Urban Spice

Fall Grilling Recipes:

Simply Mouthwatering!

By Julie St. Jean Chef, Urban Spice

FALL HIKING AND CAMPING inspires hearty appetites. Perhaps it’s the fresh air that makes us seek warm food that can replenish the energy we’ve burned all day, rekindle our internal furnaces, and make our spirits soar.

Grilling food over a campfire or barbecue is an excellent way to keep delightful tastes locked inside.

Before grilling any food, get to know your fire. Find out where the hot and the warm areas of your grill are located. Test for heat levels by holding your hand five to eight centimetres above the grill. The longer your hand can stay there before moving, the higher the temperature. Six seconds indicates a low temperature, while two seconds indicates a high one.

I prefer a cast iron pan for grilling. Why? It withstands the rigors of direct fire, holds heat longer, and doesn’t require soap for cleaning.

Grilled Romaine Lettuce

For this recipe, you’ll need one head of romaine lettuce (with outside leaves trimmed, then quartered), four to six garlic cloves (peeled and thinly sliced), 80 mL olive oil, 80 mL aged balsamic vinegar, 1/2 bunch of basil (thinly sliced), 4 oz chevre, kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, capers (optional), and one French baguette (sliced diagonally).

Heat the olive oil in a deep-sided, cast iron pan over medium to high heat. When the oil is hot (but not smoking), add the sliced garlic, salt and pepper. Heat until the garlic starts to turn a very pale golden colour. Remove the pan from the heat, and add the balsamic vinegar. Stir or whisk together.

Brush the cut sides of romaine lightly

42 Ottawa Outdoors Fall

with vinaigrette. Then place the cut sides directly on the grill over medium heat. Sear for one or two minutes per side. Put the lettuce on a plate, crumble chevre on the romaine, and drizzle it with warm vinaigrette. Garnish with sliced fresh basil, and/or capers. Brush the baguette with olive oil, and grill each side over medium heat until toasted.

Creamy Polenta

This recipe serves four to six adults. You will need stone ground cornmeal, 500 mL chicken or vegetable stock, 500 mL milk, olive oil, one small onion (diced), two or three large garlic cloves (minced), kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and smoked cheddar.

Heat the oil in a deep-sided, cast iron pan. Add the diced onion, and sauté until golden. Add the minced garlic, and sauté briefly. Add the chicken stock and milk, then season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid almost to a boil. While stirring, slowly add the cornmeal.

Continue stirring for approximately 15 minutes. Set the pan aside on low heat while you prepare the rest of the meal.

Grilled Tomatoes

This recipe requires two ripe tomatoes (cut them in half widthwise), kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and olive oil.

Brush the cut side of your tomatoes with oil, then sprinkle them with salt and pepper. Place on a grill over medium heat, and cook three to four minutes, or until they’re seared, hot and juicy.

Chipotle Lime Black Beanz

You will need 500 mL cooked black beans, one chipotle chili (minced with 15 mL of sauce), juice of two small limes, 15 mL olive oil, two garlic cloves (minced), 1/4 bunch fresh cilantro (roughly chopped), and kosher salt.

Combine all the ingredients together in a cast iron pan, and place it over any heat that is available on your grill. (It just needs to warm the ingredients.) Don’t let the food burn or stick to the pan.

Grilled Chorizo Sausage

Grill two to four sausages (sliced lengthwise) over medium to high heat until they’re seared on each side, and hot. This will take two or three minutes per side. If using raw sausage, don’t slice or poke the casing. Then, grill the sausages on medium heat for about 20 minutes, or until juices run clear when poked with a fork.

Ottawa Outdoors Fall

Seasonal Fruit with a Spirited Chocolate Sauce

The following may be thickly sliced, and grilled or sautéd: apples, pears, peaches, plums, and bananas.

To sauté, melt 30 mL butter in a cast iron pan. Add sliced fruit in this order: the firmest flesh first, and the softest flesh last. Sauté until warm and golden. They should hold their shape when cooked. If they don’t, put a little bit of extra spirits into the chocolate sauce and no one will notice! Optional, but highly recommended: add a splash of frangelico, sambuca, brandy or Grand Marnier to your sauce.

Spirited Chocolate Sauce

For this delicious sauce, you’ll need 125 mL of semi-sweet chocolate (shaved or pure chocolate chips), 125 mL whipping cream (35%), and 30 mL of your favourite spirits.

Bring the cream almost to a boil, remove it from your heat, and add the chocolate. Stir until the chocolate has melted and is smooth. Add the spirits to taste. Drizzle this sauce over warm fruit, or use it as a dip for fresh fruit.

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