Deviled Eggs with Mote Marine Caviar

Whenever I'm on Longboat Key, I always pick up a copy of the latest issue of Edible Sarasota, a quarterly publication that gives a behind-the-scenes look at Sarasota’s food culture and celebrates the abundance of local foods and other notable products in the Gulf Coast Region. This issue from Winter 2010 featured these glorious Peachtree Farms Deviled Eggs from a recipe created by Fran Casciato, Executive Chef at Libby’s Café + Bar in Sarasota. Deviled eggs are a classic hors d'oeuvre and perfect party snack for casual evenings with family or friends. Prepared in less than half a hour, they're devilishly easy and delicious!




Peachtree Farms Deviled Eggs with Mote Marine Caviar
Makes 2 dozen
Recipe courtesy Libby’s Café + Bar, and Louies Modern in Sarasota

12 eggs
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup pickle relish
1/4 cup chipotle in adobe, puréed smooth
2 tbsp dry mustard
1 tbsp sugar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
3/4 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp chopped parsley
2 tbsp Beluga, Ossetra or Sevruga caviar
1 bunch green onions, sliced on diagonal into 1-inch pieces


Cover the eggs with water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and simmer 5 minutes. Remove the pan from heat and allow the eggs to remain in the water for an additional 5 minutes. Then place the eggs in an ice bath to chill.

Peel the eggs, cut in half lengthwise and spoon the yolks into a small mixing bowl. Pass the yolks through a fine strainer. Combine remaining ingredients in a separate bowl and mix thoroughly. Fold the yolks into mixture, and spoon into cooked egg white halves. Refrigerate until needed. To serve, top with your favourite caviar and garnish with a slice of green onion.

Pork Medallions in Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce

This simple recipe transforms pork medallions into a luxurious dish, served with a rich and creamy mushroom marsala sauce. Served over buttered noodles or with sautéed new potatoes, the medallions are first seared until golden brown, then set aside while the sauce is prepared in a matter of minutes. Chopped shallots and sliced mushrooms are sautéed until golden, then sprinkled with a little flour and jigger of sherry to thicken and flavour the sauce. Chicken stock is added and cooked until reduced by half, then the cream, Dijon mustard and parsley are stirred in along with the browned and juicy pork medallions. Served in a large serving bowl with a flurry of chopped parsley, this dish is an easy, elegant and delicious meal, perfect for a mid-week dinner but also impressive enough for serving family and friends. 

The pork medallions are lightly pounded, seasoned and sautéed 

until they become nicely browned, then transferred to a plate and set aside

In the same pan, chopped shallots are sautéed for about 10-15 seconds

Sliced mushrooms are added to the shallots and sautéed 3-4 minutes, until the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are golden

A tablespoon of flour and half cup of sherry or marsala is added to the sauce

Chicken broth is then added and cooked for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced by half

Cream, Dijon mustard and chopped parsley are then added to the sauce

The browned medallions are returned to the sauce and cooked a further 4 minutes

The pork should still be a little pink in the middle and the sauce thick and lovely

Pork Medallions in Mushroom Marsala Cream Sauce
Serves 2

1 pork tenderloin, cut into 1-inch thick medallions and lightly pounded
1/2 tsp coarse salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp unsalted butter
3 medium shallots, finely diced
12 oz cremini or button mushrooms, thinly sliced
1 tbsp flour or cornstarch
1/2 cup dry Marsala or Sherry
1 cup chicken broth
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 tbsp heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley


Season the pork medallions on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter in a large non-stick sauté pan over high heat. When the butter is melted and foaming, add half of the medallions and sear until they're nicely browned, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. The pork should be golden brown and slightly firm to the touch. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining pork.

Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the pan. Add the shallots and sauté for about 30 seconds, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the mushrooms, reduce the heat to medium-high and sauté until all of the liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are golden, about 3 minutes. Season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt, sprinkle with the flour and add the sherry. Once the wine has almost completely evaporated, add the chicken broth and reduce by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the mustard, cream and parsley, return the pork and any accumulated juices to the pan, and cook, flipping the medallions once, until they're firm to the touch and still a little pink in the middle, about 3 to 4 minutes. 

To serve, place the medallions on a serving platter and spoon over the mushroom marsala sauce with a final garnish of chopped parsley for show. I like to serve this dish with buttered noodles or sautéed new potatoes — my new favourite side dish by Nigella — and steamed or sautéed rapini.




Sautéed New Potatoes 'Nigella'
Serves 2

1 lb baby new potatoes, washed and halved but not peeled
1 tbsp olive oil
Maldon salt and fresh ground pepper


Put the halved new potatoes on to steam for 15 minutes, then turn the heat off under the steamer. When ready to serve the main course, tip the steamed potatoes into a sauté pan and fry for 3-4 minutes, then turn them over and fry for another 3 minutes, shaking the pan every now and again to make them tumble and turn in the hot oil until they become crisp and golden. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the potatoes to a platter and season with a flurry of Maldon salt and fresh ground pepper.

Il Postino Ristorante: Bella Cucina Italiana in Unionville

Located in a heritage building on historic Main Street in downtown Unionville, Il Postino captures the essence of Italian warmth and hospitality. Passionate restaurateurs, Melanie and Dominic Sala have been serving fine Italian and Mediterranean cuisine since opening the doors of their family-owned ristorante ten years ago, still greeting every guest personally and ensuring that they're having a good time. Nestled within a picturesque courtyard setting on the site of the town's original Post Office, Il Postino offers inspired Italian cuisine, artfully presented and bursting with fresh innovative flavours that make the most of local, seasonal and artisanal DOP ingredients, with a sensibility that is distinctly Italian. The new menu created by Chef Sala, the talented son of Melanie and Dominic, features savoury pastas, succulent seafood, and gourmet thin crust pizzas, as well as an extensive menu that offers new selections added every day. Celebrating the best of true Italian hospitality with wonderful food, exceptional service in a warm and inviting setting, Il Postino is 'delizioso' anytime of the year, whether for a light lunch or leisurely dinner.

Melanie Sala and her son, the new chef at Il Postino

Crostini with sautéed Unionville mushrooms and mozzarella di bufala

Charcuterie Board with DOP salumi’s and Pio Tosini prosciutto, tedeschi olives 

and parmigiano reggiano

Osso Bucco with yukon gold whipped potatoes

Steelhead Rainbow Trout with Spinach, Roast Potatoes and Lemon Beurre Blanc

ilpostinoristorante.com

Lamb Chops with Mint & Sautéed Potatoes on Arugula

Who can resist a lovely fresh, lean and tender New Zealand rack of lamb, simply seasoned and roasted or pan fried with a handful of roast potatoes and a bright green salad? Quick, easy, healthy and delicious. Inspired by a recipe from Nigella's most recent cookbook Nigellissima that I picked up at her book launch when she was last in Toronto, I knew I should give it a try. And I'm glad I did. As she says, "If you put your halved baby potatoes on to steam before you get started on the lamb chops, you can fairly effortlessly rely on a proper meat-and-potato supper in around 20 minutes. Steaming the potatoes is, for me, an important stipulation: a steamed spud is a sweet spud; more than that, cooked this way, rather than by boiling, the potatoes are dry when done, which makes them easy to fry to crisp bronzedness". Bronzedness? I don't know if that's a word, but it's certainly a fabulous recipe, and one that I will definitely be making again, if not for the spuds alone!

Nigella's Italian-inspired cookbook, Nigellissima

One frenched New Zealand Rack of Lamb

The rack is cut into chops and marinated in olive oil, dried mint, 

celery salt and crushed chilli flakes

The white new potatoes are halved length-wise and steamed for 15 minutes

while the lamb is being marinating and subsequently cooked

The lamb chops are placed in the non-stick frying pan and cooked over medium heat 

for 2-4 minutes, depending on their size

Being small lamb chops, I pan-fried them for just 2 minutes per side

and they were lovely and pink inside

Once the lamb was cooked, the steamed new potatoes are poured into the frying pan 

with the residual oil and spices and cooked for 3-4 minutes on each side

The potatoes are tumbled and turned in the hot, spiced fat for even bronzing

A platter is prepared with a layer of wild arugula, onto which the lamb chops and potatoes 

are placed and garnished with chopped fresh mint, Maldon salt, fresh ground pepper, 

shaved parmigiano and slivered kumquats

Lamb Chops with Mint, Chilli & Roast New Potatoes on Arugula
Serves 2
Recipe adapted from Nigella Lawson - Nigellissima

1 lb baby new potatoes, washed and halved but not peeled
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 rack of lamb, cut into single chops
3 1/2 oz wild arugula
1 tsp Maldon sea salt flakes & black pepper
1 tbsp kumquats, slivered, for garnish
1 tbsp chopped fresh mint, plus some whole sprigs for garnish
Shaved parmigiano, for garnish


Put the halved new potatoes on to steam. Place the lamb chops in a dish that will fit them all in a single layer and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with red pepper flakes, mint and celery salt. Turn until well coated, and leave to marinate for 10 minutes.

Heat a large heavy non-stick frying pan that will fit the chops in one layer, and cook on medium heat for 2 to 3 minutes, depending on the size of the rack. While the chops cook, check that the potatoes are tender, which they should be by now, in which case, turn the heat off under the steamer. Turn the chops with tongs and cook a further 2-3 minutes.

Arrange the arugula on a large platter and when lamb is done, but still juicily pink, arrange on top of the greens. Meanwhile, tip the steamed potatoes into the pan and fry for 3-4 minutes, then turn them over and fry for another 3 minutes, shaking the pan every now and again to make them tumble and turn in the hot, spiced fat. Using a slotted spatula, transfer potatoes to the platter and season with a flurry of Maldon salt, pepper, and a garnish of mint, slivered kumquats and some shaved parmigiano — Tutti a tavola a mangiare!

Hyderabadi Lamb Shanks: Chef Alfred Prasad

When Chef Alfred Prasad received a Michelin star at the age of 29, he became the youngest Indian chef to do so. Since 2002, he has been the Executive Chef at London's acclaimed Tamarind of Mayfair, introducing the city to the rich bouquet of flavours that is Indian gastronomy at its best. Born in the south of India, Prasad is a long way from home, but he has flourished as a culinary ambassador, revered by his peers across the industry and described by Gordon Ramsey as a 'man always pushing the boundaries, seeking out new spices and combinations'. A graduate of Chennai’s Institute of Hotel Management, Alfred was hand-picked along with five others from all over India to undergo advanced chef training in New Delhi at the ITC Maurya, home to the legendary Bukhara restaurant. "That was where my foundational knowledge of Indian cuisine was established." In 1999, he came to London working at Veeraswamy on Regent Street as a sous chef, before joining Tamarind in 2001. Within a year, he was promoted from sous chef to executive chef, retained the restaurant's Michelin star and thus became the youngest Indian chef to receive a Michelin star, an honour which put him firmly on the world’s culinary map.

Chef Alfred Prasad, Tamarind

Chef Prasad's seasonal menus at Tamarind offer imaginative adaptations of the rich cuisine of the North, such as delicately spiced, succulent kababs and aromatic curries. Also featured are the expansive flavours of Southern India including coconut-based curries and seafood typical of its coastline, with dishes such as Malabar Prawns with sautéed onions, chilli, fenugreek seeds and coconut, or Lobster Masala with browned shallots, tomatoes and spices. Some of his recipes are also derived from traditional Moghul cuisine where fish, meat and game are cooked in the authentic tandoor oven style of North West India, and present an eclectic and expansive Indian repertoire, bursting with flavour and originality.  

The elegant table settings at Tamarind of Mayfair

Tamarind Kabab Appetizer Selection: Tiger prawn, monkfish, chicken supreme and lamb chop

Kalonji Jhinga, grilled jumbo tiger prawns marinated with yoghurt, ginger, 

paprika, ground spices and toasted nigella seeds 

Murgh Makhni in creamed fresh tomatoes flavoured with ginger, fenugreek leaves and honey 

Hyderabadi Lamb Shank, slow-cooked with turmeric, yoghurt and freshly ground spices

Chef Prasad's mouth-watering menus put an exciting 21st-century spin on dishes, delicately balancing creativity and authenticity. His Hyderabadi Lamb Shank Curry, which is on the menu at Tamarind, celebrates food from the Nizams of Hyderabad, an intoxicating mix of Arabic, Turkish, Moghul and regional Indian cuisine. This recipe by him, which I found on Great British Chefs, starts with browning onions, ginger, garlic, yoghurt and ground spices, then adding the seared lamb shanks and slow-cooking them for just over a hour until they become meltingly tender. I tweaked his recipe slightly and the dish turned out beautifully, infused with the glorious flavours of Chef Prasad's inspired culinary vision. With the prices at Tamarind being quite steep, this may the closest I get to enjoying his food!

The cinnamon, cardamom and cloves are quickly sautéed over medium high for 30 seconds

Diced onions are added and cooked for about 20-25 minutes until they're lightly golden brown

The onion mixture after 25 minutes

The lamb shanks are patted dry so they splatter in the oil as they're browned

The lamb shanks are browned on each side then set aside

3 tablespoons of minced ginger and garlic is added

Salt, turmeric, chilli, cumin and coriander powders are added and sautéed for 5 minutes, then the yoghurt is combined and sautéed for another 5 minutes over high heat

Chopped tomatoes are added to the mixture and sautéed another 5 minutes

The browned lamb shanks are returned to the pot with enough hot water to cover them and brought to a boil, then covered and simmered for 1 1/2 hours

After 90 minutes, the lamb shanks are tender and the sauce has reduced somewhat

The lamb is removed and set aside briefly

The sauce is strained and the liquid is brought to a boil to reduce

I found the sauce was looking too thin, so I puréed the solids and added it to the sauce, producing  a thicker richer consistency

The cooked lamb shanks are returned back into the sauce, 

then covered and simmered for a further 15 minutes

I ladled the extra sauce into a bowl — it was too good to waste!

Topped with sauce and garnished with a little cilantro, the lamb shanks were delicious

Braised Hyderabadi Lamb Shanks
Serves 2
Recipe courtesy of Chef Alfred Prasad, Tamarind London

2 lamb shanks, washed and patted dry
4 tbsp vegetable oil 
4 sticks of cinnamon 
4 cardamom pods
6 cloves 
3 medium onions, peeled and finely sliced 
3 tbsp ginger & garlic paste 
1 tsp turmeric powder 
1 tsp chilli powder 
2 tsp ground cumin 
2 tbsp ground coriander 
4 tbsp plain Greek yoghurt 
3 ripe plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped 
1/2 tsp Garam Masala  
1/2 bunch cilantro leaves, washed and chopped
Kosher Salt


Heat the vegetable oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, then add the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the sliced onions and sauté, stirring occasionally, until they're golden brown, about 20 minutes. Chef Prasad suggests adding the lamb shanks at this point and cooking over high heat for five minutes, stirring constantly, but I found that the onions were starting to burn so I browned the shanks on their own, then set them aside, adding them after the tomatoes have cooked.

In the same pot, add the ginger garlic paste and stir well for a couple of minutes. Add the salt, turmeric, chilli, cumin and coriander powders and sauté for 5 minutes. Add the yoghurt and sauté for another 5 minutes over high heat. Stir in the chopped tomato and allow to simmer for 5 minutes, or until the oil separates from the masala.

Add the lamb shanks and pour enough hot water to cover them, and bring to a boil. Cover with a lid, then simmer and cook until the lamb is tender, about 60-90 minutes. Remove from the heat, and using a pair of tongs transfer the shanks to bowl and strain the cooking liquid. Cook the strained liquid for 10-15 minutes, or until it has reduced to the desired consistency and check seasoning.

To finish, transfer the cooked lamb shanks back into the sauce, then cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes. I found the sauce too thin and puréed the solids from the sauce and added them to the liquid, with spectacular results! To serve, sprinkle with garam masala and chopped cilantro and serve immediately. The lamb shanks are delicious served with basmati rice and some warm naan.

I served the Lamb Shanks with rice, pappadam and warm naan brushed with melted ghee 
and sprinkled with sesame seeds