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Recipes tested---
Grilled Lobster Parcels
The members of our cookbook club are all fans of
cookbook author Anne Willon, so we visited her
cooking school, La Varenne, at the Chateau du Fey in
the Burgundy countryside of France for a week. When
we revisited Willon's works at a recent gathering,
member Kathy Smith prepared Willan's Lobster in a
Parcel (From My Château Kitchen, Clarkson Potter,
2000). Our grilled homage follows. Ooh-la-la!
Makes 12 parcels
Meat from 2 grilled lobster tails
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons brandy
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium-size carrot, finely chopped
1 cup white wine, preferably Chardonnay
3 tablespoons heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
One 1-pound package phyllo pastry dough
Olive oil for brushing
1. Cut the meat of each tail into six 1/2-inch
pieces and set aside.
2. In a large sauté pan, melt the butter. Add the
brandy, light a long match, and carefully ignite the
brandy. Let it burn far about 1 minute, being
careful to stand back, and removing the pan from the
heat to control the flame
if it gets too high. Add the shallots, garlic, and
carrot and cook far 5 to 6 minutes, until tender.
Add the white wine, bring to a boil, and reduce by
half. Add the cream and turn off the heat. Season
with salt and pepper.
3. Place a layer of phyllo sheets an a clean counter
and trim to make 6-inch squares. Cover the sheets
with a damp towel until ready to use. Lightly brush
a baking sheet with olive ail. Lay one single square
of phyllo on the baking sheet and brush lightly with
oil. Repeat with 2 mare phyllo layers, brushing each
with alive oil and setting on top of each other.
Place 1 slice of lobster meat in the center of the
square. Spoon about 2 teaspoons of the shallot
mixture an the lobster. Fold one side of the phyllo
over the lobster. Fold the sides
of the phyllo inward and cover with the fourth side
of the phyllo like an envelope, to form
a small rectangular parcel. Repeat with the rest of
the phyllo and the lobster and shallot mixtures. Set
the parcels on the baking sheet and, using a sharp
knife, cut a small air hole into the top of each
parcel. (At this point, you may cover and
refrigerate the parcels for several hours.)
4. When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 375
degrees F. Bake the parcels for 20-25 minutes until
light golden brown and crispy. Serve warm.
Pancetta-Wrapped Radicchio Fennel, and Potato
Bundles
"Bundles" on the grill-several ingredients rolled
together and wrapped with something edible (here
either pancetta or prosciutto)-are a great way to do
appetizers. You can assemble them hours ahead of
time, then preside over them at the grill like the
important person you are (or get another person who
wants to be important to grill these for you, while
you socialize).
Makes 6 to 8 servings
2 large baking potatoes
2 small heads radicchio, cut into quarters
1 bulb fennel, ends trimmed and cut into 8 wedges
8 thin slices pancetta or prosciutto
Olive oil for brushing
1 recipe Mortar and Pestle Vinaigrette (page 170)
1. Prick the potatoes all over with a fork.
Microwave them on High until done, 7 to 10 minutes.
Run the potatoes under cold running water until cool
enough to handle, then peel and cut each potato into
4 wedges.
2. Stack one piece of each of the three vegetables
together to form 8 bundles, with the largest piece
on the bottom and the smallest on the top. This will
probably mean the fennel on the bottom, the
radicchio in the middle, and the potato on top, but
it will depend on the size of your vegetables. Wrap
each bundle with a slice of pancetta and secure with
a toothpick. (At this point, you may cover and
refrigerate the bundles for up to 1 day ahead. Let
come to room temperature before grilling.)
3. Prepare a hot fire in your grill. Place the
bundles on a baking sheet, brush them with olive
oil, and take out to the grill.
4. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side, turning once,
or until browned and golden. Serve on a platter
drizzled with the vinaigrette or on a round plate
with the vinaigrette in a small bowl as a dipping
sauce.
Grilled Venison Chops with Brandy Cream Sauce
Venison-a family of game that includes elk, deer,
and even caribou-is a very lean meat and is best
when prepared medium-rare. Karen's husband goes elk
hunting every year in the Colorado Rockies. We all
feast on the elk venison, from the delicious
hamburger to the divine steaks, chops, and fillets.
When the elk outsmart Dick, we still fare well with
tasty grain-fed deer from the Kansas corn and bean
fields. You may substitute farm-raised venison,
available at some independent butcher shops.
Makes 4 servings
Suggested wood: 1 cup water soaked grapevines or oak
chips
Four 1/2-inch-thick venison chops or steaks
Olive oil for brushing
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
to taste
Brandy Cream Sauce:
1/3 cup brandy
1/3 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1. Prepare a hot fire in your grill and add the
grapevines.
2. Coat the chops with olive oil and sprinkle with
salt and pepper.
3. Whisk the sauce ingredients together. Divide the
sauce into two small bowls, using one bowl for
basting and setting the other bowl aside for
serving. Grill the chops directly over the hot fire
for about 3 minutes on each side, basting several
times with the sauce. Place one venison chop on each
of four plates and serve with the reserved bowl of
sauce.
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