Master of the fresh and simple/ Roaring Fork chef keeps his knives

Sure, Roaring Fork Restaurant seems fancy-schmancy, with its elegant eats, sophisticated setting and chic clientele - a mix of business types and bohemian urbanites. But when you get down to it, the popular Arizona eatery is just a cowboy-casual place with some darn good food.

Roaring Fork, in Scottsdale, is known for two things: Chef Robert McGrath, named 2001 James Beard Best Chef Southwest; and the tasty 12- ounce "Big Ass" burger, which attracts even a bar stool waiting list.

McGrath's creations incorporate all the elements a food lover with contemporary taste buds could want. His philosophy: "Fresh and simple."

Here, the author of "American Western Cooking" shares the recipe for one of Roaring Fork's most popular dishes.

Q: Who would you most like to "do lunch" with?

A: Abraham Lincoln, W.C. Fields, Leonardo da Vinci, Katharine Hepburn, Dan Hicks and James Beard (again!).

Q: What's your favorite dish to make at home?

A: Roasted chicken on the grill and corn on the cob.

Q: What culinary gadget could you not cook without?

A: A cast-iron Dutch oven.

Q: What three ingredients could you not cook without?

A: Chilies. Garlic. Beef.

Q: When it comes to eating, what's your guilty pleasure?

A: Cheese, no hesitation. I love good cheeses.

Q: What's your favorite restaurant?

A: International: Restaurant Girardet in Crissier, Switzerland (when Fredy Girardet was cooking). National: Gramercy Tavern in New York City with Tom Colicchio at the helm. Southwest: Cafe Annie in Houston, with Robert Del Grande at the controls.

Q: What one cooking tip could you offer to readers to make their time in the kitchen easier?

A: Make sure your knives are sharp because that, more than anything, affects what you are doing. And overall, make sure that you have fresh ingredients - the best fresh ingredients you can get your hands on.

Q: What's the biggest mistake you ever made while cooking?

A: I set some curtains on fire while cooking a dinner for some very important people.

SKILLET GRATIN OF CRAWFISH TAILS, PEARL ONIONS & SOYBEANS

Serves 4

1/4 cup diced bacon

1/4 cup red bell pepper, roasted, peeled and coarsely chopped 1/ 4 cup minced garlic

1 cup pearl onions, blanched and peeled 1/4 cup minced shallots

1/2 cup quartered button mushrooms (or assorted mushrooms)

1 cup soybeans, blanched and shucked

1 1/2 cup cleaned crawfish tails (rock shrimp may be substituted)

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup cream

1 teaspoon adobo sauce

1/4 cup bread crumbs

12 small chervil sprigs

Kosher salt and cracked black

pepper to taste

Render the bacon in a hot heavy skillet, then add red bell pepper, garlic, pearl onions, shallots and mushrooms. Saut the vegetables until they are just tender.

Add the soybeans, crawfish tails and saut for approximately 1 minute. Season to taste. Add the white wine and reduce in volume by half.

Add the cream and adobo sauce, and reduce their volume by half as well.

Check the seasoning and spoon the crawfish mixture into a 5-inch skillet, and sprinkle bread crumbs over the top. Lightly brown under a broiler.

Garnish the gratin with three small sprigs of chervil, then place the skillet on a folded napkin over a dinner plate.

Nutrition information per 1-cup serving: Calories 344 (51 percent from fat); fat 19.5 g (sat 8.8 g, mono 5.7 g, poly 3.2 g); protein 19 g; carbohydrates 23 g; fiber 4.40 g; cholesterol 86 mg; sodium 387 mg; calcium 220 mg.

Copyright 2002
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.