Pulling below the barbecue belt.

MAYBE YOU'VE HEARD OF IT: MEMPHIS IN MAY.

Memphis, Tennessee (the heart of the pulled pig region) plays host to the largest pork barbecue contest in the world. Held along a 1-1/2 mile stretch of the mighty Mississippi River, this three-day event touts 250 teams competing in, much more than a cookout, especially with a $60,000 purse at stake. These folks take their barbecue seriously--cooking in competitions throughout the United States with the hopes of qualifying in, what is affectionately referred to as the 'Superbowl of Swine.'

Competitors come from all over, but some of the most bloodthirsty combatants come from those states that make up the "barbecue belt"--Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia and the Carolinas--where slow-cooked pig is nothing less than a Southern icon. Kentucky and Texas, though an integral part of the south, aren't official members of 'the belt.' Kentucky substitutes mutton for pork and in Texas, barbecue is all about beef.

What appears a homely and unassuming pork product to some, has taken on heroic status in this part of the United States--its cultural importance tied preeminently to its roots in festival and social ritual. Thus, the popularity of the Pig Pickin', or a social gathering where pulled pork is cooked and served.

Art Culinaire contacted Lynn Doyle, public relations representative for Memphis in May, to help track down the real experts for whom pulled pork has become a part of their life. "Our teams don't just throw up a tent. They build entire staging areas around the cooker--sometimes double deckers--sometimes costing thousands of dollars." Lynn tells us the contests fall into these categories: "Shoulder, ribs, whole hogs and patio porkers." We were just interested in shoulder, where true pulled pork comes from.

BETTY KNOWS BARBECUE

"You want the meat to give a gentle tug when it's pulled apart."

This was Betty May of Hickory Ridge, Tennessee. Ms. May, a certified shoulder judge was convinced to "get in on this judging thing" after volunteering at her first M in M. She enrolled in judging school (where information such as: sanitation, pig anatomy, cooking times, smoking, mops, sops and saucery) is all taught. Why a shoulder judge? Ms. May tells us ribs are "just too messy."

So what does a longtime judge look for in a winning plate of pulled pork? We listened up as Ms. May shared this with us.

"If the contestants say its 'tender to the bone' then you know it's mushy and over-cooked, like badly-cooked vegetables."

And this

"If you need a buzz saw to cut it apart, then it's been cooked too much."

"And if you see blood ..."

I finished her sentence for her--'It probably hasn't been cooked enough, right?'

"Heck, yeah."

'So, Betty, you want to experience what when you take that first bite?'

"Flavor and texture--that's what sets pulled pork apart. I always ask myself, 'Would I pay to eat this?' Of course, there's other criteria, too: presentation, and the taste of the meat with the sauce and the overall impression."

'Gosh, that's a lot to think about, Betty.'

Now I was intrigued. And of course, I wanted to talk to one of the hot competitors on the circuit. Lynn directed me to John McLemore of Southaven, Mississippi, located on the Tennessee-Mississippi state line. On the circuit, he's known as 'Big John' the Boss of Natural Born Grillers, named the 2003 shoulder team of the year. John was getting ready for his first event of the 2004 season, The Polar Pig Fest.

GRILLING FOR DOLLARS

John didn't need much prodding to talk pulled pork. He lives for pig, referring to himself as a "fanatic," cooking in up to 22 barbecue competitions a year. He called from the car on his cell phone. He was all business.

"We like to start with a good product. You can either use the whole shoulder or the Boston Butt, (which a lot of people like because it's smaller and easier to work with). The shoulder usually weighs 18-20 pounds. But the butt is only 8-10 pounds."

"Now for the smoke. We use hickory mixed with some nice soft peach, apple or cherry wood. That will give you a nice smoke ring."

'A smoke ring?'

"Yeah. The ring is a magenta color found just under the surface of the meat after cooking. It's sometimes confused with undercooked meat. The deeper the color, the deeper the flavor (And, by the way, the softer the wood, the better the flavor). If we're in, say, South Georgia, we use whatever wood those guys have--probably peach. Then we inject the pork with a dry rub. We call ours the 'million dollar rub'. Am I talking too fast?"

'Hang on, I'm getting all this down ... John, I won't ask the million-dollar question: What's in the million-dollar rub?'

"Good! Don't ask."

"Now back to the rub. It adds flavor on the inside and outside of the pork. We let it set on ice for 1 1/2 2 hours. At this point, when you hold it, the internal temperature has to be below 40 degrees."

(Later research said that competition meat must be fresh or frozen. It can't be pre-cooked, sauced, injected, marinated, or cured in any way, before inspection. And it has to be maintained at a temperature below 40 degrees until the cooking kicks off. Once meat has been officially inspected, the contestants are free to prepare it, using any method they see fit.)

"To smoke it, we prefer indirect heat and use a water pan for better flavor. We never want the fire to actually touch the meat or else it's bound to get charred. We cook the shoulder the first 8-10 hours at 200 degrees and the Boston Butt for 6-8 hours. After about 8 hours, we suggest to back off the smoke or it's bound to become oversaturated. You can actually oversmoke it. Just be careful, that's all I'm saying."

'Will do. We'll mention that--to be careful.'

"Great. At this point ... you want to ... uh oh, I think I missed my turn ..."

'John, you there?'

"Yeah. Okay ... go ahead and wrap it in aluminum foil. It gets nice and tender this way. Cook the shoulder at 200-225 degrees for 10 hours. Internal thermometer here is key. Hold at 180 degrees for about one hour. The best thing to do is put your pork in a cooler (a hot box) and let it sit. When you take it out, don't touch the meat with a cleaver or knife. All your bone will just slide away without it. Take the skin off and you'll have nothing but meat left. Do you have all that?"

'Yeah--got it. Tomato sauce is usually served with pulled pork, right?'

"Well, we serve ours with sweet tomato sauce--guess it's a Memphis thing. It's mustard in the Carolinas. And in the south (Alabama and South Georgia) it's a vinegar-based sauce. We add apple juice and brown sugar to ours ..."

'I won't ask you what goes into that secret sauce ...'

"Good. Don't ask!"

ON A HIGH IN LOW COUNTRY

Sit down, if you ever have a chance, with Mr. Waggoner. It's worth it. And if you aren't fortunate to find yourself at the Charleston Grill in Charleston, South Carolina, the next best thing is to pretend you are there. Bob's tales, what he calls his "long haul" are worthy of cracking open that reserved bottle of Brandy or special somethin' somethin'. And if you don't have that, all you have to do is listen.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

It began ... "IT" IS THE UBIQUITOUS interest in food. "It" is set in the very unglamorous section of Los Angeles known as the San Fernando Valley; not sanctioned as 'The City of Angels', but still close enough to dream. In this part of the world, they don't wish for the sun and the moon--but stars.

"In high school, I took an international foods class. There were 37 girls and three guys. It was a ratio I liked." And just like that, Bob found his calling. Maybe it was in the stars?

"I started cooking at the Summer House in West Hollywood. I didn't know the difference between rare and medium-well. But, I learned everything--100 percent. This just wasn't enough for me; I wanted to learn more. So the owner said, 'I'll send you to France.' (I couldn't afford the Culinary Institute of America.) So, he found me a job in Bouilland, a little village just outside of Beaune in Burgundy. I left thinking I'd spend a year. I came back three years later with a French wife and a daughter born in Burgundy."

"I worked six months here and there--for free. The only thing I asked is if the chef could help me find another job. I mostly worked in two- and three-star Michelin restaurants.

All the chefs said, 'Are you going to work for free the rest of your life?' So I came back to the United States, and Wolfgang Puck was at the top of his game with his goat cheese pizzas. And I thought, 'How do you go from three-star Michelin restaurants to goat cheese pizzas?' I bumped into a Canadian gentleman looking for a chef to go to Caracas, Venezuela, to help with a private club he bought into. We had lunch and a week later--I was in Venezuela."

"I was the Wolfgang Puck of Venezuela."

"But Caracas wasn't what I was all about. A friend had just bought a spectacular hotel built in 1707--the Hotel De La Poste in Avallon--Churchill and Napoleon stayed there. He told me he'd fire the two chefs (who apparently sucked), and hire me instead. Two weeks later, I got a call from the owner. So there I was, back in France and this time, getting paid.

"We were open eight months a year. I worked eight months every day for three years. Eventually, it was sold after so much great press. There was an English gentleman who came in from time-to-time. He said, 'Bob, find a place and I'll pay for it'. And so, I found a beautiful home from the 20's in Moneteau, France. We put a few tables in each room, hired a cook and dishwasher, and called it Le Monte Cristo. And that was that.

'That was that' received two-Michelin stars.

Eventually, I was offered something here at the Charleston Grill. I didn't really want to do this many covers and wasn't sure about taking the job. But the management asked me what I needed.

Bob: 'I need 12 cooks'.

CG: 'What else do you need?'

Bob: How about '15 guys in the dining room?'

CG: 'What else do you need?'

"There was never a 'no.' It was always, 'What is it going to take for you to do your thing?' I said, 'I don't want to go to any corporate meetings. And I'd like a percentage of the sales if we do well. And if it doesn't work, I'll leave."

Apparently, it worked. It's seven years later and Bob's still in Charleston.

"No one asks me any more questions. The GM is 41. So am I. I have a family. So does he." "He'll say, 'I hope you're taking off on your daughter's birthday.' That's just how it is here. We're up about 300K from last year. That's with 23 new restaurants opening in Charleston. I get offers, but nothing can beat this, believe me. If an employee is having problems or a hard time, we hook them up for dinner or put them up in one of the rooms. We'll say, 'Why don't you stay in the presidential suite with your wife for a day?' If we can't give them a raise, why not? I have the best chef job in the state."

"Charleston was once all about fried seafood. Now if you want to dine, the quality and beauty of restaurants has really come along."

And it's ended? Here in Charleston? For Bob it has for now. But we think there may be another few chapters in him. It's worth the wait.

BOB Waggoner

CHARLESTON GRILL

CHARLESTON, SC

RELATED ARTICLE: Pinot Noir Poached Egg with Pulled Pig's Feet (Serves 4)

BOB Waggoner

Thomas Road Pinot Noir

Iron Horse

Green Valley, CA 2000

directions

For the pig's feet: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a pot over medium heat, add vegetable oil. Add pig's feet; cook for five minutes on each side until brown. Remove pig's feet and set aside. Discard oil from pot. In same pot over medium heat, add butter. Add carrots, onions, leeks, garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, juniper berries and white peppercorns; cook until light brown. Add Pinot Noir and bring to a boil. Add pig's feet, submerge in liquid completely. Place pot in oven, covered, for three hours. Remove pig's feet, reserving cooking liquid for sauce. Pull pig's feet meat from bones and roughly chop. Add caramelized onions and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stuff meat mixture into squash blossoms. Brush stuffed blossoms with melted butter. Set aside.

For the sauce: Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve. In a saucepan over low heat, reduce liquid to one cup. Add demi-glace and bring to a simmer. Set aside, keeping warm. In a nonstick saute pan, render bacon. Add pearl onions and mushrooms; saute until lightly brown. Add sauce and season with salt and white pepper. Add parsley and cook for 30 seconds. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the eggs: In a small pot bring Pinot Noir to a simmer. Poach eggs in Pinot Noir for two to 2 1/2 minutes, remove from liquid and set aside, keeping warm.

To finish: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bake stuffed squash blossoms for three to five minutes. Set aside, keeping warm.

To serve: Place poached egg in bowl. Spoon with sauce, add stuffed squash blossom and garnish with parsley sprouts.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the pig's feet:

1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 pig's feet
3 tablespoons butter
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 leek, roughly chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
3 sprigs thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
2 bay leaves
6 juniper berries
6 white peppercorns
1 1/2 bottles Pinot Noir
1 Vidalia onion, peeled,
  sliced and caramelized
4 squash blossoms
2 tablespoons butter, melted
Salt and pepper to taste

For the sauce:

Reserved pig's feet cooking liquid
1/2 cup demi-glace
2 tablespoons bacon, finely chopped
24 pearl onions, peeled and blanched
24 button mushrooms, halved
1 tablespoon stemmed and
  finely chopped parsley
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the eggs:

2 cups Pinot Noir
4 eggs

For the garnish:

Parsley sprouts*

* Available through The Chef's Garden at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Baramundi with Pulled Oxtail-Whipped Potatoes (Serves 4)

BOB Waggoner

Pinot Noir Isabelle

Au Bon Climat

Edna Valley, CA 1997

directions

For the oxtail: In a pot over medium heat, add vegetable oil. Season oxtail with salt and pepper to taste and sear all sides until brown. Add onions, leeks, carrots, garlic, thyme, and rosemary, cooking until lightly brown. Add white wine and bay leaves. Add enough cold water to cover oxtail and vegetables. Bring to a simmer and cook for 3 1/2 to four hours. Remove oxtails from liquid and pull meat from bone. Chill in refrigerator. Strain cooking liquid through a fine-mesh sieve, skim excess fat and reserve for sauce.

For the whipped potatoes: In a pot, cover potatoes with cold water. Add Kosher salt; cook until tender. Drain potatoes and return to pot; stir over medium-high heat for one minute to dry. Puree potatoes with a food mill. In a small pot, bring milk and cream to a boil. In batches, fold in hot milk mixture and three ounces of butter cubes. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Set aside, keeping warm. In a nonstick saute pan over medium heat, add remaining butter and sear oxtail meat for one minute. Add shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper to taste, and saute for another minute. Add chanterelles and thyme, cooking for another minute. Fold oxtail mushroom mixture into whipped potatoes. Transfer whipped potatoes to a piping bag fitted with a large star tip. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the baramundi: In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, add butter. Season both sides of baramundi fillets with salt and white pepper to taste. Add fillets to pan; sear for one minute on each side, until lightly brown. Transfer fillets to a sheet pan and set aside.

For the sauce: In same saute pan as baramundi over low heat, add shallots; saute for 30 seconds. Deglaze with Pinot Noir, one cup of reserved oxtail broth and thyme. Reduce to 1/4 cup. Over low heat, add butter whisking until incorporated. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve and season with salt and white pepper to taste.

To finish: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place baramundi in oven and roast for four to six minutes.

To serve: Pipe whipped potatoes in center of dish. Add baramundi fillet, baby carrots and crosnes. Pipe more whipped potatoes on fillet and garnish with chanterelles and chives.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

For the oxtail:

3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium oxtail, halved
1 small onion, peeled and
  roughly chopped
1 small leek, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and
  roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled
1 bunch thyme
2 sprigs rosemary
1 quart white wine
2 bay leaves
Water as needed
Salt and pepper to taste

For the whipped potatoes:

2 large russet potatoes,
  peeled and cut into 8 pieces
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
3 tablespoons whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
4 ounces butter, cubed
Reserved oxtail meat
2 shallots, peeled and
  finely chopped
1 clove garlic, peeled and
  finely chopped
16 Chanterelles mushrooms,
 thinly sliced
1 tablespoon stemmed thyme
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the baramundi:

3 ounces butter
4 6-ounce baramundi
  fillets, skinless
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the sauce:

3 shallots, peeled and
  roughly chopped
3 cups Pinot Noir
1 cup reserved oxtail broth
1 sprig thyme
3 tablespoons butter
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Chantrelles, sauteed
Baby carrots, steamed
Crosnes, steamed*
Chives

* Available through The Chef's Garden at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Crepinette of Pulled Rabbit Legs in Sausage Gravy (Serves 4)

BOB Waggoner

T bar T Viagnier

Iron Horse

Alexander Valley, CA 2001

directions

For the rabbit legs: Preheat oven to 300 degrees. In a roasting pan over medium heat, add butter. Season rabbit legs with salt and pepper to taste and lightly coat with flour. Sear rabbit legs until lightly brown on all sides. Add garlic and shallots; cooking for 30 seconds. Add thyme, bay leaves, and wine, reduce wine by half. Add stock and bring to a boil. Braise in oven, uncovered, for two hours or until tender, basting often. Remove from oven and pull meat from bones; season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside to cool.

For the gravy: In a saucepan, cook sausage until lightly browned. Remove meat and set aside. Add flour to sausage fat, whisking over low heat. Slowly add milk, whisking continuously, and cook for 10 minutes to thicken. Add sausage meat back to gravy and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the crepinette: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place a saute pan over high heat. Season foie gras with salt and pepper to taste. Sear foie gras in hot pan for 10 seconds on each side and set aside. On a flat work surface, lay out four sheets of caul fat and place a pile of pulled rabbit meat in the centers. Place a piece of foie gras on top of rabbit meat, then layer with caramelized onions and chives. Wrap caul fat around layered rabbit, trimming off excess. Repeat this procedure three more times. In a large nonstick saute pan, heat the oil. Sear crepinettes for two minutes on each side. Bake crepinettes in oven for three to four minutes. Set aside, keeping warm.

To serve: Spoon gravy into center of dish. Place crepinette on top; garnish with chives and yellow pea shoots.

ingredients

For the rabbit legs:

1/3 cup butter
8 rabbit legs
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
4 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped
8 shallots, peeled and roughly chopped
1/2 bunch thyme
3 bay leaves
1 1/2 quarts white wine
2 quarts chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste

For the gravy:

12 ounces fresh pork sausage, removed
 from casing and broken into pieces
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 cup whole milk
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the crepinette:

12 ounces foie gras, cut into four 3-ounce slices
4 12-inch squares caul fat
Reserved pulled rabbit legs
1/2 cup caramelized onions
1/4 cup finely chopped chives
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Chives
Yellow pea shoots

RELATED ARTICLE: Pulled Duck Neck Tart with Seared Foie Blondes (Serves 4)

BOB Waggoner

Stymie Syrah

Steele

Lake County, CA 1999

directions

For the duck necks: Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a roasting pan over medium heat, add two tablespoons of duck or goose fat. Season duck necks with white pepper to taste; add to pan and lightly brown on all sides. Remove from pan and set aside. Add onion halves and cook for three minutes until brown. Add garlic, thyme, rosemary, bay leaves, juniper berries, peppercorns, reserved duck necks and remaining duck or goose fat. Place in oven, uncovered, for 2 1/2 to three hours until the meat pulls away from the bone. Remove pan from oven and cool for 30 minutes. Pull neck meat from bone and set aside to cool. In a saute pan over low heat, add one tablespoon duck or goose fat. Add duck meat and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Saute over low heat for 15 minutes, taking care not to brown the meat. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the livers: In a saute pan over medium heat, add bacon and cook until lightly brown. Remove bacon and set aside for the vinaigrette. Season the chicken livers with salt and pepper to taste. In saute pan with bacon fat over medium-high heat, sear chicken livers, 15 seconds on each side. Remove livers and set aside. Discard fat from pan; reserve pan for vinaigrette.

For the pastry: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Roll out puff pastry sheet to 1/8-inch. Cut puff pastry into four 4 1/2-inch circles and form each into a 4-inch nonstick tart mold. Pierce bottom of puff pastry with a fork and place another 4-inch tart mold over dough to prevent rising. Bake until golden brown and crispy. Set aside.

For the vinaigrette: In the reserved saute pan over low heat, add 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil. Saute shallots for one minute. Add vinegar; reduce by half. Add demi-glace and bring to a simmer. Remove pan from heat. Add chicken livers, reserved bacon and chives to vinegar mixture. Season with salt and white pepper to taste and stir in remaining vegetable oil.

To serve: Place tart shell in center of plate. Fill with pulled duck meat. Top with two livers. Spoon vinaigrette over and around tart. Garnish with frisee greens.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the duck necks:

1 1/2 quarts duck or goose fat
8 duck necks
1 onion, halved
4 cloves garlic, peeled and halved
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
3 fresh bay leaves
15 juniper berries
10 black peppercorns
White pepper to taste

For the livers:

4 ounces bacon, roughly chopped
8 Bresse chicken livers (foie blondes)*
Salt and pepper to taste

For the tart:

1 sheet puff pastry

For the vinaigrette:

2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable.oil
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoons chicken demi-glace
Reserved chicken livers
Reserved bacon
1 bunch chives, finely chopped
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Frisee greens

* Foie blondes are very difficult to find outside of France. Chicken livers can be substituted.

RELATED ARTICLE: Pulled Veal "Tongue and Cheek" (Serves 4)

BOB Waggoner

Riesling Cuvee Theo

Domaine Weinbach

Alsace, France 2000

directions

For the veal tongue: In a medium pot over medium heat, add butter. Add leeks and cook until lightly brown. Add shallots and garlic; cook for two minutes. Add carrots and cook another two minutes, stirring often. Add wine, thyme, bay leaves, stock and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place tongues in liquid, completely submerged, and bring to a simmer over low heat. Cook for 2 1/2 to three hours until tender. Remove tongues from liquid and cool at room temperature for 10 minutes. Strain liquid through a sieve and reserve for veal cheeks. Peel outer layer of skin from tongues and discard. Chill meat for two hours.

For the veal cheeks: Preheat oven to 275 degrees. In a roasting pan over medium heat, add butter. Season veal cheeks with salt and white pepper to taste and lightly coat in flour. Add cheeks to pan, searing for two minutes on each side until brown. Add reserved veal tongue cooking liquid to pan and place in oven, uncovered, for 2 1/2 hours. Remove cheeks from sauce and pull meat into pieces. Reserve remaining cheek cooking liquid for sauce. Set aside, keeping warm.

For the sauce: Reduce remaining cheek cooking liquid until it coats the back of a spoon. Add tomatoes, olives, capers, and thyme; season with salt and white pepper to taste. Set aside, keeping warm.

To finish: Slice each veal tongue into six even pieces. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add butter. Add veal tongue, searing for one minute on each side until brown. Set aside, keeping warm.

To serve: Layer tongue and cheek in center of plate. Spoon with sauce and garnish with lemon segments and arugula sprouts.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

ingredients

For the veal tongue:

2 tablespoons butter
1 leek, roughly chopped
4 shallots, peeled and halved
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
3 cups white wine
4 sprigs thyme
2 bay leaves
8 cups brown chicken stock
3 tablespoons butter
2 veal tongues
Salt and pepper to taste

For the cheeks:

3 tablespoons butter
6 veal cheeks
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
Reserved veal tongue cooking liquid
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the sauce:

Reserved veal cheek cooking liquid
16 currant tomatoes
12 picholine olives
1 tablespoon capers
1 teaspoon stemmed thyme
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the garnish:

Lemons, peeled and segmented
Sylvetta arugula sprouts*

* Available through The Chef's Garden at [phone].

RELATED ARTICLE: Pulled Smoked Chicken and Shrimp Salad (Serves 4)

BOB Waggoner

Pinol Gris

J Wine

Russian River Valley, CA 2002

directions

For the yogurt sauce: In a bowl, combine yogurt and lemon juice. Slowly add walnut oil, whisking until incorporated, and season with salt and white pepper to taste. Set aside, keeping cool.

For the salad: Place a large saute pan over high heat and add olive oil. Saute shrimp until lightly browned, two to three minutes. Cool shrimp and roughly chop. In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, chicken, endive and walnuts. Add the yogurt sauce, season with salt to taste and toss to combine.

To serve: Arrange endive leaves on a plate and place chicken salad on top. Garnish with chives and beet sprouts.

ingredients

For the yogurt sauce:

1/2 cup plain yogurt
Juice of 1/4 lemon
3 tablespoons walnut oil
Salt and white pepper to taste

For the salad:

2 tablespoons olive oil
12 shrimp, 16-20 count, peeled and deveined
1 1/2 pounds smoked chicken, julienned
4 endive, julienned
1 cup walnuts
Salt to taste

For the garnish:

Endive leaves, whole
Chives
Beet sprouts*

* Available through The Chef's Garden at [phone].