Kebabs and Herbed Mash up

Grilled Chicken Kebabs with peppers, red onion, zucchini with a sage basil marinade.

Garlic-rosemary brown butter baked mashed potatoes.

Fresh citrus salad and grilled bread

Ingredients list-

• Organic free-range chicken
• Organic potatoes, tri-colored peppers, zucchini, red onion and garlic
• Organic dried or fresh rosemary, sage, basil
• EVOO
• Organic grass-fed butter
• Organic oranges, grapefruit, grapes, strawberries and lemon
• Wooden skewers (beware if they need to be soaked)

Rinse and soaked with apple cider vinegar for five minutes-

• Potatoes, tri-colored peppers, zucchini, grapes, strawberries and if fresh the herbs.

As the veggies soak

Once all the veggies are cleaned properly then peel and chop them in kebab fashion. ½ inch segments work well for even cooking. Half the Zucchini lengthwise and slice.

Now get your mortar and pestle and add in the good parts of the sage and basil (sans stems).

Bang it up until you get those fragrances and oils releasing from the leaves. Next add the garlic and repeat the banging process and begin grinding against the walls as well until a wet paste forms. Scoop into a mixing bowl that you can fit all of your kebab ingredients into with space enough to not lose any valued bites in the process.

To that add the juice of half a lemon and some freshly cracked pepper and a nice amount of EVOO to coat all involved. Mix all those flavors together until well combined.

Add in kebab ingredients and seal or cover mixing bowl and place in refrigerator for at least 30 min.

Give a quick rinse to your grinding surface and let us begin again.

Add in the rosemary and begin working it until you yield a similar fragrant release. Add some black pepper and sage and continue pounding and grinding.

Next drop in two cloves of peeled garlic and keep at it. This will be our infusion for the browned butter.

(ALL OF THIS CAN BE DONE ON A CUTTING BOARD AS WELL IT JUST TAKES A BIT OF FINESSE)

Put on a large stock pot of water. Enough to cover your potatoes. Add pinch of sea salt.

Chop up the potatoes into smaller cubes than the kebab combo. Be sure to make your pieces similar sizes to ensure even cooking time.

Cook until fork tender. Drain. Leave them in the strainer to allow them to dry.

While the potatoes cook get a small sauce pot and 6 tbs of our healthy fats: organic grass fed butter. Over medium-low heat melt the butter and allow it to evaporate the moisture and brown. When the bubbles get smaller and the original color of the butter has disappeared add our herb bash up and finish the browning process. The kitchen should smell warm and inviting now and you may see heads beginning to peer around corners.

Take the potatoes and empty them into a large heat safe bowl and mash ‘em up. Take a large spoon and form a large X in the potatoes. Pour the brown herb butter in the design and incorporate fully.

Put this palate pleasing pile of potatoes in a pan and slide into an oven (When kebabs hit the grill) set to 425 for just 10 minutes or until the top gets that “golden brown crown” we’re looking for.

As for the kebabs we have very straight forward business. Order a pattern for your skewers and stick to it. Lay them on a hot grill or in a hot grill pan, sear evenly and cook through. Tongs work best for the task. Remove to a warm plate.

As those potatoes brown it is prime time to ensure our plates are heated and to begin neatly cutting our citrus fruit. Use the lemon to squeeze over the top of all the other fruit.

Technique tip:

Use the knife to remove the skins of the oranges and grapefruits and watch the life of your dish reveal itself.

Plating suggestion:

This is quite a rustic dish though there are some warm elements to it. Those stems we stripped our fresh herbs off of (or if you rolled with the dried herbs that’s coo’ too.) we are going to use those as well as some extra paprika dusted over the edges of the plate and our citrus rinds cut in a clean and tailored manner. This is your opportunity to be CREATIVE! Embrace it.

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