The Official Chef Robert Irvine Blog

For many, if not most of us, this holiday season will likely not be among “the best ever,” at least in the old-fashioned sense, as worries about our financial well-being and as a world community mount each day. However, it is still one of the “times of our lives” and, as such, should not be frittered away by dwelling on “what could have been” or “next year.” Who among us has not wished to “be a grown-up” when we were children, only to look back now as adults and wish we could be back in those childhood years enjoying every second as youngsters? Time is the one thing we can never get back and we owe it to ourselves to be in the moment. The material gifts we give may be simple, few, or even non-existent, but we can resolve to give the gift of kind words. Part of being “in the moment” is the conscious act of thinking first before we say things. As you see friends and family this holiday, make an effort to take your words off of autopilot and instead think about the effect of your comments and questions on those with whom you grew up or whom you raised. Instead of being judgmental, dogmatic, or smug, try being supportive, open, and compassionate. Breaking our old habits in the ways we have related to others may be hard to do. But in doing so, you may give a gift to someone which is greater than any bow-wrapped box, because it is the gift of respect.

World Peach Soup
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Serves: 6

Ingredients:
6 large ripe peaches, peeled and pit removed and sliced into a pot OR 2 29-to-32-ounce cans canned peaches, drained
4 large sprigs fresh mint, left intact but well washed and dried in a salad spinner or with
paper towels, plus 12 small sprigs for garnish
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1/8 teaspoon white pepper, or to taste
1 liter mango juice
1 pint heavy cream

Method:
In a large deep pot, cover the peaches with water (about 2 cups). Add mint, salt and white pepper, and bring to a simmer. Cook until peaches are very tender and flavors infuse, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.

Discard the mint sprigs, and puree the peaches with an immersion blender. Be sure to have the blades of the immersion blender completely under the surface of the liquid. This can also be done in batches in a conventional blender with the cap removed from the feed opening to release steam and with a clean kitchen towel firmly held over the opening to contain splashing. Add mango juice and cream and blend using the same safety precautions. Adjust salt and pepper if needed, and chill.

Ladle into serving bowls and serve garnished with mint sprigs.

Garden Salad with Apple Cider Vinaigrette
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons apple cider
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¾ cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
6 cups loosely packed mixed torn greens such as romaine, red or green leaf lettuce, or radicchio, washed and dried
2 cups assorted berries: blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and/or blackberries
2 Granny Smith apples (or apples of your choice), cored and sliced
1½ cups crumbled blue cheese

Method:
In a bowl or jar with a tight fitting lid combine cider, vinegar, honey, cinnamon, oil, salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss lettuce, berries, apples, and blue cheese with enough dressing to coat. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

New Zealand Rack of Lamb with Sweet Potato Mash and Three Bean Ragout
Copyright 2008, Robert Irvine, All rights reserved

Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients:
4 pounds sweet potatoes or yams
One 16 ounce can dark red kidney beans
One 16 ounce can white kidney beans
One 16 ounce can black beans
4 ounces bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
⅛ cup olive oil
4 pounds domestic rack of lamb, left whole with silver skin removed
Salt and pepper to taste
1 small red onion (chopped fine)
3 cloves garlic (chopped fine)
½ cup dry red wine
½ pound butter (2 sticks)
¼ cup cream
1½ cups demi-glace (brown sauce)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh chives (chopped fine)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Drain and rinse all the liquid off beans. Combine the beans in a bowl and set aside. Begin cooking bacon in a sauté pan. Begin roasting yams in oven until soft, and remove to let cool enough to handle.

Heat the olive oil in another large sauté pan for the lamb. Season the rack of lamb with salt and pepper. Place the lamb into hot pan and sear meat all around.

Remove the bacon to drain on paper toweling, leaving about 1 tablespoon of fat in the pan. In the same pan lightly sauté onion and garlic in bacon fat until translucent. Add red wine and reduce by half.

Place the lamb in a roasting pan and roast in the oven until done to your liking, about 15 to 20 minutes for medium rare, an internal temperature of 125 degrees (this means that because of the 5 to 8 minutes of carryover cooking while it rests, you pull it out at 120 degrees so it will end up at 125 degrees for medium rare).

When the yams are cool enough to handle, peel off the skin and add the butter and cream, and mash by hand. Whip with an electric beater and season with salt and pepper as needed.

Remove the lamb to a utility platter and let rest before slicing.

Add the demi-glace and tomato paste to the pan with the onion, garlic, and bacon fat, then incorporate all beans with mixture. Lower the heat and simmer. Add rosemary and chives. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Place some sweet potatoes in the middle of a serving platter. Surround the potatoes with bean ragout. Slice the rack of lamb in between the bones and lay over potatoes. Spoon demi-glace sauce over and serve.

Queen’s Bread Pudding with Yogurt Berry Dressing
Recipe Courtesy Robert Irvine with Brian O’Reilly,
Harper Collins Publishers, copyright 2007, All rights reserved.

Serves: 6 to 12

Ingredients for queen’s bread pudding:
1 tablespoon butter
4 cups leftover Danish or donuts, cut into ½ inch cubes
3 cups milk
½ cup dried apricots, chopped
½ cup chopped dried cranberries, Craisins and/or sultanas (small seedless raisins)
¼ cup amaretto, whiskey, or warm water
3 eggs
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Ingredients for yogurt berry dressing:
1 cup fresh strawberries, cleaned
½ cup fresh raspberries
½ cup fresh blackberries or boysenberries
1 banana
1 peach, peeled, pit removed, and sliced
Juice of 1 fresh lemon
1 pint vanilla frozen yogurt or vanilla ice cream, softened
6 sprigs fresh mint, for garnish

Method:
Grease a 2 quart baking dish with butter. Spread the cubed baked goods evenly in the prepared baking dish. Heat the milk in a small saucepan until it is scalding. In a separate small saucepan, heat the apricots and cranberries with the liquor (or water) and let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until the dried fruits begin to soften. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs, sugar, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add the hot milk, a small amount at a time, to the egg mixture and whisk together (known as a liaison) to temper the mixture by combining gently and gradually without cooking the eggs. Spread the apricots and raisins evenly over the bread in the baking dish, the pour the liaison into the baking dish, distributing evenly. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Let the baking dish stand for about 20 minutes to allow the liquid to absorb into the cubed baked goods.

Prepare a bain marie by placing the baking dish into a larger pan or dish, placing the arrangement into the pre-heated oven, and then pouring hot water into the outer dish (without splashing any into the custard dish). Bake until the pudding firms up and puffs up and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 1 hour. Remove from oven and from water bath and let rest 10 minutes. Serve warm or cooled.

While the bread pudding is baking, add the strawberries, blackberries, peeled banana, peach and lemon juice to a blender. Blend until smooth and strain into a bowl. Return the strained fruit to blender and add softened frozen yogurt, blending to combine. Serve as a topping to the Queen’s Bread Custard, in demitasse cups as an accompaniment, or by itself as an independent dessert soup.