Winning Recipe: Round 1 by Johnny McLaughlin
This is the winning recipe from the round 1 our spicy cooking contest, “Feast Your Eyes on This”. Johnny of Heartbreaking Dawns took it home with his amazing Valentine’s Day challenge dish. You can watch the entire full length video now. Below the video is the entire written recipe just in case you would like to a stab at any part of it.
Johnny’s Recipe:
For the Lamb:
Rub: 1T Cumin, 1T Turmeric, 1t Coriander, 1t, Paprika, 1T raw sugar, 1/2t sea salt, 1/4t yohimbe.
*coat the lamb with oil, (I used a Fatali Infused Olive oil) and generously rub down in the spice blend.
These should sit for at least 4 hours and at best overnight.
Sear each side on the fire side of the grill and let them rest on the indirect side until the internal temperature reaches 150.
For the Marmalade:
use the trimming from the lamb and sear them in a small saucepan.
add- 1/2 cup raspberry blush vinegar, 1/2 cup cooking sherry and 1/3 cup water (which should burn off)
Let this simmer until it is reduced 1/3-1/2.
Remove the lamb bits and mince them.
While this is simmering, saute 1 diced shallot, 1 small jar of artichoke hearts (minced) and a handful of diced figs.
After removing the lamb, add 2T butter and 2T of flour…
add the saute and then add the lamb.
Serve the marmalade in the center of the Lamb Chops.
The Tuna.
In a small saucepan combine:
1 1/2 cups Rose Wine
3 T strawberry preserves
2 cups fresh diced strawberries
1 t cream
2 chocolate habanero peppers
and 1 vanilla bean.
Bring this up in temp and let it simmer and reduce to a desired consistency.
If you have an immersion blender, hit it a few times, otherwise puree the mix at some point during simmering in a blender or food processor.
This is the sauce for the tuna.
The tuna itself should be lightly oiled and coated in Crushed Pink Peppercorns.
This will get pan-seared for about 1 minute per side, that is for a rare center.
The Palm Hearts.
Use one can of a salad cut and strain.
Toss with 2T olive oil
1/4 cup grated Gouda
some sea salt and pepper
dust with Ghost Pepper Powder and bake at 375 for 20 minutes.
There you have it, all of the elements to a fiery and romantic dinner!!!
Enjoy
Great job Johnny…. Also what a good job I love it Spicy has been doing on the contest..Great job Buddah you should be very proud….
Thanks Dougie.
Johnny, I think you are one of the master taste concoctors in the biz. How is it that you don’t have your own cooking show by now?
He’s working ot it…lol
And I hope it goes far beyond “Chopped”, too. 😉
That would be pretty sweet! and i don’t think there would be a shortage of good time chile loving guests to have on. :photographer:
Great job!
As long as you would invite me to be in your audience and allow me to taste your dishes afterwards, I’d be as happy as a pig in mud!
I was on the bus and had an idea for a cool show today, or at least i’d like to do itregardless at some point in time. Here it is, take a handful of actual destinations where some of our favorite peppers are from, so lets take Trinidad, for example. Go to Trinidad, hook up with a local, and experience some food and culture, ultimately ending where some one is growing peppers, talk with them, do a haul and then develop a recipe, bottle a small run, do the label. Everything from top to bottom. Basically develop ONE product from beginning to end on site in different countries using the food, culture, people, everything as an influence. Do a whole series in Jamaica, India, Thailand, Mexico, Peru….Now THAT would be a series I would LOVE to do.
awesome job john