Chef Jason Smith's backyard fi e pit grill for his Pickled Shrimp and Grilled Watermelon Salad (recipe on Photograph by Bruce DeBoer.

PICKLED SHRIMP AND GRILLED WATERMELON SALAD Ingredients

2 watermelon slices, grilled till charred on the outside 3 cups of arugula 1 container of cherry tomatoes, halved A handful of fresh basil Basil honey vinaigrette (see recipe below) Pickled shrimp (see recipe below)

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and serve.

Pickled Shrimp Ingredients

1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp 2 cups of finely sliced yellow onions 2 cups of rice wine vinegar 1 cup of extra virgin olive oil 2 lemons, thinly sliced Juice from ½ of a fresh‑squeezed lemon 8 bay leaves, crushed 2 teaspoons of minced garlic 2 teaspoons of coarse kosher salt 2 teaspoons of celery seeds 2 teaspoons of red pepper flake

Directions

Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add the shrimp. Remove the pot from heat and let them cook for 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp and add them to the marinade. Cover them and make sure they are submerged for at least 4–6 hours; then they will be ready to serve. Pickled shrimp keeps for 2–3 weeks in the refrigerator.

Basil Honey Vinaigrette Ingredients

¼ cup of rice wine vinegar ½ shallot, finely mince 2 tablespoons of honey 4 basil leaves, cut with a thin chiffonade technique ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil

Directions

Combine all items except for the olive oil and whisk vigorously. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking the mixture. Serve immediately or refrigerate. If refrigerated, simply re‑whisk all ingredients together.

GRILLED WAHOO TACOS WITH STREET CORN SALSA AND CABBAGE Ingredients

1 whole wahoo filet, skinne and cut into 2‑inch chunks and marinated (see marinade recipe below) Flour tortillas of choice ½ head of cabbage, shredded finel Street corn salsa (see recipe below) Fresh limes to squeeze on top

Directions

Layer grilled wahoo on a tortilla with corn salsa on the bottom and cabbage on top.

Fish Marinade Ingredients

18 cloves of garlic 1½ onions, quartered 1½ red bell peppers, quartered ¾ cup of olive oil ¾ cup of rice wine vinegar 3 tablespoons of paprika 3 tablespoons of chili powder 3 teaspoons of salt 1½ teaspoons of black pepper 3 bunches of cilantro, chopped roughly 3 tablespoons of lime juice 2 limes, cut into rounds

Directions

Blend all items together, except for the lime rounds, and place them in a bowl. Add the fish and marinate it anywhere from 6–8 hours. Grill over an open flame till there is a nice char on the outside— about 4 minutes.

Street Corn Salsa Ingredients

6 ears of roasted corn 2 diced jalapeños 1 red onion, diced 1 bunch of cilantro, diced 2 tablespoons of Valentina hot sauce 3 tablespoons of paprika, chili powder and cayenne combined 3 tablespoons of distilled white vinegar 4 cups of Duke’s mayonnaise Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients together and serve right away or chill.

GRILLED SKIRT STEAK FAJITAS Ingredients

2 pounds of trimmed skirt steak (about 1 whole steak), cut crosswise into 5‑ to 6‑inch pieces Steak fajita marinade (see recipe below) 1 large red bell pepper stemmed, seeded and cut into ½‑inch‑wide strips 1 large yellow bell pepper stemmed, seeded and cut into ½‑inch‑wide strips 1 white or yellow onion, cut into ½‑inch slices 12–16 fresh flour or corn tortillas, hot Enough canola oil to brush on top of the vegetables

Directions

Set aside ½ cup of the marinade to brush on the vegetables. Use the remaining marinade for the steak, and let it soak for 4–6 hours. Get your grill hot then cook the steak to your desired temperature. While the steak cooks, sauté the vegetables brushed with marinade in a little bit of oil until softened, for about 4 minutes. Once the steak is cooked, heat the skillet pan over the fi e pit. Lay the vegetables on the bottom of the skillet pan and, once grilled, lay them on top of the warm tortillas, then top them with the grilled skirt steak. Tip: Give your fajitas the extra smoke effect by splashing a small amount of water onto the skillet, then placing the tortillas on the skillet before serving them.

Steak Fajita Marinade Ingredients

½ cup of soy sauce ½ cup of lime juice from 6–8 limes ½ cup of canola oil ¼ cup of packed brown sugar 2 teaspoons of ground cumin seed 2 teaspoons of freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon of chili powder 3 medium cloves of garlic, fiely minced

Directions

Mix all ingredients together, then reserve ½ cup of it to brush on top of the vegetables. Use the rest of it to marinate the skirt steak.

COCKTAILS TO ACCOMPANY YOUR WOOD-FIRED MENU

Del Maguey Vida Mezcal Paloma Ingredients

1½ ounces of Del Maguey Vida Mezcal tequila ½ ounce of fresh‑squeezed lime juice 4 ounces of Fever‑Tree Pink Grapefruit tonic Dehydrated and candied grapefruit to garnish Ice to top

Directions

Mix the tequila, lime juice and tonic together, then add ice. Garnish with dehydrated and candied grapefruit.

Grilled Pineapple Jalapeño Margarita Ingredients

2 ounces of Don Julio Blanco tequila 1 ounce of Cointreau orange liqueur Grilled pineapple and jalapeño puree Fresh‑squeezed lime juice and orange juice Salt for glass rim (if desired)

Directions

Mix the tequila, orange liqueur, and grilled pineapple and jalapeño puree with lime and orange juices. Pour mixture over ice into a rim‑salted glass.

PERSONALIZE YOUR SUMMER SOIREE MENU

Hosting a summer gathering but don’t feel like cooking? Hire a personal chef, then sit back and watch the magic happen. Here are a few personal chefs who service the Triangle.

CHEF MARIO’S

Mario Huante 919.781.4141 chefmario.com

ELITE PERSONAL CHEFS

864.430.0925 elitepersonalchefs.com

THE FOOD FAIRY

919.759.5649 foodfairy.com

KATT IN THE KITCHEN

919.260.1530 kattinthekitchen.com

KRISTEN RUSSELL

Plant-based personal chef chefkristenr.com

LOVE AT FIRST BITE

Brian Adornetto 919.999.7598 loveatfirstbite.ne

MIXING MAMA

Chef Lovee 800.515.6046 mixingmama.com

TASTE BUDS

Jimmy Eskridge 919.812.9617 tastebudsnc.com

ZACKI’S CULINARY CREATIONS

919.360.7744 zackisculinarycreations.com

OR … HAVE IT DELIVERED!

Check out these services to enjoy the convenience of a personal chef-created meal delivered to your doorstep.

CATERING WORKS

919.828.5932 cateringworks.com/specials/ family-meals

TASTEFULLY SERVED

919.760.5134 tastefully-served.com