Gastronomy: Elevated Grilling

I’m always searching for a creative twist on grilling. Since we cook outside so frequently, thinking beyond burgers, chicken, and steak is a proposal that is wildly embraced by my family and a welcome relief to their collective palates.

Browsing through my old Gourmet magazines, I found the perfect elevated grilling idea: Ziti with Grilled Gazpacho Sauce and Sausage. Based on the classic Spanish soup, this broth-less version is a modern marriage of warm grilled vegetables, robustly flavorful sauce, and sweet Italian sausage. With a few adjustments to the original, this simple grill-based pasta dish has managed to replace one of our many, standard meat meals to become a grilling family favorite.

10 T olive oil, divided
2 t salt, divided
2 t pepper, divided
1 medium onion
1.5 pints cherry tomatoes
3 bell peppers, orange, yellow, or red
4 medium zucchini
5 garlic cloves
½ c fresh, flat-leaf parsley, divided
½ c fresh basil, divided
3 T red wine vinegar
½ t sugar
6-8 sweet Italian sausages
1 lb ziti
½ c French feta or shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

Stir salt and pepper into 5 T olive oil. Peel and quarter onion; separately thread onion pieces and tomatoes on metal or pre-soaked wooden skewers; set aside. Trim bottoms and tops off of bell peppers; half peppers length-wise and remove seeds. Trim and halve zucchinis, length-wise. Peel garlic cloves. Brush prepared vegetables and garlic with the seasoned olive oil mixture. Place oiled garlic on a double layer of foil and wrap tightly, twisting to seal.

Prepare grill for direct-heat cooking, medium, high heat. Grill vegetables and garlic covered, turning occasionally:

· Tomatoes, 3-5 minutes, or until slightly wilted
· Bell peppers, 8-10 minutes, or until skin is blackened in spots
· Onions and zucchini, 8-10 minutes, or until tender
· Garlic, 8-10 minutes, or until softened and caramelized in spots.

Transfer as cooked to covered platter.

Peel peppers. Divide tomatoes, bell peppers, and zucchini in half. In a food processor or blender, transfer half of the grilled tomatoes, 3 bell pepper halves, 4 zucchini halves, the entire onion, all of the garlic, 1 t salt, 1 t pepper, remaining olive oil, vinegar, sugar, ¼ c basil, and ¼ c parsley; puree until as smooth as possible, adding additional olive oil, if necessary.

Chop remaining peppers and zucchini; combine with the remaining tomatoes. Continue to keep vegetables warm on covered platter; set aside.

Grill sausages, 12-15 minutes, or until browned and cooked through.

While sausages are grilling, cook ziti, according to directions, until al dente; drain. Add sauce and grilled vegetables to warm pasta. Sprinkle with remaining herbs and cheese; serve with sausages.

Makes 6 servings.

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Gastronomy: Bird is the Word, Beer Can Chicken

When my husband declared "beer can chicken" as the most delectable roasted chicken he has ever tasted, I was more than a little skeptical. If you simply look at our picture to the left, you probably understand what I am talking about: The small, roasting chicken standing upright with everything still intact except for its head. It's weird, right? Although, it looks a little uncomfortable, I can assure you that once you have tasted this treat, you will not be able to get it out of your head. I have even known some chicken haters (you know who you are) that are undeniably hooked. Like a teenager in love, I am infatuated with this technique—it is truly the most flavorful, tender, and unbelievably juicy bird that I have ever encountered. Here are a few tips to making what some call the "best chicken in the world."

• First things first: Purchase the original Chickcan tool online or from your local cooking or hardware store. It is an essential component as it holds the beer can and the chicken in place. Whether using the oven or the grill, I would not attempt it without this very inexpensive tool.
• When selecting a chicken, it should be over four pounds. If the cavity of the bird is too small, it will not fit on the can.
• Using a 12 oz. can of your favorite beer, pour out 1/3 of the contents; reserve the beer for the pie pan or cooking tray that is used under the bird.
• Remember to evenly distribute salt, pepper, and a dry rub all over the body of the chicken. You may purchase a pre-made blend at the grocery or create one of your own from the spice cabinet. Mesquite works really well when grilling, but I have made it with a French provincial herb blend that was terrific, too.
• For additional flavor, place a half of a lemon or orange inside the cavity and a teaspoon of the rub in the can of beer.
• Be sure to keep the temperature stable at 350 degrees for the entire 2 hours of cooking time.
• If using a grill, smoking enhances the bird’s flavor dramatically, so we recommend using a combination of two different chips, mesquite and hickory.
• Lastly, when done, remember to keep those bones. When buying a whole, roasting chicken, you get two meals for the price of one. Combine the bones with water, onions, and veggies to make a deliciously rich chicken stock.

With the weather finally turning around after our brutally morbid Midwest winter, we decided to pick up a fresh chicken and crank up the grill. It was just as delectable as I remembered—ridiculously moist meat with crispy, savory skin, and a light, lingering hint of citrus. I have spent most of my adult life trying to master whole roasted chicken and can honestly attest that beer can chicken is far superior to any that I have ever made. The next spring night, turn on the grill, crack open an iced cold one, and delight in this succulent bird—you will not be disappointed. Details: www.chickcan.com.

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