The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook (246 page)
Read The Cook's Illustrated Cookbook Online
Authors: The Editors at America's Test Kitchen
Tags: #Cooking
SERVES 4 TO 6
The vegetables can be served hot, warm, or at room temperature. After about 5 minutes, faint grill marks should begin to appear on the undersides of the vegetables; if necessary, adjust their position on the grill or adjust the heat level.
1 | eggplant, cut crosswise into ¹⁄ |
2 | red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded, and cut into 2-inch strips |
5 | tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | tablespoons plain yogurt |
1 | tablespoon chopped fresh mint |
1 | tablespoon lemon juice |
1 | small garlic clove, minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground coriander |
¹⁄ | teaspoon ground cumin |
1.
Brush eggplant and peppers evenly with ¹⁄
4
cup oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste.
2.
Whisk remaining tablespoon oil, yogurt, mint, lemon juice, garlic, coriander, cumin, and ¹⁄
4
teaspoon salt together in bowl and set aside.
3A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4¹⁄
2
quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
3B. FOR A GAS GRILL:
Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.
4.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Place vegetables on grill and cook until tender and browned, 16 to 18 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Transfer vegetables to serving platter. Whisk dressing to recombine, pour over vegetables, and serve.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
Grilled potatoes are a summer classic, but we wanted to put a new spin on this dish by adding rosemary and garlic. Unfortunately, we found it was difficult to add garlic and rosemary flavors to plain grilled potatoes. Coating the potatoes with oil, garlic, and rosemary produced burnt, bitter garlic and charred rosemary. If we tossed the potatoes in garlic oil after cooking, the raw garlic was too harsh. It turned out that we needed to introduce the potatoes to the garlic-oil mixture not once, but three times. Before cooking, we pierced the potatoes, skewered them, seasoned them with salt, brushed on a garlic-rosemary oil, and precooked them in the microwave. Then, before grilling, we brushed them again with the infused oil. After grilling, we tossed them with the garlic and rosemary oil yet again. We finally had it—tender grilled potatoes infused with the smoky flavor of the grill and enlivened with the bold flavors of garlic and rosemary.
See “SKEWERING POTATOES FOR THE GRILL” illustrations that follow recipe.
SERVES 4
This recipe allows you to grill an entrée while the hot coals burn down in step 1. Once that item is done, start grilling the potatoes. This recipe works best with small potatoes that are about 1¹⁄
2
inches in diameter. If using medium potatoes, 2 to 3 inches in diameter, cut them into quarters. If the potatoes are larger than 3 inches in diameter, cut each potato into eighths. Since the potatoes are first cooked in the microwave, use wooden skewers.
¹⁄ | cup olive oil |
9 | garlic cloves, minced |
1 | teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary |
Salt and pepper | |
2 | pounds small red potatoes, halved and skewered |
2 | tablespoons chopped fresh chives |
1.
Heat oil, garlic, rosemary, and ¹⁄
2
teaspoon salt in small skillet over medium heat until sizzling, about 3 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and continue to cook until garlic is light blond, about 3 minutes. Pour mixture through fine-mesh strainer into small bowl; press on solids. Measure 1 tablespoon of solids and 1 tablespoon of oil into large bowl and set aside. Discard remaining solids but reserve remaining oil.
2.
Place skewered potatoes in single layer on large plate and poke each potato several times with skewer. Brush with 1 tablespoon of strained oil and season with salt. Microwave until the potatoes offer slight resistance when pierced with paring knife, about 8 minutes, turning halfway through cooking. Transfer potatoes to baking sheet coated with 1 tablespoon of strained oil. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon strained oil and season with salt and pepper to taste.
3A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour two-thirds evenly over grill, then pour remaining coals over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
3B. FOR A GAS GRILL:
Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners down to medium-high.
4.
Place potatoes on grill (hotter side if using charcoal) and cook (covered if using gas) until grill marks appear, 3 to 5 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. Move potatoes to cooler side of grill (if using charcoal) or turn all burners to medium-low (if using gas). Cover and continue to cook until paring knife slips in and out of potatoes easily, 5 to 8 minutes longer.
5.
Remove potatoes from skewers and transfer to bowl with reserved garlic-oil mixture. Add chives, season with salt and pepper to taste, and toss until thoroughly coated. Serve.
Serve this variation with lemon wedges, if desired.
Reduce garlic to 3 cloves, substitute 2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano for rosemary, and add 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest to oil in skillet. Substitute 2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano for chives and add an additional 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest to potatoes when they come off grill.
Place potato half cut side down on counter and pierce center with skewer. Repeat, holding already-skewered potatoes for better leverage.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
When grilled, portobello mushrooms often turn limp and flaccid, burning on the outside before the interior fully cooks. We wanted perfect grilled portobello mushrooms: plump, juicy, and slightly charred with the smoky flavor from the grill. Cooking over direct heat charred the outside before the mushrooms had a chance to cook through. We tried cooking over indirect heat, away from the fire, and this solved the charring problem but not the cooking problem. We solved our problem by digging out an old tool of the campfire trade: aluminum foil. By wrapping each mushroom in a packet of foil, we were able to cook them through until done perfectly, in about 10 minutes. We then unwrapped each mushroom and set it directly over the fire for 30 to 60 seconds to sear in the grilled flavor.
SERVES 4 TO 6
We prefer large 5- to 6-inch portobellos for grilling because they are sold loose—not prepackaged—and are typically fresher. However, if you cannot find large ones, use six 4- to 5-inch portobellos, which are usually sold three to a package; decrease their grilling time wrapped in foil to about 8 minutes.
¹⁄ | cup olive oil
|
3 | tablespoons lemon juice |
6 | garlic cloves, minced |
¹⁄ | teaspoon salt |
4 | (5- to 6-inch) portobello mushrooms, stemmed |
1.
Combine oil, lemon juice, garlic, and salt in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Add mushrooms and toss to coat; press out as much air as possible and seal bag. Let sit at room temperature for 1 hour.
2.
Meanwhile, cut four 12-inch-square pieces of aluminum foil (or six 9-inch-square pieces if using smaller mushrooms).
3A. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL:
Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter three-quarters filled with charcoal briquettes (4¹⁄
2
quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
3B. FOR A GAS GRILL:
Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn all burners to medium-high.
4.
Clean and oil cooking grate. Remove mushrooms from marinade and place each on a foil square, gill side up. Fold foil around each mushroom and seal edges. Place foil packets on grill, sealed side up, and cook (covered if using gas) until juicy and tender, 9 to 12 minutes.
5.
Using tongs, unwrap mushrooms, place gill side up on grill, and cook until grill-marked, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer to serving platter and serve.
Substitute 2 teaspoons rice vinegar for lemon juice, reduce garlic to 1 clove, and add 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon to marinade.
