Of TV Chefs ...

TV chefs. Back in the early 90s, I used to watch a tremendous programme on PBS called 'Great Chefs'. They had Great Chefs of New Orleans, of Chicago, of San Francisco and a heap of other places. It was there that I first came across Emeril Lagasse. Back then, he wasn't this larger than life TV celebrity, yelling and throwing garlic everywhere. He was this young, thin, intense guy who clearly loved his food, what he did and where he lived. He had this strange way about him when he cooked, all hunched over as if he didn't want to get too far away from his dish. You could tell this guy was class: something Anthony Bourdain might have found out if he wasn't too tied up selling his mother's jewellery to buy heroin.

Emeril used his celebrity to open up more restaurants and build a mini-empire. Bourdain used his to dump his old wife and get himself a brand new one. So they've both done well.

All this is by way of introduction to something I made yesterday. I had bought a turkey breast, and had in mind to make some kind of roast stuffed dish, but as the time drew closer I wasn't really feeling it, and then changed my mind to doing it on the barbecue instead of indoors. So ... I went to the internet and one of the recipes that popped up was from Bobby Flay. He is someone I never really got to look at too closely, though I have seen him a few times on Iron Chef. I do know that he grills a lot, and is big into Southwestern flavours. Until yesterday, I never tried any of his dishes, or even variations of them, so it was a bit of a leap. Still, the Grilled Turkey Breast with Bacon, Green Tomato, and Goat Cheese-Sage Mayonnaise sounded too good to pass by, so we didn't.

To save you skipping to the end - it was a huge success.

You start by rubbing the turkey breast - make sure you get the one with a bone in, I think it makes a huge difference - with oil, salt and pepper. Pop it on a hot grill, skin side down, and grill till the skin is nice and brown and crispy, maybe ten minutes. Turn it over and lower the heat to medium for another 30 minutes. I used a meat thermometer (thanks for the tip, Bobby) and took it off when the internal temperature was just over 160. Covered with foil and set aside.

Meanwhile, in the kitchen, Glenn was making the goat cheese-sage mayo, which is just as it sounds. Mayo, goat cheese and sage.

Bacon done on the barbecue is just awesome. I think I will do it like this forever from now on! Once the bacon was done, I lightly grilled some slices of farmer's bread, then went inside to assemble.

First, we divided up the mayo on to the bread. Then, the bacon, and next the tomato and lettuce and on top of that - the turkey.

None of us had ever had turkey breast like this. Somehow, it had stayed nice and juicy throughout. Now, there were a few differences: his recipe is a closed sandwich, mine was open. Because of that, I think we could have put a lot more mayo on, as once you bit through to the bacon ... well, that was it. Plus I had no green tomatoes, unless you count the mouldy one at the bottom of the fridge. And I used green leaf lettuce because that was all I had.

Now I am tempted to try more of his grill recipes - perhaps in the next couple of weeks?

By the way, in case you didn't get it - bacon on the barbecue? Amazing!

Anyway, here is a video of Emeril Lagasse from around 1992 or so.

I think if I want someone to make me steak and french fries, Bourdain will do. But anything better than that, more adventurous, I'll call on Emeril and Bobby Flay.

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At the same time we were making the grilled turkey breast, I was preparing a casserole. This was a very simple one to do. I browned some ground beef, then took out the meat and tossed in some chopped onions and garlic. After a few minutes, I put the beef back, seasoned it and added some nutmeg and cinnamon. This I then spread in the bottom of a casserole dish.

While that was going on, I made some pasta. I chose a ziti; small pasta tubes about an inch or so long, and arranged top of the meat. 

I poured over that a bechamel sauce that I had made with cheese, two egg yolks and some nutmeg and cinnamon. I topped the whole thing with grated cheese and breadcrumbs.

Bake in the oven for about 35 minutes or so. Delicious hot, warm or cold.

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By request: All photographs courtesy of Serena Panayi.