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Recipes: |
by Dave DeWitt and Nancy Gerlach
With the temperature hovering around ninety degrees and the tomatoes getting ripe in the garden, we know it’s time for a classic patio party. So we’ve assembled the "hardware"–the physical gear you will need, and the "software"–the recipes necessary to prepare the great food for your guests. By a weird coincidence, all of the hardware is available from our shopping site that you can access by the links placed with the various items.
Some brief advice before we start cooking. First, you must avoid cross-contamination, so don’t use the same serving dish to take the food to the grill and then serve it to your guests. Bacteria from the uncooked food can contaminate the cooked food, especially if it sits around for any length of time. Also, remember that bacteria in side dishes can multiply very rapidly in hot weather, so keep them refrigerated until serving. If they are going to stay outside for any length of time, serve them in a bowl placed in a larger bowl of ice.
So with those caveats, let’s plan the party.
Since that deal you’ve been working on finally came through and you’re flush with bucks, it’s time to upgrade that old encrusted clunker. We recommend the Lynx line of high-end grills. While the original Lynx gas grill was lauded as the finest gas grill ever produced, the new line of Lynx gas grills are upgraded in every way. With features like stainless steel construction, brass burners, and a lifetime warranty, Lynx commercial-quality outdoor grills are superior in quality and performance.
To order a Lynx, click here.
Of course, you can’t use those ratty old tongs with your brand new Lynx, so step up to a quality long tong with a wooden handle–at a very reasonable price.
To order these tongs, click here.
To match the tongs, you’ll also need a turner (spatula) with a wooden handle...
To order the turner, click here.
You will also need a Deluxe Basting Brush!
To order one, click here.
Since you’re going to be serving fiery foods, we recommend the beautiful Cayenne line of serving dishes and bowls.
To view and order the Cayenne dishes, bowls, and trays, click here.
And of course, no patio party is complete without your own Tiki Hut!
To order your own Tiki Hut, click here.
Rum is the favorite liquor of the Caribbean, where Dave and Mary Jane travel all the time. We prefer dark rum, but any variety will work in this cooler, which is enough for a party. Note: This recipe requires advance preparation.
1 12-ounce can frozen orange juice
1 12-ounce can frozen lemonade
1 12-ounce can frozen limeade
1 16-ounce package frozen strawberries
1 bottle of rum (750 milliliters)
Water to cover
Put all of the ingredients in a one gallon plastic container, shake, and fill with water up to 1½ inches of the top. Cover tightly, shake the container vigorously, and freeze overnight.
Scoop the mixture into chilled old-fashioned glasses and add a straw.
Yield: 16 to 20 servings
Margarita-Grilled Shrimp and Avocado Quesadilla
This is one of those cross-over dishes that can be served whole as an entree or cut into wedges as an appetizer. If ever there were such a thing as a "Grilled Shrimp Mexican-Style Pizza," this would be it. Feel free to substitute chicken pieces for the shrimp if you like. Would you dare serve this with Tropical Rum Slush? Well, why not? We do.
Margarita Marinade
1/4 cup tequila
3 tablespoons triple sec
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
2 serrano or jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground chipotle chile powder
The Shrimp and Final Preparation
1 pound small shrimp (26 to 30 per pound), peeled and deveined
6 7-inch flour tortillas
Vegetable oil
Guacamole (two mashed or finely
chopped avocados mixed with
1/2 chopped onion, 1/2 chopped tomato, 1 minced serrano or jalapeño
chile, and a little lime or lemon juice)
1,5 cups shredded Monterey Jack or asadero cheese
Chopped fresh cilantro.
Combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a nonreactive bowl. Toss the shrimp in the mixture and marinate for one hour.
Place the shrimp in a grilling basket and place over the fire, shaking the basket often to make sure the shrimp is grilled on all sides. Grill for about 4 minutes over a medium fire, or until the shrimp just turn pink and are opaque. Remove from the fire.
Brush one side of 3 tortillas with the oil. Spread the guacamole over the other side of each oil-brushed tortilla, divide the shrimp among each, sprinkle with the cheese and cilantro, and press firmly together. Top with the remaining tortillas and brush with oil.
Grill the quesadillas over medium heat either by the indirect method for 5 minutes, or direct method for 3 to 4 minutes or until the tortillas start to brown and the cheese melts, turning once–carefully.
Cut the quesadillas into wedges, top with a dollop of guacamole if desired, and serve.
Yield: 16 to 24 wedges
Heat Scale: Mild
No, this is not barbecued camel, but you could use it if American supermarkets would only wise up and stock it. ("Special Bactrian Hump, Just $12.95 a Pound!") This Mongol specialty is our take on a nomadic campfire feast. So if you would like to camp in your backyard, this would work fine over a hardwood fire. You could also use your Lynx Grill.
The Khan Marinade
2 tablespoons rice wine
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced leeks
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, minced
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
The Lamb
1 ½ pounds lamb, sliced 1 ½ inches thick
Red Wine Chile Dipping Sauce
1/3 cup dry red wine
1 green onion, minced including the green
1 jalapeño chile, stem and seeds removed, minced
2 teaspoons chile oil (chiles steeped in vegetable oil)
1 clove garlic, minced
Chile Garlic Dipping Sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar (or substitute 2 tablespoons rice wine)
4 red serrano or jalapeño chiles, seeds and stems removed, minced
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon peanut oil
The Vegetable Barbecue
12 cremini or button mushrooms
1 leek, cut in 3-inch lengths, then cut in strips
4 green onions, cut in 3-inch lengths
1 small bell pepper, thickly sliced
1/4 pound edible pea pods
2 jalapeño chiles, stems and seeds removed, cut in strips
Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Place the lamb in a glass dish and pour the marinade over it, coating it thoroughly. Marinate the meat for 3 to 4 hours, covered, in the refrigerator.
Combine all the ingredients for the dipping sauces in two bowls and allow to sit at for at least an hour to blend the flavors. Place the ingredients for the sauces in a blender or food processor in two batches and process until smooth. (Rinse out the blender between uses.)
Drain the lamb and transfer the leftover marinade in a saucepan. Simmer the marinade for 20 minutes. Toss the vegetables in the marinade and transfer to a vegetable grilling basket.
Over a medium fire, grill the lamb and the vegetables. The lamb should be cooked until medium rare about 10 to 12 minutes, then cut open a sample to check for doneness.. The vegetables should be shaken often and cooked until easily pierced with a knife, about 15 minutes.
Serve the lamb and vegetables with the rice and the dipping sauces on the side. Of course, you can pour the dipping sauces over the entire meal.
Variation; Thread the meat and vegetables on skewers to grill.
Yield: 6 servings
Heat Scale: Medium
In Italian, this chicken is called pollo alla diavolo because of the addition of crushed red peperoncini chiles, the same kind that is sprinkled on pizzas to liven them up. Traditionally the chickens are split before grilling, but you can use a rotisserie if you wish–it just takes longer to cook. Adding rosemary branches to the fire makes a very aromatic smoke.
The Chicken
1 4-pound chicken
Devil Marinade
2/3 cup dry red wine such as Chianti
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh preferred
11/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary or 11/2 teaspoons dried
11/2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh sage or 11/2 teaspoons dried
2 teaspoons crushed red chile, pequin for hot, New Mexican for mild
2 cloves garlic
1/4 teaspoon salt
Using poultry shears, or a heavy knife, cut down both sides of the backbone to cut the chicken in half. Remove the backbone and place the chicken on a cutting board skin side up. Press hard on the breastbone to break it and flatten the bird.
In a bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients. Coat the chicken with the marinade, place in a plastic bag, and marinate for 2 hours in the refrigerator.
Lightly oil a clean grill surface. Remove the chicken and place the remaining marinade in a small saucepan and simmer for 20 minutes. Place chicken on the grill, skin side down and weight down with a cast iron skillet so the chicken remains flat. Grill for 15 to 20 minutes per side, basting frequently with the marinade until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork, or when the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F.
Using a cleaver, chop the split chicken halves into quarters.
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Medium
Grilled Corn with African Nitir Kebe
Nitir kebe is Ethiopian spiced butter that is an ingredient in many that country’s dishes. It certainly gives an exotic twist to a summertime favorite in the U.S.A. Be sure to buy ears with some of the stalk attached for a great handle. The spiced butter freezes easily.
Nitir Kebe
1 pound unsalted butter
1 tablespoon crushed African bird peppers, or substitute chiltepins, pequins, or ground cayenne chile
2 shallots, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon grated ginger
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cardamon
1.5 teaspoon ground turmeric
4 ears corn, husks and stalks attached
Allow the butter to soften at room temperature and beat in all the ingredients for the nitir kebe. Let sit for an hour to blend the flavors.
Remove any dried, brownish husks from the corn. Pull back, but don’t remove completely the husks and remove the silk. Soak the ears in cold water for 30 minutes to prevent the husks from burning.
Brush some of the butter on each of the ears and pull the husks back up over the ears and secure with string or a strip of corn husk.
Place on grill over a low fire, fairly far from the heat, and grill, turning often, for about 15 minutes. It’s a good idea to have a spray bottle with water handy in case the husks start to burn.
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Hot
Grilling caramelizes the sugar and honey in the sauce, making the fruit sweeter. This is obviously a dessert, but it can be served as a side dish to barbecued ribs, poultry, or fish. Other firm fruits will work, such as peaches or pineapple, but make sure that they are slightly under ripe. It is difficult to grill ripe fruit.
Rum and Habanero Sauce
1/4 cup butter
2 teaspoons honey
2 tablespoons orange juice, fresh preferred
1/2 teaspoon lime juice, fresh preferred
1 teaspoon orange zest
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 teaspoon ground habanero chile
The Mangoes
2 mangoes, slightly under ripe
Vanilla ice cream
Toasted shredded coconut
Chopped macadamia nuts
Prepare the sauce by combining the ingredients in a saucepan and simmer over low heat for 10 minutes. Remove and cool
Peel the mangoes and remove the flesh by cutting away from the seed on the flat side of each fruit. You should have 2 large slices of fruit from each mango.
Brush the mango slices with some of the sauce and let stand for 5 minutes. Oil a clean grill, place the mango slices in a grill basket, and grill over a low fire until lightly browned and glazed, turning often, basting with the sauce. The grilling should take about 4 to 6 minutes.
To serve, sprinkle the coconut over 4 serving plates, place a mango slice and a scoop of ice cream over the coconut, drizzle remaining sauce over all, and top with the macadamia nuts.
Yield: 4 servings
Heat Scale: Mild
