Hot Pepper Jelly Fried Potatoes In Fried Cheese Shell

 Hot Pepper Jelly Flower

 Hot Pepper Glazed Smoked Trout

 Treason of Beef in Battery

 Langosta Criolla

 Pescado en Salsa de Coco (Fish in Coconut Broth)

 Caldo de Camarones (Shrimp Stock)

 Crazy Cajun Salmon (Cajun Salmon with Herbed Butter)

 A Cowboy Named Julius (Southwestern Caesar Salad with Chipotle Dressing)

 Coconut Chicken with Yam Chips

 Penne Pasta with Chipotle Salsa Vodka Cream Sauce

 Ostrich Steak with Fiery Bourbon-Teriyaki Marinade

Lois Ellen Frank, Walter Whitewater & Sam Etheridge

 Southwestern Chile Marinated Grilled Quail

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Hot Pepper Jelly Fried Potatoes In Fried Cheese Shell

• 2 big potatoes (Yukon gold are best)

• 2 tablespoons Chef Harv’s Hot Pepper Jelly (or substitute your favorite)

• 2 tablespoons wine or apple juice

• Salt, pepper & herbs to taste

• Olive oil

• Shredded cheddar cheese

Peel and slice the potatoes. Put olive oil in a pan on medium high heat and add the potatoes and seasonings. Brown to your liking. When the potatoes are done, mix Pepper Jelly and wine (or apple juice) together and add to the pan and glaze on the potatoes. This should take about 3 minutes.

To make the fried cheese shell, heat a small non-stick pan on medium high. Add enough shredded cheddar just to cover the bottom of the pan. When the cheese moves freely in the pan, flip it over to cook the other side (lightly brown on both sides). On a cutting board, turn a small bowl upside down. Place the melted cheese on top of the bowl, and pat down with several layers of paper towels (this cheese is really hot!). Remove the paper towel and wait a few moments for the cheese to cool. Remove from the bowl and turn upright. Fill your crisp Fried Cheese Shell with your Hot Pepper Jelly Potatoes for the perfect presentation.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Heat Scale: Mild

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Hot Pepper Jelly Flower

First you will need to make Chef Harv’s famous Hot Pepper Jelly and Cream Cheese.

• 1 cup Chef Harv’s Hot Pepper Jelly

• 3 (8-ounce) blocks of cream cheese

• Round chips or crackers

Put the Hot Pepper Jelly into a mixer. Add the cream cheese and mix slowly at first. As the mixture starts to blend, turn the mixer up higher until the mixture is smooth and creamy.

To make the Hot Pepper Jelly Flower, put the mixture into a pastry bag or Ziploc. Cut the tip of the corner in order to use. Make a circle around the outer end of your plate with round chips or crackers by laying them end-to-end. With your jelly/cream cheese mixture, pipe a ribbon on the bottom third of the crackers, and place another layer of chips/crackers on top of the jelly/cream cheese mixture. Continue to do this until there is only a small hole left in the center. Fill the hole with Hot Pepper Jelly to finish your flower.

Yield: 4 servings

Heat Scale: Mild

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Hot Pepper Glazed Smoked Trout

This moist fish has a lovely rosemary aroma mingled with Chef Harv’s tantalizing Hot Pepper Jelly. Be sure to follow the directions closely!

• 1 to 1½ West Virginia golden trout

• 1 cup Chef Harv’s Apple Cider Lemon Herb Brine

• 1 cup Chef Harv’s Hot Pepper Jelly

• Handful of dried rosemary

• Greens

Go fishing in Del Ray, West Virginia at Flowing Springs Trout Farm (or your favorite fishing place or the fish department at your local grocery store). Catch Golden trout. Eviscerate the fish and place in a Ziploc with brine and ½ cup of the Hot Pepper Jelly. Remove all air and zip it tight. Place the bag in a cooler and continue fishing because you need the time off. When you are finally tired of catching fish, and are totally relaxed, build a small campfire. Use a deep, heavy-bottomed stockpot and put the rosemary in the bottom. Put another pot with a handle inside and fashion a wire mesh over the second pan. Put the pot over the heat until the rosemary starts to smoke. Take your brined fish and glaze it with the remaining ½ cup of Hot Pepper Jelly. Place the fish carefully on the rack inside the stockpot and cover. Cook over medium heat for 15-20 minutes and remove from heat. Carefully remove the fish and place on a bed of greens and serve.

Yield: 2 servings

Heat Scale: Medium

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Treason of Beef in Battery

• ½ pound lean boneless beef (sirloin, top round, or flank)

• Sesame Dipping Sauce (see below)

• 3 tablespoons each, flour and water

• 3 eggs

• 1¼ cup coarsely chopped, lightly packed watercress leaves and small stems

• ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions (including tops)

• ¼ cup Alimony Antidote or your hot sauce of choice

• ¼ teaspoon salt

• ¼ teaspoon pepper

• Canola oil for frying

Prepare the Sesame Dipping Sauce (below) and sequester.

In a medium-size bowl, mix flour and water until smooth. Add the eggs and beat to blend. Thinly slice the beef across the grain, then cut slices into bite-size pieces. Add to the egg mixture along with watercress, onions, Alimony Antidote, salt and pepper. Mix gently but thoroughly. Set aside the evidence.

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a wide frying pan over medium heat. Dip out 1 tablespoon of the meat mixture, being sure to include some of the egg batter in each spoonful; place in a pan, forming a small patty (you can cook 4 or 5 at a time). Cook the patties until lightly browned on both sides (about 3 minutes per side), then keep warm in a 200 degree chamber. Repeat until all meat mixture has been used, adding more oil to pan as necessary. Serve with Sesame Dipping Sauce.

Sesame Dipping Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar

• 1 tablespoon sesame oil

• 1 teaspoon crushed toasted sesame seeds

• 1/8 to ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper

In a small bowl, stir together all ingredients. Serve in small individual bowls.

Yield: 3 or 4 servings

Heat Scale: Medium

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Langosta Criolla

• 6 tablespoons Spanish olive oil, for sautéing

• 1 small white onion, diced medium

• 1 large red bell pepper, seeds and stems removed, diced medium

• 1 Cubanelle pepper, seeds and stems removed, diced medium

• 6 Cachucha peppers, seeds and stems removed, sliced (or substitute 1 habanero)

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 cup Sherry

• 1 ten-ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 bay leaf

• ½ cup roasted red peppers (from about two peppers), diced medium

• 1 dried ancho chile, torn into small pieces

• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

• ½ cup cilantro, chopped

• 4 spiny lobster tails, cut into one-and-a-half inch rounds and steamed

Heat up olive oil and sauté the onion, peppers, and garlic for approximately four minutes. Deglaze with Sherry. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and bay leaf and cook for another five minutes.

Add the roasted peppers, ancho chile, Worcestershire, cilantro, and lobster and cook six additional minutes.

Serve in a shallow bowl.

Yield: 4 to 6 servings

Heat Scale: Medium

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Pescado en Salsa de Coco (Fish in Coconut Broth)

Coconut adds a Caribbean flavor to this dish from the Dominican Republic and Cuba. A favorite on island menus, the fish and coconut combo is also very popular in Brazil, where both are plentiful. This delicate and delicious dish is served with rice and plantains. This recipe can be found in La Comida del Barrio, Clarkson Potter Publishers/New York.

• 4 red snapper fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)

• Juice of 2 limes

• 2 garlic cloves, minced

• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

• 1 medium white onion, diced

• 1 celery stalk, diced

• 1 serrano chile, minced

• 1 ripe tomato, chopped

• ½ cup dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

• 1 cup shrimp stock (recipe follows)

• 1 14-ounce can unsweetened coconut milk

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• ½ cup coarsely chopped mint

• ½ cup toasted shredded coconut

Rinse the snapper and pat dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix the lime juice and half of the garlic together, rub it on both sides of the fish and let sit for 15 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large saucepan over a medium flame. When the oil is hot, add the onion, celery, Serrano, and remaining garlic to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, until the vegetables are soft. Add the tomato and white wine, and continue to cook for another 5 minutes, to break down the tomatoes and evaporate the liquid. Pour in the stock and coconut milk, season with salt and pepper to taste, and simmer for 15 minutes, until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a nonstick skillet over a medium-high flame. Scrape off the garlic from the snapper so it won’t burn and season both sides with 1 teaspoon each of salt and pepper. When the oil begins to smoke, lay the fillets in the pan. Gently press the fish with a spatula to brown, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the fish to the coconut-broth mixture, browned-side up. Toss in the mint, cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes to finish cooking the fish all the way through. Serve the snapper with a ladleful of sauce and garnish with the toasted coconut.

Yield: 4 servings

Heat Scale: Mild

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Caldo de Camarones (Shrimp Stock)

• 1½ cups uncooked shrimp shells (from about 1 pound of shrimp)

• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• 1 medium white onion, chopped

• 2 carrots, chopped

• 2 celery stalks, chopped

• 2 tablespoons tomato paste

• 2 cups dry white wine, such as Sauvignon Blanc

• 1 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

• 2 bay leaves

• ½ teaspoon fennel seeds

• ½ teaspoon whole black peppercorns

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Rinse the shrimp shells, spread them out on a sheet pan, and bake for 15 minutes until pink and slightly charred around the edges.

Coat a stockpot with the oil and place over medium heat. Add the vegetables and cook for 5 minutes to soften. Add the tomato paste, stirring to coat the vegetables. Pour in the wine and stir for 1 minute until reduced slightly.

Add the roasted shrimp shells, herbs, and spices. Pour in only enough cold water to cover (about 2 quarts)—too much will make the stock taste weak. Allow it to slowly come to a boil, then lower the heat and slightly simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered, skimming away any impurities that rise to the surface.

Strain the stock through a fine sieve into a heatproof container or another pot to remove the solids. Cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate. The stock keeps for up to a week refrigerated.

Yield: 2 cups

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Crazy Cajun Salmon (Cajun Salmon with Herbed Butter)

Everyone loves salmon. It is such a flavorful fish, especially with all the great herbs and spices included here. Give this recipe a try and it will be Mardi Gras in your mouth.

• 4 salmon fillets

• Spice Blend:

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

• 1 teaspoon paprika

• ½ teaspoon white pepper

• ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

• ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• ¼ teaspoon dried thyme

• ¼ teaspoon dried basil

• 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

• Chile Herb Butter:

• 8 ounces (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

• 2 fresh green jalapeño chiles, stemmed, seeded, very finely minced

• 4 sprigs cilantro, leaves only, finely chopped

• 2 sprigs parsley, leaves only, finely chopped

• Insanity Seafood Sauce or prepared salsa, for serving

Preheat the grill to medium high. Prepare the filets by rinsing and making sure that all of the bones have been removed and that no skin is left on the edges. Pat the filets dry and reserve.

Combine all of the spice blend ingredients in a sauté pan and lightly toast over very low heat, stirring constantly, until light brown and aromatic. Remove from the pan. Transfer to a shallow dish or plate.

Prepare the chile-herb butter by combining the butter, chiles, and herbs in small bowl and blending with a wooden spoon until smooth and well mixed. Place the butter on a piece of wax paper or plastic wrap, rolling the butter up in a tube shape. Refrigerate briefly while the filets are grilling.

To grill the filets, lightly oil each filet with canola oil then roll the filet in the spice blend until uniformly covered. Grill the filets over medium heat until browned on each side and cooked through to the middle, about 3 minutes per side.

Unroll the tube of butter and allow to soften briefly. Cut the butter crosswise into ½ inch thick rounds. Serve the filets hot from the grill topped with the chile-herb butter and Insanity Seafood Sauce or your favorite salsa.

Yield: 4 servings

Heat Scale: Medium

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A Cowboy Named Julius (Southwestern Caesar Salad with Chipotle Dressing)

Hail Caesar; Cardini that is. His 1924 invention of the Caesar salad has deeply affected my life, or at least my mealtimes. This variation may sound strange, but it tastes wonderful.

Dressing:

• ½ cup mayonnaise

• 1½ tablespoons water

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• ½ tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest

• 1 tablespoon minced drained canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

• 1 fresh red jalapeno chile, stemmed, seeded and minced

• 1 to 2 drops Insanity Sauce (optional)

• 1 teaspoon firmly packed light brown sugar

• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

• 1 large head romaine lettuce, torn into bite-size pieces

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced

• ½ cup fresh or drained canned corn kernels

• ¼ cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

To prepare the dressing, in a small bowl mix together the mayonnaise, water, soy sauce, lemon juice and zest, chipotle chiles, jalapeño, Insanity Sauce, and brown sugar. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Toss together the romaine, tomatoes, corn, 2 tablespoons of the cheese, and the salad dressing. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the tossed salad and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Heat Scale: Medium

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Coconut Chicken with Yam Chips

• Coconut Chicken:

• 2 pounds chicken breast

• 2 tablespoons vinegar

• ¼ cup virgin olive oil

• 2 packages of Caribbean Temptation spices (or your favorite spicy spice mix)

• 1 cup diced onions

• 2 cans coconut milk

• 1 red bell pepper, seeds and stems removed, diced

• ¼ cup of water

• ½ cup white rum

Remove the skin and cut the chicken into ½ inch cubes. Place the chicken into a bowl with vinegar, add one quart of cold water, rinse chicken and drain all remaining water.

Combine oil, 2 packages of Caribbean Spices, and chicken in a large saucepan. Cook over medium high heat, until golden brown.

Add red bell pepper, onion, coconut milk, water and rum. Cover for fifteen minutes on medium high heat.

Serve over crispy salad with Yam chips (see below) or steamed potatoes

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Heat Scale: Mild

Caribbean Yam Chips:

• 2 pounds of yams

• Vegetable Oil

Wash yams (leave skin on) and slice medium. Fill a skillet or deep fryer half full with vegetable oil and heat to 375 degrees. Deep fry the yams for three minutes until crisp and golden. Drain on a paper towel. Sprinkle Caribbean spice of your choice or salt.

Yield: 8 servings

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  Photo by Harald Zoschke

Penne Pasta with Chipotle Salsa Vodka Cream Sauce

• 2 (16 ounce) jars chipotle salsa

• 1½ cups heavy whipping cream

• ¼ teaspoon dried oregano

• ¼ teaspoon dried leaf basil

• ¼ cup vodka

• 1 (16 ounce) box mini penne pasta (prepared according to manufacturer’s directions)

• Parmesan cheese

Place 1½ jars of the salsa in a food processor, and blend until smooth. Pour into a high walled skillet and add the basil, oregano and remaining salsa. Bring to a simmer. Slowly whisk in the heavy whipping cream and bring back to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes whisking often. Turn off the heat and add the vodka, stirring well

Place the prepared pasta in a large bowl. Pour sauce over pasta and toss. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese and serve.

Ostrich Steak with Fiery Bourbon-Teriyaki Marinade

• Ostrich Steaks

Marinade:

• 1 cup teriyaki sauce

• ¼ cup bourbon

• 1 tablespoon habanero hot sauce

Combine the three ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from heat and let cool. Cut the ostrich steaks into 1-inch strips and marinate in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 1½ hours. (Ostrich is very lean and requires a minimum of marinating time).

Remove the ostrich and place on a hot grill. Cook until medium, basting with marinade. (Ostrich meat is best served medium-rare to medium-well—do not overcook)

Place ostrich steaks on top of pasta, garnish, and enjoy.

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Southwestern Chile Marinated Grilled Quail

6 quail, backbones removed

Marinade:

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh sage

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 teaspoons chipotle chile powder

• 1 fresh serrano chile, seeded and finely chopped

• ½ cup olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon lemon zest

Glaze:

• 4 dried red New Mexican or Anaheim chiles, stemmed and seeded

• ½ cup water

• ½ cup honey

• Greens:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

• 2 bunches mustard greens, washed and stemmed

Wash each quail under cold running water. Cut the wings of each quail at their joints and set aside.

To make the marinade, combine together all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Add the quail, making sure each quail is thoroughly coated. Cover, place in the refrigerator, and let marinate overnight.

To make the glaze, in a small saucepan heat together the dried red chiles and water over high heat. Bring to a boil and boil for 1 minute, then remove from the heat. Let stand for 10 minutes. Place the mixture into a blender, add the honey, and blend for 1 minute. Pour through a fine sieve to remove the chile skins and then discard them. Set aside.

Heat a grill or cast-iron grill pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking, and then place the marinated quail on it. Grill for about 5 minutes, then remove from the heat.

Reserve half of the glaze for serving. Brush the remaining glaze onto both sides of each grilled quail. Place the quail topside up in a shallow roasting pan and then place them in the oven, on broil. Broil for 3 to 4 minutes until they begin to brown, then remove from the oven.

To make the greens, heat a skillet over high heat. Add the oil, then the garlic, and stir for about 15 seconds. Add the mustard greens and cook for 2 minutes.

Serve each quail on a bed of sautéed greens with the reserved glaze.

Yield: Serves 6 as an appetizer

Heat Scale: Medium

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