Tuscan Lemon + Rosemary Chicken under a brick

The Italians love to grill over hardwood. In the summertime, they typically cook over an open fire pit just off the kitchen. In the winter, they place a grill in their fireplace. {I have never seen a gas grill in Italy!} . One of the most interesting grilling techniques I have seen in Italy is cooking poultry under a brick. The Italians call this method of cooking under a brick "al mattone". Whether you use an actual brick or not is not important. The idea is to flatten out the chicken so the skin gets a nice crispy texture and the meat cooks fast and stays tender, juicy and moist. It's really easy from start to finish and a great staple for the seasonal summer menu repetoire.

TUSCAN LEMON + ROSEMARY CHICKEN

1 whole chicken, preferably organic + free range
4 wedges preserved lemons
4 sprigs of fresh rosemary, needles removed from stem
4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon crushed pepperocini chili flakes
1/2 Tablespoon sea salt
1/8 Tablespoon cracked black pepper

Cut the chicken lengthwise through the breast bone {versus down the back} or have your butcher prepare it for you. {The butchers at Whole Foods are great at these kinds of things and are usually very glad to help.} To prepare the marinade for the chicken, place the lemons, garlic, rosemary and olive oil in a blender. Blend the ingredients on low speed, just until coarsely chopped. Refrigerate until ready to use. {This can be prepared up to 3 days in advance.}



To prepare the marinated chicken, open up the chicken and place in a shallow platter,skin side down. Rub the chicken with 1/3 of the marinade. Season with 1/2 of the chili flakes, salt, pepper. Turn the chicken over and rub the remaining 2/3 marinade over the chicken to coat the skin. Season with the rest of the chili flakes, salt and pepper. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or overnight.



When ready to cook, prepare your fire for the grill. The fire should be hot, but the flames should have subsided.
Place flattened chicken on grill, skin side up. Make sure it is placed on a lower heat side of the grill, as you don’t want the chicken to burn before it is thoroughly cooked.
Top with tinfoil covered bricks {you will need about two} or a heavy weight lid or ceramic platter to flatten the chicken. {a cast iron pan will work nicely}.



Cook about 8-10 minutes. Carefully remove bricks, turn the chicken over and cook on the other side, placing bricks back on top of the chicken. Cook for an additional 8-10 minutes. The skin should be lightly charred and the chicken should be flattened. Test the temperature at the thigh if you are unsure about the doneness. The temperature should be about 160 degrees.




Carefully remove from the grill and let rest 5-10 minutes. Cut into pieces and serve with fresh lemon wedges.

Serves 4.

NOTE:
I especially like cooking this recipe over the hard wood Tuscan grill because it add so much flavor to the dish. The high heat creates a crispy-textured skin. The hard wood adds lots of flavor throughout the entire chicken. This is a great recipe for easy entertaining, too. {p.s. great father's day gift!}




Buon appetito!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry

Not Your Basic Burger

My mission tonight was to test new recipes with one of our seasonal pestos made with a locally grown ingredient- Vidalia onions.
Being a midwest girl, I had to solicit some advice from my southern posse of chefs....and they brought it on. The recipe ideas they offered were sounding so good. and, alas, the manboy wanted a burger. a perfect comfort food for a midwest girl. and, a summertime grilling favorite.

it's easy, easy, easy.


1 pound lean ground sirloin beef
1 cup Vidalia Onion Pesto
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup sour cream
2 ounces white cheddar cheese
2 burger buns
1 cup arugula greens


In a medium mixing bowl, mix the ground sirloin, 1/2 cup pesto, salt and pepper just until combined. Mold into two generous size patties. Fire up the grill or heat up a saute pan and cook until done- rare, medium and please, never well done.

While the burgers are cooking, combine the remaining 1/2 cup pesto with the 1/4 cup of sour cream. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Cut the buns in half and toast. Layer the bottom bun with slices of cheese. Top with the burger. On the other side of the bun, spread 2 generous tablespoons of the sour cream mixture. Top with arugula. Eat.

serves two hungry carnivores.










Buon appetito!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry

Lamb Burgers

Forgive me for my giddiness, but this is my very first {real} youtube video.
On location at our store at Henri Bendel New York.
Making Lamb burgers.

Hope you enjoy......



PS: They taste even better on the Tuscan Grill.
Just arrived from Italy. Alice Waters Slow food Favorite.
By the end of summer, you will be sick of hearing me singing the praises of my favorite kitchen tool.
bear with me...good food will be the prize!


Buon appetito!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry

Time for Tuscan Grilling

The Tuscan Grills are loading off the dock. Our first shipment from Italy! Hand forged by metal smith artisans in the charming hill town of Chianti. It doesn't get any more authentic than this.

What's so special about the Bella Cucina Tuscan Grill?

1. Handforged by Italian metalsmith artisans. Like our food, our kitchen tools are hand crafted with care. Good materials, structure and a lot of love goes into these grills. They are special and one of a kind.

2. The flavor! These grills are made for cooking over hardwood. Hickory, oak, grapevines or branches from fruit trees. There is nothing more flavorful than the smokey aroma of hickory wafting from the grill. The flavor is like nothing you can imagine, until you try it. Meat, fish, chicken, vegetables are all infused with so much flavor.
Nice and crisp, seared texture on the outside, moist, juicy, tender on the inside. need i say more?

3. The experience. We are all so busy and it can seem like a chore to get it together and get a meal on the table that we are proud to share and love to eat. The grill is easy. no really! it make take a bit of time to get the flames fanning, but that is the perfect way to give yourself permission to unwind, relax and enjoy time around the fire chatting about your day. If you are really in a hurry, Alice Water's recommends using chemical free lump charcoal. Check out Page 57 in her latest book, The Art of Simple Food.



4. Alice Water's endorses this Slow Food favorite! We've got the official stamp of approval and we are proud to be the exclusive ambassador for Alice's treasured grill. Alice fell in love eating on a grill while traveling through Italy many years ago. She wanted to share it with others, and designed a grill. We have her original design, which we call Orginale. Last year, I traveled to Italy and created the Grande. A double size grill. Great for cooking for family and entertaining a crowd.


Enjoy the weather and your al fresco feasts!



Buon appetito!
copyright 2009 Alisa Barry

Grilled Shallots

One of my favorite, flavorful ingredients is a little known stepchild of the allium family, but a star in my eyes and a staple in my kitchen. The shallot is a mild counterpoint to the onion and is typically used to add a more subtle, sweet aromatic flavor to stews, salad dressings and savory marmalades. They are a bit more expensive than onions, but their dynamic flavor is unmatched.

The other day, while perusing my local farmer's market for new, seasonal finds, I happened across a big bag of California shallots for $5.99. What a bargain! Although I had no idea what I was going to make with 5# of shallots, I couldn't resist. And so, over the next couple of days, ingenuity and creativity was called into action.

One of my favorite ways of cooking shallots is tossing them with extra virgin olive oil seasoned with Wild Sage & Oregano Aromatic Savory Salts and grilling them over a hardwood fire. The smokiness of the oakwood logs adds a heady and sophisticated layer of flavor to the sweet onion flavor of the shallot. You can also roast them in an oven in foil, but the flavor will be more subtle. Experiment with your own dishes, substituting shallots were you might otherwise use an onion and you will see how this delicious ingredient will soon be a stable in your weekly market basket.



GRILLED SHALLOTS IN THEIR SKINS

1/2 pound shallots {about 8 large size}
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. Wild Sage & Oregano Savory salt

Mix the olive oil and slat together in a bowl. Toss with the shallots and marinate at room temperature until ready to cook.

Cook the shallots in their skins on the cooler side of the grill until soft. You can grill whole or cut in half and then grill them with skin side down first. For extra large shallots, you may want to finish them off in a 350 degree oven until soft and sweet.

Serve warm or at room temperature with Grilled ribeyes, roasted lamb or vegetables, or as antipasti spread with toasted bread.

To make a dressing or marinade for meats with either raw or grilled shallots, try this classic vinaigrette recipe:

1 Tbs. Red Wine Vinegar
1 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar
½ tsp. Sherry Vinegar
1 Shallot, finely chopped
1 tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. Freshly ground pepper
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil

In a medium bowl, add all the ingredients except the olive oil. Slowly whisk in olive oil until the mixture becomes emulsified.
Toss gently with baby field salad greens, use as a marinade or sauce for chicken, fish or beef. Store the rest covered in the refrigeratorfor up to a week.

**this recipe may also be made in the food processor, drizzling in olive oil with the motor on.




Buon appetito!
copyright 2008 Alisa Barry