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THE GRILL

Gas:

Direct heat, medium-high (400° to 450°F)

Charcoal:

Direct heat, light ash

12-by-12-inch charcoal bed (about 3 dozen coals)

Wood:

Direct heat, light ash

12-by-12-inch bed, 3 to 4 inches deep

Photo: Shortbread S’mores

INGREDIENTS (MAKES 8 SERVINGS)

1 pound purchased round shortbread cookies (about 28)

2/3 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread such as Nutella

28 marshmallows (about 8 ounces)

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the grill as directed.

2. For each s’more, spread the flat side of a cookie with about 1 teaspoon of the chocolate spread. Impale a marshmallow on a long skewer or stick and toast over the fire until golden brown all over and gooey inside, turning often, 2 to 4 minutes. Pull the marshmallow onto the prepared cookie and let cool for a minute before taking a bite.

Photo: Toasted marshmallow

Fire-Roasted Chestnuts with Chocolate Butter

Chocolate and roasted chestnuts marry well. They’re both buttery smooth yet nutty tasting. Serve these chocolate-drizzled chestnuts with vanilla ice cream, or coat the chestnuts in pure chocolate and then chill them until firm (see “Getting Creative” on this page). Chocolate-coated chestnuts make an irresistible snack. You could also chop them up and mix them into brownie batter.

TIMING

Prep: 20 minutes

Grill: 15 to 20 minutes

GRILL TOOLS AND EQUIPMENT

• Grill skillet or wok, grill tray, or grill screen

• Heavy skillet or saucepan

GETTING CREATIVE

• To make Chocolate-Coated Fire-Roasted Chestnuts, omit the butter and use 5 to 6 ounces of chocolate. Melt the chocolate over very low heat in the pan on the grill with the lid down, stirring often. When almost melted, remove from the heat and stir in the peeled chestnuts. Remove the chestnuts to a cookie sheet lined with waxed paper. Chill until the chocolate is firm.

TIPS

• When slitting the chestnut shells, take care not to cut through the nutmeats; otherwise, the nuts may break when you remove the shells.

• Remove the chestnut shells while they are still fairly warm (put them in a kitchen towel to protect your hands). If you let the chestnuts cool completely, the skins will adhere to the nuts, and shelling them will be more difficult.

THE GRILL

Gas:

Direct heat, medium (350°F)

Clean, oiled grate

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)

1 pound Italian chestnuts (about 20)

3 tablespoons butter

3 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped (about ½ cup)

Photo: Roasted chestnuts

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat the grill as described.

2. Slit the nuts on the rounded sides of the shells (see Tips) and put them in a grill skillet. Put the skillet on the grill directly over the heat and roast until the chestnuts have opened and smell toasty, turning or shaking a few times, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the shells from the chestnuts while still warm (see Tips).

3. Put the butter in a cast-iron or other heavy skillet and melt it over a low-heat part of the grill. When melted, remove from the heat, add the chocolate, and stir until smooth.

4. Add the chestnuts to the chocolate, tossing to coat. Serve drizzled with any remaining chocolate butter.

Grilled Naan

About fifteen years ago, David threw himself into Indian cuisine, making everything he could, from curries to dumplings. He also experimented with naan, the soft Indian flatbread traditionally cooked in a tandoor, that magical clay-lined open-air charcoal oven best known for turning out tandoori chicken. To make naan, a simple wheat flour dough is stretched into an oval or teardrop shape and then slapped onto the hot walls of the tandoor, where the dough bubbles and browns almost instantly. You can get the dough to puff and crisp up pretty well on a pizza stone in your oven, but it’s even better on a charcoal grill. Some naan dough is leavened