Add Mystique to Your Grill

add mystique to your grill

Cooking on a gas grill, to many, means burgers and hot dogs– typical family barbecue fare. But even the inexperienced barbecuer can achieve chef-quality results, with a little creativity and daring. It is easier than you might think to cook something spectacular on a gas grill.

If you like serving bread alongside your meals, try grilling garlic toast. Grill marks on buttered bread look beautiful, and lend an extra dimension of flavor. Brush each side of a thick slice of French bread with olive oil or melted butter, then rub with a sliced clove of garlic or sprinkle with garlic powder. Place on the grill, but in a spot where the flames from your other food aren’t kicking up. Watch closely so they don’t burn, and toast both sides. Alternatively, place them on the grill after you have shut it off and close the lid; there will be enough heat to toast both sides nicely as you call everyone to the table.

Can’t imagine making vegetables on the grill? Here are some simple things to try:

- Small summer squashes, cut in half lengthwise and coated in olive oil and your favorite seasonings take almost no time to cook crisp-tender, and won’t fall through the grate.

- Potatoes can be baked whole, wrapped in foil. Start them ahead of your other things so they will be finished on time.

- Sweet corn takes on a roasted flavor when grilled. Carefully pull back the husk, but leave it attached to the stem. Remove the silk, and put the husk back over the kernels. Soak the ears in cool water for at least twenty minutes, and when you’re ready to cook them, simply place on the hot grill, turn occasionally, until cooked evenly. Break out the butter and salt!

Nothing says “I know what I am doing!” better than grilling a whole fish. No special equipment is needed, and the fish will stay moist because it is protected by the skin. Simply salt and stuff the body cavity of a red snapper (or other large fish) with lemon slices, place on a hot grill, and cook with the lid closed for 20 minutes per side or until an instant-read thermometer reads 135 degrees in the thickest part of the fish. The high heat will crisp the skin, making it easy to turn. Place on a platter, and make a slit across each end of the fish. Pull away the skin and serve! Because the skeleton is intact, the fish will come cleanly away from the bones. Use this technique for any skin-on fish that has been cut into single servings; keep the skin side on the grate, and monitor the temperature to avoid overcooking, as smaller pieces will cook more quickly.

You don’t have to be a cooking school graduate, or even consider yourself a gourmet, to enjoy a fabulous meal from the grill. And forget the buns!

Richard Myers
www.thegrillingcoach.com