Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [155]
8 garlic cloves, skins left on
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 ounces pancetta, cut into ½-inch cubes
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
Coarse sea salt and ground black pepper
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for bilevel medium/low heat, about 375/275°F.
Toss the sprouts and unpeeled garlic with the oil in a bowl until well coated. Arrange the sprouts, garlic, and pancetta on the skewers, using about 4 sprout pieces, 2 pancetta pieces, and 1 garlic clove per skewer. Skewer the sprouts through or just above the core, so the flat, cut sides can rest on the grill. Stir the vinegar and butter into the remaining oil in the bowl.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Grill the skewers, with the cut sides of the sprouts down, over medium heat until the sprouts are nicely grill-marked, about 5 minutes. Brush with the balsamic mixture, and then flip and brush the cut sides generously. Cook for 1 more minute. Reduce the heat to low on a gas grill, or move the skewers to the low-heat area on a charcoal or wood grill. Brush the cut sides of the sprouts again to saturate the leaves. Cover the grill and cook until the sprouts are just tender (a knife should slide in and out of the leaves easily).
Remove to a platter or plates and season with the salt and pepper. Serve with any remaining balsamic mixture. Allow guests to pop the roasted garlic from its skin, cut the pancetta, and eat small amounts with the sprouts.
CHICKPEAS
Seared Chickpeas Glazed with Harissa
MAKES 6 TO 8 SERVINGS (2 CUPS)
Grilled chickpeas? Absolutely. Here’s one recipe where you definitely need a grill skillet, grill tray, or grill wok. Otherwise, the chickpeas will just fall into the fire. But these gadgets make it a snap to stir-fry ingredients as small as chickpeas directly on the grill (most have ¼-inch holes). Chickpeas are eaten throughout the Middle East in the form of hummus, falafel, and other popular dishes. We like to glaze them with harissa, the caraway-scented hot sauce from Tunisia. They make an eye-opening nosh before a spicy meal.
INGREDIENTS:
2 cups cooked or canned chickpeas, drained
2 teaspoons olive oil
¼ cup Harissa
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 400°F. Preheat a grill skillet on the grill.
Rinse the chickpeas well to remove most of the loose skins. Pat dry on paper towels, and then toss in a bowl with 1 teaspoon of the oil.
Brush the grill grate and grill skillet and coat both with oil. Pour the chickpeas into the hot, oiled skillet and shake them into a single layer. Cook, undisturbed, for 1 minute. Shake the pan, and continue cooking until the chickpeas are crisp and browned on the outside and tender inside, 5 to 7 minutes, shaking a few times and drizzling with the remaining teaspoon oil. Scrape the pan with a spatula if necessary to loosen the chickpeas. During the last minute of cooking, drizzle with the harissa while shaking to coat completely. Cook until the chickpeas are glazed, about 1 minute.
Remove to a bowl and serve warm.
EDAMAME
Grilled Edamame with Black Sesame Smoked Salt
MAKES 6 SERVINGS
Edamame (ee-dah-MAH-may) are immature soybeans harvested while the beans are still green and have grown to between 80 and 90 percent of their full size. At harvest, edamame have less indigestible ogliosaccharides (the sugars that cause flatulence) and more vitamins than mature soybeans. They are also slightly higher in oils and sugars and slightly lower in protein, which accounts for their sweet flavor, creamy texture, and fresh green vegetable aroma. Although edamame are available fresh, they are very perishable and are more commonly sold frozen in their pods or already shelled. We’ve found that grilling edamame in their pods complements their sweet greenness in an extraordinary way. On the grill, the pods become speckled with char as the beans inside whistle and steam. At the last minute, we scatter them with black sesame seeds and smoked salt. To eat them, pop the warm beans from the rounded side of the pod directly