Chef Cory Vitiello of The Harbord Room in Toronto shares these refreshing dishes for your next summer barbecue.
Whitefish Ceviche Tostadas with Salsa Verde
Ingredients:
- 8 ounces very fresh whitefish or other firm white flesh fish, deboned and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- 2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 4 green onions, sliced
- Zest and juice of 3 limes
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For Salsa Roja:
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/4 cup chopped onions
- 1 clove garlic, chopped
- 1 serrano pepper, seeded and chopped
- 2 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and chopped
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, optional
For Tomatillo and Avocado Salsa:
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 6 medium tomatillos, husks removed
- 1/2 onion, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 poblano pepper, split and seeded
- 3 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 ripe avocado
For Tostadas:
- 5 ounces canola oil
- Six 4-inch round yellow corn tortillas
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- Fresh cilantro leaves, for garnish
For Chile and Lime Cream:
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 teaspoon ground ancho chile
- Pinch kosher salt
- Juice and zest of 2 limes
Whisk together the sour cream, ancho, salt and lime juice and reserve for garnish.
For Pickled Red Onions:
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
Directions:
Bring the vinegar, sugar, salt and 1/2 cup water to a boil. Pour the boiling liquid over the red onions and let sit for one hour. Drain and reserve for garnish.
For the ceviche: Combine the whitefish, olive oil, cilantro, orange juice, green onions, lime juice, garlic, jalapenos and some salt and black pepper and refrigerate one to two hours.
For the salsa roja: Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat, and then sauté the onions, garlic and serrano until the onions are translucent, two to three minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and oregano and simmer about 10 minutes, and then remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Purée the mixture in a blender until coarsely puréed. Season with salt and black pepper. Stir in the parsley, if using, and let the mixture cool.
For the tomatillo and avocado salsa: Heat a cast-iron or other heavy-bottomed pan until very hot. Add the olive oil and tomatillos and cook until the skins blister and burst. Stir in the onions, garlic and poblano and cook over medium heat until the onions are translucent and half the tomatillo juice has evaporated, approximately seven minutes. Transfer the mixture to a food processor along with the lime juice and avocado and blend until smooth.
For the tostadas: Heat the oil to 350 F (176 C) in a small pot. Fry the tortillas one by one until golden and crispy, about one minute per side. Transfer to paper towels to dry and sprinkle with the salt, adding more if needed.
For assembly: Spoon a dollop of the salsa roja onto the base of the tostada. Place two tablespoons of the ceviche on top, taking care to leave most of the juice behind. Spoon the tomatillo salsa over top and garnish with Chile and Lime Cream, Pickled Red Onions and cilantro leaves.
Grilled Flank Steak and Grilled Summer with Chimichurri Sauce and Cornbread
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup quality Spanish olive
- 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar or quality red wine vinegar
- 4 pieces garlic cloves, minced
- 1 piece shallot, minced
- 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme, chopped
- 2 pieces fresh bay leaf
- 2 lbs flank steak
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Kosher salt
Directions:
In a stainless or glass mixing bowl combine first six ingredients and whisk until incorporated. Place flank steak in non-reactive glass dish (or extra-large freezer bag) and cover with marinade. Wrap tightly with plastic film and place in the refrigerator for one hour.
Remove the steak from marinade after one hour. Wipe any garlic and shallot (to prevent burning when grilling), pat dry and place on a clean serving dish or tray.
Season both sides of the steak with fresh cracked black pepper and kosher salt.
Place the steak on hot grill and turn 90 degrees on each side to achieve cross-hatched grill marks. For a medium-rare steak (which is ideal for this cut) cook approximately four to five minutes on each side. If using a thermometer cook until an internal temperature of 130 - 135 F (54 - 57 C) is reached.
Remove the steak from the grill and allow it to rest on a cooling rack and tray for 10 minutes. Slice steak thinly against the muscle grain (or fibre) and serve as desired.
Grilled Vegetable Salad
Ingredients:
- 2 red peppers
- 2 zucchini, cut in half
- 2 yellow zucchini or summer squash, cut in half
- 1 red onion, cut into quarters
- 12 shiitake mushrooms, stems removed
- 1/2 cup quality olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
- Fresh cracked black pepper
- Kosher salt
- 1 Tbsp. pine nuts, toasted and chopped
Directions:
Combine all ingredients, except the pine nuts, in a bowl or pan that is large enough to accommodate everything easily.
Using clean hands or tongs, toss to coat the vegetables evenly with the olive oil, lime juice, fresh cracked black pepper and kosher salt.
Distribute evenly on a hot grill and cook. Turn vegetables as needed and keep a squeeze bottle or spritzer of water on hand to control flare-ups from oil drips.
Allow vegetables to blister and soften until tender throughout.
Transfer them as needed to a clean bowl or tray until all the vegetables achieve the desired level of doneness.
Allow to cool before handling.
Remove the red peppers from bowl and pull away the blistered skin and discard. Pull or cut open the softened peppers and scrape away the inner seed and membrane and discard.
Rough chop (or cut) peppers and place in a clean bowl or tray. Continue with remaining vegetables in the same manner or adjust the size of the cuts to suit your tastes or preferences.
Cover vegetables with any residual juice, oil and seasoning that may have settled to the bottom of the bowl or tray after cooling. Garnish with toasted and chopped pine nuts and serve as desired.
*Note: Some vegetables will have longer cooking times than others. Use your judgement, above guide and tastes to achieve a result that is desirable.
White Sangria
Ingredients:
- 750 mL Jacob's Creek Moscato
- 120 mL gin
- 120 mL Triple Sec orange liqueur
- 60 mL fresh lime juice
- 37 5mL sparkling water
- 5 lime wheels
- 2 sliced peaches
- 8 slices of cucumber
- 5 green grapes (cut in half)
- 5 mint leaves
Directions:
Add all ingredients to a large pitcher with ice, stir, and serve.
