Even though I’ve been around the grill a lot during my many years with Carlo, the extent of my grill participation has been just watching Carlo cook, or at most helping turn meat or veggies over on his request. Somehow the grill has always remained within Carlo’s domain of our cooking adventures, but I wanted to change that last week by cooking a meal all by myself on the grill.
To prepare for my debut, Carlo explained how to turn on the grill and work all the knobs. After seeing my sister lose far too many eyelashes and arm hairs in her grilling experiences in high school, I’m a total wuss when it comes to flames. He also found some helpful chicken grilling tips in the Steve Raichlen book, How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques
Since I’m an amibitious cook (not always a good thing), I decided to jump right into grilling and cook everything on my dinner menu on the grill. Carlo wanted me to make this delicious looking Publican Chicken that was published in the New York Times food section last week, and I added the sides of Grilled Bread Salad and Grilled Corn.
I had everything prepared in the kitchen, the grill heating outside, and was only waiting on Carlo’s phone call to tell me that he was on his way home from school for me to put all of the food on the grill. I had even memorized Raichlen’s tips on how to grill chicken quarters properly. I first started by putting the bread on to grill for the Grilled Bread Salad, and all was going well until I flipped the slices over and the other side would just not toast.
Turns out the grill had run out of gas, or at least that is what I thought, even though in the back of my mind, I wondered if I had somehow broken the grill. I turned it off and waited for Carlo to get home where he confirmed that the grill was indeed out of gas (man, was I relieved that I was not a grilling idiot!). He got a new tank and eventually took over on the grill while I observed and helped out a bit. So my grilling debut turned out to be a bit more collaborative than I had intended, but I’m ready to face the grill solo soon!
We used chicken legs for the Publican Chicken recipe to make 3 servings at $1.37 each. The Grilled Bread Salad made 4 servings at $2.12 each, and the Grilled Corn cost 50 cents per serving for a total dinner cost of $3.99.
To make the marinade for the Publican Chicken, mix together olive oil, lemon juice, brown sugar, hot paprika, oregano, garlic and salt and pepper. The marinade is a nice combination of sweet and savory, which works great with the dark meat of the chicken legs.
Our favourite way to marinate meat is to put it in a large ziploc bag and then pour in the marinade. Close the bag and shake the bag to get the marinade all over the chicken. By putting it in a bag, you are able to really massage the marinade into every nook and cranny of the meat without getting your hands dirty and making a mess. I highly recommend that you marinate the chicken for a few hours in the fridge to fully allow the marinade to flavor the meat.
After a few hours in the fridge, the chicken is ready for the grill, where you should place it skin side down first over medium to high heat. Grill the legs for a few minutes until the skin is beginning to brown and then move the leg to a cooler section of the grill and cook until the skin is fully browned. Repeat the process on the other side for perfectly cooked chicken quarters.
To make the Grilled Bread Salad, start with some really great tomatoes. I got some more from the Farmers Market since they were so good in the Tomato and Mozzarella Salad with Basil Vinaigrette. They were supplemented by one for our own garden, the bigger red one in the middle–sadly, my tomato bushes right now only seem to be ripening one tomato per day which isn’t ideal for using them in recipes!
Another key ingredient is good bread. I used some leftover ciabatta that I got from the Farmers Market as well. Ciabetta is a good choice for the bread salad because it toasts well and the airy slices help soak up the juices of the tomatoes better. Cut the bread into thickish slices and then put them on the grill and toast them on both sides until the bread browns and chars slightly.
As for the tomatoes, I cut the cherry tomatoes in half and then put them in a large bowl and mixed them with olive oil, lemon juice, red onion, and finely grated garlic. Be sure to taste the mixture and adjust to your liking. This tomato mixture forms the basis for the salad, so you need to make sure it is seasoned well and tasty.
After the grilled bread cools, cut into up into large chunks and add them to the tomatoes along with a handful of cut parsley and basil. Mix everything together so all of the flavors meld together. I prefer a crunchier bread salad, so I serve mine fairly quickly after I add the bread cubes. Incredible!
BTW: If you love bread salad and ever find yourself in Marfa, Texas, check out the Pizza Foundation. Not only are their pizzas to die for, but they have an incredible Tomato Bread Salad on the menu too.
My preferred way to eat summer corn is grilled with a smidgen of butter and a sprinkle of salt. Grilling corn is really easy: just shuck the corn and put it on the grill over medium heat. Keep an eye on the cobs so they don’t burn, but just have some nice charred parts on them.
