Purple Parrot Mint Julep Will Have You Chirping for More
by Larry Cox on Dec. 12, 2009, under UncategorizedNew South Grilling: Fresh and Exciting Recipes from the Third Coast by Robert St. John (Hyperion, $29.95)
If you think this cookbook is just another collection that drips with cornpone and barbeque sauce, you’re mistaken. Robert St. John has built a reputation for introducing inventive ways to season, marinate, and prepare food. As a child growing up on the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, St. John watched his grandfather spread mustard on redfish filets before dredging them in cornmeal before frying. Years later, as chef and restaurateur in both Hattiesburg and Meridian, he tweaked that technique to develop no-stick grilling marinades that allow home cooks to grill fish, beef, poultry, and even vegetables without burning or overcooking.
For New South Grilling, St. John recommends several basics including keeping the grill grates clean and oiled. He never uses lighter fluid or charcoal already soaked in lighter fluid. It is necessary to know in advance the grill temperate required for the dish being prepared and if cooking with gas or charcoal, preheat the grill. Heat means hot coals, not hot flames and you should never underestimate the value of a grill’s lid since it adds flavor, regulates heat, and prevents flare-ups. He adds that meat should not be pierced with a fork or knife to test if it is done, rather you should grill by touch. He underscores that barbeque sauce should be applied at the last minute, if at all.
This cookbook offers easy-to-follow recipes that are innovative, accessible, and tasty. With a little direction from this cookbook, a mere hamburger can become a Cracked-Pepper Burger with Mustard Cognac Sauce, and Grilled Potato Salad, a nice alternative to the boiled version. Thee recipes were tested from New South Grilling. The Mushroom-Swiss Burger with Dijon-Horseradish Sauce had just the right zing to pep up a hot Tucson weekend. I also used my patio herb crop to whip up a batch of Purple Parrot Mint Juleps, the signature drink at St. John’s Purple Parrot Café in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Since vegetables are fairly plentiful this time of the year and I love to grill, I chose the No-Stick Marinade for Vegetables. All three recipes were successful and trouble free.
In his new collection, St. John serves up delicious recipes for almost every occasion. The chapters include Party Food, Burgers & Sandwiches, Cold Stuff, Garden to the Grill, Fowl, Make Mine Swine, Beef, Stuffnsuch, Something Cool to Drink, Seasonings, Rubs, Marinades & Sauces, and Something Sweet. The Seasonings, Rubs, Marinades, and Sauces make this cookbook sing.
Purple Parrot Mint Julep
Yield: One drink
12 mint leaves
1 oz simple syrup (1 c water, 1 c sugar, heated until sugar dissolves and then cool)
1 and one fourth oz Maker’s Mark
2 oz soda water
3 dashes of Angostura bitters
Mint sprig
Muddle mint leaves with simple syrup. Place in a metal cocktail shaker filled half-full of ice. Add Maker’s Mark, soda water and bitters. Shake well. Pour into a cocktail glass. Do not strain. Garnish with a sprig of mint.
No-Stick Grilling Marinade for Vegetables
Brush the no-stick marinade on vegetables 3—40 minutes before grilling. Use a lemon, dill, or herb-flavored oil.
4 egg yolks
1 Tbs yellow mustard
One fourth c balsamic vinegar
1 c canola oil
1 c light olive oil
Warm water as needed
2 Tbs Lawry’s Seasoned Salt
2 Tbs garlic powder
2 Tbs onion powder
1 Tbs lemon pepper seasoning
1 Tbs celery salt
One half tsp freshly ground black pepper
Place the egg yolks, mustard and vinegar in a food processor. Blend on medium for 1-2 minutes.
Slowly drizzle oils into the mixture, 1 tablespoon at a time. If the marinade becomes too thick, add 1-2 tablespoons of warm water. Once all of the oil has been incorporated, add seasoned salt, garlic powder, onion powder, lemon pepper, celery salt, and black powder until incorporated. Store covered in refrigerator until needed.
Yield: 2 and one half cups.
