Fire It Up - Andrew Schloss [157]
KNOW-HOW: PREPARING AVOCADO
Cut the avocado in half lengthwise around and down to the pit. Twist the halves to separate them, and then whack your knife into the pit, which will be embedded in one half. Twist the pit free of the avocado, then knock off and discard the pit, using your knuckles or another utensil. To mash the avocado, scoop it from the peel with a spoon, and then mash. To slice it, slice down to but not through the peel, then carefully scoop the slices from the peel. To cut cubes, make a tic-tac-toe pattern of cuts down to but not through the peel, and then carefully scoop the cubes from the peel.
EGGPLANT
Sweet Mirin Grilled Eggplant with Wasabi Ginger Drizzle
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Asian eggplants have creamy sweet flesh, which chars deliciously on the grill and pairs well with a pungent marinade.
INGREDIENTS:
4 medium Japanese eggplants or 1 large globe eggplant (about 1¼ pounds total)
1 cup Sweet Mirin Marinade
2 tablespoons peanut oil or canola oil
½ to 1 teaspoon wasabi paste
1 teaspoon pickled (sushi) ginger, minced
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 400°F.
Cut the eggplant lengthwise into ⅜-inch-thick slices all the way to, but not through, the stem end so the eggplant can be fanned out. Fan out the slices, put in a shallow dish, and pour on the marinade. Let stand at room temperature for 20 to 30 minutes.
Remove the eggplant from the marinade and reserve the marinade. Pat the eggplant dry with paper towels and brush with 1 tablespoon of the oil.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Fan out the eggplant slices on the grate directly over the heat and grill until tender and nicely grill-marked, 3 to 4 minutes per side.
Spoon ¼ cup of the marinade into a cup and whisk in the wasabi, minced pickled ginger, and remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Drizzle over the eggplant and scatter with the sesame seeds.
OKRA
Grilled Okra with Muhammara
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Okra is one of the most popular vegetables in the Middle East. We like to grill it in that tradition with a crusty glaze of spicy muhammara, the walnut and pomegranate paste popular all over Syria, Turkey, and Egypt.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound fresh okra, stems trimmed but otherwise left whole
1 cup Muhammara
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 450°F.
Toss the trimmed okra with ¼ cup of the muhammara in a bowl. Let stand for 20 minutes at room temperature.
Brush the grill grate and coat with oil. Put the okra on the grill directly over the heat perpendicular to the bars of the grate. If the okra is at risk of falling into the fire, double-skewer it crosswise and put the skewers directly over the heat. Grill until nicely grill-marked, 4 to 6 minutes, turning once or twice.
Serve hot with the remaining muhammara.
CORN
Charred Corn on the Cob with Grilled Tomato Oil
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
A grill is the best vessel you have for cooking corn. You don’t need to husk, soak, boil, or foil-wrap the corn. Just start the fire and throw the cobs on, husks and all. Close the lid and sit back. It will take about 15 minutes, and you will have to turn the cobs every 5 minutes or so, but that’s it. During that time the husks will char and send a sweet vegetal smoke through the corn. When they’re done, the husks will be burnt and you will hear steam hissing inside. You can let them sit for a minute or two and then peel and enjoy; or get some extra grill flavor by peeling back the husks and charring the corn briefly over the fire. Here, we serve the grilled corn with glistening, rose-colored oil, flavored and tinted with grilled tomato.
INGREDIENTS:
4 ears corn, husks left on
½ cup Grilled Tomato Oil
DIRECTIONS:
Light a grill for direct medium-high heat, about 425°F.
Grill the corn in their husks directly over the heat, turning every 5 minutes, until the husks are blackened all over, 15 to 18 minutes total. During the last 5 to 8 minutes, put on grill mitts and