Fabulicious!: On the Grill (23 page)

 

Makes 6 servings

Sweet summer corn on the cob grilled with butter is delicious. But you'll never want it that way again after you try it Italian-style, with garlic, smoked paprika, and Parmesan cheese.

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika (also called
pimentón de la Vera)

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

6 ears of corn, husked

1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese, as needed

Salt

1.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F). Brush the cooking grates clean.

2.
Tear six 12-inch squares of heavy-duty aluminum foil. Mix the butter, paprika, and garlic together in a small bowl. Spread each corn ear with an equal amount of the garlic butter, place on the foil and roll it up tightly. (The corn can be stored at room temperature for up to 8 hours.)

3.
Place the foil-wrapped corn on the cooking grate and cover with the grill lid. Cook, turning occasionally, until the corn is heated through with some toasted browned spots (open the foil to check), 12 to 15 minutes. Transfer the foil-wrapped corn to a platter.

4.
Unwrap the corn and return to the platter. Serve hot, allowing each person to sprinkle the corn with Parmesan cheese and salt to taste before eating.

 

 

Makes about 2 cups, 6 servings

This peperonata has peppers that are grilled and marinated with capers, garlic, and oregano in a sweet-and-sour dressing. We serve it by itself, as a side, but you can also use it as a sauce on top of grilled pork chops, as an amazing bruschetta topping, or as a condiment on a salami sandwich on crusty bread.

2 medium red bell peppers

2 medium yellow bell peppers

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon sugar

¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

3 tablespoons bottled capers, rinsed and drained

Salt

1.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over high heat (500°F). Prepare and grill the peppers according to the instructions on facing page. Cool, peel, and cut into ½-inch-wide strips. Transfer to a medium bowl.

2.
Whisk the vinegar, oregano, sugar, red pepper flakes, and garlic together in a small bowl. Whisk in the oil. Pour over the peppers, add the capers, and toss to coat. Season with salt to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. (The peperonata can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.) Serve chilled or at room temperature.

 

Makes 6 servings

Anchovies and potatoes are a great combination, and whenever I serve these, people usually don't know that it has anchovies until I tell them. It's easiest to bake the potatoes inside (or use the microwave), and then put the stuffed halves on the grill to heat up before serving. You can put the potatoes over the empty side of the grill to cook with indirect heat, and cook meat over the ignited burner at the same time. These are fantastic with steaks or pork chops.

3 large baking potatoes, scrubbed but unpeeled

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons whole milk

4 anchovy fillets in oil, drained and finely chopped

Salt and red pepper flakes

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for serving

1.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Pierce each potato a few times with a fork. Bake directly on the oven rack until tender when pierced with the tip of a sharp knife, about 45 minutes. Let cool until easy to handle, about 15 minutes.

2.
Cut each potato in half lengthwise. Using a spoon, scoop out the potato flesh from each potato half into a medium bowl, leaving a shell about ½ inch thick. Add the butter to the bowl, and using a fork, mash the potatoes, gradually stirring in the milk. Stir in the anchovies. Season with salt and red pepper flakes to taste. Spoon the mixture into the potato shells. (The potatoes can be covered with plastic wrap and kept at room temperature for up to 1 hour.)

3.
Preheat the grill for indirect cooking with high heat (500°F).

4.
Drizzle oil over the stuffed potatoes. Place on the cooking grate and cover with the grill lid. Cook until heated through, about 10 minutes. Remove from the grill, sprinkle with the parsley, and serve hot.

 

Makes 6 servings

When you see that a food (usually vegetables or fish) is prepared scapece-style, it means that it has been marinated in a tart vinegar sauce. My mama always salts the zucchini first, to draw out its excess juice so that the juices don't dilute the marinade. This is another dish that you are likely to see on an antipasti menu, but it can double as a side dish. Try it with simple grilled fish steaks or fillets (see photo on
page 176
).

3 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into ¼ to ½-inch-thick strips

1 teaspoon salt

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing the zucchini

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 garlic clove, minced

1.
Arrange the zucchini strips on a baking sheet and sprinkle on both sides with 1 teaspoon of salt. Let stand for 30 minutes to 1 hour. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry on clean kitchen towels or paper towels.

2.
Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F).

3.
Return the zucchini to the baking sheet and brush lightly on both sides with oil. Season with pepper. Place the zucchini on the cooking grates, perpendicular to the grid, and cover with the grill lid. Cook until the zucchini undersides are seared with grill marks, about 3 minutes. Flip the zucchini and continue cooking until seared and crisp-tender, about 2 minutes more. Remove the zucchini from the grill.

4.
Arrange the zucchini in a deep serving platter. Whisk the white wine and balsamic vinegar with the garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in ½ cup of oil. Pour evenly over the zucchini, and turn the zucchini to coat with the vinegar mixture. Let stand for at least 1 hour. (Or cover and refrigerate for up to 2 days. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving.) Serve at room temperature.

Quando la pera è matura, casca da sè.

Literally: “When the pear is matured, it will fall by itself.” What it means: “All things happen in their own good time.”

I
n rural Italy, a true, traditional dessert menu following a summer meal would read like this: fruit, fruit, or fruit. Wine. Wine with fruit. More wine. Fruit.

The only time people eat baked goods, cookies, or cannoli are at carnivals, saints' days, holidays, and celebrations like weddings and christenings. The rest of the time, dessert is simple and naturally sweet: fruit.

Of course, restaurants—mainly the ones catering to American tourists—serve our special national treats every day, so we're going to do the same thing here. All of my own sweet summer recipes—except one—do include fruit. The exception is a chocolate hazelnut gelato-like semifreddo (
page 195
), and I think we can all make an exception for that!

If you've ever been to Hawaii and tasted the pineapple there, you know that the stuff we get on the mainland doesn't come even close to tasting as good. The same is true of peaches in the Mediterranean. They are so delicious that it's hard to even describe.