Summer Grilling

Summertime and the cookin' is easy



(This is not me)



The lighter foods of summer are a welcome change from the heartier fare that we enjoy during the fall and winter. No longer do we think of long simmering sauces, complex braises, and roasted meats and vegetables. It’s all about foods that are grilled, fresh seasonal salads and truly flavorful vegetables that haven’t been picked green and trucked 1,200 miles to our local grocery. Through the summer and well into the fall, farmers markets rotate around the city offering everything from exotic vinegars to freshly made donuts. On any given weekend there are endless food and wine festivals being held all over the state. Whether it’s the chi chi poo poo $$$$ Aspen Food and Wine Classic where tickets are over $1,000 per person, or the annual Strawberry Days Festival in Glenwood Springs, with free strawberries and ice cream, arts fair, rodeo, and parade. You can attend a food and wine festival every weekend without going to the same town twice. What a fun way to tour Colorado.

So what’s for dinner? Just about any food can be grilled; fish, chicken, meats, vegetables, fruit, even lettuce. Have you tried grilling a head of romaine for Caesar salad? Delicious!                                                                           

When the temperature starts hitting 90 and above, the last thing you want to do is turn on the oven and heat up the house. So become a proficient grill cook and you’ll be eating delicious meals, enjoying the outdoors, (preferably with a cool libation in hand), and there’s even the added bonus of having very little cleanup. A blessing for me, as Chef Jack dirties every pot and pan in the house to make toast. Here are a few tips to make you a super star griller in no time.

(This is not me either)





(This is me)
For all your Residential and Hospitality Real Estate needs
Call Becky @ 720-979-3184 or email me @Becky@innmatchmakers.com
Thank you for your Business!



Grilling Tips:

1.      Always keep your grill clean, this is essential for good tasting food and food safety.

2.      Pre-heat your grill. If you have a gas grill you can have part of the grill on high heat and part of it at a lower temperature, thus being able to sear the food item then finishing it at a lower heat.  

3.      Marinades and dry rubs; Use them for seafood and all type of meats. Marinating helps tenderize, keeps food moist and imparts flavor, dry rubs add great flavor.

4.      Aluminum foil is the grill cook's best friend. Vegetables can be enclosed in an aluminum foil packed before placing them directly on the coals or on the grid to cook. To ensure even cooking without any leakage, use the Drugstore Wrap Technique.

Drugstore Wrap Technique:

Place the food in the center of an oblong piece of heavy-duty foil, leaving at least a 2-inch border around the food.

Bring the 2 long sides together above the food; fold down in a series of locked folds, allowing for heat circulation and expansion. Fold the short ends up and over again. Crimp closed to seal.

5.      Use tongs to turn and move your food around. Forks pierce the meat and you lose flavorful juices.

6.      Allow your meats, fish, or poultry to come to room temp before placing on the grill. About one hour for steaks and chicken, less for seafood.

7.      Season meat & chicken the day before when possible.

8.      If you like smoked flavor but don’t have a smoker it’s easy to accomplish on a grill. If you're using a gas grill, soak either wood chips, dried or fresh herbs in water for at least 20 minutes then place them in a metal or disposable foil drip pan. Poke several holes in the bottom of the pan and place it on the lava rocks directly under the food.

9.      Soak bamboo skewers in water for at least 20 minutes before building kabobs to prevent skewers from burning.

10.      Turning food too often slows cooking and can result in tough, dry food. Ideally, most fish and meats should be turned only once during cooking time.

11.      Don't apply sauces prior to grilling. Not only do they tend to drip onto the coals and cause flare-ups, but most also contain sugar, which will burn quickly and give the food a burnt taste. Consult the recipe to see when to begin basting; usually it's about 5 minutes before the end of grilling time.

12.      Always allow meats and poultry to rest, lightly covered for at least 5 minutes after coming off the grill.

Basic tools for grilling:

1.      A long pair of professional grade tongs. Don’t skimp and buy a flimsy pair, you’ll regret it.

2.      Long handled spatula – excellent for turning delicate seafood

3.      Meat thermometer – chicken is especially difficult to determine doneness from sight alone. When the thermometer reads 165 degrees it’s done.

4.      A good wire brush for cleaning the grill, before and after cooking.  

 Let’s eat, I’m hungry.

Halibut, salmon, shrimp, tilapia, swordfish, trout, mahi mahi, you name it. If it swims you can grill it.

When hubby chefed at Cliff Young’s Restaurant, his macadamia crusted four citrus salmon was legendary. When I was single, dating and before I had met Jack, if I was given a choice of restaurants for our date, I always chose Cliff Young’s.  I would agonize over whether to order the rack of lamb with apricot / mustard glaze, or the four citrus salmon with macadamia nuts.  You wouldn’t go wrong with either one, but they were both so wonderful it made for a very tough decision.

I asked Jack if I could reprint his salmon recipe for you, so here it is. If you’re having friends over for dinner and would like to wow them with your culinary skills, this dish will do it.

Follow this link for a downloadable pdf version of the recipe printed below:

www.innmatchmakers.com/ftpfiles/salmon.pdf

Grilled Salmon with Four citrus Beurre Blanc and toasted macadamia nuts

It's a French-style sauce (if anyone knows great sauces, it's the French!), easy to make and endlessly versatile. Cooking the wine until it nearly evaporates adds great flavor to the sauce, and adding the butter a tablespoon at a time turns it silken. Take your time when you make this; you will be rewarded with a smooth, satiny sauce with subtle but gorgeous flavor.

SERVINGS: 6

INGREDIENTS:

Vegetable oil cooking spray
Six 4- to 6-ounce salmon fillets, with skin, if possible
1/3 cup vegetable oil, such as canola or safflower
Kosher salt to taste
2 tablespoons of lemon, lime, orange and grapefruit zest, for garnish
1 1/2 cups beurre blanc (recipe below)

3 ounces of toasted macadamia nuts- rough chopped

BEURRE BLANC:

Makes about 2 cups

1 teaspoon clarified butter or olive oil
1 cup heavy cream
1 large shallot, minced (about 1/4 cup)
2/3 cup dry white wine
1cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh orange juice

1 teaspoon fresh lime juice

1 teaspoon fresh grapefruit juice
kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS FOR BEURRE BLANC:

1. In a medium saucepan, heat the clarified butter over medium-low heat. Add the shallot and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, or until it softens without coloring.

2. Add the wine and mixed citrus juices, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the wine reduces and the liquid coats the bottom of the pan. Add the cream and simmer, stirring often, for 5 to 7 minutes, or until reduced by half.

3. Reduce the heat to low and begin adding the butter, a tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition. Do not allow the cream to boil once the butter is added.

DIRECTIONS FOR SALMON:

1. Preheat the broiler or prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Lightly spray the grill rack with vegetable oil cooking spray. The coals or heating element should be medium-hot.

2. Lightly brush both sides of the salmon fillets with oil and season both sides lightly with kosher salt. (If using the oven, broil the salmon, skin side down, about 3 inches from the heat source for about 5 minutes.) Slide a spatula between the skin and fish and turn the fish over. Broil the salmon for 3 to 5 minutes longer or until opaque and beginning to flake. If grilling, place it on the grate, skin side down, for about 5 minutes. Turn and grill for 3 to 5 minutes.

Serve each fillet garnished with citrus zest and the beurre blanc sauce. Top with toasted Macadamia nuts.



Let's Talk Turkey

Greetings!

The holidays are upon us again and the biggest food event of the year is just around the corner!  For dedicated, 'foodies' such as myself and countless others, this is the pinnacle of our American food celebration!

When Saveur, Bon Appetite, Gourmet and other glossies hit the newsstands in early October, complete with photos of perfectly roasted birds, my husband, Jack, a professional chef and I, an avid gourmet, though not by profession, become giddy with anticipation!  

We prepare for this holiday with much the same zeal and thoroughness as a climber prepares an assault on Mt Everest. In honor of this unique event we want to share our favorite tips and recipes for an awe inspiring, gut bustin' Thanksgiving dinner!

I want start with the Glorious Bird.  In subsequent communications I will delve into side dishes, desserts and wine.  In the meantime…Let’s Talk Turkey!

BRINING

According to Martha Stewart, “It’s a good thing!”

In the Goldsmith household, brining is a ‘must do’ first step in preparing the bird.  Regardless of whether you roast, smoke, grill or deep fry, brining will insure the most flavorful and juicy poultry.  Good poultry brine consists of various combinations of water, salt, herbs, spices, and often sugar, honey or molasses.  We suggest you experiment with other meats such as pork or chicken.  That way when it comes time to feed your guests, you will have perfected your craft! Below is a brining recipe from Alton Brown, give it a try and let us know how it worked for you.

 TIPS & TRICKS FROM PROFEESIONAL CHEFS AROUND THE COUNTRY:

1. Never brine in a garbage bag or ordinary household bucket!  Check local restaurants for food grade plastic buckets.

2. If fridge space is an issue, try a non-Styrofoam cooler, as Styrofoam may impart an unsavory flavor to your bird.  Also, you might consider cutting up your turkey prior to the brining process.  Cutting and deboning also cuts your roasting time to about one hour!

3. Be sure to rinse your bird and pat dry after brining, rub with olive oil or clarified butter before roasting.

4. Professional chefs cook only with Kosher salt, Sea Salt, Fleur de Sel and other artisanal salts.  Refrain from using your table salt, which only serves to make your food salty and does nothing to enhance the actual flavor. 

5. To avoid exposing yourself and your guests to food borne illnesses, stuff the cavity of the bird with lemon halves, fresh herbs, and other aromatics; baked your prepared stuffing separately.

If you have specific cooking questions please inquire by email and either Jack or I will be happy to help.  ENJOY!!

 The Holidays can be crazy and the last thing you need is the stress of buying or selling a home!  Though primarily known for brokering Bed and Breakfast Inns, and commercial properties, we also specialize in working with families to meet their residential sales or purchasing needs. It would be our pleasure to serve you!

                 

Ingredients

• 1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1/2 cup light brown sugar
• 1 gallon vegetable stock
• 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
• 1 1/2 teaspoons allspice berries
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped candied ginger
• 1 gallon heavily iced water

For the aromatics:

• 1 red apple, sliced
• 1/2 onion, sliced
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 cup water
• 4 sprigs rosemary
• 6 leaves sage
• Canola oil

Directions:
2 to 3 days before roasting:

Begin thawing the turkey in the refrigerator or in a cooler kept at 38 degrees F.

Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice berries, and candied ginger in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally to dissolve solids and bring to a boil. Then remove the brine from the heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate.

Early on the day or the night before you'd like to eat:

Combine the brine, water and ice in the 5-gallon bucket. Place the thawed turkey (with innards removed) breast side down in brine. If necessary, weigh down the bird to ensure it is fully immersed, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area for 8 to 16 hours, turning the bird once half way through brining.

Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F. Remove the bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard the brine.

Place the bird on roasting rack inside a half sheet pan and pat dry with paper towels.

Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes. Add steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. Tuck the wings underneath the bird and coat the skin liberally with canola oil.

Roast the turkey on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F for 30 minutes. Insert a probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F. Set the thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees F. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let the turkey rest, loosely covered with foil or a large mixing bowl for 15 minutes before carving.