Recipes: "Dirty Rotten Scoundrels" - KMPH FOX 26 | Central San Joaquin Valley News Source

Chef Eric DeGroot, from Roger Rocka's Dinner Theater, joined us in the Great Day Kitchen Tuesday morning to prepare one of the dishes off the menu for the latest production of Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.

You can catch the show Thursday through Sunday, up until May 20th. For more information, call (559) 266-9494.

Sugar Snap Pea and Radish Salad with Spiced Almonds & Lemon Herb Vinaigrette

Lemon Herb Vinaigrette:

__ ½ cup finely chopped fresh herbs, such as basil, mint, parsley and tarragon 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
__ ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
__ ½ teaspoon minced garlic
__ 1 teaspoon honey
__ ½ cup extra virgin olive oil

In a small bowl, combine the herbs, mustard, lemon juice, garlic and honey. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until slightly emulsified. Season dressing with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper

__ Spring mix
__ Fresh sugar snap peas
__ Thinly sliced radish
__ Ricotta salata cheese, crumbled
__ Spiced almonds (recipe follows)

The quantities of this salad are really up to you. I prefer equal amounts of sugar snap peas and radish tossed with a few handfuls of fresh fluffy spring mix. The ricotta salata and crunchy almonds are sprinkled over the top. Experiment, have fun and enjoy!

Spiced Almonds

__ 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
__ 4 tablespoons brown sugar
__ 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
__ 3 cups sliced almonds

Heat butter in large sauté pan over low heat. Once melted, add the brown sugar, cayenne and dissolve. Add almonds and toss gently till coated evenly. Place on a sprayed baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven till light golden brown. Let cool.

Chicken and Bacon Phyllo Strudels with Smoked Tomato Cream

__ 4 ounces sliced bacon, chopped
__ 1 pound chicken breast, chopped
__ 1 tablespoon minced garlic
__ Pinch of cayenne pepper
__ ½ cup white wine
__ 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
__ ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
__ ¼ cup Panko breadcrumbs
__ 9 Sheets of Phyllo Dough
__ Melted butter for brushing strudels

In a medium sauté pan over medium low heat, add the bacon and render down until slightly crispy. Drain some bacon grease if necessary, depending on the fattiness of the bacon. Add the chicken and continue to cook, stirring constantly for a couple minutes. Then add the garlic and cayenne, sauté for a minute longer. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and cilantro, let reduce by half. Take pan off heat and fold in the parmesan and Panko crumbs. Let mixture cool.

Stack three sheets of Phyllo dough on top of each other, keeping the remaining sheets covered with a damp towel from drying out. Lightly brush the melted butter over the three sheets and cut in half crosswise. Place a portion of the cooled chicken mixture on the bottom edge of each Phyllo stack and roll up like a cigar, folding in the sides. Set on baking pan lined with parchment paper and brush with melted butter. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Bake in a preheated 375 degree oven till golden brown. Remove strudels from oven and cut and serve decoratively with the smoked tomato cream.

Smoked Tomato Cream:

__ 4 Roma tomatoes, smoked, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped
__ 1 cup crème Fraiche
__ Kosher salt and sugar to taste

In a small saucepan over medium heat, throw in the smoked tomatoes and the crème Fraiche and cook till heated through. Season to taste with kosher salt and sugar. I personally like the cream slightly sweet to balance with the saltiness of the bacon.