Photography by Donovan Roberts Witmer
Move over, hot dog and hamburger. Chef Joe Edwards of Porch Restaurant and Pub (www.porchrestaurant.com) in Myerstown is upping your grilling game with these three easy recipes. The best part? From the first bite to the last lick of dessert, you can bet everything on this menu is hot off the grill grates.
Mortadella-Wrapped Asparagus Salad with Creamy Pistachio Vinaigrette
Ingredients:
• ½ cup raw unsalted pistachios
• 2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• ¼ cup water
• ½ cup mayonnaise
• Salt and white pepper, to taste
• 1 bunch fresh asparagus
• ¼ pound thinly sliced Mortadella
• Olive oil
• Arugula, baby kale, or your choice of greens
Directions:
For dressing:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. Once heated, roast the pistachios in oven for 4 to 5 minutes.
• Let cool, then place in a food processor and process to a rough chop. Carefully remove about 1 tablespoon of chopped pistachios and reserve to be used for garnish later.
• Add the vinegar and half of the water to the remaining pistachios and process to a paste. When combined, add the mayonnaise and puree until smooth. If needed, add some of the remaining water to thin out to a creamy consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
For salad:
• With a peeler, remove skin from asparagus.
• Blanch asparagus in boiling salted water for 1 to 2 minutes, then remove and place in an ice water bath to chill.
• Once chilled, take 3 to 4 pieces of asparagus and wrap with 1 slice Mortadella that has been cut in half and laid out with ends overlapping.
• Rub lightly with olive oil and place on grill just long enough to get nice grill marks.
• Place grilled, Mortadella-wrapped asparagus on bed of greens, drizzle with dressing and garnish with reserved chopped pistachios. Serve.
Lobster with Tangerine & Tequila Marinade
Ingredients:
• 1 tablespoon chopped shallot
• 2 ounces tequila
• Juice of 2 tangerines
• 1 tablespoon finely diced, seeded jalapeno pepper
• 2 live lobsters, about 1 ¼ pound each
• Salt and pepper
• Olive oil
• Tangerine zest, for garnish
Directions:
For marinade:
• Sautée shallot in a small saucepan.
• Deglaze with tequila, then allow alcohol to burn off.
• Add tangerine juice and jalapeno, bring just to a boil, then remove and allow to cool.
For lobster:
• Bring a large pot of water to a boil.
• Submerge lobster in water and cook for 5 minutes, then place in ice bath to chill.
• Remove tail and cut in half with a large chef’s knife. Remove claw meat from the shells.
• Season claws and tails with salt and pepper and rub lightly with olive oil.
• Place tails on hot grill, meat side down. Cook for 2 minutes, turn over, and baste heavily with tangerine and tequila marinade. Cook until juices start to boil in the shell.
• Cook claws for 1 minute on each side, then baste with tangerine and tequila marinade. Remove from grill and serve, garnished with tangerine zest.
Pineapple and Banana Bundt Cakes with Coconut Ice Cream
Ingredients:
• 1 gold pineapple
• Oil for grilling such as grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil
• 3 ripe bananas
• Sugar
• Pre-prepared cake of your choice (Edwards prefers small Bundt cakes, but even a regular cake, sliced, can be used)
• Powdered sugar, to garnish
• Coconut ice cream (Edwards makes his own ice cream with the recipe below, but you can use store-bought coconut or vanilla ice cream if you prefer)
Directions:
• Cut the pineapple in half, remove the outer skin and core, then cut into spears.
• Rub with a little oil and place on a hot grill. Rotate to get nice grill marks.
• Peel the banana and cut in half lengthwise. Sprinkle with sugar (this will help with the grill marks) and lightly coat with oil. Place on a hot grill until grill marks appear.
• Arrange grilled fruit on cake, sprinkle with powdered sugar, and serve with a scoop of coconut ice cream.
Coconut Ice Cream
Ingredients: • 16 ounces heavy cream • 1 (13.5 ounce) can of coconut milk • 1 (13.5 ounce) can cream of coconut (Edwards prefers Coco Lopez) • 10 egg yolks • 1 cup sugar • 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions:
• Bring heavy cream, coconut milk, and cream of coconut to a boil.
• Separate eggs, then whisk sugar into the egg yolks until blended.
• Slowly whisk the hot cream mixture into the egg mix (use only a little at first to temper the eggs so they do not cook).
• Strain into a saucepan. Place pan on stove, slowly bringing mixture to a simmer. Remove immediately at first sign of boil.
• Add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract, then let mixture cool in a refrigerator for a few hours, or until chilled to about 40°F. Finish in ice cream maker.
