Wednesday, June 8, 2005
Make chicken run
with recipes from
cookbook duo
Two new grilling books, which couldn’t be
more different from each other, may be worth your attention this barbecue
season.
Bobby Flay is one of those ubiquitous TV
chefs who seems to crank out a new cookbook every
year. But his recipes seem so appealing
– simple and full of big flavors – that you’re willing to forgive him. The new book is “Grilling of Life,” and it
has a healthful slant. It’s far from
extreme in its approach – oil, sugar and cheese are still here, not to mention
avocado and bacon – but attention has been paid to sodium levels and carbs. And each
recipe comes with a nutrition analysis.
This isn’t a book targeted at barbecue beginners, but outdoor chefs
should find plenty of tasty, nutritious ideas here.
The other book is the encyclopedic “The
Cook’s Illustrated Guide to Grilling,” by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated (
Here are two ways to grill chicken, one
for each book, that should illustrate their respective
approaches. With Father’s Day
approaching, either one might make a good gift for the grilling dad in your
life.
Chinese Chicken Salad
with Red Chili-Peanut Dressing
For the dressing:
3 Tablespoons low-sodium soy
sauce
3 Tablespoons rice vinegar
1/4 cup low-sodium
chicken stock
3 Tablespoons smooth natural
peanut butter
1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon chipotle chili
puree
(puree canned
chipotles in adobo sauce)
2 Tablespoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground
black pepper
For the chicken salad:
1/2 head Napa cabbage
1/2 head romaine lettuce
2 medium carrots
4 ounces snow peas (about 1
cup), trimmed
1/4 cup coarsely chopped
fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup thinly sliced
scallions, light and dark parts
4
boneless, skinless chicken breasts,
about 8 ounces each
1 Tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground
black pepper
1/4 cup chopped roasted
peanuts
lime wedges, for garnish
To make the dressing, whisk together all
dressing ingredients in a medium bowl.
Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the salad, finely slice the
cabbage and romaine lettuce with a large, sharp knife and place in a large
bowl. Shred the carrots on the large
holes of a box grater and add to the cabbage mixture. Add the snow pas, cilantro and scallions, and
set aside.
Heat the grill to high. Brush each chicken breast on both sides with
the oil and season with the salt and pepper.
Grill for 4 minutes on each side until slightly charred and just cooked
through. Remove form the grill, transfer
to a cutting board, and let rest for 5 minutes.
Shred the chicken: Hold the edge of a piece with a pair of tongs, rest
the chicken on the cutting board and use a fork to pull apart the meat.
Add the dressing to the cabbage mixture
and toss well to combine. Transfer the
mixture to a large plate, top with the shredded chicken and chopped peanuts,
and garnish with lime wedges. Makes six
servings.
Source: “Grilling for Life”
by Bobby Flay
(Scribner, 2005).
Thai Grilled Chicken Breasts
with Spicy, Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce
For the chicken and brine:
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup table salt
2 whole chicken breasts,
bone-in, skin on
For dipping sauce:
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup distilled white
vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
2 Tablespoons fish sauce
3 small garlic cloves,
minced or pressed
through a garlic press
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
For rub:
2/3 cup chopped fresh
cilantro leaves
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
12 medium garlic cloves,
minced or pressed
through a garlic press
2 Tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 Tablespoons ground black pepper
2 Tablespoons ground coriander
2 Tablespoons vegetable oil,
plus more for oiling
the cooking grate
To brine the chicken, dissolve the sugar
and salt in 2 quarts of cold water in a large container. Split the chicken breasts, to make four
halves. Submerge the chicken in brine,
cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes but not longer than 1 hour. Rinse the chicken under cool running water
and pat dry with paper towels.
To make the dipping sauce, whisk together
the sauce ingredients in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves. Let stand 1 hour at room temperature to allow
the flavors to meld.
To make and apply the rub, combine all the
rub ingredients in a small bowl; work the mixture with your fingers to combine
thoroughly. Slide you fingers between
the skin and meat of one chicken piece to loosen the skin, taking care not to
detach the skin. Thoroughly rub an even
layer of the mixture onto all exterior surfaces, including the bottom and
sides. Repeat with the remaining chicken
pieces. Place the chicken in a medium
bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while preparing the grill.
To grill the chicken, light a large
chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes and burn until all the charcoal
is covered with a layer of fine gray ash, about 15 minutes. Build a modified two-level fire by arranging
the coals to cover one half of the grill, piling them about 3 briquettes
high. Position the cooking grate over
the coals, cover the grill and let the grate heat up for about 5 minutes. Use a grill brush to scrape the cooking grate
clean. The grill is ready when you have
a medium-hot fire. Using long-handled
grill tongs, dip a wad of paper towels in vegetable oil and wipe the cooking
grate.
Place the chicken, skin side down, on the
hotter side of the grill and cook until browned, about 5 minutes. Using tongs, flip the chicken and cook until
browned on the second died, about 3 minutes longer. Move the chicken, skin side up, to the cooler
side of the grill and cover with a disposable aluminum roasting pan; continue
to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of
the breast registers 160 degrees, 10-15 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a platter and let
rest 10 minutes. Serve, passing the
sauce separately. Makes 4 servings.
Source: “The Cook’s Illustrated Guide of
Grilling”
by the editors of Cook’s Illustrated
(America’s Test Kitchen, 2005).