Favorites for indoor and outdoor cooking.
I love the versatility of indoor and outdoor cooking. That is why we have gas indoors and charcoal outdoors. As is evident from my previous post on my favorite implements, I have a great ceramic cooker for outdoor renditions and an extremely reliable non-stick sauté pan for the gas stove indoors. My favorite two for two are the following.
Non-stick Sauté Pan
Calamari
I love squid, and love how it can be manipulated by flavors. I was first introduced to squid when I lived in Spain in the late 80s, and have frequently indulged in various squid dishes over many years. I landed on a recipe that is Italian in origin and simple as heck to cook. It has become the go to special dish that I cook for my wife, Anna.
Soft Shell Crabs
Available for something like four weeks during early summer in the Mid-Atlantic US, this is a sumptuous medium for many ethnic dishes. I prefer a simple batter, spicy dip and sauté method. What makes the difference is soaking the soft shell crab in a milk and tarragon marinade before dredging in seasoned flour and then sautéing in butter.
Ceramic Cooker (Big Green Egg)
Salmon on a plank
I start by brining the salmon in a mixture of salt, bay leaves and maple syrup, then place it on a soaked cedar plank in the ceramic cooker. Our preference is a low temperature with smoke. It needs about an hour and should reach 140 degrees.
Chicken under a brick
I use a butterflied chicken and marinate for a few hours in olive oil, lemon and spices of choice. Then put it straight on the open grill with the “brick” on top. Mine is a salt block covered in aluminum foil.
Hey Mitchel. Thanks for participating in my blog and thank you for the feedback. I hope you read the post "Favorite cooking implements" to see the Big Green Egg in action. I rely heavily on the Williams Sonoma cookbook "Grilling" for many of my recipes, including the Cedar Plank Salmon and Chicken under a Brick featured in this post.
Links for both are shown below:
https://www.williams-sonoma.com/recipe/chicken-under-a-brick-otg.html
http://www.grillingoutdoorrecipes.com/bourbon-maple-glazed-plank-salmon/
I have several posts on this blog relating to wine and I hope they interest you. We are partial to Chenin Blanc (Secateurs, from South Africa, is shown in this blog) to pair with the chicken, and a light red, say Pinot Noir, to pair with the salmon. But I say to ea…
I'm especially interested in your adventures with the Big Green Egg. My wife gave me one about a year ago and I've really enjoyed it, but I need more recipes and ideas! Oh, yes, and wine pairings!
The squid is a favourite for over 20 years!