Recipes: Favorites from Chef Frank Stitt

Sept. 24, 2010— -- Chef Frank Stitt's love for delicious Southern ingredients such as country ham comes from his roots in rural Alabama. Heavily involved with promoting sustainable agriculture, Stitt is a firm believer in buying fresh produce at local farmer's markets for his restaurants in Birmingham, Ala. Here he shares a few of his favorite recipes:

Serves 4

Recipe courtesy of Frank Stitt

Notes from Frank: The delicacy of flounder fillets is complemented here by the tiny, tender, pale green lady peas, which are the most delicate of the pea world. The addition of lots of basil, dill, and chives to this nontraditional succotash makes a very simple dish very special. If lady peas are not available, substitute favas or sweet peas.

For the succotash

For the flounder

1.Make the succotash. Prepare a hot grill or preheat the broiler. Grill or broil the onion slices, turning once, until lightly charred on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Let cool, then cut into 1/4-inch-dice.

2. Combine vegetables. In a large bowl, combine the charred onion, peas, tomatoes, corn, shallot, basil, dill, and chives. Stir in the sherry vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Stir in the olive oil, taste, and adjust the seasoning. Set aside.

*Note: Do not be tempted to remove the flavorful fat from the prosciutto. The perfect slice of prosciutto has one edge with some of the white fat left intact.

1.Prepare a hot grill.

2. Ready the sauce. Finely chop the mint leaves and place in a mortar. Add the lemon juice and pound to a paste with the pestle (or mash into a paste with a wooden spoon in a small bowl.) Strain into a medium bowl, add the cream, salt, and pepper and stir to incorporate. (The acidity of the lemon juice will thicken the cream.)

3. Prep the figs. Halve the figs and place a walnut half on the cut side of each. Wrap a slice of prosciutto around each fig half, only slightly overlapping the ends.

4. Grill the figs, add garnish and serve. Char the figs on the hot grill for about 30 to 45 seconds per side. The figs should be just warmed through and the prosciutto crisp in parts. Place the figs on small plates or a platter, atop the fig leaves if using, and serve with a bowl of the mint cream. Garnish with sprigs of mint on the side.