Fabulicious!: On the Grill Read online

  * * *One Fabulicious, Non-grilled Side* * *

  I love cooking on the grill, but sometimes the amount of food you’re cooking or the amount of people you’re cooking for (especially if you have someone in your life like my husband who could easily bring home an entire town for dinner unannounced) doesn’t match up with the size of your grill. Or maybe sometimes you just want to concentrate all of your grilling energy on the meaty main course. Then there are those times when you have a “helpful” friend or relative over who insists on cooking, too . . . For these situations, I’m giving you one very special non-grilled dish. It’s fast, fabulicious, and features my Fabellini sparkling wine as a glaze for carrots (page 174). Salute!

  Gabriella’s Grilled Chicken Parmesan

  Makes 6 servings

  One of the recipes from Fabulicious! Teresa’s Italian Family Cookbook that I get complimented on the most is Gabriella’s favorite meal: Chicken Parmigiana. It’s hard to believe you can make such a succulent layered dish on the grill, but you can, and it’s just as fantastic as the original oven version.

  6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (each about 6 ounces)

  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

  1 teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  ¾ cup Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs

  ⅓ cup (about 1½ ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

  1 cup (4 ounces) shredded fresh mozzarella cheese

  3 cups “The Quickie” Tomato Sauce (page 56)

  1. One at a time, place half a chicken breast between 2 plastic storage bags. Using a flat meat pounder or a rolling pin, pound the chicken until it is about ½-inch thick. Brush the chicken on both sides with the oil, and season with the salt and black pepper.

  2. Mix the bread crumbs and Parmesan cheese together on a plate. Dip and coat the chicken on both sides in the breadcrumb mixture, patting the coating to help it adhere. Transfer to a baking sheet. Let stand at room temperature while preparing the grill.

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

  4. Using a wad of paper towels dipped in olive oil, wipe the cooking grate to grease it. Place the chicken on the grate and close the lid. Cook until the coating on the underside is golden brown and seared with grill marks, about 4 minutes. Carefully flip the chicken and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the chicken feels firm when pressed on top with a fingertip, about 4 minutes more. During the last minute, top each chicken breast half with mozzarella. Transfer the chicken to a platter.

  5. For each serving, spoon ½ cup of the tomato sauce on a dinner plate and top with a chicken breast half. Serve hot.

  Juicy Joe’s Chicken and Broccoli Rabe Dinner

  Makes 6 servings

  This is Joe’s specialty. He loves broccoli rabe—we all do!—and he makes this for us all the time. It’s super simple but so delicious! I usually serve this with plain ziti to help mellow out the broccoli’s bite.

  6 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (each about 6 ounces)

  3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  1 pound broccoli rabe, well washed

  1 large onion, chopped

  5 garlic cloves, crushed under the flat side of a knife and peeled

  1. Preheat the grill for direct cooking over medium heat (400°F). One at a time, place half of a chicken breast between 2 plastic storage bags. Using a flat meat pounder or a rolling pin, pound the chicken until it is about ½ inch thick. Brush the chicken on both sides with 2 tablespoons of oil and season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. Let stand at room temperature for 15 to 30 minutes.

  2. Meanwhile, bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli rabe and cook until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain well.

  3. Place the chicken breast halves on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook until the undersides are seared with grill marks, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the chicken feels firm when pressed on top with a fingertip, 4 to 6 minutes more. Remove the chicken breasts from the heat and transfer to a chopping board. Let stand while finishing the broccoli rabe.

  Teresa’s Tip

  Get the Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs, but not the cheese-flavored kind. If you want cheese, you can always mix in freshly grated Parmesan. The “cheese” they include in the breadcrumb can is not . . . well . . . fresh. Or even really cheese.

  4. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the broccoli rabe and garlic. Cook until the broccoli rabe is tender, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

  5. Cut the chicken across the grain into ½-inch-thick slices. Transfer the chicken slices and juices to the skillet and cook to blend the flavors, about 2 minutes. Remove the garlic cloves and serve hot.

  Chicken Thighs with Sweet and Spicy Rub

  Makes 6 servings

  I prefer firm and tender white chicken meat, but Joe and my kids love the juicy dark meat. And while I peel off the skin, I know some of you love it, especially when it’s crispy! (Even I splurge every once in awhile, and the skin on this is fabulicious!) So here is a recipe with lots of options. I put the rub under the skin directly onto the chicken so if you do like to eat it skinless, you won’t be pulling off all of the flavor with the skin.

  Sweet and Spicy Rub:

  1 tablespoon light brown sugar

  2 teaspoons salt

  2 teaspoons sweet paprika, preferably smoked paprika

  2 teaspoons dried thyme

  1 teaspoon garlic powder

  1 teaspoon onion powder

  1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  Chicken Thighs:

  12 chicken thighs with skin and bone

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  1. To make the rub: Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl.

  2. To make the chicken: Separate the skin from each thigh, leaving it attached on one side. Sprinkle the rub all over the chicken flesh, and pull the skin back into place. Brush on both sides with oil. Let stand at room temperature while preparing the grill.

  3. Preheat the grill for indirect cooking with medium-high heat (450°F).

  4. Put the chicken on the cooking grate over the unignited burner(s), skin side down, and close the grill lid. Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until it shows no sign of pink when pierced at the bone with the tip of a small knife, about 15 minutes more. (The chicken thighs are too thin to get an accurate reading on a meat thermometer.) Remove from the grill. Serve hot, with or without the skin.

  Chicken Spiedini with Basil Glaze

  Makes 6 servings

  Skewers are great for serving guests because you can personalize them to suit anyone; and they’re super easy. I sometimes use zucchini or mushroom caps instead of the peppers and onions.

  Special equipment: 6 metal grilling skewers

  Basil Glaze:

  2 garlic cloves, crushed under the flat side of a knife and peeled

  1 cup packed fresh basil leaves

  ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Spiedini:

  2 pounds skinless boneless chicken breast, cut into 24 pieces

  1 small red bell pepper, cored and cut into 12 pieces

  1 small yellow or green bell pepper, cored and cut into 12 pieces

  ½ medium red onion, separated into layers and cut into 12 large chunks (small pieces discarded or saved for another use)

  Extra-virgin olive oil

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  ½ cup (2 ounces) freshly grated Parmesan cheese, for serving

  1. To make the glaze: With the machine on
high, drop the garlic through the feed tube of a food processor until minced. Add the basil leaves and process until chopped. With the machine still running, gradually add the oil. Season with salt and pepper. (Or process all of the ingredients in a blender to make a thin paste.)

  2. To make the spiedini: For each serving, thread 6 pieces of chicken, and 2 each of red and yellow peppers and red onions onto a metal skewer. (Do not pack them closely.) Brush the skewers with oil and season with the salt and pepper. Let stand at room temperature while preparing the grill.

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

  4. Place the spiedini on the grate and close the grill lid. Grill until the undersides of the chicken are seared with grill marks, about 5 minutes. Turn the spiedini and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the chicken feels firm when pressed on top with a fingertip and the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 5 minutes more. During the last 2 minutes, brush the spiedini generously with the basil glaze and turn occasionally to set the glaze. Transfer the skewers to a platter.

  5. Sprinkle the chicken and vegetables with the Parmesan cheese. Serve hot.

  CHAPTER 7

  Pesce (Seafood)

  In Italy, instead of saying “the early bird gets the worm” (because who really wants a worm?), we turn it around and warn you against staying in bed and being lazy by saying chi dorme non piglia pesci or “he who sleeps doesn’t catch any fish.” And we all want the fish!

  We spend our entire summer, every single moment we can, at the Jersey Shore. Whether at our own house or visiting friends’ houses, we do almost of all our cooking outdoors. Everyone either has a huge patio or dock—some on the ocean, some on the bay—and everybody has a grill.

  The great thing about being so close to the water is that we can get fresh seafood almost all the time. Joe has a couple of crab traps that he baits with pieces of chicken or bunker, then throws over the side of our dock in the morning. By nighttime, we’re feasting on fresh crab.

  I think a lot of Italians settled in New Jersey because it is so close to the water. No matter where you are in New Jersey, you’re always less than 70 miles from the beach. Italy is only 100 miles wide at its widest point (not counting that top bit bordering Europe), so we’re used to having easy access to the ocean.

  I’ve been cleaning and cooking seafood my whole life. Because it can be so easy to get (and pulling it out of the ocean means it’s free!) and so quick to cook, it’s what my mom usually served at big parties. I remember growing up, we’d have thirty-five people over like it was nothing. I loved helping my mom prepare all the food, especially the seafood! My favorite is sea bass; I love how flaky, buttery, and soft it is. And I’ve already confessed my love of octopus. There’s really not a kind of seafood that I don’t like. Anchovies, baccalà . . . bring it on! But don’t worry, I’m going to give you my most delicious seafood recipes that star everybody’s favorite fish: sea bass, swordfish, tuna steaks, and even salmon stuffed with crab.

  MINDING NEMO

  Now I know I’ve been saying that you have to be careful with the high heat when grilling, but that doesn’t apply to seafood. Seafood is especially delicate, so that doesn’t make sense at first, but let me explain. If you overcook seafood, it’s just no good. And since it’s delicate, it’s very vulnerable to being overcooked. The best way to protect it inside is to get a nice crust on the outside.

  Fish meat is flaky, which also means it falls apart much, much easier than chicken or steak. The best way to stop it from sticking to the grill (and leaving clumps behind when you try and flip it) is to be sure that the cooking grate is super clean, so give it a really good scrub with the grill brush. If you grill a lot of fish, get a perforated grill pan to put on the cooking grate because, unlike the grate, you can wash it well between uses. Another trick is to always lightly, but thoroughly, oil the fish.

  Once you put your fish on the grill, don’t touch it. Don’t move it, don’t shift it, don’t stick your spatula under it to try and loosen it. Instead, let it cook, with the lid closed, over high heat until a thin, golden exterior crust forms on the underside, usually two or three minutes. At that point, the fish will let go of the grill, and you can flip it in one beautiful piece. So don’t touch it for a few minutes, until you’re sure the crust has formed.

  Crab-Stuffed Salmon Involtini

  Makes 6 servings

  Involtini, “rolls” in Italian, is when you wrap a thin piece of meat, usually veal, pork, or seafood, around a stuffing. I love to use easy-to-roll salmon stuffed with crab. Since the salmon has been butterflied, it won’t take long to cook. Depending on the price of seafood in your area, this recipe can be kind of a splurge, so you might want to save it for when you have company or a celebration.

  Stuffing:

  1 cup crabmeat, picked over for cartilage and shells

  1 scallion, white and green parts, finely chopped

  2 tablespoons mayonnaise

  1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  1 tablespoon Italian-seasoned dry bread crumbs

  ½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

  Salt

  Hot red pepper sauce, such as Tabasco

  Salmon:

  6 skinless salmon fillets (each about 6 ounces)

  Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  Lemon wedges, for serving

  1. Preheat the grill for direct cooking over high heat (500°F).

  2. To make the stuffing: Mix the crabmeat, scallion, mayonnaise, lemon juice, bread crumbs, and Worcestershire in a medium bowl. Season with salt and hot pepper sauce.

  3. To make the salmon: Place a salmon fillet with the short end facing you. Using a sharp knife, cut the fillet horizontally through its center, reaching almost, but not quite, to the other side. Open up the fillet like a book. Spread one-sixth of the stuffing on one side of the fillet and close the fillet. Repeat with the remaining fillets and stuffing. Lightly brush the fillets on both sides with oil and season with the salt and pepper.

  4. Place the fillets on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook, without moving the fillets, until the undersides are seared with grill marks, about 2 minutes. Carefully flip the fillets (the filling will stay in place), and continue cooking, with the lid closed as much as possible, just until is the other side seared with grill marks and the salmon looks opaque with a hint of rosy pink when flaked in the center with the tip of a sharp knife, about 2 minutes more. Remove the salmon from the grill. Serve hot with the lemon wedges.

  Grilled Sea Bass with Lemon-Wine Sauce and Pistachios

  Makes 6 servings

  Wanna know a secret about the delicious creamy lemon-wine sauce that upscale restaurants serve with seafood? It’s easy and inexpensive to make at home—and it’s not even made with cream! It’s actually butter that’s very slowly heated until it looks creamy. Make the sauce just before you put the fish on the grill, and keep it warm by placing the saucepan in a skillet of hot, but not simmering water.

  Lemon-Wine Sauce:

  1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

  2 tablespoons minced shallot

  1 cup dry white wine, such as Pinot Grigio

  2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

  Finely grated zest of 1 lemon

  2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

  1 cup (2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into tablespoons

  Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  Sea Bass:

  6 skinless sea bass fillets (each about 6 ounces)

  Extra-virgin olive oil, for brushing

  ½ teaspoon salt

  ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

  ⅓ cup coarsely chopped pistachios

  1. To make the sauce: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine, vinegar, lemon zest, and juice. Bring to a boil over high heat a
nd cook until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce the heat to its lowest setting.

  2. One tablespoon at a time, whisk the butter into the shallot mixture, whisking constantly until each addition softens before adding the next. The butter should warm and soften into a creamy sauce, and not actually melt. If the butter looks melted, remove the saucepan from the heat and immediately whisk in another tablespoon of cold butter. It should take about 2 minutes to add all of the butter. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat. (At this point, you may strain out the shallots and lemon zest through a wire sieve into a small bowl, but it won’t do any harm to leave them in for a slightly less smooth sauce.) Put the saucepan (or bowl) in a skillet of very hot water over very low heat to keep the sauce warm for up to 1 hour. The sauce should be warm, not piping hot, and it will warm up when it comes into contact with the hot fish.

  3. Preheat the grill for direct cooking over high heat (500°F).

  4. To make the sea bass: Lightly oil the sea bass fillets on both sides with the oil and season with the salt and pepper. Place on the cooking grate and close the grill lid. Cook until the undersides are seared with grill marks, about 3 minutes. Flip the fillets and continue cooking, with the lid closed, until the flesh in the center looks barely opaque when flaked with the tip of a small sharp knife, about 3 minutes more. Remove the fillets from the grill.

  5. To serve, place a sea bass fillet on each of six dinner plates, and top each with 2 tablespoons of the sauce. Sprinkle with the pistachios and serve hot.

  Teresa’s Tip

  Any leftover lemon-wine sauce—or double the recipe so you have extra—can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 2 days. When you’re ready to use it again, bring it to room temperature before using as a sauce for steamed or boiled vegetables.