THOMASINA MIERS RECIPES	FOOD & COOKING VIDEO

Quick and delicious holiday recipes from Thomasina Miers
Masterchef winner whips up dishes inspired by her own travels

• Grilled Steak with a Hot and Spicy Chimichurri Sauce
  "This is a great dish for the BBQ or on a griddle pan if you’re cooking indoors. The meat has a delicious charcoal-grilled flavour and is even better if you let it marinate for a bit to let those lovely garlicky, smoky flavours really penetrate the meat. If you get the chance, buy the herbs in a local market where you’ll get huge fresh handfuls." ~ Thomasina Miers

• Figs Caramelized with Lavender Honey
  "I first discovered lavender honey in the South of France and became semi-addicted to it. It is perfect for making a cold honey mousse to serve with summer berries and it adds a sweet touch of the perfume of summer to half a grapefruit in the depth of winter. Now that I live in Italy, I am also lucky enough to find it produced by the Monks at the nearby Cistercian Abbey of Fossanova.

  In Sermoneta, figs grow wild, so in season you can gather them as you wander around town, or alternatively buy them for next to nothing at the local fruit markets. You can also make this with pears when figs are unavailable, or pears and figs together when figs arrive in the autumn." ~ Susan Doull

Holidays are all about new experiences and that’s especially true when it comes to food. For many of us, especially if you’re a foodie, the best thing about visiting foreign destinations is the chance to try out the local cuisine. Let’s face it, there’s nothing like a homemade pizza in Tuscany, or a crêpe on the streets of Paris

Wherever you may be in the world, with a little thought and a kitchen at your disposal, locally sourced ingredients put together in the right way can make for a truly memorable culinary experience.

Grilled Steak with a Hot and Spicy Chimichurri Sauce

Figs Caramelized with Lavender Honey

In the following video Masterchef winner Thomasina Miers takes inspiration from her own travels to create a perfect summer meal of Grilled Steak with a hot and spicy Chimichurri Sauce inspired by her journeys around the Americas. She finishes it off with an Italian dessert favourite of Figs Caramelized with Lavender Honey.

GRILLED STEAK WITH A HOT AND SPICY CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

Ingredients

2kg sirloin steak (in one piece from your butcher, if possible, or in as large pieces as possible)
Fresh watercress (or other peppery salad leaves available)

For the marinade:
1 lemon, squeezed
1 red chilli, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, smashed and pounded into a paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
100ml olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
 
For the sauce: 
1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley, leaves picked
1 small bunch coriander, leaves picked
4 tablespoons sherry/red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1-2 red chillies, finely chopped
2-3 garlic cloves, ground into a course paste
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoon hot smoked paprika
200ml olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

• Mix all the marinade ingredients together and rub into the meat. 

• Put this in a plastic bag or covered bowl and into the fridge for anything between 1 to 24 hours – nearer 24 is better!

• For the sauce, coarsely chop the herbs and pound together in a pestle and mortar until well mixed, with some of the olive oil to loosen. 

• Add the rest of the ingredients, including the rest of the oil and season well to taste.

• Take the meat out of the fridge well before cooking, to allow it to come back up to room temperature. 

• If there’s lots of marinade, wipe the excess off and bring the bbq or griddle pan to smoking hot. 

• Cook the steak to your liking, and make sure you let the meat rest for at least 10 minutes after cooking, just on a carving board, loosely covered in some foil will do it.

• Carve steak into thin slices and serve on a wooden board or heated plate, with the sauce and a peppery salad.

Serves 6

FIGS CARAMELIZED WITH LAVENDER HONEY

Ingredients

12 medium size figs
6 tbsp lavender honey
100g butter
½ tsp cinnamon
1 lemon
A scoop of vanilla icecream
A sprig of fresh lavender (to garnish)

Method

• Carefully wash and dry the figs, and score an ‘X’ on the bottom of each one to prevent them splitting when cooked.

• Melt the butter, honey and cinnamon together and bring to the boil over medium heat.

• Add the figs and leave for 4 to 5 minutes, rolling them gently in the juices from time to time.

• Remove the pan from the heat and place the figs on a serving plate.

• Add lemon juice to the pan and cook for 2 minutes.

• Spoon the sauce over the figs.

• Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a sprig of lavender to garnish.

Serves 4

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Published 28 June 2011

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