Italian Grilling: Light and Simple Cooking Year-Round - Softcover

Galton, Jean

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0553061704 ISBN 13: 9780553061703

Verlag: Bantam Dell Pub Group, 1997

Inhaltsangabe

Simple, fast, and extraordinarily versatile, grilling is the cooking method for today.  Almost everything can be prepared on the grill, from shrimp to swordfish, portobellos to polenta.  And no wonder: the clear, fresh flavors we love are preserved, fewer added oils are required, and food actually loses fat
as it cooks.

In Italian Grilling, Jean Galton has created more than 70 delicious traditional and new recipes for soups and salads, main dishes, marinades and dressings, and even desserts that combine ease and versatility with the high-flavor, low-fat emphasis we all want.  Imagine a vibrant grilled sweet red pepper soup with shrimp; grilled shrimp with a basil mayonnaise; spicy chicken breasts with lemon; succulent baby lamb chops; grilled peaches with sweet ricotta.

In these recipes, the aromatic ingredients that are the essence of Italian cooking--olive oil, basil, garlic, lemons, rosemary, oregano, and thyme--enhance everything from artichokes to crispy pizzas and bruschettas.  These are mouthwatering dishes you'll want to make throughout the year.

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, and extraordinarily versatile, grilling is the cooking method for today. Almost everything can be prepared on the grill, from shrimp to swordfish, portobellos to polenta. And no wonder: the clear, fresh flavors we love are preserved, fewer added oils are required, and food actually loses fat
as it cooks.

In Italian Grilling, Jean Galton has created more than 70 delicious traditional and new recipes for soups and salads, main dishes, marinades and dressings, and even desserts that combine ease and versatility with the high-flavor, low-fat emphasis we all want. Imagine a vibrant grilled sweet red pepper soup with shrimp; grilled shrimp with a basil mayonnaise; spicy chicken breasts with lemon; succulent baby lamb chops; grilled peaches with sweet ricotta.

In these recipes, the aromatic ingredients that are the essence of Italian cooking--olive oil, basil, garlic, lemons, rosemary, oregano, and thyme--enhance everything from

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For several years, I taught basic cooking lessons at an upscale cooking school.  The students learned all sorts of complicated sauces and myriad cooking techniques in just five sessions.  The most popular class was always the one on grilling: It was fun and easy, and the freshness of the ingredients made the food absolutely wonderful.

Grilling is the most basic and elemental of cooking techniques, part of our primal past.  Simple as this style of cooking is, cooking food over a fire or grill has significant advantages.  It is fast and extremely versatile.  Meat, poultry, and fish become wonderfully crusty and burnished while remaining tender, moist, and juicy.  Vegetables and fruits placed over the same fire are elevated to new heights; their natural sugars caramelize, coloring them a rich brown on the outside while leaving them succulent and meltingly tender on the inside.  Add to this the rich, smoky quality that grilled food takes on and you have a cooking technique that enhances the simplest preparation.

Grilling is ideally suited to our modern preference for low-fat meals consisting of more vegetables and leaner cuts of meat and fish because so little fat is needed.  And grilling is also wonderfully suited to Italian cuisine, with its unpretentious love of fresh ingredients and straightforward preparations.  Consider fresh vine-ripened tomatoes, for example.  When grilled, their rich flavor becomes concentrated and their flesh becomes warm and tender.  Take those smoky grilled tomatoes and rub them against thick slices of garlic-rubbed country bread, drizzle lightly with your best olive oil, and sprinkle with slivers of aromatic basil--and you have a feast for your eyes as well as your stomach.  This is simple food at its best.


Grilled Sweet Pepper Soup (serves 4)

The first bell pepper soup I ever encountered was in Italy at Cibreo, a famous Florentine restaurant.  Unfortunately, it's expensive, so my friends and I went to its less costly counterpart, an informal trattoria sharing the same kitchen. Their famous yellow pepper soup was so beautiful and flavorful that I've been hooked on pepper soup ever since.

3 red bell peppers, halved, cored & seeded
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium-size onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium-size russet potato, peeled & coarsely chopped
2 cups chicken or vegetable broth
1 cup cold water
1/4 teaspoons salt
3/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
12 small shrimp (about 6 ounces), peeled & deveined
2 tablespoons julienned fresh basil

Preheat the grill to high and brush with oil.

Place the peppers on the grill, skin side down.  Grill, turning occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly charred on both sides.  Let cool, then coarsely chop the unpeeled peppers.

In a large saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-light heat.  Add the peppers, onion, and garlic and cook, stirring, for 4 to 6 minutes, or until the onion is softened.  Stir in the potato, broth, water, 1 teaspoon of the salt, and 1/2 teaspoon of the pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the potato is very tender.

In a food processor or blender, purÚe the soup, in batches, until smooth.  Return the soup to the saucepan, cover, and keep hot over very low heat.

Sprinkle the shrimp with the remaining l/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper, and drizzle with the remaining 1 teaspoon oil.  Grill the shrimp, turning once, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until bright pink and firm to the touch.  Ladle the soup into serving bowls, arrange the shrimp in the center of each bowl, and scatter the basil over.


Rosemary-Scented Chicken (serves 4)

The combination of rosemary and fine balsamic vinegar makes this a very special dish.  Buy the best quality balsamic vinegar your budget will allow, and be sure to use fresh rosemary.  Dried rosemary simply isn't right for this recipe.

1/4  cup chopped fresh rosemary
2 large garlic cloves
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (about 5 ounces each)
2 tablespoons very good quality balsamic vinegar

Preheat the grill to high and brush with oil.

In a mortar and pestle, combine the rosemary, garlic, salt, and pepper.  Mash until purÚed, then stir in the oil.  (Alternatively, using a large knife, very finely chop the garlic and rosemary with the salt.  Put into a small bowl and stir in the pepper and oil.)  Spread evenly over both sides of the chicken.

Grill the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.  Transfer to a serving platter and drizzle with the balsamic vinegar. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Tip: To make your grilled chicken breasts look like restaurant fare, place them on the grill for about 2 minutes.  Then give them a quarter turn and continue cooking for 1 or 2 minutes longer.  Turn the chicken over and repeat the procedure.  You will end up with very professional-looking crosshatch-marked chicken.


Pasta with Grilled Eggplant (serves 4 to 6)

For any vegetarian, this dish can become a staple.  Look for eggplants that are long, slender, and very firm.

2 medium-size eggplants (about 1 pound each), cut lengthwise in half & then crosswise into l/4-inch-thick slices
13/4 teaspoons salt
One 28-ounce can whole tomatoes, drained, seeded & chopped
1/2 cup packed julienned fresh basil
1/3 cup chopped pitted Kalamata or Gaeta olives
1 large garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound bow ties (farfalle)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Sprinkle the eggplant slices with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the salt.  Put into a large bowl and set aside for 1 hour.

In a large serving bowl, combine the tomatoes, basil, olives, garlic, the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, the red pepper flakes, and 2 tablespoons of the oil, tossing well.  Set aside.

Preheat the grill to high and brush with oil.

Pat the eggplant slices dry and brush with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Grill the eggplant, in batches, for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until browned and tender.  Remove to a cutting board, and when cool enough to handle, coarsely chop and add to the tomato mixture.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a rolling boil and add salt to taste. Cook the bow ties according to the package directions, until al dente.  Drain well.

Add the pasta to the vegetables and sprinkle with the Parmesan, tossing until well mixed.  Serve hot.


Sweet Polenta with Nectarines (serves 4 to 6)

This sweet polenta is a somewhat low-fat dessert, so a bit of whipped cream or vanilla gelato would not harm it a bit.

2 1/2 cups whole or low-fat (2%) milk
1 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup golden raisins
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup imported instant polenta (about 6 ounces)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 large nectarines, preferably freestone (about 2 pounds), pitted & quartered
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons grated bittersweet chocolate
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon sliced almonds, toasted

In a medium-size heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the milk, water, sugar, raisins, and salt over high heat, stirring frequently,...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Bantam Dell Pub Group
• Erscheinungsdatum: 1997
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0553061704
• ISBN 13: 9780553061703
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 112
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar