6 minute read
AND NOT GO INSANE
BURST-TOMATO TOASTS
HANDS-ON TIME 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 20 MINUTES SERVES 4
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4thick slices whole-grain bread, cut into thirds ⅓cupoliveoil 2pints cherry or grape tomatoes
Kosher salt and black pepper 18-ounce container ricotta
HEAT broiler to low with the rack 6 inches from the flame. BRUSH the bread with 2 tablespoons of the oil. Toast under broileruntil golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Set aside. Increase broiler to high. TOSS the tomatoes with the remaining oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ½ teaspoon pepper. Broil on a rimmed baking sheet until charred and the juices are released, 8 to 10 minutes. MEANWHILE, divide the ricotta between the toasts. Top with the warm tomatoes and their juices. Season with freshly ground pepper and serve warm or at room temperature.
QUICK BROILED EGGPLANT DIP
HANDS-ON TIME 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 30 MINUTES SERVES 4
1large eggplant (about 1 pound) 3tablespoonstahini 3tablespoons olive oil 3tablespoons lemon juice 2cloves garlic, chopped 1¼teaspoonskoshersalt ½teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch cayenne pepper 1tablespoonchopped parsley
HEAT broiler to high with the rack 6 inches from the flame. (Adjust for more space if the eggplant touches the broiler.) Prick the eggplant all over with a fork. BROIL the eggplant on a rimmed baking sheet until charred and soft, 20 minutes. REMOVE from heat and cool. Scoop out the flesh from the eggplant and pulse it with the tahini, oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, cumin, cayenne, and parsley in a food processor until smooth. Serve with the vegetables.
BROILED SWEET-ANDSPICY SQUASH
HANDS-ON TIME 10 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 20 MINUTES SERVES 4
1small acorn squash, scrubbed (about 2½ pounds) ¼cup olive oil 2tablespoons maple syrup 1tablespoon Sriracha or hot sauce
Kosher salt and black pepper 1⅓cupscilantro
HEAT broiler to high with the rack 6 inches from the flame. CUT the top quarter off the squash and scoop out the seeds. Cut into thin rings and spread in an even layer on a rimmed baking sheet. Combine the oil, syrup, and Sriracha and brush over the squash. Season with 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper. BROIL until toasted and warmed through, 10 minutes. Sprinkle with the cilantro and serve warm.
CHARRED BRUSSELS SPROUTS SALAD
HANDS-ON TIME 15MINUTES TOTAL TIME 25 MINUTES SERVES 4
1pound Brussels sprouts, sliced 8radishes, thinly sliced 2small tart apples (such as Crispin or Macoun), thinly sliced ¼cupoliveoil
Kosher salt and black pepper 1lemon,juiced 2ounces Parmesan, shaved
HEAT broiler to high with the rack 6 inches from the flame. TOSS the Brussels sprouts, radishes, and apples in the oil on a rimmed baking sheet. Season with ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper. BROIL, stirring with a wooden spoon every 2 minutes, until the Brussels sprouts are charred and the radishes and apples are crisp-tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle with the lemon juice and toss. Serve warm with the Parmesan.
HOT TIP
For optimal browning,place the rack 4 inches (for an electric coil) or 6 inches(for a gas flame)from the heat source. Always turn on theoven light so you can watch and make adjustments asneeded.
HOT TIP
Under a broiler, a sheet panacts like a large skillet, with heat coming from above.So you can brown big batches (think baguette slices for crostini,chicken wings, or French toast) in one go. Justmake sure you rotate the panand flip the food once.
BROILED CITRUS CHICKEN WITH MUSHROOMS AND ONIONS
HANDS-ON TIME 15 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 25 MINUTES SERVES 4
1orange, sliced into rounds 2clementines, sliced into rounds 24-ounce packages sliced mixed wild mushrooms 1red onion, cut into 8 wedges and layers pulled apart ⅓cupoliveoil
Kosher salt and black pepper 1teaspooncrushed coriander seed 6chicken legs (about 1½ pounds) 1packed cup arugula, chopped 1tablespoontoasted pine nuts
HEAT broiler to high with the rack 6 inches from the flame. COMBINE the orange, clementines, mushrooms, onion, ¼ cup of the oil, and 1 teaspoon each salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread in an even layer on a baking sheet. Combine the remaining oil, the coriander, and ½ teaspoon each salt and pepper and spread all over the chicken. Nestle the chicken in the vegetables and broil, turning the chicken every 5 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is golden and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a leg registers 165° F, 15 to 18 minutes. MEANWHILE, tosstogether the arugula and pine nuts. Season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. REMOVE the chicken. Use a spatula to toss the vegetables in the chicken juices and oil to coat. Serve the vegetables with the chicken, sprinkled with the arugula and pine nuts.
HANDS-ON TIME 15MINUTES TOTAL TIME 20 MINUTES SERVES 4
2tablespoonsunsalted butter, plus more for the pan 4eggs 1½cups whole milk 2teaspoonsvanilla 1small loaf whole-grain bread, sliced 1 inch thick (about 8 slices) 1bunch purple grapes, clipped into 4 portions 2tablespoonssugar 2teaspoonscinnamon
Maple syrup, for serving
HEAT broiler to high with the rack 6 inches from the flame. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter. BEAT the eggs, milk, and vanilla together in a shallow bowl. Dip the bread slices in the egg mixture, in batches, until the centers are soaked through. Let any excess egg drip off. PLACE the bread slices on the greased pan. Lay the bunches of grapes alongside them. Broil until the bread is toasted and golden, about 3 minutes. Meanwhile, stir together the sugar and cinnamon. Flip the bread and broil on the other side until lightly toasted, about 2 minutes. Remove the bread and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar. Allow the grapes to cook for another 5 minutes. SERVE warm with more butter and maple syrup.
LINGUINE WITH BROILED GARLIC AND CLAMS
HANDS-ON TIME 20 MINUTES TOTAL TIME 25 MINUTES SERVES 4
1tablespoon olive oil 2cups dry white wine ¼cupwater 6cloves garlic, peeled and crushed ¼teaspooncrushed red pepper
Kosher salt and black pepper 24small hard-shell clams (such as littlenecks), scrubbed clean 12ounces fresh or dried linguine 4tablespoonsunsalted butter, cut into cubes ½cup finely grated
Parmesan, plus more for garnishing ¼cup fresh parsley, chopped
BRING a large pot of salted water to a boil. HEAT broiler to high with the rack 6 inches from the flame. Combine the oil, wine, water, garlic, red pepper, and a pinch of salt in a 9-by-13-inch baking dish and broil until the garlic is toasted and the wine is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add the clams and continue to broil until all the clams are open, 4 to 6 minutes. MEANWHILE, cook the linguine according to the package directions. Drain and return to the pot, along with the butter, Parmesan, and parsley. REMOVE the clams from oven and pour them and their juices over the linguine. Toss well and serve warm, with more Parmesan and black pepper.
FIRED UP Get more broiler-ready recipes, including a cheesy croque monsieur sandwich, at realsimple.com/broiler.
THE
GRATIFYING FRUSTRATING
LIMIT-TESTING
LONG
HAUL
INSPIRING
What makes otherwise normal people take on epic (2,000-mile, multiyear, multipart)projects? Writer AmyShearn explores the motivation behind their journeys—and the pleasures and pitfalls they experience alongthe way.
Photographs by Peter Hapak
I HAVEA CONFESSIONTO MAKE: I’vebeenreadingthesamenovelfor nine years.Inmydefense, it’sreallylong.Idon’tknowwhetherit makesitbetter orworse thatit’s an obscurebook. Forwhoonearthwillgivemeappropriate creditforhavingreada13-volume,out-of-print,stream-of-consciousness early-20th-centuryworkcalled Pilgrimage, byalittleknown author named DorothyRichardson? I’m notsayingI needa medal,but IadmitI’dlike someonetobelegitimatelyimpressed, as if I’d read Ulysses, say,orthefine print on an iTunes update.
Butevenifnoaccolades await me,I feelaparticularthrilleverytime Ipick uponeof thevolumes—thatold-bookscentasredolentasaboyfriend’sborrowedsweater.I’min noparticularhurrytofinish.For onething,there’snot much of a plot, so it’snot as if I’ve beenontheedgeofmyseatfor adecade. Andforanother,reading thisbook hasbecomepartofwho Iam.As theother
THE HIKER
NAME: Macon York
PROJECT: Hiking
the 2,160-mile Appalachian Trail
TIME FRAME: Six solid
