Five Things to Grill Before Summer’s Up…
by Annemarie AhearnAs the summer winds down, backyard barbeques and mid-afternoon cocktails fade away and before long an autumn breeze will sweep through New York City. We hope for another sunny afternoon in September to get saucy on a lawn chair in good company, but Indian summers are a sweet exception. Don’t dilly dally my friends, fire up your grills and fill your coolers, because it’s hot like it won’t stop and we could all use another two weeks of debauchery.
Last Chance Summer Grilling Menu
Oysters and Mignonette
12 oysters (from somewhere nearby)
1 shallot
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
Plenty of black pepper and a touch of salt
1 tablespoon minced parsley
To make the mignonette, whisk all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Place the oysters on the grill about an inch apart. Leave them on till they open. Some of the stubborn ones may need a little help. Use an oyster shucker or a dull knife. Leave them on the half shell and spoon the mignonette on top.
Barbequed Chicken
12 breasts, 2 thighs and 2 legs
1 jar Hot Bone Suckin’ Sauce (my favorite) or your favorite BBQ sauce, a brush
Salt and pepper
Season the chicken with salt and pepper liberally. Place the chicken on the grill. Cooking time depends on how hot the grill gets. Brush on the sauce five minutes before chicken is done. This prevents the sauce from burning. Really lather it on.
Corn on the Cob
14 ears of corn
Cayenne pepper
Lime juice, salt and pepper
Peel the husk back, without removing it. Tear off all of the silk. Season the corn with salt, pepper, and a few squeezes of a lime. Pull the husks back up around the stalks and place them on the grill side by side in a spot that’s not too hot. Rotate occasionally. Remove the ears when the kernels go from pale to bright yellow, but are still crunchy. If you’re not sure, bite into one.
Bunch Onions with Salt and Lime
4 bunch onions
Salt and lime juice
Leave the onions all tied together. Cut the roots off. With a knife, cut a grid into the root end on the onion. Squeeze lime and rub salt on the end. Place the onion on the edge of the grill with the greens hanging off. Use them as a handle. Once the onions start to look translucent and charred in places, remove them from the grill and chop into small pieces. Serve as a side dish.
Grilled Peaches
4 peaches
Raw sugar or “Sugar in the raw”
Cut the peaches in half. Remove the pits. Toss them in raw sugar. Place on the grill for 5 minutes. Rotate 90 degrees for those nice grill marks.
