Feed a crowd with sweet potato and lamb hash

Also try chef Marcus Samuelsson’s dirty rice and shrimp

Video: Comforting cuisine: Dirty rice and shrimp

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>>> on today's kitchen, what's for dinner? delicious meals for a crowd. if you're having friends over for presidents' day or any day and not sure what to serve chef marcus samuelsson has tasty ideas. he's chef and owner of red rooster harlem here in new york city .

>> how are you?

>> you're making food great for the holiday and great comfort food , too. did you grow up with these dishes?

>> some of it. but the hash, i definitely grew up with that. this dirty rice and shrimp i fell in love with somewhere between the islands of jamaica and new orleans.

>> somewhere in between. the dirty rice , where does that come from?

>> like you have done a rice dish and you add things into it. it could be ham, chilies, leftovers and the next day the dish tastes almost even better than before.

>> all right.

>> we're going to walk through this. so we have really nice clean, beautiful shrimp to marinate. in true southern style we'll add a little bit of lemon juice , chilies and --

>> these are regular chilies?

>> right. you can decide the heat level. we took the ribs and seeds out, so not that spicy. a little bit of olive oil . this is a marinade and a little bit of sauce.

>> okay.

>> buzz it up. there you go. look at that. done. then pour it right on top.

>> tails on?

>> tails on. i will set up the rice. we're going to start with olive oil . mustard seeds . there you go. a little bit of tomato paste. this is going to be our base. this is going to give it all the flavor. the mustard seed gives bold flavor and crunch.

>> and eventually the seeds pop.

>> start popping, exact. do you know what this is? smell this.

>> what is it?

>> curry leaves . it could be bay leaf , curry, basil. but the curry leaf , you find them in an indian store. you add it in and then add in the rice. nice beautiful basmati rice that we have washed.

>> what's the trick to getting the rice just right?

>> wash it out real well and cook it with a little bit of stock. i have lots of stock here.

>> it adds character.

>> lots of flavor. it could be clam stock or chicken stock . we'll add it in.

>> is it easy to find lobster stock?

>> not really, but you can do chicken broth or clam juice. just let it simmer. this takes 20 minutes to cook and then you want to let it sit and simmer off the heat for another 20 minutes .

>> these marinate for --

>> at least 20 minutes .

>> okay.

>> so we have the shrimp, nicely, quickly marinated. add in olive oil .

>> we need a fan.

>> ooh, that's a hot pan. this is southern food i'm inspired by. part of being inspired by food i get when i travel the country. i'm going to austin for food & wine in a couple of weeks. traveling to other states is where i get inspiration. then i bring them home to rooster in harlem .

>> which is one of my favorite restaurants.

>> i know. you were so happy when you were there. this week we have a great jazz tribute to cal massey twice. wednesday and sunday in the restaurant. do you like jazz?

>> huge fan.

>> you should come up. last time you were smiling all day.

>> it's a date.

>> we've got the shrimp over there.

>> okay.

>> we have a wonderful rice.

>> so the leaves, you can eat? it's not like a bay leaf .

>> no, no. you can eat them and they add lots of great flavor. just smell this. doesn't it smell great?

>> amazing. we'll put the shrimp on top?

>> yes, absolutely.

>> we have knives and forks, right? that's what we forgot. we can use our hands.

>> eat with our hands. come over here. i have another dish for you here. put a little bit of lime on top of that and you can just add it in.

>> yogurt?

>> a little bit of yogurt. if you think it's too spicy, dip in the yogurt.

>> which i won't.

>> and my home country , we have hash with lamb. a little bit of egg on top of that. this is a perfect brunch dish typical of the food we'll cook at red rooster harlem .

>> you have okra fried but not the way people in the south may think.

>> this is a lighter fry without batter. we put in flour, fry it quickly and add smoked paprika. this is a great snack.

>> you don't see the batter on top.

>> no, no. more pure like a lot of okra, a lot of flavor.

>> do you find it easier to cook for a large group or a small group ?

>> the great thing with a large group you see more happy faces , lots more fun to eat with a group.

>> delicious stuff. thank you so much. i'm going to eat with this larnge spoon. is that okay?

Show transcript

TODAY recipes

updated 2/17/2012 2:29:41 PM ET

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Expecting a crowd for the holiday? Chef Marcus Samuelsson suggests making these delicious dishes that will be enough to satisfy everyone’s hunger!

Recipe: Dirty rice and shrimp (on this page) Recipe: Sweet potato and lamb hash (on this page)

Recipe: Dirty rice and shrimp

Marcus Samuelsson

Ingredients

Rice
3 tablespoons mustard oil
2 tablespoons red mustard seed
3 cups fresh curry leaves
2 Indian cinnamon sticks
4 fresh (or dry) bay leaves
2 quarts brown basmati rice
4 quarts lobster stock
2 tablespoons tomato paste
Shrimp
36 jumbo shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 1/2 cup plus 6 tablespoons marinade, separated
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
Marinade
16 red bird's-eye chilies, seeds and ribs removed, chopped
1 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
4 garlic cloves
1 cup olive oil

Preparation

For the rice, heat mustard oil to smoking. Add seeds and sauté until they pop then stir in cinnamon sticks, curry leaves and bay leaves. Pour in lobster stock and tomato paste, then bring to a boil. Meanwhile, rinse rice until water runs clear then let drain. Pour rice into liquid and return to a boil. Reduce heat and let simmer, 7-10 minutes. Cover, remove from heat and let steam until liquid is completely absorbed.

To make the shrimp, toss the shrimp with 1 1/2 cup of the marinade in a large bowl. Refrigerate for 20 minutes. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes on each side, or until opaque throughout. Sprinkle with salt.

For the marinade, combine the chilies, lemon juice, cilantro, parsley, and garlic in a blender and puree until smooth. With the blender running add the oil in a slow, steady stream and bland until well combined. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 2 weeks.

Serving Size

Serves 8. Marinade makes 3 cups

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Recipe: Sweet potato and lamb hash

Marcus Samuelsson

Ingredients

2 ounces diced Yukon Gold potatoes (1/2-inch dice)
2 ounces diced sweet potatoes (1/2-inch dice)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon berbere
4 ounces diced leg of lamb (1/2-inch dice)
1 tablespoon chopped shallots
1/2 garlic clove, minced
6 rosemary leaves, minced
1 tablespoon diced cooked red beets
Salt and white pepper, to taste
1 egg, fried
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon

Preparation

Sauté potatoes in butter until they become tender, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from pan and set aside. Place same pan over high heat then add olive oil, berbere and lamb. Sauté until lamb is golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Add shallots, garlic and rosemary. Sauté for an additional 30 seconds then add potatoes and beets. Season with salt and pepper. Plate the hash, then top with fried egg and chopped tarragon.