Nothing quite beats the feeling of firing up the grill for the first time each summer. When you grill food, it is transformed by flame and smoke in magical ways that the stovetop just can’t match. A charred lemon becomes complex, offering more than just acidity. Chicken takes on richness and flavor. The sweetness of a carrot, now balanced by its newfound caramelization. These recipes highlight the fact that the grill can produce more than delicious burgers and dogs. Consider this your permission to go forth and play with new foods on the grill all summer.
Beginner Smoked Chicken with Herby Green Sauce
Serves 4 - 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 2 hours
Total time: 2 hours 15 minutes
For the chicken
3 ½ - 4 ¼ lb whole chicken
2 tablespoons coarse salt
2 baseball size lumps of pecan wood for smoking
About 1 ½ gallons in volume of hardwood lump charcoal
For the sauce
1 bunch cilantro
¼ cup mint leaves
2 green onions, trimmed
1 clove garlic
1 red chili, stemmed
Juice of 2 limes
¾ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons maple syrup
Salt & pepper to taste
To prepare your grill, stage the charcoal in a pile on one side of the basin and light. This will create heat zones for direct and indirect cooking. Allow the charcoal to burn until covered in ash. Meanwhile, use kitchen shears to spatchcock your chicken by cutting out the backbone. Lay the bird breast side up and slightly splayed out, press firmly in the middle of the breasts to flatten.
Grilled Carrots with Charred Lemon & Tahini Sauce
Serves 4 - 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 20 minutes
Total time: 35 minutes
2 lbs whole carrots
1 seedless lemon, cut into thick slices
1 red chili
1 cup parsley
½ cup tahini
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon dijon
1 cup water
Salt
Preheat your grill to medium-high. In a pot of boiling salted water, add the carrots and cook for 6 minutes. Remove and pat dry. Add your carrots, lemon slices, and chili to the grill and cook until just beginning to char on both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Remove and set carrots aside. Trim the stem from the chili. To make the sauce, add the lemons and chili to a blender along with the remaining ingredients. Season with salt and blend until smooth. Drizzle over carrots and serve.
Atlantic Beach Pie Parfaits
Makes 6
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
20 saltine crackers
2 tablespoons salted butter
2 tablespoons sugar
1 cup heavy cream, whipped to stiff peaks
6 oz lemon curd
16 oz Ellenos Lemon Curd Yogurt, stirred
To make the crumble, place the crackers into a resealable bag and smash until a coarse crumb. In a skillet over medium heat, add the butter and sugar, stirring until the butter melts and just begins to bubble, then cook for another 2 minutes. Add the cracker crumbs, stirring to coat evenly with the butter mixture. While stirring, cook for another 2 - 3 minutes, until the crumble begins to toast and smells fragrant. Transfer to a plate and let cool.
Build the parfaits by dividing the yogurt evenly between 6 parfait cups. Top with a tablespoon or two of the crumble, then add a layer of lemon curd, again dividing the curd equally. Spoon in a generous layer of whipped cream, then top with the remainder of your crumble. With any leftover whipped cream, use a plastic bag to pipe little swirls on top. Serve immediately or store refrigerated until ready to serve.
Rub the entire chicken with salt and let sit at room temperature until the grill is fully heated. Add the pecan wood to your coals, replace the grill grate, and place the chicken on the side opposite the coals where it will receive indirect heat.
Use a heatproof probe thermometer to keep track of the temperature. Cook, rotating a quarter turn every 15 minutes, until the bird reaches 165℉, about 2 hours.
While your bird is cooking, place all ingredients for the sauce in a food processor and blend until mostly smooth with little flecks of herbs. Season to taste before serving.
Olivia Tipton is the founder and owner of Table Culinary Solutions, a company deeply rooted in the belief that food is a catalyst for change. Olivia has spent her professional career working as a product development chef for national brands including Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams and SK Food Group. Her work has been featured in media publications such as The New York Times, Forbes, and The Today Show. Along with her passion for menu design and execution, Olivia loves to share her knowledge through culinary education. Working with guests of all ages, she teaches classic techniques helping students feel more confident to explore food and cooking independently. For more food inspiration and to learn more about our services visit www.tableculinarysolutions.com.
Instagram: @_table_culinary