Cheese and I have been BFFs for years now, at least since the Reagan administration. Any time that I can find a new way to shamlessly hork down mass
amounts, I am a happy girl. When Kyle and I got married, we graduated from mis-matched dish set (most of which were either lifted from a college dining room or a parent's cabinet) to an actual matching set, and all sorts of fun toys to boot! Within those new toys there was a fondue set and an indoor grill. The fondue brought forth visions of us with our friends during apres ski weekends in L.L. Bean sweaters nestled around a fire place (yes, think Dumb & Dumber) dipping into hot bubbly cheese. The indoor grill became a staple of our lives, especially during that first winter in Annapolis and now that we are living in a third floor walkup. When these two seemingly independent culinary tools come together like Voltron, the result is epic. Thus is present for your viewing (and consuming!) pleasure: Blue Cheese Fondue with Grilled Vegetables & Skirt Steak.
Blue Cheese Fondue
(I usually make this first, as it can hang out on a back burner set on low until the steak & veggies are ready)
-1/2 lb. of your favorite blue cheese, crumbled- Gorgonzola, Camzola and Danish Blue all work well
-1 Clove of garlic, minced
-1 Sprig of thyme, leaves removed and chopped
-1/4 Stick of salted butter
-2 Cups half & half, or if you're feeling extra indulgent use heavy cream, and don't tell your trainer!
-Fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
-Chopped fresh chives (optional)
Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Add in garlic and thyme leaves and cook until garlic begins to soften. Add in half & half (or what ever other deliciously evil dairy you have decided to use) and bring to a simmer, making sure not to scald. Once mixture has slightly reduced, add in cheese and stir until mixture is smooth. Add black pepper to taste. At this point the sauce can hang out until you're ready to use it on the back burner (actually a little time to come together isn't a bad thing!). When ready to serve, transfer to fondue pot (if using) and top with chopped chives.
Simple Marinated Skirt Steak & Vegetables
-1 1/2lb Skirt Steak
-4 cloves garlic minced
-Olive oil
-Fresh cracked black pepper
-Good coarse salt (I'm a big fan of French grey sea salt)
-Mixed vegetables: I used asparagus spears, red onions (sliced into 1/6ths with root portion intact for easy grilling), cherry tomatoes, and sliced prortobella mushroom caps
-1 Loaf of french bread sliced and toasted
For the steak: Coat steak in olive oil, salt, pepper and 2 cloves of minced garlic in a glass dish and set aside on countertop (steak should come to room temp before grilling for best results). Let marinate for 20-30 mins, turning occasionally.
For Veggies: Use same preparation for veggies as used for steak- you can either toss all the veggies together in one big happy bowl, or separate them out, depending on how ambitious you want your clean up to be.
Preheat your grill (indoor or outdoor) and wipe down w/ a little olive oil to prevent sticking. I prefer to cook my steak first as it will need time to rest. Cook steak according to your desired temperature, which for me means barely driving it over the heat. Rest meat on a cutting board with a light tin foil cover. Give grill another quick rub down with olive oil to prep for veggies. If your grill can't handle all veggies at once, start with the onions, then follow with mushrooms, tomatoes and asparagus. Onions & mushrooms can take a little more time on the grill w/o completely losing their shape, but make sure to keep an eye on the asparagus as it can burn and lose it's snap pretty
easily if over cooked.
To serve: Arrange veggies on a tray with sliced bread. Slice steak on the bias to get he most tender slices and arrange on another platter. Pour fondue into a pre-warmed fondue pot and place in the middle of a table. Offer up fondue picks, small plates and big glasses of hearty red wine to those partaking a toast to the good life. Cheers!
No comments:
Post a Comment