Recipes by Peter Lilly, Taplin Cellars Host
These three recipes showcase summer produce at its peak. The grilled steak or lamb recipe works wonderfully with 2017 Terra 9, as its Chilean Merquen seasoning adds some spice, which a wine with a riper fruit component of this vintage can handle. Adding in the Bing cherry and mint salsa helps to elevate the fruit and keep the spiciness in check. For the eggplant and tomato gratin, we incorporated herbes de Provence that complement the wine’s lovely dark fruit and lavender notes. And grilling the eggplant helps to uplift the toasted barrel components of the wine.
The Chilean Merquen seasoning used to flavor the grilled meat typically includes dried and smoked aji cacho de cabra (goat’s horn red pepper), sea salt, and ground coriander seeds; we use the version made by Savory Spice.
If you make all three recipes together, as we enjoy doing, we recommend taking the marinated meat out of the refrigerator when the eggplant gratin has 20 to 30 minutes left in the oven, so that when the gratin comes out, the flank steak or lamb chops are being cooked. If you are looking for a vegetarian evening, you can certainly make only the two meatless recipes for a full meal.
Serve the recipes with your choice of seasonal vegetables, such as green beans or corn, and enjoy!
Serves 6
Chili-Rubbed Grilled Flank Steak or Lamb Loin Chops
2 pounds flank steak
OR
12 lamb loin chops (2 per person), fat trimmed to ¼ inch
2-3 tablespoons of Chilean Merquen seasoning
1-2 teaspoons of Kosher salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)
Preparation:
Apply a light coating of EVOO to the steak or lamb. Dust on Chilean Merquen seasoning and salt and allow to marinate for 4-8 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove from the refrigerator 15-30 minutes prior to grilling. (An alternate option if a grill is not available is to use a cast iron pan and oven.)
If using a grill, heat it to medium high at 400-450 degrees, and brush grill bars with oil if required. Cook lamb or steak to your preferred doneness.
If using a cast iron pan, heat the oven to 450 degrees. When the oven reaches temperature, heat the cast iron pan on medium high on the stove top with a light coating of oil. When the oil starts to smoke, add the meat, turn heat to medium and sear both sides until there is a light brown crust, 2-3 minutes per side. Place in the oven. Cook lamb or steak to your preferred doneness.
Transfer meat to a plate, cover loosely with foil, and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve lamb chops whole, 2 chops per person. OR slice steak against the grain and serve.
Bing Cherry and Sweet Angel Tomato Salsa
2 cups of Bing cherries, pits removed, sliced in half
2 cups sweet cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
½ – ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt
¼ – ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup fresh mint leaves, chopped small
1-2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
Preparation:
Combine all the ingredients, using only the smaller amounts given of salt, pepper, and vinegar. Let sit for 1 hour, then retaste and adjust, adding additional salt, pepper, and vinegar to taste. The vinegar should add a slight acid bite to the salsa.
Provençal Eggplant and Tomato Gratin
When sourcing eggplants, look for ones that are slightly firm, with a smooth skin, and which feel heavy for their size. The stem is also a good indicator: it should be green.
2 pounds eggplants (about 2 medium), sliced widthwise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds (can be peeled or not based on preference)
1-2 cups, or as needed, EVOO
2 tablespoons Kosher salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
For tomato sauce
3 medium garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 (28-ounce) can of whole peeled tomatoes, preferably San Marzano
½ cup fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence (+2 teaspoons extra for topping)
½ teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
½ teaspoon Kosher salt
1½ cups grated Parmesan cheese
1 cup panko-style bread crumbs
½ cup EVOO
Preparation – Eggplant:
Spread eggplant slices in one layer on a sheet pan, sprinkle with salt (on both sides) and set aside for 45 minutes to allow the eggplants to “sweat”. This will help them lose their bitterness.
Meanwhile, prepare the tomato sauce while the eggplant is “sweating”.
Preparation – Tomato Sauce:
Combine the San Marzano tomatoes, onion, and garlic in a blender. Pulse until the ingredients are a roughly chopped consistency. This should not be a puree; there should be medium sized chunks of onion in the mixture.
Place in a saucepan big enough that the mixture only fills it halfway. Bring to a simmer and reduce by half, for about 45 minutes.
Take off heat, and season with salt and pepper, starting with only 1/4 teaspoon of each, then allow to sit for 10 minutes, re-taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Add the basil and Herbes de Provence.
Preparation – Cooking the Eggplant:
The eggplant can be grilled or cooked in the oven utilizing the broiler. Pre-heat your grill or the broiler of your oven with a rack at the top. Pat eggplant dry and arrange slices in one single layer on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Brush slices generously with EVOO on both sides. Dust with the black pepper. Eggplants absorb a lot of oil; do not hesitate to be generous.
Cook the eggplant using your desired grill or oven method.
Grill method: grill eggplant directly on medium hot grill until lightly browned on each side and about ½ cooked. The eggplant should still be firm to the touch.
Oven / broiler method: with the oven on broiler setting and hot, place the baking sheet under the broiler for about 4 minutes on one side, until the eggplant looks golden and slightly softened. Quickly flip eggplant slices and broil for 4 more minutes (watch closely during broiling, the eggplant can burn quickly.) Set the eggplant slices aside and repeat the process until all the eggplant is cooked.
Turn the broiler off, and preheat your oven to 350 degrees with a rack in the middle.
Preparation – Assembling the Gratin:
Combine the panko and EVOO to the point that the bread crumbs are coated. Add ½ cup of the Parmesan. Rub a gratin dish or skillet with a crushed garlic clove. Drizzle 1 tablespoon of EVOO and rub to coat evenly. To assemble, arrange a layer of eggplant slices in overlapping rows at the bottom of the prepared baking dish. Cover with a third of the tomato sauce and a third of the Parmesan. Repeat this process twice, finishing with the last third of tomato sauce and Parmesan.
Add an extra sprinkle of herbes de Provence and top with breadcrumb mixture. Bake for 30-40 minutes. Finish with 2 minutes under the broiler to brown the top if needed. Let cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
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