Grilled Pork Chop with Roasted Yams and Marjoram

Serves 4

Ingredients:
 
2 pounds/1 kg long narrow yams (red-skinned sweet potatoes), peeled, cut crosswise into 3/4- to 1-inch-/2- to 2.5-cm-thick discs
3 tablespoons/45 ml extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Four 8-ounce/250-g center cut pork loin chops (each about 3/4 inch/2 cm thick)
1 bunch watercress, thick stalks removed
3/4 cup/150 ml dry white wine
2 tablespoons/5 g fresh marjoram leaves

Method:

Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C. Place the sliced yams on a baking sheet and drizzle with 1 tablespoon/15 ml of olive oil.  Rub the oil all over the yam slices to coat. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
 
Bake for 25 minutes, or until the yams are golden brown on the bottom. Turn the yam slices over and bake 10 minutes longer, or until they are tender and golden brown on the bottom. Preheat a large grill pan over high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Drizzle 1 tablespoon/15 ml of olive oil over the pork chops and rub the oil over the pork chops.

Grill the pork chops for 3 minutes. Rotate the pork chops 90° and cook 2 minutes longer.  Turn the pork chops over. Transfer the pan to the oven and cook until the pork chops are cooked to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium well.

Place the watercress on 4 plates. Arrange the yam slices alongside the watercress. Place 1 pork chop on each plate. Add the wine to the grill pan and stir to scrape up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the marjoram. Simmer for 3 minutes, or until the wine is reduced by half. Stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon/15 ml of oil. Pour the pan juice over the pork and serve.

Asparagus with Raspberry and Shallot Vinaigrette

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 pounds/1 kg asparagus (about 2 bunches)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup/100 ml raspberry vinegar
2 small shallots, cut into thin rings
1/3 cup/55 ml grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon/15 ml olive oil
1 tablespoon/about 3 g chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method:

Bring a large frying pan of water to a boil. Trim the woody portion from the asparagus and place the asparagus into the boiling water. Sprinkle with salt. Cook for 2 minutes, or until the asparagus is crisp-tender. Drain.

Submerge the asparagus in a large bowl of ice cold water to cool completely. Strain and dry the asparagus with paper towels.  In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar and shallots and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow to cool.

Strain the shallots from the vinegar and pour the vinegar into a large bowl. Reserve the shallots. Slowly add the grapeseed oil and olive oil to the vinegar, whisking constantly to blend.  Whisk in the parsley.

Season the vinaigrette to taste with salt and pepper.  Arrange the asparagus on plates and pour the vinaigrette over the asparagus. Garnish with the reserved shallots and serve.

Espresso Crème Brûlée

Ingredients:

1 1/4 cups/295 ml heavy whipping cream
2/3 cups/155 ml whole milk
1/2 cup/100 g granulated sugar
1/4 cup/10 g freeze-dried instant coffee
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
7 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons/20 g turbinado sugar

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200°F/100°C. In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, milk, 1/2 cup/100 g of sugar, and instant coffee. Using a spoon, scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cream mixture and whisk to blend. 

Whisk the yolks in a large bowl to blend. Whisk in 1/4 cup/60 ml of the cream mixture. Set the yolk mixture aside. Add the scraped vanilla bean to the remaining cream mixture in the saucepan. 

Bring the cream mixture to a near boil over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar and coffee dissolve. Remove from the heat and cool for 5 minutes. Gradually whisk the warm cream mixture into the yolk mixture to blend.

Strain the custard through a fine-meshed strainer and into a 4-cup/1 liter measuring cup. Place four 6-ounce/175 ml custard cups or ovenproof coffee cups in a baking dish. Divide the custard among the custard cups in the baking dish.  Fill the baking dish halfway with hot water.

Place the baking dish in the oven and bake the custards uncovered for 2 hours, or until the centers move only slightly when the cups are gently shaken (the custards will become firm as they cool). Remove the custards from the baking dish and allow to cool.  Place the custards in the refrigerator until cold.

Sprinkle the sugar over the custards. Using a kitchen blow torch, wave the flame over the custards until the sugar caramelizes. Refrigerate the custards until the topping is cold and brittle, about 10 minutes.  Serve.