CHEF JOHN ASH

John Ash: Cooking One on One:
Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food
from a Master Teacher

"Teaching has come to be the thing I love most in life..." Chef John Ash

This very simple salad has lots of flavors and textures happening. Sweet Chilli is a prepared condiment available in Asian markets.

Thai Beef Salad with Almonds and Sweet Chilli Dressing

Serves 4 – 6

• 6 tablespoons olive oil
  
• 1 teaspoon salt
  
• 1/2 teaspoon 5-spice powder
  
• Freshly ground black pepper
  
• 1-1/4 pounds beef fillet
  
• 4 ounces snow peas cut in fine julienne
  
• 4 ounces carrots cut in fine julienne
  
• 4 scallions sliced thinly croswise at an angle
  
• 1 small cucumber (6 ounces) such as kirby or english, seeded and sliced thinly lengthwise
  
• 1/2 cup slivered blanched almonds, lightly toasted
  
• Sweet Chilli Dressing (recipe follows)
  
• Several tender cilantro sprigs

Combine 3 tablespoons olive oil, salt, 5-spice and a generous grinding or two of pepper and rub over the beef. Allow to sit for up to 30 minutes. Heat the remaining olive oil in a heavy skillet and brown over moderately high heat on all sides. Place in a preheat 425 degree oven for 5 - 8 minutes or until beef is cooked rare to medium rare, 118 degrees or so on an instant read thermometer. Set aside and allow meat to rest for at least 5 minutes before slicing.

Meanwhile briefly blanch the snow peas in boiling salted water for 30 seconds or so. Plunge into cold water to stop the cooking and drain thoroughly. Combine the snow peas with the carrots, scallions, cucumber and almonds and toss with half of the dressing.

Slice beef thinly and place on plates. Top with salad and drizzle remaining dressing over and around. Garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve immediately.

Sweet Chilli Dressing

• 1/4 cup Thai sweet chilli sauce
  
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  
• 2 teaspoons finely grated lime zest (use a microplane)
  
• 2 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
  
• 1 teaspoon very finely chopped fresh ginger

Whisk all ingredients together or place in a screw top jar and shake to combine. Store covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Cookbooks Authored by Chef John Ash
Winner of the Julia Child "Cookbook of the Year" from the IACP One of California's foremost chefs, in association with Fetzer Vineyards, celebrates the bounty of the garden and the vine with a collection of more than 300 recipes that pay magnificent tribute to fresh and healthy high-flavor food--plus a a helpful--and fun--approach to testing and evaluating wines. Color photos.	Winner of the 2005 James Beard Foundation Award John Ash: Cooking One-on-One: Private Lessons in Simple, Contemporary Food from a Master Teacher	American Game Cooking: A Contemporary Guide to Preparing Farm-Raised Game Birds and Meats Game farms have made exotic fowl and meats widely available to the non-hunter, and this is an excellent resource for those who want to cook on the wild side. From boar-based borscht to roast lacquered duck with muscat-tamarind sauce, the recipes contained herein are delicious.

"It's the process of cooking that's so much fun — the bonus is that you get something at the end to eat." Chef John Ash

Nut Recipes from Several Cuisines:

• Dukkah
  
  
• Wild Mushroom and Nut Pate
  
  
• Frittata with Bacon, Potatoes and Walnuts
  
  
• Shrimp and Noodle Soup with Laksa
  
  
• Thai Beef Salad with Almonds and Sweet Chilli Dressing
  
  
• California Four Nut Tort
  
  
• More Recipes

(Chef John Ash)