| Entertaining Using the Grill (Tested Recipes) |
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By Carole L. Phillips
Scripps Howard News Service Into each of our lives comes the occasion for which a pot of chili or burgers and beans will not suffice. Perhaps it is a birthday or anniversary celebration. Or maybe it is pay back time for a truly memorable meal served you by friends. Whatever the occasion, you need an impressive but not over-the-edge menu. And you need one that is doable without setting the alarm clock for 3 a.m. on the day of the event. A recent dinner for four provided such a menu. With help from the family grill-meister, the meal came off with surprisingly little fuss and bother, and it won kudos. The menu: Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp as a starter; Grilled Beef Tenderloin With Basil Butter, Grilled Vegetables With Balsamic Vinegar Dressing and Potato and Artichoke au Gratin for the main coarse; and Strawberries in Balsamic Pepper Syrup With Brandy Snaps for dessert. Part of the ease of this meal is that much of the work can be done ahead of time. It also helps that a good deal of the cooking is done on the outdoor grill. Press your mate or co-host into helping with the grilling duties. The shrimp and beef dishes are from a new cookbook from Weber, the grill-maker. Weber's Art of the Grill: Recipes for Outdoor Living by Jamie Purviance with photos by Tim Turner, is filled with tasty, up-to-the-minute recipes for the grill. The potato-artichoke gratin is from The California Artichoke Cookbook, compiled by Mary Comfort, Noreen Griffee and Charlene Walker for the California Artichoke Advisory Board. This little book has a wealth of information on how to store, cook and eat the artichoke as well as how to use its parts in recipes. If you absolutely don't want to take the trouble to clean the artichoke, you can substitute canned artichoke bottoms. The grilled vegetables are my own concoction. And both desserts are from a to-the-rescue cookbook by James-Beard-Award-winner Melanie Barnard. Short & Sweet: Sophisticated Desserts in No Time at All lives up to its billing. The Brandy Snaps have only five ingredients and are mixed in a single small saucepan. They bake in only 6 to 8 minutes and, once off the cooling rack, can be sealed in a container and forgotten until time to serve. Strawberries in Balsamic Pepper Sauce is also from Ms. Barnard's book, which covers all manner of post-meal sweets, all produced in just minutes. Most of the work involved is in cleaning the strawberries. Again, this dish takes only five ingredients. One of those ingredients is a sliced firm banana. Bananas aren't a favorite at our house, so next time I plan to omit the banana and add a few more strawberries. For a pretty and unusual presentation for the shrimp, half-fill a wide-mouthed pitcher or glass vase with marbles and stick the skewers into the marbles. If serving at table, put the marbles in tall glasses and divide the shrimp skewers among them. We chose to make the meal a less formal affair, so I served a pair of breads, one rustic, one a bit finer, made fresh by a good local bakery. Cloth and napkins were of a Provencal design; and plain white bistro dishes, bistro glassware and Euro-oversized stainless flatware set the table. The menu is sophisticated enough to stand up to white linen, best china and Grandmother's silver, however. Consider serving fresh-baked diner rolls or croissants for a more formal meal. Either way, the richness of the meat and its basil butter is offset by the simple preparation of the potatoes, which uses the barest amount of added fat. The vegetables get a healthy dose of olive oil, and the fresh berry dessert has the tang of vinegar to play against the buttery cookies. Working ahead can make serving a fancy dinner so much easier on the host and hostess. Though part of the secret is to choose a menu of dishes that lend themselves to advance preparation, the other half of the equation is to sit down and plot a cooking and serving timeline. Here is the schedule for the Grilled Tenderloin dinner: Up to five days in advance : - Make the Brandy Snaps.
- Store the cookies in a sealable canister or storage container. If you store them in a plastic bag, you risk their breaking, since they are quite fragile. Also, they don't freeze well.
- Give some thought to the serving pieces you will need.
The evening before: - Set the table.
- Make the Basil Butter and refrigerate.
- Make the dressing for the vegetables.
- Clean and grill the vegetables. Cut those that need cutting; dress them; then cover and refrigerate.
The morning of the dinner: - Make syrup for strawberries, cover and set aside. Clean strawberries, cover and refrigerate.
- Toss shrimp with seasonings; cover and refrigerate.
- Slice potatoes and cover with cold water.
- Clean and cut artichoke wedges and leave in acidulated water.
- Mix the seasonings for the potato dish.
An hour and a half before dinner: - Assemble Potato and Artichoke au Gratin. Preheat oven.
- Wrap and skewer the shrimp. Get grill going.
- Set butter for spreading on bread out to soften.
- Fill sugar and creamer; refrigerate creamer.
An hour and 15 minutes before dinner: - Put potatoes in oven.
- Grill shrimp. If using a charcoal grill, add more fuel after grilling the shrimp so the fire will be hot for the tenderloin.
- Press salt and pepper into the tenderloin and brush with oil.
- Remove vegetables and strawberries from refrigerator so they can come to room temperature.
An hour before dinner: - Put tenderloin on grill.
- Pass drinks and shrimp.
- Measure coffee and water into coffee maker.
A half-hour before dinner: - Slice bread and cover with plastic wrap or foil.
- Uncork wines, if serving.
- Add the goat cheese to the vegetables and pour the syrup over the strawberries; cover.
At the dinner hour: - Slice tenderloin and take it to table along with the Basil Butter, the potato dish, the grilled vegetables and the bread.
- Flip the switch on the coffee maker as you leave the kitchen.
After table is cleared: - Slice banana into strawberries.
- Stir and divide fruit among dessert dishes, place on a plate and add Brandy Snaps.
- Serve dessert and coffee.
Prosciutto-Wrapped Shrimp Recipe adapted from Weber's Art of the Grill. Ingredients: 16 jumbo shrimp, about 1 lb., peeled and deveined
1 Tbs. finely chopped garlic
1-1/2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh dill
1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
8 paper-thin slices prosciutto, about 4 oz.
Olive oil for brushing shrimp Preparation: In a medium bowl, combine the shrimp, garlic, dill and pepper. Toss the shrimp to coat them lightly. Cut the prosciutto slices in half lengthwise. Wrap each shrimp in a half slice of prosciutto, then thread it onto the end of a skewer. Lightly brush the shrimp with olive oil. Grill the shrimp over medium heat, turning once, until opaque, about 4 minutes total. Serve warm or at room temperature. Note: Use metal skewers or bamboo skewers that have been soaked in water for at least 30 minutes. Serves: 16 skewers
Grilled Beef Tenderloin with Basil Butter Adapted from Weber's Art of the Grill Ingredients: 3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
2-1/2 tsp. kosher salt, divided
1/4 tsp. black pepper
One 4-to 5 lb. beef tenderloin
1 Tbs. cracked black pepper
Vegetable oil for brushing meat Preparation: Make basil butter by combining butter, basil, lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper in a medium bowl. Mix well. Set aside. Trim the thin end from the beef tenderloin and reserve for another use. Press remaining 2 teaspoons salt and the cracked pepper into the remaining meat. Lightly brush the tenderloin with vegetable oil. Begin grilling by searing the meat directly over high heat, turning occasionally until seared on all sides, 8 to 10 minutes. Then grill the tenderloin indirectly over high heat. The meat will take 30 to 40 minutes more to reach medium-rare. Remove from the grill and allow to rest for about 10 minutes. The internal temperature will rise about 5 degrees while resting. Slice the tenderloin and serve with basil butter. Serves: 8
Potato and Artichoke Au Gratin Adapted from California Artichoke Cookbook. Ingredients: 3 medium artichokes
2 Tbs. olive oil, divided
3 medium potatoes, thinly sliced
2 large garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp. thyme, crushed
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/2 cup hot chicken broth
1/2 cup soft bread crumbs Preparation: Prepare acidulated water by adding 1 tablespoon vinegar or lemon juice to 1 quart of water. To prepare the artichokes, snap off and discard dark green outer leaves until central core of pale green is reached. With a stainless-steel knife, so as not to discolor the artichoke, cut off the stem and remaining leaves 1/2 inch above the base. Trim the outer dark-green layer from the artichoke bottom. Remove the fuzzy center and discard. Cut each bottom into thin wedges and drop into acidulated water to prevent discoloring. Combine garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Place 1 tablespoon olive oil into a 2-1/2-quart baking dish. Layer a third of the potato slices into the baking dish. Top with half the artichoke wedges, drained; then sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of the seasoning mixture over the artichokes. Layer with second third of potato slices, remaining drained artichoke wedges, remaining seasonings and last third of potato slices. Pour hot chicken broth evenly over surface; sprinkle with bread crumbs and drizzle with remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Cover dish with lid or foil. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes; remove lid or foil and bake additional 30 to 45 minutes or until potatoes and artichokes are tender. Serves: 4
Grilled Vegetables with Goat Cheese Recipe courtesy Carole L. Phillips. Ingredients: 2 small eggplants
2 yellow bell peppers
2 red bell peppers
4 portobello mushroom caps
1 large red onion
16 asparagus spears
1/2 cup olive oil, plus some for brushing on vegetables
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
6 oz. fresh goat cheese Preparation: Wash and dry all vegetables except the mushrooms and onion. Brush mushrooms with a soft brush to remove any grit. Peel onion. Cut mushrooms and onions into 1/2-inch slices. Cut cap and bottom from eggplants; then cut lengthwise into 3 or 4 pieces. Cut peppers in half and remove stem, membrane and seeds; put them cut side down on a cutting board and flatten with the palm of the hand. Snap the tough part of the stem from the asparagus spears. Heat grill to medium, brush the vegetables with olive oil and grill over direct heat, turning once. Grill eggplant 9 to 11 minutes; pepper 8 to 10 minutes; mushrooms, onion and asparagus 7 to 9 minutes. Vegetables should still be slightly crisp but should show clear signs of having been grilled. When vegetables are cool enough to handle, cut asparagus spears into thirds, peppers into strips and eggplant into bite-sized pieces; separate onion slices into rings. Whisk together balsamic vinegar and 1/2 cup olive oil and dress vegetables with mixture; season to taste. The vegetables may be refrigerated but should be brought to room temperature for serving. To serve, heap the vegetables on a platter. Crumble the goat cheese over the vegetables. Serves: 8
Brandy Snaps Adapted from Short and Sweet. Ingredients: 2-1/2 Tbs. unsalted butter
2 Tbs. granulated sugar
1 Tbs. Lyle's Golden Syrup or light corn syrup
2 tsp. brandy
1/4 cup all-purpose flour Preparation: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Generously butter two baking sheets. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and sugar together. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in syrup and brandy. Blend in flour to form a smooth, thin batter. Let stand for 2 to 3 minutes to cool somewhat. Spoon heaping teaspoonfuls of the batter onto baking sheets at least 3 inches apart; cookies spread a lot during baking. Bake until cookies are golden, lacy and bubbling, 6 to 8 minutes. Let them cool on the baking sheet until just firm enough to remove with a spatula, 30 to 45 seconds. Working quickly, loosen each cookie and transfer it to a rack; cool at least 10 minutes before serving. If any of the cookies becomes too firm to transfer, place the baking sheet back in the oven for a few seconds. When completely cooled, the cookies can be stored, tightly covered, for up to 5 days. They do not freeze well. Serves: 14 to 16 cookies
Strawberries in Balsamic Pepper Syrup Adapted from Short and Sweet. Ingredients: 5 Tbs. honey
3 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 pint strawberries, hulled and halved
1 large, firm banana, peeled and sliced In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the honey and vinegar until well blended. Stir in the pepper. Add the strawberries and stir gently to coat with syrup. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes at room temperature. Stir in the banana. Serve the fruit and syrup in shallow dessert bowls or stemmed goblets. Serves: 4 Editor's note: Bananas may be omitted and an additional half-cup of strawberries substituted.
(Carole L. Philipps is a reporter for the The Cincinnati Post.) (Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, www.shns.com.)
RESOURCES :
Weber's Art of the Grill : Recipes for Outdoor Living
Model: 0811824195
Author: Jamie Purviance
(1999)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Chronicle Publishing Company
Website: www.chroniclebooks.com
California Artichoke Cookbook
Model: 0890878552
Author: Mary Comfort, Editor, et al
(1998)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Celestial Arts
Berkeley, CA 94707
Phone: 510-559-1600
Fax: 510-559-1629
Short and Sweet: Sophisticated Desserts in No Time at All
Model: 0395901456
Author: Melanie Barnard
(1999)
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
Houghton Mifflin Co.
Boston, MA 02116
Phone: 617-351-5000
Email: tradecustomerservice@hmco.com
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