Summer 2005: GRILLING TIPS

Place the grill in safe place. Supervise children.

Have dousing water nearby.

Trim meat of fat and bring all food to room temperature before grilling.

BE PATIENT - Don’t put the food on the grill until the flames have disappeared and the coals glow through ash gray. Move the coals around so that you have different heat intensities or put all the coals on one side of the grill. Add charcoal to outer edge.

HOT FIRE - coals are red and there is still some flames.

MEDIUM FIRE - coals are still red with some gray edges, and will flare up when marinade of fat drips on them.

LOW FIRE - coals are gray, with a light coating of ash, and emit little or no flame when the marinade drips on them.

Keep the grill clean. Scrub it with a wire brush.

Allow heat circulation, don’t crowd food.

Prevent flare-ups, brush all of the ingredients lightly with oil before placing them on the grill.

Brush foods with marinades while cooking, but do not serve raw marinade over cooked food.

BORSETTA DI FORMAGGIO

A little antipasto packet of cheese wrapped in Swiss chard. This recipe uses mozzarella/scamorza, but any soft cow, sheep or goat cheese could be used.

large leaves of green or ruby Swiss chard
sundried tomatoes, chopped
olivada, black olive paste
mozzarella/scamorza
S & P
OO
optional, hot pepper flakes/herbs

Blanch the leaves in a large pot of boiling salted water until wilted. Cool in ice water then drain and towel dry.

Cut the cheese into 1/4 inch slices.

Place the Swiss chard leaf face down on a work surface. Cut out the thick stalk to about halfway up the leaf (save stalks for another use). In the center of the leaf place a slice of cheese and top with a half teaspoon of chopped sun-dried tomatoes, add another slice of cheese and layer with a half teaspoon of black olive paste, and top with a final slice of cheese. Fold the bottom part of the leaf over the filling, then fold in the side; fold down the top to totally enclose the contents. Brush both sides with OO and place on the grill. Grill for about 1-2 minutes (medium-low heat) on each side, until lightly charred and heated through. Serve hot.

SPIEDINO DI PESCE DELL’ ADRIATICO

These recipes are a classic presentation from the Adriatic. Since it could take 30 minutes for clams and mussels to open on the grill it is easier to steam them open in a pot over high heat and then grill the bodies which have been protected by a slice of prosciutto. The shrimp are best if allowed to marinate for a few hours before grilling.

VONGOLE E COZZE

clams/mussels
OO and white wine
prosciutto/bacon, thinly sliced
bamboo skewers soaked in water
parsley, chopped

Wash clams, scrub and debeard mussels. Place clams and mussels in individual skillets, drizzle with OO and wine. Cover the pan and turn the heat on high. Occasionally shake the pan until the shells open. Take the pan off the heat and remove the flesh from the shells. Wrap each clam/mussel body in a small piece of proscuitto/bacon and secure on a skewer. Drizzle with the pan juices so that they do not dry out. Cook on the grill until light brown, Do not dry out. Serve drizzled with OO and chopped parsley.

GAMBERI

shrimp, medium or jumbo
OO
orange zest
garlic, chopped
bread crumbs
S & P
bamboo skewers soaked in water

WITHOUT SHELL: Remove all but the end of the shell, rinse and pat dry with paper towels. Put the shrimp in a mixing bowl with the other ingredients (it should not be too dry). Toss to coat well and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours. Place on bamboo skewers, curled. Cook on the grill no more than 2-3 minutes each side -- just until they singe and turn pink.

WITH SHELLS: Clean and prepare as above without shelling the shrimp. Run the skewer under the shell along its entire length to keep it from curling while cooking. Put the shrimp in a backing pan and toss with the bread crumb mixture. Marinate and grill as above. Enjoy col bacio.

ARAGOSTA ALLA GRIGLIA

Why slave over a hot stove to cook lobster when you can enjoy the outside while grilling - and it’s delicious!

live lobsters, 1 1/2 lbs each
butter melted with S & P, garlic, chopped herbs

Place each lobster shell side down on a flat surface and plunge a knife quickly into the midsection where the tail joins the body. Cut the lobsters in half lengthwise, head to tail. Remove and discard the sac inside the body. Crack the claws. Brush the lobster with the flavored butter and place shell side down on the grill. Cook for about 5 minutes. Turn and cook another 2 -3 minutes. Turn again and brush with butter. The meat should be white. You may need to close the hood and continue cooking. Serve with more herb butter.

VERDURA MISTA IN GRATTICOLA

Grilled vegetables should be a summer staple! Wonderful as an antipasto, a summer salad or a contorno to serve with grilled fish or meat. Leftover vegetables should be refrigerated, then brought to room temperature before serving; drizzle with OO and aceto balsamico or cut into bite sized pieces and toss with pasta.

Almost any vegetable can be cooked on the grill, with a few guidelines:

• Vegetables have no natural fat, so to avoid sticking to the grill surface, either marinate it in an oil based mixture or brush with oil.
• Regulate the heat carefully and turn often.
• Be sure that the grill rack is clean as vegetables tend to absorb off-flavors more quickly than meat or fowl.
• Some vegetables require precooking or they will dry and burn on the outside before softening within, i.e. broccoli, cauliflower, root vegetables, winter squash.

artichokes -trim, remove choke and quarter if large; halve if small,
-toss with OO, finely chopped garlic, mint

eggplant - slice if large, halve if small
-OO, red wine or balsamic vinegar, mint/oregano/basil, S & P

Belgian endive - halve lengthwise
-OO, S& P

fennel - cut bulb into 1/2 inch slices lengthwise trying to keep root attached
-OO, S & P/orange slices

leeks/scallions - trim, halve leeks lengthwise trying to keep root attached, run cold water over them to remove any dirt trapped between the layers
-OO, S & P, rosemary/mint

mushrooms - wipe with damp paper towel, skewer if small
-OO, rosemary/chopped garlic/thyme/summer savory/oregano/hot pepper

onions - cut into 1/2 inch slices/halve crosswise/quarter with root attached
-OO, thyme/rosemary/mint/savory/oregano/tarragon/basil/sage/hot pepper

peppers - leave whole, blister and peel/ remove stem and core, and quarter
-OO, chopped garlic, basil/rosemary

radicchio - quarter lengthwise
-OO, S & P

tomatoes - cherry- skewer; plum - halve lengthwise; regular - halve crosswise
-OO, chopped garlic, bread crumbs, oregano/basil/summer savory/tarragon/thyme/rosemary/sage

zucchini/summer squash - cut diagonally into 1/2 inch slices
-OO, basil, summer savory/ mint/ thyme / oregano

COMBINATIONS:

onions, peppers, basil, OO
zucchini, mushrooms, herbs
radicchio, onions
peppers, garlic, raisins, OO, balsamic vinegar
eggplant, onion, tomatoes, capers, green olives, parsley, raisins, OO, balsamic vinegar

FRUTTA ALLA GRIGLIA

Grilled fruit makes a light, fresh dessert or an accompaniment to grilled meat and fish. Cook fruit over a medium/low heat. Sprinkle with sugar to create a caramel finish. Here are some of my favorites.

ANANAS AL MARASCHINO

1 fresh pineapple
maraschino/chartreuse liquor
sugar

Cut off the rind of the pineapple and cut it into slices about 1/2 inch think. Place the slices on a medium grill for about 2 minutes, turn and sprinkle with sugar. Cook that side for about 2 minutes, turn and sprinkle the other side with sugar. The fruit should begin t o caramelize. Remove from the heat and serve as is or sprinkled with liquor.

SUSINE IN FOGLIA DI VITE

plums
grape leaves, fresh or packed in brine
lump sugar
prunella or kirsh liquor

toothpicks soaked in water

Carefully remove the pit from the plum without dividing it in half. Discard the pit. Place inside where the pit was - a lump of sugar drizzled with prunella. Wrap the plum in a grape leaf and close with a toothpick. Place on the grill or over low heat for about 10 minutes or until the plum feels soft to the touch. Serve warm or cold.

FICHI IN FOGLIA DI VITE

fresh figs
grape leaves, fresh or packed in brine
lump sugar
rum
toothpicks soaked in water

Carefully open the fig with a knife slit to insert a lump of sugar. Drizzle the sugar with rum. Wrap each fig in a grape leaf and secure closed with a toothpick. Place on the grill over low heat for about 10 minutes. Serve warm or cold.