Summertime means barbeques and this prime-time grilling season has inspired Executive Chef James Boyce of Studio, the signature restaurant at Montage Laguna Beach Resort, to create simple grilled dishes of fresh ingredients that are also perfect for casual outdoor home entertaining.
WHAT: Simple grilled meat, fish and vegetable dishes that tempt the senses and are relatively low in fat and calories, on trend with Chef Boyce’s modern French-style cuisine with California influences. The Studio menus he creates feature the freshest of regional, seasonal organic and artisanal ingredients
Montage Laguna Beach Resort’s Executive Chef, James Boyce
WHY: New chef-tested ways to add to your grilling and meal repetoire.
HOW: Try these cool recipes from Chef Boyce or adapt them using his techniques to create your own recipe from the seasonal items.
TANDOORI-FLANK STEAK ROLL-UP
Ingredients
Marinade
1/4 C. tandoori sauce*
1 t. chopped ginger
1 T. honey
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 C. orange juice
Meat ( or try poultry, pork, or even seafood — though seafood won’t roll up as well)
2 pounds flank steak
Garnish
3 T. coarse ground mustard
2 small ripe avocados
18 pieces of oven roasted or sun-dried tomatoes
1/4 C. cilantro leaves
1/2 C. chopped romaine lettuce
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
6 each lavosh sheets*
Favorite sauce*
Method
Combine all marinade ingredients and mix with flank steak in a zip-top bag. Refrigerate for at least two hours.
Heat grill to medium-high heat. Remove flank steak from marinade and place on grill. Allow the steak to sear 5 minutes on first side and 3-5 minutes (or until steak reaches desired temperature) on other side. Remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
To Assemble
Lay out lavosh sheets on table and spread an even layer of coarse ground mustard on each. Thinly slice steak across the grain and place equal amounts on each of the lavosh to form an even layer.
Top with a layer of avocado, tomato, cilantro and romaine, and season with salt and pepper.
Roll up each sandwich in the form of a burrito and wrap in foil. To reheat, place on a grill and serve with your favorite sauce. Provides service for 6.
*Note: If you wish to make your own tandoori sauce, Chef Boyce suggests mixing Madras Curry with yogurt and adding orange zest and red wine vinegar. Cracker bread or low-fat tortillas may be substituted for lavosh sheets. Sauces such as Sirachi, A-1, Major Grey’s Chutney, pesto or sundried tomato puree make delicious accompaniments.
3. Adapt a flexible favorite: This dish is the oldest in Chef Boyce’s collection and by far his most-used recipe, as he can prepare it as the ultimate burger for a vegetarian, as a side dish, salad, main course or cheese course. He originally created the dish to showcase an herb garden that he had built.
Reach for an innovative wrap: Chef Boyce won a cook-off with this fun, interactive recipe by replacing a traditional higher-carbohydrate tortilla with a radicchio lettuce cup.
GRILLED SALMON “TACOS”
Ingredients
12 3-ounce pieces of king salmon
1 t. chopped thyme
1 t. chopped dill
2 T. olive oil
12 radicchio lettuce cups
2 cups shredded Savoy cabbage
12 cilantro sprigs
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Sauce or salsa
Method
Season fish with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and rub with olive oil. Allow to sit for 30 minutes.
Cook fish on a pre-heated charcoal grill for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Transfer to a warm tray.
Presentation
Place cooked fish in radicchio cups and garnish with cabbage, cilantro and favorite sauce or salsa, or place all ingredients on a “family-style” platter and allow guests to assemble their own tacos. Provides service for 6.
GRILLED PORTOBELLO WITH SONOMA GOAT CHEESE & GARDEN GREENS
Ingredients
4 medium Portobello mushrooms
1/4 C. olive oil
1/4 C. balsamic vinegar
2 cloves minced garlic
1 minced shallot
1 t. chopped basil
1 t. chopped Italian parsley
1 t. chopped thyme
1/4 lb. Sonoma goat cheese
1 T. crème fraiche
1 T. cream cheese
2 C. California baby greens
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Method
Remove stems from mushroom caps and marinate in half the oil, vinegar, garlic shallots and herb mixture for 30 minutes to 1 hour.
Combine remaining herbs, garlic, goat cheese, crème fraiche and cream cheese; place 4 equal portions of herbed cheese onto cookie sheet.
Combine remaining olive oil, balsamic vinegar and shallots, mix and toss with mixed greens.
Pre-heat grill. Pre-heat oven to 425. Remove Portobello caps from marinade and season with salt and pepper. Grill until tender.
Place cheese in pre-heated oven and bake until soft.
Presentation
Carefully remove the portions of soft cheese from the cookie sheet and place each into center of a serving plate. Place mushroom cap on top of cheese and top with a small portion of the salad. Provides service for 4.
About Montage Laguna Beach
Montage Laguna Beach, set on a coastal bluff overlooking the Pacific in the heart of the vibrant arts community of Laguna Beach, offers 30 acres of oceanfront luxury. The 250-room craftsman-style resort features beachfront accommodations; a 20,000-square-foot spa; destination dining at Studio; a wealth of outdoor recreation, including three pools, beach and water sports; a fine art collection; and more than 20,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor meeting space. For information and reservations, please contact Montage Laguna Beach toll-free, at 1-888-715-6700; or visit the Web site at www.montagelagunabeach.com.
About Montage Hotels & Resorts
Montage Hotels & Resorts is an ultra-luxury hotel and resort management company founded by Alan Fuerstman in 2002. The company’s flagship oceanfront resort, Montage Laguna Beach, opened in February 2003 in the vibrant arts community of Laguna Beach, California. The company currently has hotels, resorts and Montage residences under construction in Beverly Hills, scheduled to open in fall 2008; Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Deer Valley, Utah and Royal Island, Bahamas, scheduled to open in 2010. www.montagehotels.com
Next to Hawaii, the Montage Laguna Beach is one of the best places to be– spa, rooms, bar and restaurant are like heaven. Few things beat this experience.
Stevie Wilson
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