2 teaspoons plus 3 tablespoons
extra virgin olive oil
1 cup small-diced pancetta
(approximately 4 ounces)
1/2 cup small-diced shallot
3/4 cup sherry vinegar
3/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup light brown sugar
1 pound Brussels sprouts, quartered
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Serves 4 as a small plate
Active Time = 25 minutes
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small head cauliflower, cut into florets (approximately 4-5 cups)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 cup thinly shaved red onion
1/4 cup grated Pecorino
10 mint leaves, rolled and thinly sliced (chiffonade)
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Kosher salt, to taste
It is important to use a stainless steel pan when making the brown butter, so you can see the butter change color.
For more recipes, go to Page 2.
Roasted Cauliflower with Pecorino and Mint
Roasting cauliflower is one of the easiest ways to prepare this heady vegetable, and the brown butter and Pecorino only make it taste more nutty and hearty. The onions bring a needed acidity to lighten and open up the cauliflower flavor, and the mint brightens every bite.
1. Preheat the oven to 500 deg. F.
2. In a stainless steel saute pan, melt the butter over medium heat, whisking to ensure it doesn't burn. You will start to see little brown bits begin to form. Keep whisking until the butter turns light brown and has a nutty aroma. Remove from heat.
3. In a large glass mixing bowl, toss the cauliflower florets with the brown butter and salt, then transfer to a baking sheet and roast for 15 minutes or until just tender.
4. In a large mixing bowl, toss the hot cauliflower with the red onion, Pecorino, and mint. Drizzle lemon juice over the cauliflower and season with more kosher salt to taste.
5. Transfer to a serving dish and serve hot.
Serves 4 as a small plate
Active Time = 20-25 minutes
1 1/2 ounces thinly sliced speck
4 scallions, green part only
2 cups Homemade Ricotta
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons saba
Baked Ricotta with Scallion, Speck, and Saba
Saba is a thick, rich, concentrated syrup made from freshly squeezed grape juice, also known as "grape must." Sweeter than balsamic vinegar, saba is used in both sweet and savory dishes and is only slightly acidic. I like drizzling saba over salty foods, like ham or other cured meats, because the combination of salt and sweet and acid work well together. You can find saba online and in gourmet grocery stores and Italian specialty markets. Speck is a cured, smoked, earthy ham that has that great balance of being a little salty and a little sweet.
1. Preheat oven to 400 deg. F. Slice the speck into 1 x 1/4-inch strips. Slice the scallions on the bias into 1/4-inch pieces.
2. In a mixing bowl, combine the speck, scallions, ricotta, Parmigiano-Reggiano, olive oil, lemon zest, and salt and stir to mix well.
3. Transfer the mixture to an 8 x 8-inch baking dish (or equivalent). You can also use smaller individual baking dishes. Bake for 15 minutes until heated through and bubbling around the edges.
4. Drizzle the saba onto the baked ricotta mixture and serve in the baking dish with a loaf of warm Italian bread.
Fried Apple Pie Calzone
Serves 4
Active Time = 1 hour, 30 minutes
3 cups peeled, sliced Granny
Smith apples
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons bourbon
1/4 cup water
4 Pizza Dough balls
6 cups canola oil (quantity may vary depending on your deep fryer)
Use good-quality bourbon for this dessert-I like Knob Creek. You could serve this with vanilla ice
cream, but it's great on its own.
1. Preheat the oven to 300 deg. F.
2. Toss the apples with flour and cinnamon in a mixing bowl until evenly coated.
3. Add sugar to a heavy-bottomed pot over high heat. Do not stir. When it begins to brown around the edges, stir with a wooden spoon. When sugar has fully dissolved and is medium caramel in color, stir in the butter. When the butter is melted, carefully stir in the bourbon.
4. Add the apples and lower the heat to medium-low. Stir to evenly coat apples in caramel. If the caramel tightens, add a little water and continue to stir. Simmer on low heat for 5-7 minutes or until smooth in texture. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
5. Onto a lightly flour-dusted surface, roll out each dough ball into an 8-inch circle. Dust with flour as needed to prevent sticking. On one half of each circle, spoon a quarter of the apple mixture. Leave 1/2 inch around the edge for sealing.
6. Fold over each calzone, creating a half-moon shape, and press out any air bubbles. Starting at one end, crimp the edges to seal each calzone so that no filling will leak out. Refrigerate for 15-30 minutes.
7. While the calzones are chilling, heat the canola oil in an electric deep fryer to 350 deg. F. If you do not have an electric fryer, use a heavy-bottomed pot and a candy thermometer.
8. Deep-fry the calzones, one at a time, for 6-8 minutes each, or until golden brown. Place them on a baking rack over a baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven. Repeat with remaining calzones. Serve warm.
Cocktail:
1 1/2 ounce Blue Coat gin
3/4 ounce lime juice
1/2 ounce habanero syrup