By Adam Ross

To make summer entertaining easier, the Scene asked a number of local chefs to share their favorite summer recipes with us. This way, in the hot months ahead, you won’t have to expend the extra energy required to think up a menu.

The only guidelines we gave our esteemed participants was that they supply us with dishes that were extra-delicious. And since we like a bit of vino with our meal but don’t know a Bordeaux from Pinot, Craig Clifft, general manager and wine steward at Sunset Grill, has supplied a recommended wine (available at your local liquor store) to accompany each dish.

Kenji Ohno, chef

Ken’s Japanese Restaurant

2007 Division St. 321-2444

Chicken Tempura With Spring Onion Dressing Serves 6

12 chicken strips

2 cups tempura flour

2 cups ice water

2 egg yolks

vegetable oil

Dressing:

6 spring onions

1/2 cup Japanese rice vinegar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup chicken stock

3 Tbs. mirin

1 Tbs. sesame oil

1/2 Tbs. hot pepper

Dressing: Cut spring onion into very thin slices and place in a bowl. Then add the vinegar, mirin, pepper, soy sauce, chicken stock, and sesame oil.

Tempura: In a bowl, gently mix the tempura flour, water, and egg yolk. (Don’t overmix; the batter should be lumpy.)

Heat the oil in a deep pan to 325/350 degrees. Coat the chicken lightly with flour.

Dip each strip into the batter and fry until lightly golden. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towel.

Serve immediately with dressing on the side.

Craig’s Wine Choice: 1998 Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Riesling, $12. A dry-style Riesling with great fruit and good acidity.

Freddy Brooker, chef

The Trace, 2000 Belcourt Ave. 385-2200

Grilled Swordfish with Mediterranean Salsa Serves 4

4 8 oz. pcs. swordfish (approximately 1 inch thick)

Marinade mixture:

2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme

2 Tbs. chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup olive oil

dash of salt and pepper

Mediterranean salsa:

1 medium pepper, finely diced

3 plum tomatoes, finely diced

1 medium red onion

3 Tbs. capers

1 medium cucumber (peeled, seeded, and dried)

4 Tbs. pitted black olives, finely diced

2 Tbs. basil

2 Tbs. minced garlic

2 limes, juiced

1/4 cup olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Rub swordfish with above mixture and marinate for 15 minutes. Grill at high heat and cook swordfish for four to five minutes per side. Top with a dollop of Mediterranean salsa and serve with assorted vegetables.

Craig’s Wine Choice: 1997 Hannah Hillside Blend, $17. A red blend built in a Chianti style.

Warm Fruit Compote Serves 4

This recipe is adapted from Jeremiah Towers’ New American Classics.

1/2 cup sugar

2 Tbs. butter

1/3 cup water

juice from 1/2 fresh lemon

1 1/2 cups mixed berries (strawberries, blueberries, black berries)

1 banana, sliced

1 mango, diced

1 pint vanilla ice cream

Make a light sugar syrup by heating the water and sugar together in a 10-inch sauté pan until the sugar is dissolved. Add the lemon juice and fruit to the syrup and cook over medium heat for one to two minutes, shaking the pan gently to coat the fruit. Add the butter and continue cooking until melted.

Spoon the fruit into four bowls and place scoops of ice cream in the center of each serving.

Craig’s Wine Choice: Bonny Doon Muscat Vin de Glaciere, $18 1/2 bottle. Considered a dessert wine; sweet with numerous complex fruit flavors.

Debra Paquette, chef

Zola, 3001 West End Ave. 320-7778

Moroccan Lamb Sausage (Keftas) with various sauces Serves 6

This sausage is a great outdoor summer grill item served plain or in a pita with sprouts, shredded greens, and raw onion. The several sauces included give the dish wonderfully different accents.

2 1/2 pounds ground lamb (needs to be 10% fat)

2 lemons (use zest, peel away white, and finely chop the lemon)

1/4 cup dry mint

1 Tbs. ground coriander

2 tsp. caraway seed

1/4-1/3 cup chopped cilantro

1 Tbs. chopped garlic

1 Tbs. kosher salt

1 1/2 Tbs. cumin

1 Tbs. chili flakes

1/4 cup vegetable oil

In a small sauté pan, simmer caraway, cumin, and chili flakes about 1 minute on medium heat. Cool. Add all ingredients to lamb and mix well. Test a sample in a sauté pan to be sure of seasoning. Let sausage sit two to three hours in fridge.

The choice of cooking is yours. Either:

1. Make patties and grill (medium to low flame)

2. Place mix on cookie sheet, flatten to 1 inch, leaving 2 inches around edge for fat to go. Cook 20 minutes at 350 degrees. Leave fat on pan 15 minutes, then drain.

3. Make long oval patties, grill, cool, then stick with metal skewers. Reheat before serving.

4. If meat is not holding together well enough to make a patty, throw two eggs in and mix well, add a cup of bread crumbs, bake, and serve as meatloaf.

Sauces:

Cumin Cilantro Yogurt

1 qt. low-fat yogurt

1 Tbs. toasted cumin seed

2 Tbs. chopped cilantro

1/2 Tbs. salt

pinch cayenne

2 Tbs. olive oil

1 medium finely diced tomato

Place yogurt in fine strainer and let sit for at least 6 hours. Yield is 2 cups. Afterwards, mix with above ingredients. Serve in a bowl as a garnish.

Craig’s Wine Choice: 1997 Marquis de Grinon Rioja, $10. Great wine for the money with enough spice and pepper to add flavor to any dish.

Sun-dried Tomato Tapenade

1 cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 cup hot water

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tbs. capers (with 1/4 cup caper juice)

1/4 cup Dijon mustard

1 Tbs. fresh garlic

pinch cayenne

pinch black pepper

Add water to sun-dried tomatoes and rehydrate. When tomatoes are soft, put all ingredients in food processor and mix until smooth. Salt and pepper to taste.

Craig’s Wine Choice: 1998 Caymus Conundrum, $28. A blend of many different grapes, hence the name. Great wine with or without food. A little harder to find but worth the look.

Olive Raisin Almond Relish

1 cup golden raisins

1 cup green olives (with pimentos)

2 Tbs. water (warm)

1/2 cup toasted whole almonds

1 Tbs. honey

pinch salt

Rinse olives. In food processor (or by hand), pulse raisins with water until broken up. They should almost be the consistency of a paste. Add olives and honey and churn until in small bits. Remove from bowl. Put almonds in bowl and pulse until broken into small pieces (rough chop). Add to olive mix. Salt to taste.

Craig’s Wine Choice: 1998 Rabbit Ridge Zinfandel, $10. A mellow, jammy zin, great compliment to sweet or spicy foods.

Richard Hamilton, chef

Magnolia’s, 230 Franklin Rd. 791-9992

Morel Mushrooms Stuffed with Smoked Salmon Tartare, served with Blackened Shrimp and Citrus Sauce Serves 4

8 large fresh morels

1 1/2 cups finely chopped smoked salmon

1 Tbs. finely chopped shallot

1 Tbs. sour cream

1 tsp. lemon zest plus juice from 1/2 lemon and lime

1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar

1/8 tsp. horseradish

3 Tbs. olive oil

1 Tbs. diced roma tomatoes

1 Tbs. assorted chopped herbs (tarragon, basil, mint, cilantro)

salt and pepper to taste

8 large Gulf shrimp

all purpose Cajun seasoning

Dust shrimp with Cajun seasoning and salt. Sauté over medium heat for five minutes and set aside.

Mix salmon with shallots, lime, lemon, and zest. Add horseradish, oil, tomato, herbs, and vinegar. Taste for seasoning. Then place contents in pastry bag.

Fill morels with salmon stuffing. Salt and pepper the morels, then sauté over medium heat until mushroom is warm, trying not to warm salmon.

Sauce:

3 sliced shallots

1 tsp. black peppercorns

1/4 cup white wine (preferably

chardonnay)

1/4 cup champagne vinegar

4 Tbs. orange juice

2 Tbs. lemon juice

pinch of sugar

1/4 cup heavy cream

3/4 cup chilled butter

salt and pepper to taste

Bring shallots, peppercorns, white wine, champagne vinegar, orange juice, lemon juice, and sugar to boil. Reduce until liquid is almost completely evaporated. Leave a little juice to keep the shallots wet. Add cream and reduce by 2/3. Remove from heat and whisk in butter in small increments until all butter is melted, whisking constantly. Strain and hold. Season as needed.

To plate the dish, place a dollop of tartare on the center of plate and arrange two morels and two shrimp around dollop. Drizzle sauce around dollop for presentation. For enhanced taste, drizzle white truffle oil on the shrimp.

Craig’s Wine Choice: 1998 George Deboeuf Viognier, $8. This is an up-and-coming grape type. A great food wine anytime but light and refreshing in summer.

Mimosa Mousse (à la John Weidmayer)

1 orange

2 tsp. gelatin

3 Tbs. champagne

8 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

whole strawberries, oranges slices, and ladyfingers to garnish

Remove 2 tsp. zest from orange. Squeeze 3 Tbs. juice and set aside.

In microwave bowl, soften gelatin in orange juice and champagne; heat on high for five minutes. Blend until liquid is clear.

In metal bowl, beat yolks. Gradually add sugar and zest. Cook over water (bain-marie) until mixture reaches 110 degrees. Stir continually and quickly.

Scrape gelatin mixture into yolks and whip until frothy and mixture cools (approximately two minutes).

Whip cream until stiff and fold into cooled egg mixture.

Spoon into champagne glasses with fruit. Chill one hour until mousse sets.

Garnish with orange.

Craig’s Wine Choice: Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante, $15. A solid sparkling wine that’s light and refreshing with dessert.

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

whole strawberries, oranges slices, and ladyfingers to garnish

Remove 2 tsp. zest from orange. Squeeze 3 Tbs. juice and set aside.

In microwave bowl, soften gelatin in orange juice and champagne; heat on high for five minutes. Blend until liquid is clear.

In metal bowl, beat yolks. Gradually add sugar and zest. Cook over water (bain-marie) until mixture reaches 110 degrees. Stir continually and quickly.

Scrape gelatin mixture into yolks and whip until frothy and mixture cools (approximately two minutes).

Whip cream until stiff and fold into cooled egg mixture.

Spoon into champagne glasses with fruit. Chill one hour until mousse sets.

Garnish with orange.

Craig’s Wine Choice: Martini & Rossi Asti Spumante, $15. A solid sparkling wine that’s light and refreshing with dessert.