RECIPES: Bobby Flay's Flavorful Favorites

June 9, 2008 — --

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Serves four

For the Grits:

Instructions:

1. Bring 4 cups of the water and 2 teaspoons of salt to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Slowly whisk in the grits and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the grits are soft and have lost their gritty texture, whisking every few minutes, 15-20 minutes. If the mixture becomes too thick, add remaining water and continue cooking until absorbed. Add the cheese and heavy cream and whisk until smooth; season with salt and pepper.
2. Divide the grits among 4 bowls and top each with 3 shrimp. Drizzle the top with some of the bacon/garlic oil (that the shrimp were sautéed in) and sprinkle with some of the green onion.

For the Sautéed Shrimp:

Instructions:

1. Place bacon in a medium pan over medium heat and cook until golden brown and crisp and the fat has rendered. Remove bacon with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
2. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the pan and place back on the heat. Add the olive oil and increase the heat to high, season the shrimp with salt and pepper, add the shrimp and the garlic to the pan and sauté until golden brown on both sides and just cooked through, 1-2 minutes per side. Remove shrimp to a plate. Reserve the garlic oil to drizzle over the finished dish.

3 shallots, thinly sliced

6 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 cup dry white wine

1 small bottle clam juice

3 cups vegetable broth

1 16 ounce can diced tomatoes, drained

1 bay leaf

4 sprigs of fresh thyme

5-6 dashes hot sauce

2 tablespoons honey

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 ½ lbs red snapper, cut into 2 inch squares

32 littleneck clams

16 large shrimp, shelled and de-veined

Few dashes hot sauce

2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

¼ cup coarsely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

1. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large Dutch oven over high heat. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until soft, 3-4 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the clam juice, vegetable broth, drained tomatoes, bay, thyme, hot sauce and honey and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil and cook until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2. While the broth is cooking, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Season the snapper on both sides with salt and pepper and cook until golden brown on both sides. 3. When the broth is slightly reduced, add the snapper and cook for 5 minutes. Then add the clams and cook until opened, 5 minutes, then add the shrimp and cook for 3-4 minutes. Stir in the butter and parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste. Ladle into bowls and top with sour dough croutons.

For the Croutons:

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Heat butter and oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, 2 minutes. Add the bread and thyme, toss to coat then transfer to baking sheet in an even layer and bake until golden brown, 8-10 minutes, turning once.

2 tablespoons canola oil

1 red onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 cup dry red wine

1 16-ounce can whole tomatoes and liquid, pureed until smooth

6 New Mexico Red chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped

3 tablespoons ancho chile powder

Honey

Salt

Pepper

Instructions:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cumin and cook for 1 minute. Add the wine and cook until reduced by half. Add the tomatoes, 1 cup of water, New Mexico chiles and ancho powder and cook, stirring occasionally, until the chiles are softened and the mixture thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a food processor and process until smooth. Strain through a mesh strainer into a clean saucepan and return to low heat. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey, 1 teaspoon of salt and ½ teaspoon of pepper and cook for 5 minutes longer.

For the Green Chile Sauce:

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. 2. Toss the poblanos, tomatillos, onion and garlic in oil on a baking sheet and season with salt and pepper. Roast until the vegetables are golden brown and soft, about 18 minutes. 3. Let mixture cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor and process with cilantro, add water if necessary to adjust consistency until pureed. Season with more salt and pepper if needed.

For the Avocado Relish:

Instructions:

Combine avocado, onion, serrano, lime juice, oil, honey and salt and pepper to taste in a medium bowl. Fold in the cilantro until combined.

For the Grilled Tuna:

Instructions:

1. Heat grill to high or preheat a grill pan over high heat. Brush tuna on both sides with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes on the first side until lightly golden brown and slightly charred. Flip over and continue grilling for 1 minute longer for medium-rare doneness. 2. Spoon some of the green sauce on half of the plate and some of the red sauce on the other half of the plate. Place a tuna steak in the center and top each piece of tuna with some of the avocado relish. Garnish with cilantro leaves.