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I'm Ina Garten, and these are
some of my all-time-best "Barefoot Contessa" recipes.
Fire up the barbecue because this is all about grilling.
Remember surf and turf?
I'm making flattened whole chicken
right on the grill,
plus marinated, grilled swordfish
and juicy sliders.
I've got foolproof tips on how to set up the grill.
I'm making delicious grilled sweet corn.
There are even ideas for a grilled salad
and a grilled breakfast.
How does that sound?
So, I'm on the hot seat, and I'm ready to grill.
-- Captions by VITAC --
Closed Captions provided by Scripps Networks, LLC.
Okay. First things first -- setting up the grill.
I do it almost the same way every single time,
and it really works.
Okay, first the charcoal.
First mistake I always make --
I always do it on top of the grill
instead of underneath the grill.
So, this is a charcoal chimney.
It's a very big charcoal chimney.
And what I'm gonna do is I'm gonna put paper in the bottom
and then charcoal on the top
and no lighter fluid.
First of all, it's dangerous,
and second of all, it tastes horrible.
So, two pieces of paper.
Don't stuff it. Otherwise, it won't light.
And then charcoal.
I like old-fashioned charcoal briquettes.
Fill the top like that.
And then, all you have to do is light the paper,
and it heats up the charcoal.
And it's magic.
And why is it in a charcoal
you're always downwind from the smoke no matter where you are?
This is good and hot.
You know the coals are ready when they're gray on the outside
and red-hot glowing inside.
Grill on, and we're ready to rock.
I promise it'll work for you every time.
It's foolproof.
Okay, now we have to put something on the grill.
How does Tuscan lemon chicken sound?
It's so good.
So, I'm gonna take a whole chicken,
and in order to flatten it,
I'm just gonna take the backbone out.
Of course, you can have the butcher do this,
but it's really quite simple.
Just take your knife
and run it right along one side of the backbone...
...and then right along the other side of the backbone.
Just take it right out.
And if your knife gets stuck, just wiggle it a little bit,
and you'll find a place where it can go through.
Or not.
[ Laughs ]
There we go. Okay.
I'm gonna save this for chicken stock.
I'm gonna take my knife and just cut right into the breast bone.
And there's a bone right in here
that you just want to take right out.
That's it. Just discard it.
So, I've got a flat chicken that's gonna grill evenly.
I need lots of salt. Give it lots of flavor.
Both sides...
...to really bring out the chicken-ness in it.
Okay.
So, I'm just gonna put this in a pan
that's big enough to hold it.
That's perfect.
Now, I'm gonna need some rosemary for the marinade.
I think you can tell I like rosemary.
Look at this huge pot of it.
I do this every year. It's an annual here.
It's a very Mediterranean herb,
and it's gonna be wonderful as a marinade for chicken.
[ Sniffs ] Lots of fresh rosemary.
At the end of the day, chicken's pretty bland,
so I want to infuse it with as much flavor as I can.
So, with the Tuscan lemon chicken,
I'm gonna start with lots of fresh rosemary,
about a tablespoon.
Add a tablespoon of chopped garlic.
Always good on chicken.
I need 2 teaspoons of lemon zest.
So, 2 teaspoons -- I need maybe 1 1/2 lemons.
Okay, that's about 2 teaspoons.
So, right into the marinade.
And then, freshly-squeezed lemon juice.
What I'm basically making
is a lemon vinaigrette with lots of fresh herbs.
Just gonna squeeze.
I need about 1/3 cup,
which is a little more than one lemon, maybe 1 1/2.
Lots of pepper.
1/3 cup of olive oil.
Stir it all together...
and just pour it right over the chicken.
This is why you want a dish
that's just the size of the chicken
because you want it to really soak in the marinade.
Then, take the chicken and just toss it around in it.
Turn it upside down.
Make sure the chicken's completely covered
by the garlic and rosemary and olive oil and lemon juice.
Yeah, okay. That's part one -- marinating.
Part two -- the grill.
The first thing I need to do is brush the grill.
Really hot coals but just one layer.
I don't want it too hot.
Otherwise, the chicken's gonna burn.
So, the key to cooking something like this
is to make sure it's all about the same thickness.
Right on the grill.
And at this point,
most Tuscan chickens have, like, bricks wrapped in foil,
all kinds of complicated things on top,
but I just take the dish that it was marinated in,
put it right on top,
and that makes sure that it's really even.
When the chicken goes on, don't pour the marinade over.
Otherwise, you'll find your chicken engulfed in flames.
All the oil will start to burn -- not pretty.
So, I'm just gonna cook it for about 12 to 15 minutes
on each side.
Okay. I think the chicken's done.
Just gonna turn it over.
Oh, is that gorgeous?
So, there are two ways to tell whether it's done.
One is a meat thermometer,
and one is just to cut between the thigh and the breast
and see if the juices run clear.
But 150 degrees -- perfect.
So, I'm just gonna it off, put it on the board,
cover it with aluminum foil, and let it rest.
And it'll continue cooking a little bit.
And the last little surprise of this recipe is grilled lemon.
I'm just gonna put the lemon on the grill,
and it gives a real smoky flavor to the lemon.
It's fantastic, better than a sauce.
Okay, just gonna cut this in quarters,
squeeze the lemon juice,
and have Tuscan grilled lemon chicken.
Oh, it's so juicy.
Now, how fabulous is that?
It's definitely one of my go-to dishes,
which is also true about Indonesian grilled swordfish,
and it's up next.
Grilling is the perfect way to cook fish.
If you undercook it slightly,
you end up with a charred exterior
and a really moist interior.
But Indonesian grilled swordfish starts in the kitchen
with a really flavorful marinade.
So, to create this,
I'm gonna start with a nice, beautiful piece of swordfish.
And the marinade starts with soy sauce.
I need 1/3 cup.
Soy sauce is great because it's actually a tenderizer.
So, as the swordfish sits in the marinade,
it'll really get very tender.
1/3 cup of soy sauce.
1/4 cup of canola oil.
This will give it a nice richness
and also keep it from sticking to the grill.
And next is lemon.
Lemon also just permeates the swordfish,
gives it wonderful flavor.
I need about 2 teaspoons of lemon zest.
Whenever I use lemons, I like to use the zest
'cause it just has so much flavor.
About 2 teaspoons.
This actually is such an interesting recipe.
It was originally my friend Devon Fredericks' recipe.
It was Indonesian ginger wings.
And then, I made it into Indonesian ginger chicken,
and now it's Indonesian ginger swordfish.
I love the way a recipe morphs like that.
Okay, next, I need 1/4 cup of freshly-squeezed lemon juice.
1/4 cup of lemon juice is just about one big lemon.
Okay, next, for the ginger.
So, ginger comes like this.
It's a root, and it's got a skin on it,
which you actually want to take off.
So, I'm just gonna peel it with a sharp knife.
I need 1/4 cup of minced ginger.
It's really hard to eyeball what a piece of ginger's gonna be,
but that should be about it.
When I first published the recipe
for Indonesian ginger chicken,
people said they loved it,
but there was so much cutting and chopping
with the garlic and the ginger.
I've got the answer for that.
Okay, so, I've got the ginger,
and I've got four cloves of garlic.
I'm gonna show you one of my favorite kitchen tools.
This is my handy-dandy mini food processor.
I'm just gonna put the ginger and the garlic right in.
You're not gonna believe how fast this is.
[ Food processor whirs ]
That's for anybody who thought
it was too much trouble to mince the garlic and ginger.
Okay, right into the marinade.
Mmm. The garlic and ginger smell great.
And the last thing I'm gonna add
is 2 tablespoons of good Dijon mustard.
Give it a little kick.
One, two.
Just give it a stir, and that's the marinade.
It smells fantastic.
You can really smell the ginger and garlic,
soy sauce, and the lemon zest is really pungent.
Fantastic.
Okay, next, the swordfish.
So, I've got a small dish. It's just big enough to hold it.
This is enough marinade
for probably six pieces of swordfish.
I'm just gonna do two.
So, I'm just gonna cut them in individual pieces.
What I generally do is pour the marinade on the bottom --
some of it --
then put the swordfish on top...
...and then pour the rest over the top of it.
And then, it's gonna be really well-marinated.
So, this is gonna marinate for about six hours,
but don't let it marinate too long
because the marinade starts to break down the fish,
and it'll end up being mushy.
And we don't want mushy fish.
Fantastic.
Okay, into the fridge, and let it marinate away.
Now comes the fun part where the fire department shows up.
So, the swordfish is marinated in ginger and garlic and soy.
It's gonna be delicious.
First, I want to oil the grill.
It's a really hot grill. Whew!
It's gonna cook so fast.
Okay, now salt the swordfish really well
and just put it on upside down on the grill.
And then, salt the other side.
And that's gonna cook for about five minutes
until it's really still very rare,
and then, we're gonna turn it over.
This is gonna be very good swordfish.
Swordfish is a really moist fish,
so it's particularly good on the grill.
It stays really moist after it's done.
You know, If you don't have a barbecue outside,
you can still broil it inside.
You'll still get all of that flavor
of the ginger and the garlic,
and it's gonna be delicious.
Okay, five minutes on one side, five minutes on the other.
Just gonna give it a big turn.
Ooh, that looks so good.
With swordfish, any fish like this,
you really want to undercook it a little bit
'cause as it rests, it's gonna continue to cook,
and I don't want overcooked fish.
Blech.
I love to serve this at a party
because it can be served hot or room-temperature.
It can just sit for a while. It's delicious.
Okay, that looks like it's perfectly cooked.
Right onto a plate.
Okay, that's done.
Now, white fish, plain plate -- not that interesting.
It needs a little help,
so a little bunch of watercress maybe.
Makes it look a little fresh.
A squeeze of lemon, always good for flavor.
Fantastic.
And whoever said fish is boring
didn't know what they were talking about.
It's so delicious,
and the secret is not to overcook it.
In fact, here's a list of all kinds of grilled things
and how to cook them to juicy perfection.
For chicken and ribs,
the trick is to make sure the fire is very low
and the coals are just in one layer.
Otherwise, the outside burns before the inside's cooked.
Then, for tuna,
first brush both sides of the tuna with olive oil,
then sprinkle it generously
with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
Then, put the tuna on a grill over really hot coals
for about 2, 2 1/2 minutes on each side.
This just sears the outside
and leaves the inside completely raw,
which is exactly how you want it.
Okay, those are my rules for perfect grilling.
Next, I'm gonna show you how to make
simple but perfect corn on the cob on the grill
and also a few things you never thought you could grill.
Why is grilling always about meat and fish?
There are so many things that are delicious on the grill.
Let's start with corn on the cob.
Peel back the husk of the sweet corn...
...remove the silk, all of it,
then brush each ear of corn with 1 teaspoon of melted butter.
Just brush it all the way around.
Then, replace the husk,
put the corn on a grill that's not too hot for 20 minutes.
Turn it every five minutes just so it cooks evenly on all sides.
Then, when it's time to take the corn off the grill,
peel back the husk and sprinkle the corn with salt.
It will be delicious and really sort of mildly smoky.
I love corn on the cob,
but I have another corn recipe that's even better,
and you don't need dental floss afterwards.
So, I'm making confetti corn.
First thing I'm doing is taking all the corn off the cob.
I just think it's so much more delicious that way.
Just cut off the end,
and just sit it up on its little rear end,
and just slide your knife right between the kernels and the cob.
You want to get all of the kernel and none of the cob.
I'm gonna sauté it
with red onions and peppers and fresh herbs.
It's gonna be absolutely delicious.
Okay, so, that's about a quart of corn kernels.
I just want to get all the ingredients ready
so when I get outside, I can stay outside.
Okay.
Now the rest of the ingredients. I've got red onion.
I'm gonna sauté that with a little olive oil first.
I've got a chopped orange pepper that's gonna go in the corn.
Next is fresh herbs.
I've got about 2 tablespoons,
and it's a combination of chives, basil, and parsley.
And I'm all ready to start grilling.
It's a gorgeous day, and I can't wait.
I've sautéed some onions in a little bit of olive oil.
I'm gonna add one pepper, chopped.
I have a nice orange pepper. It's really sweet.
Sauté that for a minute.
This is great doing it all on the grill.
Instead of running inside for the stove
and outside for the grill,
I've got it all right here.
Okay, I'm gonna add 2 tablespoons of butter...
...and 4 cups of corn.
Lots of salt and pepper -- Give it lots of flavor.
And just let it cook for about 10 minutes
until the corn is really tender and the peppers are cooked.
And then, I'm gonna add some fresh herbs.
So, I've got basil, chives, and parsley
just to give it nice, fresh color.
And that's it.
I've even made panzanella on the grill.
How cool is that?
I just grilled some onions and peppers
until they were nice and brown.
It's panzanella, so there's got to be bread involved,
but to amp it up, I've grilled the bread.
I slice the peppers into strips and toss them in a bowl
with onions, chopped cucumbers,
tomatoes, fresh basil, and vinegary capers.
I mixed everything together
and then poured on a delicious, mustardy vinaigrette
made with lots of garlic.
The bread and the vegetables soak it right up.
This salad's a real winner.
Now I'm going for something really different --
breakfast on the grill.
I did a big pan of hash browns,
grilled some tomato kabobs, sausages,
and even made a big skillet of scrambled eggs,
all cooked right on the grill.
How much fun is that?
Okay, we've done chicken, fish, side dishes on the grill.
We've got one more to go, and it's sliders.
They're baby burgers.
They're my favorite, and I bet you can't eat just one.
They're next.
Well, a "Best of Barefoot" grilling marathon
can't be complete without hamburgers on the grill.
But I'm gonna shake things up a little bit.
I'm doing sliders.
They're baby burgers, and they're so good.
Next, the burgers.
Aren't these just adorable?
I'm gonna cook these for four minutes on either side.
The last two minutes, I'm gonna put grated Gruyére on.
It's gonna be delicious.
And while these are cooking,
let me tell you how I made the patties.
So, that's 2 pounds of ground beef.
I use really premium beef. I like grass-fed beef.
3 tablespoons of olive oil.
That keeps it nice and moist.
This is really easy to make.
And some good, spicy mustard, Dijon mustard.
About a tablespoon.
A tablespoon of garlic, finely minced,
right into the mixture.
Some fresh thyme.
About a teaspoon of fresh thyme leaves.
Just peel them right off the stems.
Beef is such a strongly flavored thing.
You want to flavor it,
but you don't want it to go, "Pow."
You want layered flavors --
a little bit of mustard, a little thyme.
Just give it a chop.
It really releases the oils in it
and distributes it through the meat.
Okay. A teaspoon of fresh thyme.
2 teaspoons of salt.
A teaspoon of pepper.
Give it a big stir with a fork. A fork's really important.
You don't want to compact the meat.
You want to keep it really nice and light.
There are two big mistakes of hamburgers.
One is compacting it when you're actually forming the burger,
and the second one is pressing it when it's on the grill.
It gets rid of all the nice juices into the grill.
You want to keep these moist and light and delicious.
Okay. Time to make the burgers.
So, this mixture's gonna make --
It would normally make six burgers,
but I'm gonna make 12 sliders.
And so, they're approximately
two inches wide by one inch thick.
Roll it around.
Don't press it while you're rolling it around,
and then just shape it into a hamburger.
Okay, these are perfectly grilled.
I'm gonna take them off.
You can make them any way you like, just plain with Gruyére.
I have arugula, onions, tomatoes.
That's the thing about burgers.
You can build them any way you want.
And the buns are perfectly grilled.
It's actually brioche.
So, I like them really simple --
bun, slider, Gruyére cheese, and top.
So, that's everything I know about grilling.
Have a wonderful time.
This is the beginning. [ Laughs ]
Wow. That is so good.
Bet you can't eat just one.