Mastering the Grill_ The Owner's Manual for Outdoor Cooking - Andrew Schloss [220]
Give this dish a try on a whimsical summer morning. Grilled bananas and mangoes make a great accompaniment to waffles. The dish is meant to be easy, so we use prepared waffles. Any prepared waffles will do, but we prefer thick, square Belgian waffles. Grill the waffles until they are lightly toasted and grill-marked but not charred. If you don’t have a sweet tooth in the morning, serve the waffles for dessert after dinner.
TIMING
Prep: 15 minutes
Grill: 10 minutes
GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
• Long-handled tongs
GETTING CREATIVE
• Try this recipe with French toast or croissants.
* * *
THE GRILL
Gas:
Direct heat, medium (350°F)
Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting
Charcoal:
Direct heat, medium ash
12-by-12-inch charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals)
Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting
Wood:
Direct heat, medium ash
12-by-12-inch bed, 3 inches deep
Clean, oiled grate set 4 inches above the fire
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 4 SERVINGS)
4 bananas
1 mango
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Oil for coating grill grate
16 strawberries, hulled and quartered
8 prepared waffles
1 cup (½ pint) heavy cream
¼ cup maple syrup, plus more for serving
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the grill as directed.
2. Chill a medium bowl and a whisk or beaters for the whipped cream.
3. Cut the bananas in half lengthwise through the peel, following the arc of the curve, so that when they are cut the bananas will lie flat on the grill.
4. Stand the mango on its thick end and cut the sides off the center pit, curving the knife around the pit. Peel each half with a paring knife, then slice lengthwise into ½-inch-thick slices.
5. Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl, then sprinkle over the cut sides of the banana and mango.
6. Brush the grill grate and coat it with oil. Put the bananas cut-side down on the grill and cook until nicely grill-marked, 3 to 4 minutes. Grill the mango until nicely grill-marked, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from the grill and cut into bite-size pieces.
7. Grill the waffles until toasted and heated through, about 3 minutes per side.
8. Pour the cream into the chilled bowl and whisk vigorously or beat with an electric mixer on medium speed until the cream forms soft peaks when the whisk or beaters are lifted. Whisk or beat in the maple syrup and vanilla.
9. Arrange the waffles on a platter, with the grilled fruit and strawberries and maple whipped cream in small bowls. Allow guests to top their waffles with fruit, whipped cream, and additional maple syrup.
Grilled Mocha Bananas
We love combining the dark flavors of the tropics: coffee and chocolate. Put that combination over a tropical fruit like bananas, and it’s near nirvana. We’ve gilded the lily with mocha dulce de leche, but we didn’t think you’d mind. Serve these richly spiced bananas with ice cream or pound cake. Or use them to make a tropical Grilled Banana Split (page 309).
TIMING
Prep: 20 minutes
Grill: 25 to 30 minutes
GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT
• Large cast-iron skillet or heavy-duty roasting pan
• Heat-resistant silicone scraper
• Long-handled tongs
TIP
• Serve the bananas cut-side up in the skins, if you like. Or loosen the bananas from the skins and then scrape them onto a plate, cut-side up.
* * *
THE GRILL
Gas:
Direct heat, medium (350°F)
Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting
Charcoal:
Direct heat, medium ash
12-by-12-inch medium charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals)
Clean, oiled grate on lowest setting
Wood:
Direct heat, medium ash
12-by-12-inch bed, 3 inches deep
Clean, oiled grate set 4 inches above the fire
INGREDIENTS (MAKES 8 SMALL SERVINGS)
1 can (about 14 ounces) sweetened condensed milk
4 to 5 tablespoons brewed coffee
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 ounce bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
4 large, just-ripe bananas
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon finely ground espresso beans
1 teaspoon unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Oil for coating grill grate
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat the grill as directed.
2.