The Big Book of Backyard Cooking (4 page)

TIPS AND HELPFUL HINTS

ABOUT GRILLING

Whether you use a charcoal or a gas grill, make a mental note of how long it takes you to grill foods to the desired degree of doneness. Grills (even different makes of charcoal or gas grills) work differently.
Some grills cook faster than others, so cooking times can vary widely depending on
the type of grill used and the intensity of the heat. Being familiar with your own grill will help
you calculate cooking times accurately.

If you are using a charcoal grill, you can avoid using starter fluids by investing in a metal chimney stack. You fill the bottom of this cylinder with crushed newspaper and mound charcoal briquets on top. After lighting the paper you simply wait for the fire to turn the coals gray. Then the chimney is removed and the hot coals are scattered.

Always be sure the grill rack is clean and oiled before grilling.

A grill basket or grate is helpful when cooking fish or other items likely to stick on a grill rack.

An instant-read thermometer is an inexpensive and helpful tool for checking the internal temperature of meats and poultry.

When grilling skewered foods, you can use either metal or wooden skewers. When using the latter, soak them for 30 minutes in water to cover to avoid burning.

The degree of doneness of grilled foods is one of choice. My own opinion is that beef and lamb are best when rosy pink inside, although an exception to this is beef burgers. Recent recommendations are to cook them to medium (160 degrees F) for safety reasons.

Poultry is done when the juices run clear when the meatiest (usually the thigh) area is pierced with a knife. Fish fillets are done when the flesh is opaque and flakes easily. Grilled vegetables should retain just a slight degree of crispness when cooked.

When smoking food on the grill, be prepared to start a charcoal fire a second time. Smoking is often a slow process. To keep the food moist, it’s smart to nestle a small flameproof bowl of water among the coals.

ABOUT BUYING FISH

Buy the freshest fish available, and use it that day or as soon as possible after purchase. Fish should smell fresh; if you detect a “fishy” scent, don’t buy it. And, it’s never a bad idea to ask the fishmonger when the fish arrived in the store. That way you’ll know exactly how old your seafood is.

Oysters, mussels, and lobsters should be kept alive until cooking, so do not refrigerate them in a plastic bag, which would cause them to suffocate.

ABOUT VEGETABLES AND SALADS

It goes without saying that buying the freshest and best produce available, an easy task in warm-weather months when farmers’ markets abound, is a golden rule. Look for tender young green beans; for peppers, summer squash, and eggplants without blemishes; and for lettuces picked that very day. If you have local farms in your area that allow berry picking, take advantage of this opportunity.

Strawberries and raspberries that are handpicked are far superior to the cellophane-wrapped packages in the supermarket.

ABOUT FRESH HERBS

Nothing adds more flavor or color to a dish than fresh herbs, and today they are readily available in our supermarkets. However, if a recipe calls for a fresh herb that you can’t find, you can substitute dried, using a third of the fresh amount specified, since dried herbs are more concentrated in taste.

ABOUT SALTS

Table salt, fine-grained with additives, is an all-purpose salt. It can be used to season savory dishes and is always used in baking. Kosher salt, which is coarse-grained and additive free, is often preferable to table salt because its texture and flavor are more appealing. Coarse kosher salt crystals are particularly good to use in rubs for steaks and other meats. Sea salt, which I think of as a “finishing” salt because it is best when used to season a finished dish, is another choice. It is more costly than table and kosher salt, since it is harvested from sea water, sometimes by hand. Sea salts contain trace minerals and are incredible flavor boosters. A few grains of sea salt sprinkled over a bowl of blanched green beans or a platter of grilled potatoes will enhance these dishes immeasurably. One of the best-known sea salts is fleur de sel, which comes from France. For the recipes in this collection, count on using table salt unless otherwise indicated.

ABOUT ICE-CREAM MAKING

An electric ice-cream machine is a good investment for fans of homemade ice cream. You simply assemble the ice-cream base, pour it in the freezer bowl of the machine, turn on the power, and let it churn away. No more salt or mess. Professional machines are quite costly, but the new home models are modestly priced and readily available. Many of these have a 1½-quart-capacity freezer, ideal for home cooks.

SOME BASIC TECHNIQUES

TOASTING NUTS, SEEDS, OR COCONUT FLAKES

ALMONDS, PECANS, AND WALNUTS Arrange an oven shelf at center position and preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spread nuts on a rimmed baking sheet and bake until lightly browned. Almonds will take 6 to 8 minutes, pecans 5 to 6 minutes, and walnuts 5 to 8 minutes. Watch carefully so nuts do not burn. Remove and cool.

SESAME SEEDS Place seeds in a medium skillet over medium heat, and stir until golden brown, 3

to 5 minutes. Remove and cool.

SWEETENED COCONUT FLAKES Arrange an oven shelf at center position and preheat oven to 350

degrees F. Spread coconut flakes on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake about 5 minutes until flakes just start to brown. Watch carefully, as coconut flakes brown very quickly. Remove, transfer to a plate, and cool.

CRUSHING FENNEL, CARAWAY, OR ROSEMARY SEEDS

Crushing seeds releases more of their flavor. There are several ways to do this. Crush them in a mortar with a pestle. Or, place the seeds in a small plastic bag, and using a meat pounder or rolling pin, crush them until they resemble a very coarse powder. You can also grind them in a small electric mini-grinder. Just make certain you clean this machine thoroughly after each use so that the taste of the just-ground seeds is completely removed.

“PERFECT” HARD-BOILED EGGS

Place eggs in a saucepan in a single layer and add enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring water to a boil over medium-high heat. Then, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and cook for 12 minutes for large eggs. Drain eggs, then plunge eggs into a bowl of cold water for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from water, and if still warm to the touch, place under cold running water until cool. Crack and remove shells.

CLEANING LEEKS

Since leeks grow in sandy soil, they are often filled with dirt or grit. To clean them, cut off the root ends, then split the leeks lengthwise. Rinse thoroughly under cold running water to remove all particles. Then dry and use as needed. Some recipes will call for just the white parts of leeks, while others will ask for the white and light green parts. Most times the dark green stems are cut off and not used.

PEELING GARLIC CLOVES

The easiest way I’ve found to separate a whole head of garlic into cloves is to wrap a clean kitchen towel around a head and then with the handle of a chef’s knife, firmly but gently hit the head until the cloves are released. To peel individual cloves, lay them flat on a work surface and lightly crush them with the flat side of a knife to loosen the thin paper coating. A new kitchen tool, a small rubber tube called the E-Z-Rol garlic peeler, makes this task even simpler. A clove is put into the rubber tube and rolled back and forth. Because the interior surface of these rolls is made of a sticky substance, the papery coating of a garlic clove is immediately loosened.

PEELING AND CHOPPING TOMATOES

Using a sharp knife, cut a shallow X on the bottom of each tomato. Drop 2 to 3 tomatoes at a time into a large pot of boiling water and leave about 5 seconds for very ripe tomatoes and about 10

seconds for firmer ones. Remove with a slotted spoon and plunge into a bowl of cold water for 1

minute. Remove from water, and using a sharp paring knife, peel off the skins. To chop peeled tomatoes, cut them in half horizontally, squeeze out seeds and juices, then chop.

SEEDING AND CHOPPING HOT PEPPERS

The tissues around your mouth, nose, and eyes are very sensitive to the oils of hot peppers, so if you touch any of these areas with pepper-coated fingers, you will feel an unpleasant burning sensation! Wearing rubbing gloves when seeding and chopping peppers will prevent this problem.

Remove the gloves and wash your hands as soon as you are finished.

ZESTING OR REMOVING THE PEEL FROM CITRUS FRUIT

The zest of a citrus fruit is the thin colored outer layer. Because this skin contains the oils of the fruit and is packed with flavor, many recipes call for grated peel or zest. You want to be careful to remove only the colored portion of the skin, and not the white pith beneath, which is bitter. You can use a vegetable peeler or sharp paring knife to remove long ribbons of the skin, then chop them. Or, you can use a citrus zester, a kitchen tool that you scrape across the fruit to remove fine threads of skin. But, by far, the easiest way is to use a Microplane grater, a long rectangular metal grater, which is extremely efficient in removing small bits of the skin without any white pith.

A FEW BASIC RECIPES

BUTTER-RICH SAVORY PIE DOUGH

MAKES ENOUGH DOUGH FOR A 9-TO 10-INCH PIE OR TART CRUST

1½
cups all-purpose flour

½
teaspoon salt

6
tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, chilled and diced

3
tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, chilled and diced

About 4 tablespoons ice water

FOR FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD:
Combine dry ingredients in a food processor, and add butter and shortening. Process, pulsing machine, until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, slowly add water just until moist clumps form. Remove dough and gather into a ball; flatten into a disk.

FOR HAND METHOD:
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles oatmeal flakes. Gradually add water, mixing just until dough holds together. Gather into a ball. To ensure even blending of the flour and fat, pull off about ¼ of the dough and place on a floured work surface. Smear the dough across the work surface and repeat with remaining dough. Then gather into a ball again and flatten into a disk.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes before using. (Dough can be made 1 day ahead; soften slightly at room temperature before using.)

BUTTER-RICH SWEET PIE DOUGH

MAKES ENOUGH DOUGH FOR A 9-TO 10-INCH PIE OR TART CRUST

1½
cups all-purpose flour

2
tablespoons confectioners’ sugar

Pinch of salt

5
tablespoons unsalted butter, chilled and diced

2½
tablespoons solid vegetable shortening, chilled and diced

About 4 tablespoons ice water

FOR FOOD PROCESSOR METHOD:
Combine dry ingredients in a food processor, and add butter and shortening. Process, pulsing machine, until mixture resembles coarse meal. With machine running, slowly add water just until moist clumps form. Remove dough and gather into a ball; flatten into a disk.

FOR HAND METHOD:
Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Cut in butter and shortening with a pastry blender or 2 knives until mixture resembles oatmeal flakes. Gradually add water, mixing just until dough holds together. Gather into a ball. To ensure even blending of the flour and fat, pull off about ¼ of the dough and place on a floured work surface. Smear the dough across the work surface and repeat with remaining dough. Then gather into a ball again and flatten into a disk.

Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 30 minutes before using. (Dough can be made 1 day ahead; soften slightly at room temperature before using.)

CRÈME FRAÎCHE

MAKES ABOUT 1⅓ cups

1
cup heavy cream

⅓
cup sour cream

Whisk cream and sour cream together in a medium nonreactive bowl. Let stand at room temperature until thickened, 6 hours or longer. Cover and refrigerate. (Crème fraîche can be stored up to 1 week, covered, in refrigerator.)

HERBES DE PROVENCE

MAKES ABOUT 6 TABLESPOONS

3
tablespoons dried thyme

1
tablespoon dried oregano

1½
teaspoons dried summer savory

1½
teaspoons dried marjoram

In a small bowl, mix together thyme, oregano, summer savory, and marjoram to blend. (The herb mixture can be stored in an airtight container for 2 to 3 months.)

NOTE:
Herbs de Provence, a mixture of dried herbs used in southern France, can be used to season meat, poultry, and vegatables. This homemade version

takes only a minute to assemble and is an especially nice blend. Also available at specialty food stores and at some supermarkets, common ingredients include

basil, fennel seed, lavender, marjoram, rosemary, sage, summer savory, and