When last I left you, we were carefully flipping fish on the grill.

That was part one. And dealt with firmer fish like Salmon, Mahi Mahi, Tuna, and Swordfish.

In part two, we’ll cover the lighter, more delicate fish such as Flounder, Tilapia, Trout fillet, and Sole.

Here’s the hush-hush secret: The more delicate fish are actually easier to cook. Shhh. Don’t tell.

It’s rather simple, really.

1. Fire up the grill.
2. Grab a sheet of aluminum foil.
3. Place the fish in the middle of the foil.
4. Fold up the edges of the foil, basically forming a little wall around the fish. Pinch the corners together. (Leave about an inch between the fish and the “wall” edges.)
5. Season your fish in its aluminum-walled vessel. Said vessel will capture all the seasoning and eventual juices from your fish, adding moisture and flavor to it. Mouths will water.
6. The grill should be hot by now, so place the fish-laden aluminum onto the grill.
7. Close the grill’s lid and let cook for six to eight minutes. Time varies based on thickness of the fish.
8. At the six minute mark, check your fish. If it’s not cooking evenly (the bottom is cooking but the top still seems raw), reduce heat or move your aluminum to a cooler part of the grill and close the lid.

In essence, this method cooks like an oven but allows the signature grill flavor to be achieved. You can even toss some wood chips onto the coals for a slightly smokey flavor.

Note: Fish should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145º and will flake when pulled apart.

If you need tips on selecting fresh seafood, check the seafood shopping guide.

Now get out there with your favorite grilling apron on and cook up a tasty fish!

Best,

Chef

Fish is delicate. Especially when grilling. This intimidates even the most seasoned grill masters. Fear not. I’m here to warm your coals with a crash course in grilling fish. This one’s a two-parter. Here we go.

First, let’s start at the beginning. What kind of fish are you craving? Before your taste buds make the call, you should know some fish grill easier than others.

Easy to grill: Salmon, Mahi Mahi, Tuna, Swordfish (basically, fish with firmer flesh and smaller whole fish).

More difficult: Flounder, Tilapia, Trout fillet, Sole (any fish with delicate, flaky flesh).

Part one of two covers the former (easier). So. Let’s dive in.

Prep work:

1. Use a spatula that is:
   • Metal
   • Thick enough to hold the weight of the fish
   • Wide enough to get under the entire width of the fish
   • Has a beveled edge
2. Pick your fish. Review the how to select fresh seafood guide I put together a while back.
3. Marinate or season the fish. For some tips, check my seafood seasoning recipes.
4. Clean the grill grates.
5. Pre-heat the grill on high heat.
6. Moments before grilling, brush both sides of the fish with olive oil.

Cooking instructions:

1. Grill it up: On a very hot grill, place fish skin side down (even if skin is already removed). The skin side contains natural oils that help prevent the fish from sticking to the grill.
2. Be patient: Go grab a glass of home-brewed iced tea and let the fish cook, lid closed, for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish.
3. Grill marked: Refreshed, go back to the grill. Check for good grill marks (gently lift one side to see if the grill marks are present. If the fish sticks at this point, cook longer). If the grill marks are there and the sides are showing signs of being cooked, go ahead and flip it over.
4. The flip:This is the scariest part. This is the point when your fish is likely to fall apart. So stick with me. Hold the spatula as close to the grill as possible. At the slightest angle. Now, with a quick but gentle maneuver, slide the spatula under the fish. This should be done in one smooth motion.

   Don’t try to ease the spatula under the fish. Just go for it. Commit.

   If you’ve made it this far, and the fish is perched on your spatula, here’s a back pat for you. Deep breath. Carry on.

   In one quick but smooth motion, flip the fish over. Any hesitation may result in the fish sliding off the spatula. That would be bad.

5. Continue to cook, lid closed for an additional 3-5 minutes. You’ll know it’s cooked when the fish is firm and the flesh flakes when pulled apart.

Note: with any type of food cooked at high heat, it’s best to let it rest for a few minutes, allowing the juices to redistribute throughout.

And voila! You’re a seafood grill master, part 1. For part 2, click it.

Best,

Chef

Summer is here. And with summer comes the craving for one of the South’s greatest contributions to thirst quenching. I’m talking about iced tea.

At MCL Restaurant & Bakery we sell more iced tea than any other beverage. It’s so in demand, we even sell boxes of tea bags so our customers can home-brew the same brand we do.

We use and sell Orange Pekoe & Pekoe Cut Black Tea blended and imported direct from India by Irani Tea.

Here’s an iced tea recipe that’ll keep your summers cooler than cool.

1. Buy good tea. As you know by now, my number one rule is to use the best quality ingredients.
2. Place 6-10 tea bags in the jug/container you plan to use.
3. Boil 4 cups of cold, soft water (hard water makes tea cloudy).
4. Pour the boiling water over the tea bags.
5. Let the tea steep for 3-5 minutes. Tea should never steep longer then 10 minutes. Doing so will make your tea bitter.
6. After steeping, remove and discard the tea bags. You should not reuse them.
7. Pour four more cups of cold, soft water into the brewed tea.
8. Pour into a glass over ice.
9. Kick back, feet up and enjoy.

Note: Tea will get cloudy and bitter the longer you hold it. A 12-hour refrigerated shelf life is my recommendation.

Best,

Chef Ian

Memorial Day is around the corner. This marks the start of prime charcoal grilling season. Just typing that sentence gets me fired up!

The key to great tasting grilled food, besides fresh ingredients, is a well-maintained grill. Let’s be honest. Grilling is ritualistic in a lot of ways. From firing it up to preparing your meats and vegetables to wafting that signature grill smell across your whole neighborhood.

I’ve compiled some simple maintenance tips to keep you cooking all summer.

Let’s start with making sure you’ve got the proper arsenal:

• Small hand shovel
• Garden hose
• Waterproof gloves
• Wire brush
• Baking soda
• Clean rag
• Vegetable oil

Now let’s put your arsenal to use.

Note: There are a million different kinds of grills. Low-tech to high-tech. It’s always a good idea to check your owner’s manual for specific manufacturer-recommended cleaning instructions.

1. Shovel out any leftover ashes or debris. If you’ve recently used the grill, make sure you place the ashes into a metal container, like a coffee can.
2. Use the garden hose to spray out the grill. Get it good and soaked.
3. Break out that baking soda and sprinkle it inside the grill. Scrub it down with the wire brush. While you’re at it, do the same on the grill grates. But make sure they’re not coated with something like Teflon, or it could strip it.
4. Bring the hose back and thoroughly rinse the whole thing out.
5. As soon as the grill dries, rub the inside, and grates with a light coat of vegetable oil. This prevents rust. Make sure it doesn’t pool. Oil catches on fire, remember?
6. Grill is cleaned. And ready to cook up some tasty morsels for you and your family. Once the fire’s burning, wipe the grates off with a lightly oiled rag held by tongs. Doing so removes the black residue from the protective coat of oil.

The above should keep you in fresh burgers and brats for the rest of the summer. Just remember to shovel out the ashes and debris, once they cool, each time. And keep up with the lightly oiled rag-to-grate trick to keep residue and rust away.

Next up, I’ll open the vault and hook you up with some great grill-top recipes.

Best,

Chef

In the culinary world, asparagus is the first sign of spring. Around the Midwest, asparagus season begins around April 10th and continues into mid-May. In fact, MCL Restaurant & Bakery is currently serving up tons of fresh, locally-grown asparagus.

At MCL we buy our asparagus from Melon Acres Farm in Oaktown, Indiana. But you can find fresh, local asparagus at most grocery stores and, even better, farmer’s markets through the end of May.

When shopping for asparagus, you’ll see different sizes: pencil thin or marker thick. The choice is up to you. Just remember cooking time will vary slightly depending on the thickness.

How to cook asparagus:

1. Trim an inch off the bottom.
2. Use a pan wide enough to accommodate the asparagus laying flat in the pan. A straight-sided frying pan with a tight fitting lid works best.
3. In the frying pan, bring an inch of water to a boil and place the asparagus into the boil.
4. Place the lid on the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes depending on thickness.
5. Take off heat and serve immediately.

Note: Asparagus cooks quickly. It should be the last item you prepare before serving your guests.

Asparagus can also be roasted or grilled. You can even toss it with olive oil and salt and pepper when you’re done cooking.

And now to top it off with some hollandaise sauce.

How to make hollandaise:

1. In a small frying pan grind 1/8 of a teaspoon of fresh ground black pepper.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of of cider vinegar. Bring mixture to a boil until it is mostly evaporated.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of water to the pan. Mix well. Remove from heat.
4. Place two egg yolks in a bowl.
5. Whisk vinegar mixture into the egg yolks. Do so a little at a time to prevent the yolks from curdling.
6. While whisking the mixture, drizzle 1 cup of warm clarified butter.
7. After all the clarified butter is whisked into the yolks. you should have a light, fluffy hollandaise.
8. Stir in 2 teaspoons of fresh lemon juice, a dash of Tobasco sauce, and salt and pepper to taste.

Note: The sauce should be warm, not hot. To keep it warm, place the bowl over a sauce pan filled with hot water, leaving it on the stove top until you’re ready to serve it. Hollandaise should not be served the second day.

You can get creative by adding fresh chopped herbs to the finished sauce or experiment with different vinegars. I’d love to hear what you come up with.

Best,

Chef

An omelet is an omelette is an omelet. No matter how you spell it, an omelet is a great Mother’s Day breakfast in bed delight.

As a kid, when Mother’s Day rolled around, it was our family tradition to serve breakfast in bed to Mom. She loved it. What mother wouldn’t?

As my cooking skills improved, so did the menu. Tea and toast soon gave way to fried eggs and fresh fruit. Which eventually evolved into pancakes topped with homemade blueberry syrup. But when I figured out how to make omelets, the Mother’s Day breakfast in bed menu was complete.

20 years later, and I’m now the Executive Chef for MCL Restaurant & Bakery. Mom must be proud.

If you’re in search of something simple, yet tasty to prepare for the mother in your life this Mother’s Day, I’ve got you covered. And diced. And flipped. And topped with melted cheese.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to showing Mom how much you care.

Step 1: Get prepared

Here are the basic items you’ll need:

• A good non-stick pan. This is key when you get to the “flipping” part.
• A rubber spatula.
• A whisk.

Step 2: Pick an omelet, any omelet.

Get as creative as you like. Here are some thought starters:

• Ham and cheese omelet.
• Smoked salmon and cream cheese omelet.
• Mexican omelet with chorizo, tomatoes, peppers and cheddar served with sour cream and salsa.
• Steak and eggs omelet.
• Veggie omelet.
• Asparagus omelet with brie.

You get the point. But no matter what you choose, don’t overfill your omelet, or it’ll likely fall apart.

Step 3: Break some eggs.

Here’s my recipe and top-secret technique for the famed Western Omelet.

Western Omelet Recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3 eggs
• 1/8 cup green and red peppers diced small
• 1/8 cup onion, diced small
• 1/8 cup ham, diced small
• ¼ cup shredded cheese of your choice
• Butter
• Salt & Pepper to taste

How to Prepare:

1. Start by cracking the eggs into a bowl and whisking them until they are fluffy. Set aside.
2. Heat your omelet pan on a medium high heat with enough butter in it to coat the bottom.
3. Add your onions and peppers to the pan and cook until tender. Do not brown.
4. Add the ham to the vegetable mixture. Stir so that everything is equally dispersed.
5. Ok now for the fun part. Check to make sure there is still some butter in the pan and the other ingredients haven’t soaked it all up. You can add more if you think you need it.
6. With the pan still hot, pour in your whisked eggs and take your rubber spatula and swirl the mixture while it is cooking.
7. As soon your eggs have started to get firm but are still a little runny, stop swirling. Make sure that the mixture is evenly covering the bottom of the pan.
8. Evenly spread the shredded cheese over the egg mixture.
9. Once the cheese has started to melt, you can fold or roll your omelet over. To do this, hold the pan at a slight angle and using the other hand with the spatula gradually lift and roll/fold the omelet down the pan.
10. To plate the omelet just slide it out of the pan onto the serving dish.
11. Garnish it with more shredded cheese, salsa, sour cream or fresh herbs.

And now for my top-secret technique: If at any point you mess up, you can scramble the eggs and confidently call them “Loaded Scrambled Eggs.”

Now get in that kitchen and make Mom an Omelet. Or a Loaded Scramble, depending on how it goes.

Best,

Chef

Seafood is a healthy and flavorful cornerstone to any meal. With so many fish in the sea, there’s a near endless
selection of flavor profiles and textures.

Let’s discuss a few ways to season your favorite fish.

Basic Seafood Marinade

Ingredients:

• 2 fillets of your favorite fish
• Juice 3 lemons
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 tb Dijon mustard
• 1/4 cup fresh snipped dill
• 1/4 tea spoon salt
• Fresh ground pepper ( to taste)
• 1 clove garlic, minced

Preparation:

1. Mix all ingredients well.
2. Marinate fish 2 hours in refrigerator.
3. Cook as desired.

Fresh Herb Marinade

Ingredients:

• 2-4 filets of your favorite fish
• 1/4 cup of fresh chopped herbs
• 1 lemon or lime
• Salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, broken record, broken… Always try to use the freshest ingredients you can. In this case, a home herb garden would be epic. The flavors of home grown herbs are more intense since they take a trip from the garden direct to the kitchen vs. the trip from the farm to the truck to the store to the kitchen.

Preparation:

1. Simply chop your herb of choice.
2. Chop 2 cloves of garlic.
3. Juice one lemon or lime.
4. Mix all of these ingredients together.
5. Place your fish in a Pyrex dish
6. Salt and pepper each fillet to taste
7. Pour a tablespoon or more marinade on each fish to coat evenly.
8. Let marinate for 20-30 minutes.
9. Cook as desired.
10. While the fish is resting, pour a tablespoon of the reserved marinade onto each fillet. This will add moisture and enhance the fish appearance.

Note: Never reuse marinade that has been used on any raw meat. Marinades must be discarded after they are used.

Lemon Ginger Marinade

Ingredients:

• 2 fillets of your favorite fish
• 1 ginger root
• 1 lemon
• Olive oil
• Salt and fresh ground pepper (to taste)

Preparation:

1. Salt and pepper both sides of a fish fillet to your taste.
2. Peel and thinly slice ginger root and cover both sides of the fish with it.
3. Thinly slice a lemon and cover both sides just like the ginger.
4. Place the fillets in a rectangular Pyrex dish and drizzle with olive oil.
5. Let the fish marinate for 15 minutes while the grill is getting hot.
6. With your spatula scoop the fish out of the dish lemons, ginger and all and place it on a hot, well-oiled grill.
7. Cook for 5-7 minutes per side with the lid of the grill closed.
8. Be sure to keep the lemons and ginger on the fish as it rests. The juices from the fish, lemon and ginger will make a delicious sauce.
9. The lemons and ginger will not look appetizing. Remove them before serving. They’ve done their job.

Dry rubs

Dry rubs are great for grilling fish. A rub puts a protective coating on the fish, deterring sticking and adding concentrated flavor.

Most spice rubs have a long list of ingredients in them. I won’t bore you with that. Instead I am going to direct you to the spice masters:

Chef Paul Prudhomme. He has a line of Magic Seasoning Blends. These rubs are time tested and widely used by professional chefs across America.

Chef Emeril’s line of Essence Spices are also well received.

Now here’s the secret. When serving a fish that has a dry rub, make sure to have a cooling condiment to serve with the fish since dry rubs are often spicy and intense. Think along the lines of fruit, cucumber, tomato salsa or a greek-style yogurt or sour cream sauce. Anything cooling will play nicely with the spiciness.

Best,

Chef

A tasty Waldorf salad is the perfect accompanying dish for the holiday season. To add to its perfection, prime apple season in Indiana is November through the end of December. We always try to buy locally. Our apples come from Garwood Orchards in LaPorte, Indiana. You can also find self-pick apple orchards across the country here.

Before we start chopping apples, a quick history lesson.

The Waldorf salad is a true American classic. Dating back to the 1890s, it’s obviously been around for a while. Creation credit goes to Oscar “of the Waldorf” Tschirky. Oscar was the famed maitre d’ at New York City’s Waldorf Astoria. Hence the name.

Success is in its simplicity.

The original recipe called for only three ingredients: apples, celery, and mayonnaise. MCL introduced pecans and raisins, because that’s how we live. On the edge. Success.

MCL’s Waldorf salad recipe (serves 10):

Ingredient list:

• 3 cups  Red, or Golden Delicious Apples, cored and diced in ½” pieces (soak cut apples in enough water to cover, and add the juice of one lemon so the apples don’t brown)

• 1 cup Celery,  diced in ½” pieces

• ½ cup Raisins

• ½ cup Pecans

• ¾ cups Mayonnaise or Salad Dressing

Preparation:

1.     Be sure to wash all of your fresh fruit and vegetables with cold running water before you start working with them.

2.     Start by coring and cutting the apples and place in lemon water mixture while you are preparing the other ingredients.

3.     Trim the tops and bottoms of the celery, cut each rib of celery down the middle lengthwise and then dice in ½” pieces.

4.     Drain the lemon water from the apples.

5.     Place all ingredients into a suitable mixing bowl and mix until the mayonnaise evenly coats all ingredients.

6.     Serve chilled.

Make it your own.

Start with the basic recipe as your foundation. Then get creative with it. Let me know what lovely concoctions you conjure up.

Best,

Chef

The holidays have arrived. Time to feed friends and family. Lots of them. The notion can be intimidating even for the most seasoned cook. It took me a while to get used to feeding 15,000 people. A day.

Don’t freak out. I’ve got you covered. What follows are brief, calm-inducing tips to help you and yours navigate this holiday season.

1. Know who you’re feeding.

Does your aunt Kate have an allergy to nuts? Does your nephew Tom have a severe aversion to little marshmallows on his sweet potatoes? Don’t hesitate to ask your guests these questions. Nothing is more frustrating than spending hours in the kitchen madly cooking up dishes your guests won’t enjoy.

2. Get started early.

Plan your menu in advance. Do all the shopping and initial prep the day before. Ideally your menu should center around dishes that require as little last-minute prep as possible. This will reduce stress and allow you to actually enjoy the company.

3. Get the party involved.

If some last-minute prep items couldn’t be avoided (some dishes are worth the extra work), let your guests get in the game. Most people love to play in the kitchen. It’s a bonding experience and many of our greatest holiday memories are born around the oven or the mixing bowl.

Come to think of it, I’ve never been to a party that didn’t end up with everyone in the kitchen anyway.

Follow these three simple tips and I guarantee you’ll have more fun this holiday season.

Happy Holidays. Happy Cooking!

Best,

Chef

I already covered how to pick the best produce and beef. Now let’s talk seafood.

Good news: High quality, fresh seafood is more readily available than ever. Bad news: Picking seafood can be intimidating. You want to make sure you’re buying the freshest seafood you can. Here to help.

Funny thing about the word “fresh” – it has a different meaning when it comes to seafood. I’m going to pull back the curtain and tell you exactly what to consider when selecting “fresh” seafood.

1.     To buy fresh, buy frozen.

It may be counter intuitive, but if you want the freshest fish available, buy fish that has been flash-frozen. Today, fish can be flash-frozen shortly after being caught. This lessens spoilage, keeps things fresher and makes the fish safer to eat. Unless you live in a harbor town, the flash-frozen fish will be the most fresh. More insight found here.

2.     If something smells fishy, it is.

Fresh seafood should not have a strong fish smell.  If it smells like the docks, throw it back.

3.     Coming out of our shells.

Fresh shellfish like crab or lobster should be bought alive for optimum freshness. If the shells of the fish are open they are no longer living.

4.     Some like it raw.

Sashimi must be frozen for at least 7 days to be certified to eat raw. Brings us full-circle to point #1.

Now go out and use your newfound seafood selection skills and go score some Steelhead Trout (or Salmon) to test the Asian Infused Steelhead Trout recipe I tossed out several weeks back.

Soon, I’ll follow up on this “fresh ingredient” series with unique preparation tips and even more recipes from the MCL Restaurant & Bakery test kitchen.

Good times to follow.

Best,

Chef