Bobby Flay's Grill It! (4 page)

Serves 4

1. Heat your grill to high.
   
2. Place the chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and, using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy sauté pan, pound the chicken lightly to an even ½-inch thickness.
   
3. Brush the breasts on both sides with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the breasts on the grill, skin side down, and cook until golden brown and slightly charred, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes longer. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should register 155 degrees F.
   
4. Remove from the grill, tent with foil, and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
   

It’s not exactly like the muffuletta that you will find at Central Grocery (where the sandwich originated in 1906) in New Orleans, but I incorporated two of the key ingredients—olive relish and provolone cheese—to make my own grilled chicken version. Muffulettas are always served cold, and you could assemble the sandwiches and then weight them down in the refrigerator if you’re a big fan of the original; but I like to serve these hot, so the bread is crisp and the cheese oozes.

Serves 4

1. To make the spicy olive relish, combine the red and yellow peppers, the serrano, onion, garlic, olives, celery, capers, vinegar, oil, parsley, and oregano in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving or keep covered for up to 1 day in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature before serving.
   
2. Heat your grill to high.
   
3. Slice each roll three-quarters of the way through lengthwise. Place 1 slice of cheese on the bottom half of each roll and top with some of the olive relish, sliced chicken, more relish, and then another piece of cheese. Tightly close the sandwiches and wrap each sandwich in a sheet of aluminum foil.
   
4. Place 2 sandwiches, top side down, side by side on the grill and place a brick on top. Repeat with the remaining 2 sandwiches. Grill for 2 minutes. Remove the bricks, turn the sandwiches over, replace the bricks, and continue grilling for 2 to 3 minutes longer or until the cheese has melted.
   

This recipe is a take on an Italian American dish called Chicken Vesuvio, which, to the best of my knowledge, can be found only in Chicago. The origins of the dish are unknown, but it has been suggested that it was first made popular by the Chicago restaurant Vesuvio in the 1930s. The original recipe is made with a cut-up whole chicken combined with lots of olive oil, white wine, oregano, red chile flakes, and garlic and then roasted with potatoes and peas in the oven until golden brown. My recipe utilizes the same flavors and ingredients but is adapted for the grill.

Serves 4

1. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan, cover with salted cold water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until a paring knife inserted into the potatoes comes out with some resistance, 8 to 10 minutes. Do not cook the potatoes all the way through because they will continue cooking on the grill. Drain well, and when cool enough to handle, slice in half lengthwise.
   
2. Heat your grill to medium.
   
3. Brush the chicken and potatoes with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the chicken on the grill, skin side down, and grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 6 to 7 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes. A few minutes before the chicken has finished cooking, place the potatoes on the grill, cut side down, and cook until lightly golden brown, about 2 minutes. Turn over and continue grilling about a minute longer.
   
4. Remove the chicken and potatoes to a platter and immediately drizzle with the roasted garlic–oregano vinaigrette. Tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving. Garnish with oregano sprigs.
   

Makes approximately 1 cup

Combine the garlic, vinegar, honey, oregano, salt, and chile flakes in a blender and blend until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the oil and process until emulsified. The vinaigrette can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

This apple-ginger glaze is an extremely easy way to transform boring chicken breasts into a delectable dinner. There’s a good chance you have many of these ingredients somewhere in your kitchen already! Apple jelly is mild, melts into a glaze beautifully, and is a great base to carry the slightly spicy flavor of fresh ginger onto the chicken. This is one of my lighter glazes and will make everyone in your family happy.

Serves 4

1. Heat your grill to medium-high.
   
2. Whisk together the jelly, soy sauce, thyme, ginger, and pepper in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer on the grates of the grill. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from the grill, and let cool slightly.
   
3. Brush the glaze on the chicken breasts during their last 2 minutes of grilling. Remove the chicken to a platter and brush with the remaining glaze. Tent with foil and let rest for 5 minutes before serving.
   

I developed this sixteen-spice rub at Mesa Grill years ago and I’ve been using it on chicken in some way or other ever since. It’s complex, slightly sweet and spicy, and well-rounded in taste—plus, it makes for a really nice crusty exterior. (If you don’t feel like investing in all of the spices, you can actually buy it already prepared on my Web site,
www.bobbyflay.com
.) The black pepper vinegar sauce has a clean flavor with just the right combination of acidic, spicy, and sweet elements. Green onion slaw is gorgeous—bright purple flecked with green, fresh and crunchy. It’s great with this chicken but I think you’ll find it becoming a grilling staple in your house.

Serves 4

1. To make the dressing for the slaw, combine the green onions, vinegar, honey, chiles, mayonnaise, oil, and salt and pepper to taste in a blender and blend until emulsified.
   
2. Combine the cabbage, red onion, and poppy seeds in a bowl, add the dressing, and stir until combined. Fold in the cilantro and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and refrigerate while you grill the chicken or for up to 1 hour.
   
3. Heat your grill to high.
   
4. Stir together the ancho powder, pasilla powder, cumin, coriander, ginger, brown sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, allspice, cinnamon, cloves, fennel, chile de árbol, 2 tablespoons salt, black pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl.
   
5. Brush both sides of the breasts with the oil and season with salt. Rub the top side of each breast with a few tablespoons of the rub and place on the grill, rub side down. Grill until golden brown and slightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the breasts over and continue grilling until just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes longer.
   
6. Remove the chicken from the grill and drizzle with the black pepper vinegar sauce. Tent loosely with foil and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve the slaw on the side.
   

Makes ¾ cup

Combine the vinegar, oil, mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. The sauce can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before serving.

You could use plain orange juice and orange zest here, but do try to find tangerines. They are just a bit more acidic, and I think that slightly sour note is crucial to creating a successful balance with the sweet maple syrup and spicy black pepper. The soy sauce may seem to be out of left field, but its earthiness makes for a much more rounded taste than would salt, and its deep color is a nice bonus in the glaze.

Serves 4