Chef Todd Miller has served up elevated modern American cuisine while helming some of the top kitchens in the country, and now he's sharing his favorite techniques and recipes for home cooks to try his beloved dishes.
The Utah native, who got his start at Deer Valley Ski Resort, has been the culinary force behind major concepts like Jean-Georges Prime Steakhouse at the Bellagio in Las Vegas and STK. As executive chef of The Guest House, Miller blends classic flavors with regional influence, and recently opened the newest location of the restaurant in Scottsdale, Arizona, after first bringing the menu to Las Vegas, New York City and Austin, Texas.
He joined "GMA3" on Tuesday and shared his recipes for grilled Southwestern skirt steak with fresh roasted corn salad -- perfect for summer entertaining -- and a cherry chocolate rocky road dessert.
Find the full recipes below.
Ingredients
Three 8-ounce outside skirt steaks
1 cup Southwestern spice rub (ingredients below)
Fresh basil leaves, fennel tops, and celery leaves, for garnish
Southwestern spice rub
2 tablespoons cumin
2 tablespoons coriander
1 tablespoon granulated garlic
1 tablespoon paprika
3 tablespoons smoked paprika
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
Roasted corn salad
2 cups fresh roasted corn niblets
1 cup fennel bulb, small diced
1/2 cup red onion, small diced
1 cup heirloom tomatoes, cut
3 tablespoons fresh basil, roughly chopped
1/2 cup charred green beans, cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1/2 cup celery, small diced
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions
Prepare the spice rub and steak
Combine the cumin, coriander, granulated garlic, paprika, smoked paprika, chili powder, cayenne pepper, salt and sugar in a bowl and mix well.
Season the skirt steaks generously on both sides with the Southwestern spice rub, and let sit for 5 minutes before grilling.
Prepare the roasted corn salad
In a bowl, combine the roasted corn, fennel, red onion, green beans and celery.
Add the olive oil and lime juice, and mix well. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Just before serving, add the tomatoes and fresh basil, and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper if needed.
Cook the steak
Lightly oil the steaks and place on a hot grill.
Cook for 1 minute, then rotate 45 degrees and cook for another minute. Flip and repeat on the other side.
Cook to desired doneness, then allow the steaks to rest for several minutes.
Just before serving, return the steaks to the grill for about 2 minutes to reheat.
To serve
Spoon about 2 tablespoons of the corn salad onto a plate.
Top with a portion of sliced steak, then add another layer of salad and steak, repeating once more.
Garnish with fresh basil, fennel tops and celery leaves before serving.
Ingredients
Chocolate cremeux
480 milliliters full-fat milk or 2% milk (2 cups)
480 milliliters heavy cream (35% fat) (2 cups)
8 large egg yolks
200 grams sugar (1 cup) or 100 grams sugar (1/2 cup) if using milk chocolate
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
680 grams dark chocolate, chopped (minimum 55% cocoa content)
100 grams unsalted butter
Vanilla whipped cream
2 cups heavy whipping cream
2 vanilla bean pods, scraped
1/2 cup powdered sugar
Chocolate ice cream (store-bought works)
4 cups heavy cream, divided
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
12 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped (or chocolate chips)
3 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
6 large egg yolks, beaten
Candied almonds (store-bought works)
2 cups whole almonds
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cherry sauce
4 cups sweet cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen)
1/4 to 1/3 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons sugar
Additional
Mini marshmallows
Directions
For the chocolate cremeux:
Heat the milk and cream in a saucepan until steaming.
In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks, vanilla, sugar, and salt until pale, thick and smooth.
Slowly pour the warm milk mixture into the egg mixture, whisking constantly to temper.
Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring frequently and scraping the bottom and sides.
Cook until the custard thickens and reaches 185 degrees Fahrenheit (85 degrees Celsius). Do not boil. The custard should coat the back of a spoon.
Place the chocolate and butter in a bowl. Pour the hot custard over the top and let sit for 1 minute.
Stir until melted and smooth. Blend with an immersion blender if desired for a smoother texture.
Cover directly with plastic wrap and cool to room temperature or refrigerate until ready to use.
For the vanilla whipped cream:
Combine the heavy cream, vanilla and powdered sugar in a bowl.
Whip until soft to medium peaks form.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the chocolate ice cream:
Whisk some of the cream with the cocoa powder in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 seconds while whisking.
Remove from heat and add the chocolate, whisking until smooth. Add remaining cream and stir to combine. Transfer to a bowl and set a fine mesh strainer over the top.
In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks.
In a saucepan, heat the milk, sugar and salt until warm. Slowly whisk 1/2 cup of the warm milk into the egg yolks.
Return the egg mixture to the saucepan and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until thickened and coats a spatula (about 170 degrees Fahrenheit).
Strain the custard into the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth.
Chill completely, then churn according to ice cream maker instructions.
For the candied almonds:
Combine almonds, sugar, water and salt in a pot over medium heat.
Stir constantly. The mixture will become syrupy, then crystallize into a white coating.
Continue stirring until the sugar melts again and turns a golden brown caramel.
Transfer to a lined baking sheet and spread into a single layer.
Cool completely and break apart before storing.
For the cherry sauce:
Whisk water, cornstarch, lemon juice and sugar in a saucepan.
Place over medium heat and whisk until the mixture begins to thicken.
Add cherries and cook, stirring occasionally, for 6 to 10 minutes if using fresh cherries or 12 to 15 minutes if using frozen cherries.
Simmer until thickened and bubbling throughout.
Remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
Store refrigerated in an airtight container. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Assemble the dessert:
Take 2 tablespoons of the chocolate cremeux, place in the middle of the plate or shallow bowl, make a divot in the middle of the cremeux, and place a nice large scoop of chocolate ice cream (house-made or your favorite brand) just off center on the cremeux.
Top the ice cream with 2 tablespoons of the fresh cherry sauce, follow with 2 tablespoons of the soft vanilla whipped cream, then sprinkle 1 tablespoon of the coarse chopped candied almonds and 5-7 little marshmallows. Just in the crevice between the ice cream and cremeux, add a nice pile (1-2 tablespoons) of fresh cherries (pitted, cut and tossed in a little of the sauce, about 1 teaspoon), follow with 2 teaspoons vanilla whipped cream, 1/2 teaspoon almonds and 2-3 marshmallows.
To finish, grab a piece of whole chocolate and Microplane the chocolate over the top. Just before serving, pour 3 tablespoons of the cherry sauce, starting from the middle and pouring around the dessert. Enjoy!
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