Recipes for the Dog Days of August
Well, we have reached August which in baseball are the dog days of summer. But for the backyard, it’s time for summer barbecues and parties. So, I thought it’s time to provide some more recipes for the season.
Here are my suggestions:
- Grilled piri-piri chicken wings
- Smash burgers with bconnaise
- Beer can chicken
- Farm stand summer salad
- Grilled berry cobbler or peach crisp
You do not need to make all of these for one afternoon, but it seemed to be a good start.
Grilled piri-piri chicken wings
Ingredients
- 2 Pounds Chicken Wings
- 8 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, melted
- 2 Tablespoons Portuguese Piri Piri Seasoning
- 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
Directions
- Heat a grill to medium-high temperature.
- Mix the butter with 1 tablespoon of piri piri blend.
- Place the chicken wings in a bowl and toss thoroughly with the remaining tablespoon of piri piri blend. Place the chicken wings on the grill apart an inch apart to prevent flare-ups. Wash the bowl and add the piri piri butter.
- Move the wings frequently charring each side, but do not pull on them. If the chicken sticks leave it on the grill. When the skins are charred they will lift off easily.
- Cover the grill between turning the wings and allow the chicken to cook, about 25 minutes for 165° F in the thick part of the wing.
- Toss the cooked wings in the bowl with the Piri Piri butter, garnish with cilantro and serve.
Smash burgers with bconnaise
Ingredients
- 150g minced beef, ideally 20% fat
- 1 brioche burger bun, toasted
- 2 tsp bearnaise sauce
- 1/2 shallot, diced
- 1/4 iceberg lettuce, shredded
- 1-2 pickles, sliced
- Ketchup
- American mustard
- Generous pinch of salt
- Extra virgin olive oil
Burger Prep
- Firstly, toast your buns. Not only is this the best way to ensure the structural integrity of your burger, but it also takes the taste to the next level!
- Next, shred your lettuce. If a beef patty is Batman, thinly sliced iceberg lettuce is Robin. They’re the perfect partnership.
- Lastly, dice your shallots and slice your pickles.
Smashing the Burgers
- Place a large, heavy pan over a high heat and let it heat up for a few minutes.
- Grab the mince and roll it into a ball. Don’t pack it together tightly, as this will result in a less juicy burger.
- Drizzle some oil into your searing hot pan, and place your beef ball into the centre.
- Use a spatula (or burger press if you’ve come prepared) to press down on the burger. Ensure the pressure is even until the ball is reduced to a patty about 1cm thick.
- Leave the patty to sizzle for 2 minutes, and do not touch it. This is where the Maillard reaction will take place.
- Salt the top of the patty and add a drizzle of oil.
- Use a stiff spatula to get beneath the smashed patty and flip it. This should reveal a caramelised crust packed with flavour.
- Add another pinch of salt and cook for a further 2 minutes.
- Once cooked, remove from the pan and start building your burger.
Building the Burger
- Spread a small amount of ketchup and American mustard across the bottom bun.
- On top of those sauces, add your diced shallots and sliced pickles.
- On the top bun, spread a generous amount of bearnaise sauce.
- Add your smashed patty to the base bun and top with your shredded lettuce.
- Bring the buns together and tuck in!
Seasoning Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp paprika
- 1 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/2 tsp brown sugar
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
Beer can chicken
Ingredients
- 1 (4-pound) whole chicken
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or other vegetable oil
- 1 (12-ounce) can beer, room temperature, opened and half-full
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried thyme
- 1 tablespoon black pepper
Directions
- Prepare the grill:
If you are using charcoal, put the coals on one side of the grill, leaving another side free of coals. If you are using a gas grill, fire up only half of the burners.
- Season the chicken and rub it with oil:
Remove neck and giblets from cavity of chicken, if the chicken came with them. Mix the salt, pepper, and thyme in a little bowl, and rub it all over the chicken. Rub the chicken all over with olive oil.
- Lower chicken onto half-filled beer can:
Make sure the beer can is open, and only half-filled with beer. If you want, you can put a sprig of thyme (or another herb like rosemary or sage) in the beer can.
Lower the chicken on to the open can, so that the chicken is sitting upright, with the can in its cavity.
- Grill on indirect heat:
Place the chicken on the cool side of the grill, using the legs and beer can as a tripod to support the chicken on the grill and keep it stable.
Cover the grill and walk away. Do not even check the chicken for at least an hour.
Keep checking the chicken every 15 minutes or so, until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
- Carefully transfer the chicken to a tray or pan:
I say “carefully” because the beer can, and the beer inside of it, is quite hot. One way to do this is to slide a metal spatula under the bottom of the beer can. Use tongs to hold the top of the chicken.
Lift the chicken, beer can still inside, and move it to a tray. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes. Carefully lift the chicken off of the can. If it gets stuck, lay the chicken on its side, and pull out the can with tongs.
Farm stand summer salad
Ingredients
- 4 corn cobs, peeled
- 1 cup snap peas, cut on a bias
- 1 cup cherry tomatoes, cut in half
- 1 bunch garlic scapes, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped red scallion (about 4 stalks)
- 1 stalk young garlic, chopped
- 1 orange bell pepper, finely chopped
- 4-5 pink radishes, cut into matchsticks
- 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon salt, divided
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro (feel free to sub with parsley or your favorite herb)
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Directions
- Fill a large pot with cold water and add 2 tablespoons of salt. Turn the heat up to high/medium-high and add the peeled corn. Once the water reaches a rapid boil, take the pot off the heat and cover the pot until you’re ready to use the corn. (It won’t overcook, I promise.)
- Add the aromatics to a large bowl (scapes, scallion, garlic, cilantro). Cover with lemon juice, 1 teaspoon salt, olive oil, and pepper, and whisk to combine. If it smells amazing, you’re doing it right.
- Cut the corn kernels off the cob while it’s still hot and add to bowl. The warmth from the corn helps the flavor of the aromatics bloom.
- Add the remaining chopped vegetables (snap peas, tomatoes, pepper, and radishes) to the bowl. Stir to combine so everything is evenly coated.
- Garnish with cilantro and feta. Enjoy!
Grilled berry cobbler or peach crisp
Ingredients
For the filling:
- 4 cups sliced Canned peaches (if using frozen peaches, thaw and drain first)
- 1 cup Raspberries
- 1 cup Blackberries
- 3/4 cup Vanilla Sugar
- 3 tbsp. Cornstarch
- 1 lemon – Juice and zest
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 1 pinch Salt
- Macerated berry recipe from above
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon corn starch
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
- Pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon orange juice
For the topping:
- 1 cup Flour
- 2 tbsp. Sugar, plus more for topping
- 2 tsp. Baking powder
- 1/4 tsp. Salt
- 1 stick unsalted Butter (cold) – cut into 1/2″ pieces
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- Vanilla Bean Ice cream
- Mint – for garnish
Directions
- Preheat grill to medium heat. In a large bowl, toss together all filling ingredients until fully incorporated. Transfer all the ingredients to a large cast iron skillet.
- In a medium bowl whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt.
- Add butter and use your hands to incorporate until butter pieces are pea-sized.
- Add buttermilk, vanilla and stir until just combined.
- Spoon mixture on top of fruit and sprinkle the top with more sugar.
- Cover cast iron skillet with a large piece of foil. Place over grill & cook until biscuit mixture is cooked through and fruit is bubbling (20-25) minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
- To serve, place a spoonful of cobbler into a bowl. Top with a ball of ice cream & mint.
