Roast-Chicken-Breasts-with-Cranberry-Horseradish-Relish

Roast Chicken Breasts with Cranberry-Horseradish Relish

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Chicken is one of the most popular meats to be cooked on an outdoor grill. Because chicken cooks quickly, it’s well-suited for winter grilling. This recipes pairs grilled chicken with a seasonally inspired relish that combines the tang of uncooked cranberries with the sweet heat of horseradish. (This recipe requires advance preparation.)

Prepare the cranberry relish at least one day in advance. This relish will keep, covered and refrigerated, for one week.

Ingredients

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Coarse kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

For the marinade:

1/2 cup oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 tablespoons crushed fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon granulated garlic
1/2 teaspoon granulated onion
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

For the cranberry relish:

1 cup whole cranberries, washed and picked over
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup prepared horseradish, well drained
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

Instructions

Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Trim any fat from the chicken and gently pound to an even thickness. Place the chicken in a resealable plastic bag and add the marinade. Marinate for at least one hour or up to four hours. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry; season with salt and pepper.

Preheat the grill for medium high (375 degrees F.) direct cooking.

Grill the chicken for seven to eight minutes per side or to an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. Transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and bring to the kitchen. Tent the chicken with foil and let it rest for five minutes before serving.

Using a small food processor, roughly chop the cranberries. Add the sugar, horseradish and lemon juice. Pulse to combine.

Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate at least one day. Serve at room temperature.

pasta arrabiatA WITH SAMBAL

Pasta Arrabbiata with Sambal

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Sambal is becoming more common, a spicy Malaysian chile paste that is widely used for a lot of Asian cuisine. You can find it in the Asian food aisle of any well-stocked grocery store. A generally straightforward mix of chiles, salt and vinegar (some have garlic and/or sugar), sambal can best be described as an Asian harrissa. It’s different from Sriracha in that it is nice and chunky with lots of seeds and bits of chile. It makes for a great shortcut to Arrabbiata and here’s the simple way to do it.

Read more about spicy pasta in Dave Mau’s article here.

Ingredients

1 1-pound box of Penne pasta
2 tbsp. Sambal Oelek
10 oz. of your favorite pasta sauce
Grated Parmesan, Pecorino Romano or Asiago cheese.
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt

Instructions

Boil Penne in water with salt and olive oil until al dente.

Drain and return to pot, toss with Sambal, then pasta sauce.

Top with your favorite cheese and enjoy!

roasted root vegetables

Roasted Root Vegetables

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

This recipe appears in Mike Stine’s article “Outdoor Cooking: Not Just a Summer Pastime.”

Ingredients

2 large turnips, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
1 pound beets, peeled and cut into one-inch cubes
2 large (chef’s) carrots, cut into 1/2-inch rounds
1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped
Six small red bliss potatoes, cubed
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons fresh thyme (or two teaspoons dried)
1 tablespoon fresh rosemary
Coarse kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

Combine the vegetables in a medium mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil and season with thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper. Toss well to coat.

Make a packet of heavy duty aluminum foil large enough to hold the vegetables and seal tightly. Place the packet on an indirect grill and cook for one to 1 1/2 hours or until the vegetables are fork-tender.

smoked-mussels

Smoked Mussels

Dave DeWitt Leave a Comment

Mussels are delicious when simply steamed in garlic and white wine. This recipe combines steaming with smoking for a great appetizer. From Mike Stines’ article “Smoking Succulent Shellfish”. Read more how-to and recipes for smoked mussels, clams, scallops, and oysters here.

Smoked Mussels

Ingredients

1 to 2 pounds Blue mussels
2 cups dry white wine
2 tablespoons lemon juice
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 shallot minced
4 springs fresh thyme
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Instructions

Add the wine, lemon juice, garlic, thyme and crushed red pepper flakes to a 6 1/2-quart stock pot. Fit a steamer basket into the pot and bring the liquid to a high simmer over medium heat.

Scrub the mussels with a vegetable brush and remove the “beard” on the edge of the mussels (do not do this in advance, as removing the beard will kill the mussel).

Put the mussels into the stock pot and tightly cover. Steam the mussels until they just open, about five to seven minutes. Drain in a colander. When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove the meat from the shells—reserving the shells for presentation. Discard any mussels that do not open.

Prepare the smoker for a 200 degrees F. cook using whatever wood you prefer. Smoke the mussels on a grill rack or smoking mat for 10 to 15 minutes. Do not overcook the mussels.

Remove the mussels from the smoker. Place the smoked mussel in one half of the reserved shell and serve.

(Any remaining mussels may be stored, covered and refrigerated, for up to three days. I usually store them in a good-quality olive oil.)

Grilled-Scallops-with-Roasted-Red-Pepper-Sauce

Grilled Scallops with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce

Dave DeWitt Recipes Leave a Comment

Because scallops cook so quickly, they’re ideal for cold weather cooking. Try to get day boat or dry-packed scallops (scallops that haven’t been treated with sodium tripolyphosphate (STP) which causes the scallops to absorb water, increasing the weight and the price of the scallop. “Enhanced” scallops won’t sear properly due to the excess liquid.

Ingredients

12 large dry-packed sea scallops, about two ounces each
Extra virgin olive oil
Coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground Tellicherry black pepper

For the sauce:

1 large shallot, minced
2 springs fresh thyme
1 cup white wine (Pinot Grigio is a good choice)
1 (7-ounce) jar roasted red peppers, drained and chopped
1/4 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons minced jalapeño
1 1/2 teaspoons lime juice
Coarse kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Remove the “catch” or side muscle from the scallops. Rinse the scallops under cold water and pat dry. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Prepare the sauce:

In a small saucepan over medium heat combine the shallot, thyme and wine. (Never use “cooking wine.” Cook with a wine you would drink.) Simmer until the liquid is reduced by one-half, about 10 minutes. Strain into a blender bowl discarding the thyme and shallot.

Add the roasted red pepper, chicken stock, jalapeño and lime juice; process until smooth. Return the sauce to the stovetop and cook until reduced by one-third. Keep warm over low heat.

Prepare the grill for high-heat direct cooking. Place the scallops on the grill, close the cover and cook for two minutes. Using tongs, flip the scallops (if the scallop don’t release easily from the grill close the cover and cook another 30 seconds). Cook the scallops on the second side for another two to three minutes or until the scallops are opaque.

Transfer the scallops to a warm platter. Place a dollop of sauce atop the scallops and serve over mixed field greens.