August 23, 2011
Chef Imrai Sanvicente from Bistro Le Cep French Country Cooking & Wine Bar shows food radio talk show host Cleverley Stone, how to make tomato concasse, which is part of his Provencal sauce. In tomato concasse, the fruit is peeled, seeded and chopped. Chef Imrai shows how to use hot and cold water to peel the tomatoes easily. After seeding and chopping them, he adds a mixture of herbs de Provence, shallots, garlic, sugar and bay leaves to make the Provencal sauce. This sauce has many uses and can be made in large quantities and frozen for future use with fish, chicken, beef or as a vegetarian dish with pasta or rice. This lamb chop dish is on the Bistro Le Cep French Country Cooking & Wine Bar Houston Restaurant Weeks menu, benefiting the Houston Food Bank. Everytime someone orders the special HRW meal, Bistro Le Cep French Country Cooking & Wine Bar will donate $5 from each dinner sold to the food bank through August 31. To view special HRW menu for Bistro Le Cep French Country Cooking & Wine Bar, visit the Houston Restaurant Weeks website.
For more information about food, wine and dining in Houston, listen to Cleverley’s radio show Saturdays at Noon on Talk 650 AM.
(By the way, she gives out restaurant gift certificates on every radio show in August!)
Petit Lamb Chops Provencal (Serves 4)
Source: Chef Imrai Sanvicente, Bistro Le Cep French Country Cooking & Wine Bar
Ingredients – Lamb Chops
- 8 each lamb chops, clean and pounded
- Salt and pepper to taste
Ingredients – Tomato Concasse Sauce/Provencal
- 2 lbs diced Roma tomato, seedless and skinned
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
- ½ tablespoon shallots, finely chopped
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ½ tablespoon sugar
- 2 each bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon herbs de Provence (store-bought or see recipe below)
- Salt and pepper to taste
Directions for Lamb Chops
1. Season the lamb chops both sides. Cook them on a very hot grill until desired doneness.
Directions for Tomato Concasse/Provencal
1. Sauté the shallots and garlic in the olive oil. Then add the tomatoes, bay leaves and herbs de Provence.
It is important to add sugar to decrease the acidity of the tomatoes. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir frequently. The juice from the tomatoes should be almost gone by that
time and you should be left with a flavorful reduction.
Herbs de Provence Recipe
Makes 1 cup
Source: Chef Emeril Lagasse
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried savory
- 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
- 2 tablespoons dried thyme
- 2 tablespoons dried oregano
- 2 tablespoons dried basil
- 2 tablespoons dried marjoram
- 2 tablespoons dried fennel seed
Directions
1. In a small mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients together.
2. Store in an air-tight container.
Recipe source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/emeril-lagasse/herbs-de-provence-recipe/index.html
