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Thrilling
Grilling And Beer-can Chicken On A Barge
easy to moderate
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Bob's award winning 3rd book will
help you transform everyday ingredients into a dining
adventure, and turn you into a culinary hero amongst
your friends and family.
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For years I have been cooking for dinner
parties at my friend Craig’s
cottage on Gambier Island, a tiny spit in the Georgia Straight,
thirty miles from Vancouver. Everyone kicks in to help with
the cooking and even though we always say "it can’t
get any better" we always manage to outdo ourselves the
next time. When it was confirmed that we'd be taping in Vancouver,
I had a fantasy of towing the Toastermobile on a barge to
my dinner party Mecca. When I jokingly suggested the idea
to the show’s producer, they actually agreed to go for
it--with one covenant--that it had to be the last show, just
in case the barge sank.
After taping the nine other episodes, we
loaded the Toastermobile (and our faith) onto a barge and
towed it by tug. On Gambier, there’s no electricity,
and no place to run to for last minute ingredients. But these
minor shortcomings were no challenge for the harmonic convergence
of eight chickens, four pounds of asparagus, two dozen ears
of corn, six bunches of bananas and plenty of Canadian micro-brewed
beer.
Fortunately, the Toastermobile made it back
to terra firma safely, which is good news for the future of
surreal dinner parties.
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cups seedless
(or seeded) watermelon, cut into 1-inch cubes, rind discarded
before measuring. |
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tablespoons
freshly squeezed lime juice |
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ounces tequila
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ounces Cointreau
or triple sec |
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cups ice |
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Put cut
watermelon in a plastic bag and place in freezer for a
minimum of 2 hours. (If time does not permit this step,
add a few extra ice cubes when blending—the difference
is not that significant.) |
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Stuff all
ingredients into a blender and puree until smooth. Garnish
rim of glass with a lime wheel or a watermelon wedge and
serve immediately. |
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pound fresh
asparagus (Look for firm stalks with firm deep green or
purplish tips. Also check the bottom of the spears. If
they are dried up, chances are they have been sitting
around for too long). |
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tablespoons
olive oil |
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teaspoon
salt (This may seem like a lot—just trust me.) |
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Trim off
the tough bottom of the spear by grasping each end and
bending it gently until it snaps at its natural point
of tenderness—usually two thirds of the way down
the spear. If the spear is less than 6 inches long, chances
are it has already been trimmed for you. Then take a vegetable
peeler and peel off the outer skin of the lower half of
the remaining stalk. |
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Place asparagus
on a plate. Drizzle oil over top and turn spears until
they are coated. Sprinkle with salt and turn again. |
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Grill asparagus
for 5 minutes over a hot grill. Each minute or so, roll
each spear 1/4 turn. Asparagus should begin to brown in
spots (indicating that its natural sugars are caramelizing)
but should not be allowed to char. |
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Remove from
grill and serve immediately (eating spears with your fingers
enhances the experience). |
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4-pound
whole chicken |
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can of beer
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tablespoons
salt |
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teaspoon
black pepper |
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tablespoons
of your favorite dry spice rub |
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tablespoons
vegetable oil |
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Remove neck
and giblets. Discard. Rinse chicken inside and out—pat
dry with paper towels. Rub chicken lightly with oil then
rub inside and out with salt, pepper and dry rub. Set
aside. |
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Open beer
can and take several gulps (make them big gulps so that
the can is half full). Place beer can on a solid surface.
Grabbing a chicken leg in each hand, plunk the bird cavity
over the beer can. Transfer the bird-on-a-can to your
grill and place in the center of the grate, balancing
the bird on its two legs and the can like a tripod. |
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Cook chicken
over medium-high, indirect heat (i.e. no coals or burners
on directly under the bird), with the grill cover on,
for approximately 1 1/4 hours or until the internal temperature
registers 165°F in the breast area and 180°F in
the thigh, or until the thigh juice runs clear when stabbed
with a sharp knife. Remove from grill and let rest for
10 minutes before carving. |
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It is a
popular misconception that corn must be soaked in water
or wrapped in tin foil before being cooked on the grill.
Bollocks. All you need to do is peel off the excess huskage
(leaving the cob with 2 or 3 layers of husk still intact)
and yank off the silk.
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Then simply
place the corn on the hottest part of the grill and turn
1/4 rotation every 2-3 minutes as the husk starts to blacken.
When the entire husk begins to resemble blackened carbon,
remove from grill. Peel away blackened husk and serve. |
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F.Y.I.,
the heat of the grill causes the natural sugars in the
corn to caramelize and some of the kernels to turn brown.
The more browning, the sweeter the corn. |
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red bell
peppers |
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pound butter,
at room temperature |
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cup basil
leaves |
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tablespoons
lime juice |
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salt and
freshly ground pepper to taste |
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Roast the
red peppers whole over a charcoal flame or under a broiler,
turning until entirely blackened. Remove from the grill
and immediately place in a paper bag. Seal bag and let
sit for 10 minutes. Peel off the charred skin and discard.
Slice the peeled peppers open and discard the membranes
and seeds.
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In a food
processor, puree the butter, peppers, basil, lemon juice,
salt and pepper. |
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Divide butter
into 4 equal amounts, place each portion on tin foil,
wax paper or plastic wrap, then roll into a butter log
approximately 1 1/4 " in diameter. Return to refrigerator
until butter hardens. To serve, remove from foil and slice
into 1/4-inch slices. |
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tablespoons
dark rum |
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tablespoons
honey |
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bananas,
peel on, sliced lengthwise |
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teaspoon
ground cinnamon |
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pint chocolate
ice cream, or frozen yogurt |
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In a bowl,
blend rum, honey and cinnamon. Reserve. |
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Over direct
medium heat, grill bananas, cut sides down for 3 minutes,
or until bananas develop visible grill marks. |
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Turn bananas
and brush with honey-rum mixture. Continue grilling, with
lid down, for 5 minutes, or until bananas are cooked throughout. |
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Remove and
immediately. Serve with ice cream. |
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