I'm Just Here for the Food (12 page)

Software:

1 side of farm-raised Atlantic
salmon, cut from an 8- to 10-
pound whole fish
2 to 3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons kosher salt
3 tablespoons sugar
Non-stick spray
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Hardware:

Aluminum foil
Plastic wrap
Microwave-safe ramekin
Basting brush
3 sheet pans
Paper towels
Chimney starter
Charcoal
2 small disposable aluminum pans
One 16 x 36-inch piece of chicken wire
Wire cutters
Newspaper
Probe thermometer
2 wooden spoons or metal skewers
Serving platter

Move the package to the sink and remove the fish from the package (be careful, there will be a lot of juice). Rinse the fish thoroughly to remove any remaining cure and dry the fish with paper towels.

Light a chimney starter full of lump charcoal. Line up two small disposable aluminum pans down the center of the coal grate. Distribute the lit charcoal evenly on either side of the pans. Divide another half chimney full of unlit charcoal between the two piles. Put the cooking grate on and then the lid. Let the cavity heat to 500° F.

Meanwhile, prepare the fish for the grill.

The most difficult thing about grilling a side of salmon is getting it off the grill in one piece once it’s cooked. Good thing you went to the hardware store and bought about 16 inches of chicken wire that you cut down to the size of your grill top (see diagram A). Lay the chicken wire out on a few sheets of newspaper and coat it heavily with non-stick spray. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the chicken wire. Brush the fish liberally with extra-virgin olive oil. Insert the probe end of your thermometer into the thickest part of the fish, bring the corners of the wire together like a sling, and proudly carry your fish to the grill.

You could also serve the fish on the grate, or just cook it on the coals to begin with.

When the grill has reached a temperature of 500° F, carefully remove the lid and place the fish (chicken wire-side down) on the grate. Re-lid, being careful not to kink or crush the thermometer probe wire. Close the vents top and bottom, insert the probe wire connection into the thermometer base, then set the onboard alarm for 140° F. That’s it.

When the alarm goes off, remove the lid, and use a pair of wooden spoons or metal skewers to pick up the chicken-wire sling (see diagram B).

Back in the kitchen, roll the fish off onto the back of a sheet pan. Place your serving platter upside down on top of the fish and then—holding the pan firmly in place—flip everything over. Now the fish should be right side up on the platter. (Be warned: there’s going to be some juice and odds are good some of it’s going to get on you.) Serve to a grateful and amazed assemblage.

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

FISH CURE

Grilled Butterflied Chicken

This unusual method of grilling may produce the best-tasting chicken you’ve ever had. The spice rub may be altered to suit your individual taste.

Application: Grilling by direct heat

Prepare a medium-hot grill using about 3 quarts natural chunk charcoal.

Mix the salt and all the herb and spice ingredients together in a jar or other container with a perforated lid.

Wash the chicken, removing the giblets, and pat dry. Carefully remove the backbone from the chicken using poultry shears or a large boning knife. Remove the keel bone (or breast bone, if you prefer), and press the bird flat like a butterfly.

Liberally rub both sides of the chicken with canola oil, then sprinkle the spices to cover.

Place chicken, skin side down, directly over coals. Place a roasting pan flat on top of the chicken and weight it down with 2 bricks. Grill until brown and deeply marked, about 12 minutes. Turn the chicken over, re-weight, and allow to cook another 15 minutes or until chicken is just done. Let the chicken rest for at least 10 minutes, then bring to the table whole.

Yield: 2 to 4 servings

Note:
This recipe makes enough rub for 2 whole chickens.

Software:

For the rub (see
Note
):
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black
pepper
1 teaspoon whole cumin, toasted
and ground
1 teaspoon whole coriander,
toasted and ground
2 teaspoons garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
One whole broiler/fryer chicken
Canola oil

Hardware:

3 quarts natural charcoal
Glass jar or other lidded container
Poultry shears or a large boning
knife
Roasting pan
2 bricks, wrapped with
aluminum foil

Tropical Mash

This is my favorite grill-friendly side dish for jerk chicken, spicy pork roast, or any other spicy grill-worthy meat. Sure you have to crank up the fire an hour earlier, but it’s worth it.

Application: Grilling by indirect heat

Just as you begin to fire up the grill, set the sweet potatoes on the grate, away from the heat. (You want to cook them indirectly or they’ll be burned on the outside and raw in the middle.) Cook the potatoes for about 1 hour, turning them occasionally, until done; they should give to the pressure of your tongs. Cut a couple of small slits in the peel of the banana to allow steam to escape and grill it until the peel is black and the inside soft. In a small saucepan, heat the coconut milk and butter. Peel the skin from the potatoes and the banana and put them in a mixing bowl. Pour in some of the coconut milk mixture and mash with a potato masher, adding more liquid as needed. Season with salt and white pepper.

Yield: 4 servings

Software:

4 small sweet potatoes
1 banana
1 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons butter
Kosher salt
Freshly ground white pepper

Hardware:

Tongs
Small saucepan
Mixing bowl
Potato masher

Grilled Romaine

Application: Grilling by direct heat

Heat up a charcoal grill. Quarter the romaine lengthwise so that the root keeps each piece together. Lightly coat with oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix together the capers, mustard, and vinegar. Lay the romaine on the grill, directly over the heat. Turn, with tongs, every few seconds until it begins to char and wilt (total grill time is about 1 minute). Remove to serving plates and spoon the vinegar mixture over each. Serve warm.

Yield: 4 servings

Software:

1 head romaine lettuce
Olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 tablespoon capers
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ cup apple cider vinegar

Hardware:

Tongs
Mixing bowl

Broiling

In the United States, broiling is grilling inverted: fire up, food down. Broiling is hands-down my favorite cooking method. I broil asparagus, I broil just about every type of meat you can imagine. I broil shrimp. I’ve broiled marshmallows. I like this method because it gives you 75 percent of what you get from grilling. Since fat’s not dripping down onto flame you don’t have to fight flame-ups. You also don’t get some of the flavors that come from the gaseous portion of combustion—smoke for instance. You also don’t get convection, so don’t be surprised if broiling a piece of meat takes a little longer than grilling it. Then again, since broiling takes place in the oven, we have a lot less opportunity to pick at it, turn it prematurely and get in the way in general. Still it’s way easier to broil asparagus than to grill it. (Gravity, you know.)

HOW TO MAKE PEOPLE THINK YOU GRILLED WHEN YOU DIDN’T

You’re going to need a couple of cast-iron grill grates for this—the ones with the really wide bars. If your grill didn’t come with this type of grate, drop by your local grill shop and buy a set. You’ll need to cure them just as you would a cast-iron skillet.

Place the oven rack in the next-to-the-top position. Place two grill grates on a lipped cookie sheet or a half sheet pan and slide them into the oven.

Fire up your broiler and give the grates about ten minutes to absorb plenty of heat. If you’ve got an electric broiler, give them a little more time.

While the grates heat, lubricate your meat well on both sides with oil of your choice, and then season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Let the meat sit at room temperature while grates heat.

Carefully slide the oven rack out, take aim and position your meat toward one end of the grate—presentation side down. (This is a trick the pros use: always start with your prettiest side down so that it will face up on the plate.)

When the meat is ready to turn, pull out the oven rack and, using tongs, flip the food over to the front of the grate. (See illustration.) Finish cooking to desired doneness.

Marinated Flank Steak

Because of its shape and tissue structure, flank steak is, to my mind, the most marinatable hunk of beef there is. And the extra-virgin olive oil contains natural emulsifiers, which help pull the marinade into the meat.