Private chefs Jewels and Jill Elmore, whose string of A-list celebrity clients includes Jennifer Aniston and John Travolta, share two tasty and easy-to-make dishes — flap meat and prosciutto wrapped sweet potatoes — from their new cookbook, “The Family Chef.”
It is amazing what you can learn from your butcher if you take the time to ask a few questions. I planned to prepare a fajita-style meal one day and did not see any skirt or flank steak, which were my usual picks. When I asked for them, my butcher suggested that I try “flap meat,” a cut I hadn’t heard of before. I took his suggestion, and when I grilled it, the texture and flavor were much better than the other cuts of meat. Flap meat, also known as “bavette,” is a much more tender cut that is perfect for the raw flame! Because it is thin, it needs only moments over very hot coals and is best served medium rare. Like the other cuts, it is important to slice this meat against the grain in thin strips.
Jill and I now choose flap meat to serve at our big family gatherings. Anyone can grill it. It’s quick to prepare and won’t break the bank!
1. Combine all the ingredients and rub on the meat. Let sit for a while.
2. Grill over an open flame until medium rare. Allow the meat to rest for a few moments before slicing against the grain into thin strips.
This dish can be served with tortillas as a taco meat or on top of a salad.
Serves 10-12
I first saw this recipe in an Italian cookbook and made it for a party of about fifty people, but substituted sweet potatoes for potatoes, because I love the contrast of the sweetness with the saltiness of the prosciutto. A woman who was helping me that night thought I was crazy to actually serve them because I’d never made them before. For some reason, she was actually mad about it — and I couldn’t figure out why. Maybe it’s not so smart but I do stuff like that! The guests licked their plates that night and asked for more. I mean, who doesn’t want prosciutto wrapped around potato? Come on, that’s so yummy!
There is often confusion between yams and sweet potatoes. I like to use the white sweet potato for this recipe. If you can’t find sweet potatoes, use yams mixed with regular potatoes.
1. Put the sweet potato pieces in a pot and cover with cold water and a dash of salt. Cook the sweet potatoes until tender and drain any excess water.
2. In a mixer or food processor, mix the cooked sweet potatoes with butter, Dijon mustard and egg yolk, if using. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Let potatoes cool slightly before wrapping in prosciutto.
3. Turn the oven on to 375 degrees F.
4. Lay a thin strip of the prosciutto, lengthwise, on a piece of parchment paper. Layer another next to it, overlapping slightly along the long side, and continue until you have used about 4-6 pieces of prosciutto.
5. Generously spoon the mashed sweet potato horizontally across the bottom third of the prosciutto strips (the end closest to you).You should use about half the mixture when you do this.
6. Starting with the end nearest you and using the parchment paper to help you shape and hold the roll, roll up the prosciutto, rolling away from you. Shape the roll and pack the ends as you go to evenly distribute the potato mixture. Take care not to let the parchment get stuck inside the roll.
7. At this point, the prosciutto and sweet potato roll should be held together with the parchment wrapped around it.
8. Using a very sharp knife, cut 4-6 even slices while still keeping the paper wrapped around the roll. Take care not to put any pressure on the roll or you will squeeze out the sweet potatoes.
9. Gently unwrap the parchment from each piece of the sliced roll and dust a little flour on all the ends. Set aside.
10. Repeat steps 4-9 with the remaining prosciutto and sweet potato.
11. Heat a pan over medium heat until warm. Add a glug of oil and pan fry both ends of each slice until browned, adding extra oil as necessary. Place on baking sheet.
12. When all pieces are fried, place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 10 minutes.
13. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.
If you plan to make this for a dinner party, of course, I suggest you make it beforehand!
Serves 6-8
© 2012 MSNBC Interactive
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