Gorgonzola Stuffed Shrimp Wrapped in Bacon
A classic taste combination. Bringing together the shrimp, bacon and Gorgonzola is a crowd pleaser. Add in the char note from the grill/roasting and you have a winner.
Ingredients
- • 10 strips Oscar Mayer* bacon
- • 16 jumbo shrimp (U 15 per pound count)
- • 5 ounces gorgonzola cheese
- • Kosher salt and pepper
- Yes I worked for Kraft for 35 years and still own stock in the company. Past that noise, I like to use Oscar Mayer bacon in this dish because of the mild smoke flavor. Quite often, the smoke flavor in bacon is too strong and simply overpowers the shrimp.
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- With a large kitchen knife, slice the bacon lengthwise and place the half strips on a baking sheet to precook them in the oven. This should only take about five minutes as you want to slightly render the bacon but not cook it to a point where it isn’t still pliable.
- Take most of the shell off of the shrimp, leaving the tail/shell on, and devein the shrimp.
- With a sharp knife, butterfly-cut the shrimp in half, being careful to split it but not cut through.
- Lay the butterflied shrimp on a work surface. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place a stick of gorgonzola (1 ½-in long and 3/8-in thick) on each shrimp.
- Wrap the shrimp/gorgonzola in the bacon strip. There is no simple way to do this. You just have to wrestle with the bacon/shrimp, trying to get good coverage and as tight a wrap as possible.
- Place the bacon-wrapped shrimp on a grill grid/grate.
- Preheat grill to 500-600° (as hot as you can get it).
- Preheat your oven to broil.
- Cook your shrimp on the grill until the bottom of the shrimp is nicely charred.
- Finish the shrimp under the broiler in your oven to crisp the bacon.
https://impromptufridaynights.com/gorgonzola-stuffed-shrimp-wrapped-in-bacon/
Roasted Pepper Involito With Arugula & Balsamic Glaze
Ingredients
- 3 red bell peppers
- 1/2 lb. genoa salami sliced thin
- 5.2 oz. Boursin garlic herb cheese
- 6 oz. basil pesto (see recipe)
- Tooth picks
Salad
- 8 oz. of baby arugula
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- Balsamic glaze (Available pre-made in most grocery stores)
6 oz. basil pesto (see recipe)
Instructions
- Char roast/blacken the outside of the red bell peppers on a hot grill or open flame. Rotating a few times to get an even char being careful not to over cook.(about 10 to 15 minutes.
- Place the roasted pepper in a paper bag or sealable plastic container. Close/cover tightly and let cool for at least 15 minutes.
- Peel the outer skin of the pepper, scrape out seeds and cut into 1 inch wide strips
- Cut the salami into 1 inch wide strips
- Place the pepper strips on a work surface, cover with a salami strip and place a ½ inch square piece of Boursin in the middle, Roll the pepper/salami around the cheese and hold the roll together with a toothpick
- Top with a spoonful of basil pesto
Salad
- Toss arugula with olive oil and plate
- Place 1 or 2 Involito on top of the salad
- Drizzle with balsamic glaze
6 oz. basil pesto (see recipe)
https://impromptufridaynights.com/roasted-pepper-involito/
Basil Pesto
Ingredients
- 1 cup fresh basil
- 2 good-sized cloves garlic
- ½ cup shelled walnuts
- ½ cup extra virgin olive oil
- ¾ cup freshly grated Parmesan or Romano cheese
- 1 pinch red pepper flakes
- • Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- n the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, combine basil, garlic and walnuts. Process into a rough paste.
- With processor running, drizzle in olive oil.
- Add Parmesan, red pepper flakes, salt and pepper.
- Gently pulse to combine, being careful not to over-work the pesto.
https://impromptufridaynights.com/basil-pesto/
Rack of Lamb Provencal
Ingredients
Rack of Lamb
- 4 racks of lamb (4 chops per person)
- ½ cup fresh herbs (Italian parsley or mint or a combination of both)
- 1 clove garlic
- Zest of one lemon
- Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
- 6 ½-inch slices crusty baguette
- 4 tablespoons Dijon mustard
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
HERB/CRUMB CRUST
- In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, place the herbs, garlic, salt, pepper, and lemon zest. Process until nicely ground.
- Break bread into small chunks and add. Process until the crumb is the consistency of rice and the herb mixture is nicely incorporated.
- Set aside.
Rack of Lamb
- Place a cast iron skillet on your gas grill, close the lid and preheat it to get it as hot as you can. Target 400 to 600°.
- Preheat your broiler back in the kitchen to high.
- Trim the excess fat off of the rack of lamb and wrap the bone ends in aluminum foil to protect them from the high heat on the grill.
- Liberally sprinkle the lamb with salt and pepper.
- Place an external read thermometer into the center of the lamb.
- Place the lamb meat-side down on the preheated cast iron skillet on the grill.
- Close the lid and cook for 2 to 4 minutes until you get a good sear on the hero side (the one you want to look the best) of the lamb.
- Flip the lamb to bone-side down, close the lid and cook until the external read thermometer reads 120°.
- I also test doneness by touch. Uncooked meat is really soft. Overcooked meat is hard. I keep touching as it cooks. As the meat starts to firm up, you are moving from rare to medium. The key is practice, practice, practice.
- Pull the lamb out and test the middle of one rack with a knife to make sure it is between rare and medium rare. If it needs a little more, put it back. But be careful not to overcook. Rare is better because you can always cook it a little longer.
- Take the racks off the grill, transfer them to a baking sheet and spread the Dijon mustard all over the lamb meat. Press on the herb mixture, shaking off any excess.
- Place the herb-crusted lamb under the broiler and cook for a few minutes until the crust is golden brown.
- Take the lamb out of the oven and let it rest for 10 minutes.
Someone once asked me, “Of the dishes you make, which is your favorite?” Here it is. There is something about a rack of lamb that is just special. With this said, lamb is a polarizing flavor. Some people like it and some don’t. My friend, Lucien, and I once had a dinner party for 20 people. Of the twenty, there were at least five who fell into the category of those that don’t like lamb. Lucien made a rack of lamb that night that had the “haters” fighting over the last few chops. I still have this vision of the group politely positioning themselves around the buffet, trying to get another chop. Priceless! Done right, there is nothing quite as good and elegant as a rack of lamb. Not done right, this meat can bring the haters out. My experience has been that getting it right is predicated on two things: • Cooking the lamb under very high heat, and • Cooking it to a perfect medium rare. This recipe is a little different from traditional versions, but the results are fantastic.
Supper Club Instructions
If your guests are to arrive at 7 pm, Grill your lamb at 6:40. Grill it to rare (120 degrees) and then apply the crumb just before your guests arrive. The lamb will rest while to you have cocktails and initial courses. I skip out on the salad course and pop the lamb coated with crumb under the preheated broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the crumb. Watch it closely to prevent burning.
Slice, plate and serve
https://impromptufridaynights.com/rack-of-lamb-provencal-with-salsa-verde/
Béarnaise Blush Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup of milk
- 1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
- 1 package Knorr Béarnaise Sauce
- 2 Tablespoons tomato paste
Instructions
- In saucepan over medium-high heat, melt ½ cup (125 mL) butter
- Whisk in package contents until blended.
- Remove from heat.
- Gradually whisk in 1 cup (250 mL) milk.
- Whisking constantly, bring to boil over medium-high heat.
- Add tomato paste and whisk in
- Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute whisking frequently.
- Makes 1 ½ cups (375 mL) sauce.
https://impromptufridaynights.com/bearnaise-blush-sauce/
Pommes Macarre (a.k.a. Potato Casserole)
Ingredients
- • 2 pounds russet potatoes
- • 2 tablespoons olive oil
- • 1 large onion, diced
- • 1 stick butter
- • ½ cup heavy cream
- • 2 tablespoons kosher salt
- • ½ pound bacon, cut into a ½-inch dice
- • 2 large eggs
- • 1 cup gruyere cheese, grated
- • 2 cups parmesan cheese, coarsely grated
- • 4 green onions, cut into a ¼-inch dice (both white and green parts)
- • Kosher salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Clean the potatoes under cold running water then pat dry with a paper towel. Brush with olive oil and liberally sprinkle with kosher salt. Place on a baking sheet in a preheated 380° oven for one hour or until the potatoes are fork tender. Take out of the oven and let cool.
- In a medium skillet, sauté the bacon until browned. Set aside.
- In the same skillet drain some of the bacon fat, leaving enough to liberally coat the bottom of the pan. Sauté the onion under low heat until it just starts to brown.
- Melt butter in a microwave.
- Scramble the eggs with heavy cream.
- Peel the potatoes then coarsely mash, leaving them still a little chunky. Be carful not over-mash as doing so breaks down the starch.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix the potatoes, egg/cream, butter, onion, bacon, gruyere and 1 cup of parmesan.
- Place in a 9 x13 baking dish and top with the remaining parmesan.
- Bake in 380° preheated over for 30 minutes or until the top is a deep golden brown.
- Top with green onion.
- While this dish can be served as a casserole, I prefer to let it cool, cut it into 3-inch triangles and reheat it in the oven for 5 to 10 minutes before plating.
https://impromptufridaynights.com/pommes-macarre-a-k-a-potato-casserole/
Haricot Verts
Ingredients
- 1 lb. green beans (trimmed)
- ½ stick (1/4 cup) butter
- ½ cup sliced shallots
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Trim green beans. (See note below)
- Place in a covered microwaveable bowl add ¼ cup of water and microwave on high for 5 minutes.
- Cool drain and place in a plastic bag in the refrigerator
- Take out of the refrigerator and allow to warm-up to room temperature (1 hour more or less)
- Heat butter in a sauté pan on the stove-top, add shallots and green beans to reheat
Note: Years ago we were putting on a culinary event in a hotel in Chicago. While getting ready I watched a sous chef preparing green beans. I always prepped green beans the way my mother did. She would take one at a time and trim both ends. The Sous chef in Chicago would pick up 10 beans at a time and trim off the stem ends with a paring knife. Voila! He had a better product in a fraction of the time
https://impromptufridaynights.com/days-ahead-green-beans/
Spiced Chocolate Mousse
Ingredients
- • 12 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
- • 1 teaspoon chili powder
- • 5 tablespoons honey
- • 2 ½ cups chilled heavy whipping cream
- • 1 small package fresh raspberries
- • 1 tablespoon confectioners sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan, stir chocolate, chili powder, honey and ¾ cup of cream over a low heat until the chocolate melts and mixture is smooth. Cool, stirring occasionally.
- In a large bowl, beat 1¼ cups of cream until soft peaks form. Fold cream into the chocolate mixture in two additions. Divide mouse among 8 ramekins.
- Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.
- Whip remaining cream and confectioners sugar to firm peaks. Spoon one dollop of cream on the center of each ramekin and top with a few raspberries.
https://impromptufridaynights.com/spiced-cholate-honey-mousse/
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