Outdoor Entertaining: Grill Like You’ve Never Grilled Before
Welcome to Summer Season 2023, friends! All over the island, the rush is on to prepare the patios, decks, and grills for the ceremonial Memorial Day weekend kickoff barbecue. Why does food taste so much better when prepared outside on the grill? Sure, the flavor is better, but I think that cooking outdoors with friends and family surrounding you while you sip on your favorite adult beverage might have something to do with it. I wonder if barbecue season would be as special if we lived where the weather allowed it year-round? I doubt it. That’s why we’ll make the most of the next few months and grill like we’ve never grilled before. To that end, let’s elevate our grilling past the requisite burgers and dogs and expand our menu offerings to include seafoods, veggies and even fruits. Fire up the grill – it’s a great excuse to spend plenty of time out of the kitchen this summer.
Now, just because we will offer some nontraditional menu items doesn’t mean we will forgo the traditional theme for a summer holiday weekend. Staying with the red, white, and blue feels right. If you are like me, you’ve gathered a nice collection of patriotic-themed serving pieces, and this time of year, the selection to add to your collection is abundant. A blue or red checked tablecloth or star-themed napkins set a familiar picnic tone; even lighter shades of blue combined with white and red can be festive. If all else fails, there are always flags and flowers. Surely you can count on finding some red geraniums or white and blueish pansies. One easy way to display the patriotic theme is with a few pots of red, white, and blue flowers, or any combination of these. Adorn the pots with some small ornamental American flags, and you have instant décor.
With the theme established, let’s explore our newly expanded grill menu options, beginning with some tips for success. When grilling veggies, the more surface area you give them for grill marks, the more flavorful they will be. This also makes them easier to move around the grill. Peppers, onions, squash, zucchini, and eggplant all grill nicely. Be sure the grill is very clean, and always season and brush with olive oil if grilling directly on the grates. Most will take about 8 to 10 minutes total, beginning with 3 to 4 minutes on the first side before turning. A platter of thick-sliced veggies with grill marks makes a beautiful presentation.
What about fruit? Yes, you can grill that, too. Grilling fruit intensifies the flavor as the natural sugars caramelize and juicy fruits can get even juicier. Just about any fruits can go on the grill as long as they are somewhat firm and not overripe. Peaches, watermelon, mangoes, pineapples, pears, avocados, tomatoes, and figs are just some of the fresh fruits that will hold their shape. Most fruit is rather fragile, so cut fruit into large chunks or slices. Larger pieces are less likely to fall between the grates. If you want to grill smaller fruit, like strawberries, do it on skewers so you don't lose them to the flames. To minimize sticking, be sure to heat the grill to very hot and use a mild-tasting oil like safflower if you don’t want an olive-oil flavor for sweet fruits. Let the fruit sit on the hot grill for a few minutes before checking for grill marks because the fruit needs time to sear so it won't stick. I like to close the lid and check for doneness every five minutes, remembering that denser fruit like pineapple might take a bit longer than other fruits. Your guests will be impressed when you present a beautiful platter of seared fruit slices, or turn some grilled peppers, mangos, and pineapples into a delicious salsa.
Now for the main event – grilled fish and seafood. Tuna and salmon are wonderful grilled right on the grill grates. Tuna steaks hold up nicely because of the texture, and salmon handles better if you leave the skin on to help keep it from flaking apart. Smaller seafood like shrimp and scallops handle better if grilled on skewers. (Don’t forget to soak wooden skewers in water for at least a half-hour beforehand so they don’t catch fire.) The general rule is to cook fish and seafood at a high heat for a short time. This will lead to more moist fish that is less likely to be overcooked. A perfectly grilled fish with sides of grilled fruits and veggies or topped with a fruit salsa is sure to be a winning dish.
So now, what will we sip while grilling? I like a strawberry lemonade cocktail – it’s like sunshine in a glass. Strawberries have begun blooming plentifully in my backyard patch, and they help with the color scheme, too. You can mix ahead a big batch of the simple syrup used in this recipe and keep it for up to 30 days in the fridge. Right before guests arrive, prepare a pitcher full of the drink and then just pour, garnish, and serve.
Finally, let’s dazzle our guests with a grilled dessert. This is so easy and so good. Grilled pound cake with fruit and whipped cream. Just purchase a pound cake unless you feel compelled to bake one. It’s actually best to use a cake a couple of days old so it is not too soft. Don’t worry, the heat will reactivate the butter and the gluten in the cake and make it taste fresh again. Slice one-to-two inches thick and place slices on an angle onto clean, oiled, preheated grill grates. Placing them on an angle helps them not fall though the grates. Grill for about two minutes each side, just enough to warm them and make some grill marks. You can really top these with almost anything, but we will use strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries soaked in a little balsamic vinegar and a bit of sugar. Topping the cake with the berries and whipped cream gives a beautiful patriotic presentation to top off your holiday barbecue.
There you go. Your first barbecue of Summer 2023 is in the books. Enjoy and take lots of photos. Feel free to send some to me at jean@jeanmiersch.com. I need some new ideas – July 4 is right around the corner. Cheers!
Grilled Pound Cake
Ingredients:
1 pound cake
8 ounces fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced
6 ounces fresh blackberries
6 ounces fresh blueberries
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon granulated suga
Whipped cream
Mint leaves
To prepare berries: Place strawberries, blackberries, and blueberries in a medium bowl. Add in balsamic vinegar and sugar and toss to combine. Let sit for 20 minutes before serving.
To grill cake: Cover grill and allow to preheat for five minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate. Cut pound cake into 1-inch slices and place on grill. Cook until cake is lightly toasted and grill marks develop, about 1-2 minutes per side. Transfer cake slices to plates, top with berries, whipped cream, and a mint leaf for garnish. Serve immediately.
Grilled Salmon with Mango Salso
(can substitute for mango with pineapple)
Ingredients:
4 6-ounce salmon fillets
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon chili powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Juice of 1 lime
Mango Salsa
Slightly grilled mangos or pineapple slices, diced
Slightly grilled red bell pepper, diced
Slightly grilled red onion, diced
Slightly grilled small jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
Cilantro leaves, roughly chopped
Instructions:
In a medium bowl, stir together mangos or pineapple (or both), red peppers, onions, jalapeños, and cilantro. Set aside until ready to use. Stir together garlic powder, salt, and pepper (about ½-teaspoon each). Rub mixture into salmon fillets. Grill on clean, oiled grill over medium-high heat skin side up for three minutes, then flip and grill an additional five minutes with grill cover closed. Remove from grill and let rest for a few minutes. Squeeze fresh lime juice over grilled salmon, then top with mango salsa and serve.
Strawberry Lemonade Cocktail
Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 cup water/4 cups water: some for the simple syrup and more for the lemonade
16 ounces fresh strawberries
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Good vodka
Mint leaves
Directions:
Combine 1 cup of sugar with 1 cup of water in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Bring the sugar/water mixture to boil and then reduce to simmer until all the sugar dissolves. Be sure to stir it a couple of times to help the sugar dissolve. This usually takes about five minutes. After the sugar has dissolved, remove the saucepan from heat and allow the simple syrup to cool to room temperature. This should take about 30 minutes. Next, blend the strawberries and mint leaves together in a blender or a food processor. (If you don’t want seeds in your cocktail, you can strain the strawberry puree through a fine-mesh strainer.) Combine the simple syrup, the strawberry-mint puree, lemon juice, 4 cups of water, and vodka into a large pitcher and give everything a quick stir. To serve, fill some glasses with ice and then pour in drink. Garnish with lemon slice, strawberry, or both.
