Chapter 9
Coals and Coils: Grilling and Broiling
In This Chapter
Cooking with a charcoal, gas, or electric grill
Making a great marinade
Getting a PhD in grilling
Recipes in This Chapter
The Perfect Hamburger
Barbecued Chicken
T Garlic-Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
The Perfect Steak
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Southern Fried Grits
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Grilled Tuna with Niçoise Dressing
Loosely speaking, the terms grilling and broiling are almost interchangeable. In grilling, which is done on a barbecue grill, the heat source is below; in oven broiling, it’s above. Because both methods involve intense heat, they’re best reserved for relatively thin pieces of meat, poultry, and vegetables — thick cuts of meat can burn on the outside before cooking sufficiently in the middle. The advantage of grilling and broiling is that the surface of the food develops that characteristic browned, crispy, flavorful “grilled” quality.
Broiling is usually done 4 to 6 inches from the heating coil. It is always best to put the food on a broiler pan with sides and a grated top that allows juices to fall into the pan. And watch out for flare-ups, either in the oven or on the grill. Flare-ups not only pose a fire danger, but they also can burn meat and give it an acrid flavor. Use the oven door or grill’s cover to extinguish flames, and keep a spray bottle of water on hand.
The grilled recipes in this chapter work for broiling as well. Because you can’t see food that is broiling as readily as food on a grill, check it more often until you get used to the timing. Keep in mind that broilers are typically hotter than charcoal, so food usually cooks faster.
Watch the video at www.dummies.com/go/grilling for visual tips on grilling and broiling.
Mastering Your Grill
If you’re in the market for a grill, your choices range from a small hibachi to a “grilling unit” that is roughly the size of a Fiat and sports everything from gas burners and cutting boards to rotisseries and satellite TV (just kidding . . . we think). High-end grills can run into the thousands of dollars. Are the pricey models worth it? Or are you good to go with the hibachi? Look more closely at your grill options before you shell out the big bucks.
Obviously, the grill you choose is a matter of personal preference. But after you make your decision, you need to know how to master your heat source. This section covers the fundamentals you need to know if you’re using a charcoal, gas, or electric grill.
Charcoal grilling
Many hard-core barbecue experts prefer charcoal grilling over any other type because of the flavor it imparts to meat and vegetables. Charcoal grills can be short or tall, large or small, but they all have one thing in common: Instead of turning a switch or lighting a gas flame, you actually light briquettes or wood and cook your food over this sometimes temperamental heat source.
Charcoal grilling does produce a unique flavor you can’t get from a gas or electric grill, and charcoal grills are usually much less expensive than gas or electric grills. Some double as smokers. Moreover, you don’t have to worry about buying and/or refilling a propane tank; for charcoal grilling, you can use charcoal briquettes or real wood briquettes (which are dense chunks of wood). Some briquettes are pretreated with lighter fluid so they are easy to light; we prefer real wood briquettes and/or special woods like mesquite, hickory, apple and others.
If you add wood chips to your grill to increase the smoke flavor of your meat, soak them first in water for about 15 minutes. Doing so makes them smolder and smoke rather than burn up in a flash.
The key to successful charcoal grilling is the same as for stovetop cooking: an even source of heat. Probably the most common failing of amateur cooks is cooking with a charcoal fire that is too hot. This could result from having too many briquettes, or positioning the grate too close to the fire. Here are more tips for having the perfect charcoal grilling experience:
As a rule, 30 charcoal briquettes can cook about 1 pound of meat. If you’re cooking 2 pounds of meat, you need around 45 briquettes. Don’t overload your grill with charcoal — too hot a fire will char food before it is fully cooked.
Spread the coals in a solid layer about 4 to 6 inches below the food grate.
Never light cooking fires with kerosene, gasoline, or other chemicals unless you have a terrific home insurance plan.
How do you light the grill? Dry newspaper and a little patience work wonders. Or use the plug — an electric rod that you place in the center of a charcoal pile until it ignites. Using lighter fluid (or charcoal presoaked in lighter fluid) remains the most popular way of starting a fire.
Perhaps the best lighting technique is using a stovepipe starter, which looks like a piece of stovepipe with a handle. All you do is crumple some newspaper in the center of the empty grill and place the pipe over it. Then fill the top with briquettes. When you ignite the paper, the heat intensifies and shoots straight up, quickly lighting the coals. When the coals are mostly white, reverse the pipe and spread them over the bottom of the grill. (If you need extra briquettes just place them over the hot ones.)
Allow 30 to 35 minutes for the coals to burn to medium (they should be about 75 percent white). To gauge the temperature, place the palm of your hand just above the grill’s grid. If you can hold your hand in that position for 2 seconds, the coals are hot; a 3-second hold tells you the coals are medium-hot; 4 seconds is medium; and 5 indicates it’s time to think about the microwave.
If you’re cooking a large quantity of food and the fire begins to fade before you finish, add a small amount of fresh charcoal.
Gas grilling
Gas grills can get pretty fancy . . . and pretty expensive! But they look impressive on the patio. Thankfully gas-powered grills have become increasingly popular and more affordable in recent years. And they have several advantages over charcoal grills:
They heat up quickly.
The heat is adjustable and consistent.
They are easy to clean and maintain.
You won’t throw your back out lugging 17-pound bags of charcoal.
Some gas grills use lava rocks to simulate charcoal, which works exceedingly well. The cooking technique is the same as for charcoal grills, but the flavor is not as pronounced.
One major difference between a gas and a charcoal grill is that gas grills run off a propane tank. That means you need to buy propane, attach it to your grill, and refill it when it runs out — usually when the steak is barely seared. Some people shy away from propane, but if you follow the directions for your grill, propane is safe.
Electric grilling
The electric grill is easy to operate. Some models are designed for indoor use, such as the George Foreman Grill, and others are made for either indoor or outdoor use. Electric grills are essentially like portable electric stoves, and some contain smokers. The main advantage of an electric grill is that you can use it indoors if you want but can simulate the effect of an outdoor grill.
Marinating for Flavor
A common misperception is that marinades tenderize meat. They don’t. A marinade barely penetrates the outer 1⁄8 inch of the surface of meat, poultry, or game. What a marinade can do is add flavor to the surface.
We could write a book about marinades. Suffice it to say that most marinades involve an acidic ingredient (vinegar, lemon, or some kinds of wine), oil, herbs, and perhaps a base flavor ingredient (beef or chicken stock, for example). You want to end up with a marinade that is well balanced and flavorful.
Consider this example: You have a chuck shoulder steak. Ask yourself whether you want to add a hot, medium, or sweet flavor. Your answer depends largely on the main ingredient. You may not want a sweet flavor on fish, for example. With pork, though, you may.
Say for now that you want a hot marinade for the steak; you want to give the steak some zip. Start with red chile flakes (carefully!). Then what? You need a liquid that goes with beef as well as chiles. You can use beef stock (homemade or canned beef broth) or red wine. Suppose that you choose red wine. So you have the foundation of your hot marinade, which you can now jazz up. What goes well with hot things? Minced garlic and black peppercorns maybe. Chopped cilantro adds flavor, too. (As you begin to cook, you’ll discover more about ingredients in the supermarket and how to blend them.) Depending on your taste, you may want to add a little dried cumin or coriander seed. Then, at the end, add 2 to 3 tablespoons of good olive oil, salt, and black pepper.
So there you have your basic hot marinade for steak, which you can vary as you go along to make it hotter, milder, or whatever. Now you try!
Put your meat into a Ziploc bag or shallow pan and cover it with the marinade. Turn it once to coat the meat, and let it soak up the flavor for at least one hour — or even overnight in the refrigerator. Remove it from the marinade, pat it dry, and grill as you like.
Be sure to marinate meats, fish, poultry, and vegetables in the refrigerator. Bacteria forms on the surface of room-temperature food very quickly. And don’t reuse marinade from pieces of raw chicken or fish.
Perfecting Your Grilling Technique
Before you fire up the grill, keep in mind the following tips:
Clean the grill grate well with a wire brush between uses. A dirty grate can affect the taste of your food — and it looks gross.
Before igniting the fire, brush some vegetable oil over the grates to prevent sticking.
Get yourself organized. Set up a small table next to the grill with all your ingredients, utensils, serving platters, and so on. What utensils do you need? It depends on what you’re making. Common examples include a long-handled metal spatula, fork, and tongs.
Trim meat of excess fat to avoid grease flare-ups that blacken the meat and give it a burned flavor.
After you place your meat, chicken, or veggies on the grill, take these tips to heart:
Cooking times for outdoor grill recipes are approximate, so don’t throw the meat on and jump in the pool for 15 minutes. Many variables affect cooking time: wind, intensity of coals, thickness of meat, and your fondness for dancing every time a Supremes song comes on.
Use the grill lid. Many barbecue grills come with lids, which, when secured, create an oven that can exceed 450 degrees. Certain foods that take a relatively long time to cook — chicken legs, thicker slices of steak, and so on — grill faster and better with the lid on. Essentially, you’re grilling and roasting at the same time. A lid traps much of the heat, directing it into the food rather than allowing it to blow away. The lid also can create a smoky effect that infuses the food with delicious aromas and flavors (especially if you grill over woods like apple, hickory, and mesquite). But be sure to lift the lid frequently to check on the food.
Do not apply sweet barbecue sauces to meat until the last 10 minutes of cooking or the sugar in them may burn.
Be sure to shut off the valve of your gas grill when finished. On a charcoal grill, close the lid to extinguish the hot coals.
Making Each Dish Delicious
In this section, we offer a few words of advice for how to create some outdoor masterpieces.
Burgers
If you want the perfect hamburger — juicy and meaty, moist and not fatty — you have to start with the right meat. The best all-around meat for hamburgers is ground chuck, which has about 15 to 20 percent fat, just enough to keep it moist. (Supermarkets usually list the percentage of fat on the label.) Also look for coarsely ground meat, which yields a looser patty. Many people think that if they buy the “best” meat, like ground sirloin or ground round, they’ll have a superior burger. The flavor may be good, but those cuts are so lean that they tend to be dry.
Hamburgers for the grill should be plump and well seasoned. The ingredients and flavors you can add are limitless. Consider minced onions, minced garlic, minced basil, and chopped thyme or rosemary; soy sauce, seasoned breadcrumbs, and a beaten egg; Worcestershire sauce; minced bell peppers; or Tabasco sauce if you like it hot. And you don’t even have to stick to beef: Lamb and turkey burgers, or blends of all three, are super, too.
You may enjoy getting your hands (washed, please!) into a mound of rosy ground meat and playing sculptor. But if you get too aggressive when forming your hamburger patties and mold them too firmly, they’ll tighten up on the grill. And nobody wants a tight hamburger! To get the most tender burger, keep it loose and don’t overwork the meat.
How long should you cook a burger? What constitutes “done” is a question of taste, but the U.S. Department of Agriculture suggests an internal temperature of 160 degrees for safety; the inside of the burger should not show any pink. When you’re grilling, make a small incision in each patty to determine doneness — they should be just cooked through and still juicy in the center.
Keep all this advice in mind as you check out our recipe for The Perfect Hamburger later in the chapter.
Chicken
Barbecued chicken has a smoky, sweet, tangy flavor that can come from a broiler but that we think tastes even better off the grill. Just be sure the chicken is cooked all the way. Prick the chicken with a fork. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done, but to be really accurate, use a meat thermometer. The internal temperature of chicken parts on the bone should be 180 degrees. (Be sure the thermometer isn’t touching a bone, which can give a false high reading.)
Remember, grill times in recipes are approximate, depending on the heat of your grill and the size of the chicken pieces. To shorten cooking time, you can microwave chicken pieces for about 3 minutes per pound before grilling.
If the mere thought of chicken hot off the grill makes you salivate, you’ll love the Barbecued Chicken recipe we offer later in the chapter (and shown in the color section of this book). We suggest that you use our Chapter 8 recipe for Country Barbeque Sauce when making it, but you can take a shortcut and use store-bought sauce if you wish.
Vegetables
Charcoal imparts a pleasing texture and a smoky essence to vegetables. Moreover, preparation is easy and quick. Here are some examples:
Corn: Pull back the husks to remove the silk, but leave the husks attached to the base of the ear. Wrap the husks back around the corn and tie at the top with string or a strip of husk. Grill 20 minutes or until tender, turning frequently. Serve with melted butter flavored with herbs and fresh lemon juice.
Eggplant and zucchini: Cut them lengthwise into 1-inch-thick slices. Brush with oil, season to taste, and grill, turning occasionally, for 5 to 8 minutes or until golden brown and tender. For additional flavor, marinate in a 3-to-1 oil/vinegar mixture with salt and pepper and maybe Dijon-style mustard for about 15 minutes before grilling.
Potatoes, carrots, onion, and turnips: Peel and slice into uniform pieces and precook in boiling water until almost tender. Rinse in cold water to stop the cooking and drain well. Wrap in aluminum foil with seasonings such as olive oil, lemon juice, fresh herbs, and salt and pepper to taste. Grill for 10 to 15 minutes or until tender. (You can also thread them onto skewers before grilling.)
Tomatoes: Slice firm, ripe tomatoes into 1-inch-thick pieces. Brush with olive oil; sprinkle with dried basil or parsley and salt and pepper. Grill until heated through, about 5 minutes total, turning once.
Porous vegetables, such as mushrooms and sliced eggplant, need not be marinated before grilling. You simply brush them with a flavorful liquid, as in the recipe for Garlic-Grilled Portobello Mushrooms later in the chapter.
If you’re going to grill mushrooms, you need to know how to clean, trim, and slice them. First, wipe them clean with a damp paper towel to gently brush off any dirt. Don’t rinse them, as they become water-logged and quickly lose their flavor and meaty texture. For trimming and slicing instructions, see Figure 9-1.
Steak
Steak on the grill may be one of summer’s nicest luxuries, as long as you cook the steak the right way! A dry, tough steak is disappointing, so don’t overcook. Medium or medium-rare yields a more tender steak than well-done. You can also add flavor with a good marinade. Check out our recipe for The Perfect Steak later in the chapter.
Figure 9-1: Trim the stems off the mushrooms before grilling the caps.
Pork
Grilling a pork tenderloin couldn’t be easier, and the results are simply delicious. Our recipe for Grilled Pork Tenderloin later in the chapter shows you how to brine the pork prior to cooking it so it retains maximum moisture and flavor. As a bonus, we throw in a scrumptious recipe for Southern Fried Grits, which are the perfect accompaniment to the grilled pork. No, the grits aren’t grilled, but we think you’ll forgive us for straying from the topic when you taste them!
Seafood
Shrimp require minimal cooking time. It takes only a few minutes before they turn pink and succulent. Be sure not to overcook them, or they could become rubbery.
To prepare shrimp for grilling, you may want to remove the bitter black vein that runs along the outside. Some cooks do, some don’t. In grilling, the vein likely burns off, but see the illustration in Chapter 7 if you want to devein. You can leave the tails on, or pull them off. You want to double-thread the shrimp onto skewers so that the skewer pierces both ends of the shrimp (which prevents them from sliding off). If you use wooden skewers, soak them for 30 minutes in cold water and cover the tips with foil to prevent burning. (Note: Don’t pack the shrimp too tightly on the skewers; allow a little space between each piece so the heat can circulate and to ensure even cooking.)
Get creative with our Grilled Shrimp Skewers recipe by alternating each shrimp with veggies, or even fruit. Try chunks of onion and cherry tomatoes, or cubes of pineapple. You can also serve shrimp skewers with a dipping sauce, such as melted butter with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, barbecue sauce (store-bought or the Country Barbecue Sauce recipe in Chapter 8), or Asian chili sauce (available in the Asian food section of your grocery store).
Our Grilled Tuna with Niçoise Dressing recipe is a variation on the classic French dish and makes a delicious light lunch. If you don’t want to fire up the grill, you can also make it under the broiler. (Keep in mind that some people prefer grilled tuna very rare, and others medium, so don’t overcook it.) Other types of fish and shellfish work with this recipe as well. Choose those that can hold up to grilling, such as firm-fleshed salmon, halibut, swordfish, mako shark, and monkfish. Avoid delicate fish such as sole, which tends to flake and fall apart on the grill.
The Perfect Hamburger
Prep time: About 10 min • Cook time: 10–14 min • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Oil for the grill rack
11⁄2 pounds ground chuck
1⁄4 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1⁄4 teaspoon black pepper, or to taste
4 hamburger buns
Directions
1 Oil the grill and prepare a medium fire in a charcoal or gas grill.
2 While the grill is heating, combine in a bowl the ground chuck, salt, and pepper. Mix lightly but thoroughly, using your hands. Shape the mixture into 4 patties, each about 3⁄4 inch thick.
3 Place the patties on the grill grid. Grill directly over the heat for 5 to 7 minutes per side for medium, or less for rare or medium rare.
4 Just before the burgers are finished, toast the buns on the edges of the grill. Serve.
Per serving: Calories 344 (From Fat 105); Fat 12g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 97mg; Sodium 450mg; Carbohydrate 22g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 35g.
Go-With: In our opinion, nothing goes better with a great burger than French Potato Salad (see Chapter 12).
Tip: Quick and tasty burger toppings include thinly sliced red or yellow onions, tomato slices marinated in a basil vinaigrette dressing, flavored mustards, mango or tomato chutney, tomato-based salsa, grilled peppers, and garlic-grilled mushrooms.
Barbecued Chicken
Prep time: About 10 min • Cook time: About 50 min • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Oil for the grill rack
1 chicken, cut into 4 pieces, or 4 chicken breasts with ribs (about 3 pounds total)
Salt and pepper
1 cup Country Barbecue Sauce (see Ch. 8) or store-bought barbecue sauce
Directions
1 Oil the grill grid and prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill.
2 Rinse the chicken pieces in cold water and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Season each piece with salt and pepper on both sides.
3 Put the chicken pieces, bone side up, on the grill. Cook for 30 minutes. Flip chicken pieces with tongs. Cook for an additional 20 minutes or more, as needed.
4 During the last 10 minutes of cooking, brush the chicken pieces with barbecue sauce. The chicken is done when it’s no longer pink inside.
Per serving: Calories 514 (From Fat 253); Fat 28g (Saturated 7g); Cholesterol 134mg; Sodium 452mg; Carbohydrate 21g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 43g.
Go-With: The assertive flavor of the barbecue sauce marries well with side dishes like French Potato Salad or Bell Pepper Rice Salad (both in Chapter 12), or traditional Perfect Corn on the Cob and All-American Coleslaw (in Chapter 20).
Garlic-Grilled Portobello Mushrooms
Prep time: About 10 min • Cook time: About 6 min • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Oil for the grill rack
1 pound portobello mushrooms
1⁄3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons lemon juice
2 large cloves (about 2 teaspoons) garlic, minced
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley (optional)
Directions
1 Oil the grill grid and prepare a medium-hot fire in a charcoal or gas grill.
2 Clean the mushrooms and remove the stems.
3 In a small bowl, combine the oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Brush the caps with the flavored oil and season to taste with salt and pepper.
4 Place the caps on the grill, top side down, for about 3 minutes. (Do not let them burn.) Turn the caps over and grill for another 3 to 4 minutes, or until you can easily pierce the caps with a knife and the mushrooms are nicely browned.
5 Remove the mushrooms to a platter, garnish with the parsley (if desired), and serve.
Per serving: Calories 213 (From Fat 171); Fat 19g (Saturated 3g); Cholesterol 0mg; Sodium 152mg; Carbohydrate 6g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 2g.
Go-With: Steak — such as the Broiled Skirt Steak, Cajun Style (see Chapter 18) — is the natural accompaniment to these savory mushrooms.
The Perfect Steak
Prep time: 5 min plus marinate time • Cook time: 8–20 min • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
2 T-bone, porterhouse, or top loin steaks, about 1 inch thick
1⁄2 cup dry red wine (try Merlot or Shiraz)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 large clove garlic, minced (about 1 teaspoon)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
Oil for the grill rack
1 teaspoon salt
Directions
1 Place the steaks in a large resealable plastic bag. Add the wine, Worcestershire sauce, garlic, cumin, and pepper to the bag, seal, and marinate in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes, turning once after about 15 minutes.
2 Oil the grill grid and prepare a medium fire in a charcoal or gas grill.
3 Remove the steaks from the bag and discard the marinade. Put the steaks on the grill.
4 Grill for about 8 minutes for rare, 15 minutes for medium, or 20 minutes for well-done, turning the meat once with the tongs halfway through cooking. Season with the salt and serve immediately.
Per serving: Calories 273 (From Fat 137); Fat 15g (Saturated 5g); Cholesterol 77mg; Sodium 675mg; Carbohydrate 0g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 30g.
Go-With: This steak tastes great with side dishes that are a step above standard picnic fare. Try Penne with Parmesan Cheese and Basil (see Chapter 13), Risotto (see Chapter 13), or a Grilled Vegetable Platter with Fresh Pesto (see Chapter 12).
Grilled Pork Tenderloin
Prep time: 5 min plus brine time • Cook time: About 1 hr • Yield: 6–8 servings
Ingredients
3 tablespoons kosher salt
1⁄2 cup granulated sugar
2 cups hot tap water
2 cups cold water
11⁄2 to 2 pounds pork tenderloin (either one or two pieces)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Directions
1 In a large container, dissolve the salt and sugar in the hot water, stirring. Add the cold water and stir again. Let the brine cool.
2 Add the tenderloin, cover, and refrigerate for one to three hours. The pork should be submerged in the brine; if necessary, add more cold tap water to cover.
3 Remove pork from the brine, rinse well, and dry thoroughly with paper towels.
4 Turn gas burners to high or let charcoals get white. Season the tenderloins generously with salt and pepper.
5 Cook the pork with the grill lid closed. Turn it every few minutes so all sides get well browned. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 145 degrees.
6 Transfer pork to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest 5 minutes. To serve, slice crosswise into 1-inch-thick pieces.
Per serving: Calories 173 (From Fat 60); Fat 7g (Saturated 2g); Cholesterol 78mg; Sodium 318mg; Carbohydrate 2g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 25g.
Southern Fried Grits
Prep time: 10 min plus chill time • Cook time: About 20 min • Yield: 8 servings
Ingredients
2 cups water
2 cups plus 2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
1 cup quick cooking grits
3 eggs
1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs
2 tablespoon butter (or more as needed)
1⁄2 teaspoon vegetable oil (or more if you cook in batches)
Directions
1 In a medium saucepan, combine the water, milk, and salt. Bring to a boil and immediately lower to simmer.
2 Gradually stir in the grits and continue simmering, stirring frequently, until finished according to package directions — about 4 minutes. (The grits should be very thick.) Remove from the heat.
3 Lightly beat two of the eggs and stir them thoroughly into the grits. Pour the mixture into an 8-inch-square baking pan. Chill for an hour or more until very firm throughout.
4 Put bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, lightly beat the remaining egg.
5 Cut the grits into 11⁄2-inch squares.
6 Heat a large fry pan to medium high and add the butter and 1⁄2 teaspoon vegetable oil. (If the butter begins to burn, reduce heat to medium.)
7 Dip grits squares into the beaten egg, let excess drain, coat with bread crumbs, and place them in the pan. Cook until golden on one side, then flip and cook until finished (about 5 minutes total).
Per serving: Calories 233 (From Fat 71); Fat 8g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 96mg; Sodium 463mg; Carbohydrate 30g (Dietary Fiber 1g); Protein 8g.
Grilled Shrimp Skewers
Prep time: About 10 min • Cook time: About 15 min • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
Oil for the grill rack
1⁄4 cup butter, melted
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1 pound medium shrimp (the size that equals about 20 per pound)
Directions
1 Oil the grill grid and prepare a medium fire in a charcoal or gas grill.
2 Combine the butter, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl. Reserve half the lemon-butter mixture in a glass measuring cup.
3 Peel the shrimp, devein them, and double-thread them onto four skewers.
4 Brush the shrimp on both sides with the lemon-butter mixture in the bowl.
5 Place skewers on the grate and grill for about 8 minutes, or until golden, turning the skewers once halfway through the cooking time.
6 Remove to a platter and drizzle with the remaining lemon-butter mixture from the glass measuring cup. Serve immediately.
Per serving: Calories 188 (From Fat 111); Fat 12g (Saturated 7g); Cholesterol 199mg; Sodium 195mg; Carbohydrate 1g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 18g.
Go-With: Try this dish with a light accompaniment like Sautéed Spinach Leaves (see Chapter 5), or Roasted Summer Vegetables (in this chapter).
Grilled Tuna with Niçoise Dressing
Prep time: 10 min plus marinate time • Cook time: 6–7 min • Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients
1 green onion, trimmed and minced
1 tablespoon finely chopped black olives
1 tablespoon finely chopped capers
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1⁄4 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped anchovy fillets or anchovy paste (optional)
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1⁄2 cup plus 3 tablespoons olive oil
4 tuna steaks, about 1 inch thick, 11⁄2 pounds total
1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme or 1⁄2 teaspoon dried thyme
Salt and pepper
Oil for the grill rack
Directions
1 Make the dressing by combining in a bowl the green onion, olives, and capers. Stir in the vinegar and pepper. Beat in the anchovy fillets or paste (if desired) and parsley and then 1⁄2 cup of the oil. Set aside.
2 Put the tuna on a roasting pan and season with the remaining 3 tablespoons of oil, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Turn the steaks to coat well. Let sit, refrigerated, for about 15 minutes.
3 Brush the grill grid with oil and heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high.
4 Place the tuna on the grill and cook for about 3 minutes. Using a spatula, turn the fillets and grill for 3 minutes on the other side. Remove one of the steaks and test for doneness by making a small incision in the center.
5 When the steaks have cooked, transfer them to warm serving dishes. Spoon half of the dressing over the steaks. Serve the remaining dressing on the side.
Per serving: Calories 454 (From Fat 288); Fat 32g (Saturated 4g); Cholesterol 74mg; Sodium 200mg; Carbohydrate 2g (Dietary Fiber 0g); Protein 38g.
Go-With: This entrée goes nicely with a soup such as the Carrot Soup with Dill or a salad such as Bell Pepper Rice Salad or Cucumber-Dill Salad (all in Chapter 12).