Grill! – Gourmania

The following is an excerpt from the book Grill! by Pippa Cuthbert & Lindsay Cameron Wilson Published by Good Books; May 2006;$15.95US; 1-56148-518-7 Copyright © 2006 Pippa Cuthbert & Lindsay Cameron Wilson

Here are four scrumptious recipes ideal for summertime grilling to help you achieve perfectly cooked food on the grill and in the grill pan. Enjoy!

CARAMELIZED LAMB CHOPS
Spectacular. Grilling meltingly tender, marinated lamb chops is one of life’s simple pleasures. Serves 4

1 cup (20g) cilantro, roughly chopped
6 Tbsp brown sugar
4 Tbsp dark soy sauce
4 Tbsp mirin, Chinese rice wine or sherry
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
16 single-rib lamb chops

To serve:
Grilled potatoes, green salad or steamed green beans.

Combine the cilantro, brown sugar, soy sauce, mirin and garlic in a shallow baking dish. Add the chops, turning well to coat in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for up to 24 hours.

Preheat the grill or grill pan to very hot. Brush with oil. Grill the chops to taste (4-6 minutes on each side for medium) until the edges are browned and caramelized. Transfer the chops to a platter and allow to rest for 2-3 minutes before serving with grilled potatoes and a green salad or steamed green beans.

BLACKENED HALIBUT
Crispy heat. A hot grill coupled with a crispy, “blackened” crust adds a fiery, Cajun touch to halibut. New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme is to thank for putting “blackening” on the culinary map. Serves 4

For the rub:
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried thyme
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp cayenne pepper
¼ tsp hot paprika
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp fennel seeds, toasted and roughly chopped
Salt and pepper, to taste4 halibut fillets, 7oz (200g) each
Olive oil, for brushing
1 lime, quartered

Combine the ingredients for the rub in a small bowl. Place the halibut fillets in a shallow baking dish and brush with oil. Pat the rub all over the fish. Season with more salt and pepper. Cover and chill for up to 1 hour, in the refrigerator.

Preheat the grill or grill pan to hot. Brush the grill bars well with oil. Grill the fillets for 2-2½ minutes on each side until charred and just cooked through. Serve immediately with a squeeze of lime.

GRILLED SWEET POTATO AND MANGO SALAD
Pure. A sweet, succulent and refreshing salad. Serves 4-6

1 sweet potato, peeled
1 large mango, skin removed
For the dressing:
3 Tbsp olive oil
4 Tbsp fresh mint, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp grated lime rind
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
½ tsp extra-fine sugar
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
1 head Bibb or Boston (round) lettuce
½ cup (10g) fresh mint

Preheat the grill or grill pan to medium.

Chop both the sweet potato and mango flesh into long wedges, about ¾-in (2 cm) wide, ½-in (1 cm) thick. Place in separate dishes.

Combine the dressing ingredients in a small bowl and pour half over the mango and potato.

With tongs in hand, arrange sweet potato wedges directly over the grill and leave for 6-8 minutes, until grill marks appear and the bottom sides begin to soften. Turn and grill the other side for a further 6 minutes. While the other sides are cooking, arrange the mango wedges directly on the grill. Grill for about 2-3 minutes on each side. Transfer all the wedges to a cutting board and cut into cubes. Place them in a bowl and toss with the remaining dressing.

Arrange lettuce leaves on salad plates. Scatter the sweet potato and mango over the lettuce and add a sprinkling of sea salt and finely sliced mint.

ANGEL FOOD CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE CREAM
Decadent. I’ll never forget the day I first tasted grilled angel food cake with a dollop of chocolate cream. Nothing has really been the same since. Of course you can make your own cake if you prefer, but store-bought is the simple and guaranteed-to-be fluffy option. Serves 8

For the chocolate cream:
8 Tbsp confectioners sugar
4 Tbsp cocoa powder
2 Tbsp milk
1 cup (250ml) heavy cream
1 pinch cream of tartar
8 fat slices store-bought angel food cake
1-2 Tbsp confectioners sugar, for dusting

To make the chocolate cream, whisk together the confectioners sugar, cocoa powder and milk in a small bowl. Set aside. In a separate bowl, beat the cream with the cream of tartar until soft. Whisk in the chocolate mixture until well blended. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat the grill or grill pan to hot. Dust the angel food cake slices with confectioners sugar. Grill the slices for 1 minute on each side until golden and grill marks appear on the surface. Transfer to serving plates and top with chocolate cream.

Authors Pippa Cuthbert is a New Zealander living and working in London. Ever since childhood she has been passionate about food and cooking. After studying Nutrition and Food Science at Otago University in New Zealand and working in the test kitchen of Nestlé New Zealand, she decided to travel the world in search of new and exciting culinary adventures. Now based in London, Pippa works as a food writer and stylist on books and magazines, and is also involved in advertising and commercials.

Food and writing are Lindsay Cameron Wilson’s passions, so she blended the two at university where she studied History, Journalism, and the Culinary Arts. She has since worked in the test kitchens of Canadian Living Magazine in Toronto and Sunset Magazine in San Francisco. In 2001 she left her job as a food columnist in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and moved to London. That’s when she met Pippa, and the work for their first book, Juice! began. Fuelled by juice, the two moved on to Ice Cream!, Soup! and now Barbecue! Lindsay continues to work as a food journalist in Canada, where she now lives with her husband, James, and son, Luke.

Grill!

by Pippa Cuthbert & Lindsay Cameron Wilson

Good Books
US$15.95

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