Recipes: Here’s a grill-centric menu for your Fourth of July feast

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of grilling happiness. Those are some of our undeniable culinary rights on the Fourth of July. There are three Independence Day dishes that I always include in the holiday’s menu: a grilled-to-perfection protein (either beef or chicken), delicious potatoes, and seasonal fruit served with ice cream.

The gameplan entitled “Summertime and the Grilling is Easy,” found in America’s Test Kitchen’s “Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share” made me hungry. Just reading about it made my stomach growl. And the recipes fitted my preparation comfort zone.

The menu and recipes were developed by Dan Zuccarello, America’s Test Kitchen’s Executive Food Editor for books.

“I especially like to grill when I have people over so that everyone can mingle,” Zuccarello wrote. “And serve family-style whenever possible — plattered items look really impressive and are easy to serve.”

Happy July 4th. Grill blissfully.

Tips

• An instant-read thermometer is especially helpful when grilling proteins, helping to avoid overcooking or undercooking.
• Look for potatoes that measure 1 to 2 inches in diameter. If your potatoes are larger, cut them in half.
• Instead of serving lemon wedges, you can halve the lemons and char them on the grill grate cut side-down for a few minutes.
• Threading two wooden skewers through the breasts and drumsticks helps to keep the chicken intact during grilling.

Grilled Lemon-Garlic Chicken with Potatoes

The term “spatchcock” sounds a little risqué. But it’s simply a technique for prepping whole poultry to flatten it so that it grills easily and more quickly. Some refer to it as “butterflying.” Whichever term you use, it’s necessary for getting the chicken ready for this delectable lemon-garlic grilling. You’ll need a pair of kitchen shears to cut out the backbone, but the flattening process isn’t difficult.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

6 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon zest, plus lemon wedges for serving; see cook’s notes

1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon  ground pepper

1 (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chicken, giblets discarded

2 (12-inch) wooden skewers

1 pound small Yukon potatoes (about 1 to 2 inches in diameter), unpeeled

Cook’s notes: Instead of using lemon wedges, if you wish, you can use lemon halves and char them cut side down on the grill. This gives the lemons a lightly caramelized flavor.

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine garlic, oil, salt, sugar, zest, coriander, and pepper in a bowl and stir until a paste forms.

2. With chicken breast side down, use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone. Discard backbone or save for making broth if you like. Discard excess fat or skin at the neck. Flip chicken over and use heel of your hand to flatten the breastbone. Tuck wingtips behind back. Poke holes all over the chicken with skewer. Insert one skewer down the length of the chicken through thickest part of the breast and into and through drumstick Repeat with second skewer on other half of chicken.

3. Rub paste evenly over skin side of chicken. Transfer chicken skin side up to plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.

4. For charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter rounded with charcoal briquettes (7 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover. and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. For gas grill: Turn all burners on high, cover, and heat until grill is hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s). (Adjust primary burner or, if using three burner grill, primary burner and secondary burner, as needed to maintain grill temperature around 400 degrees.)

5. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place chicken, skin side up, on cooler side of grill with skewers parallel to grate. Arrange potatoes around chicken on cooler side of grill. Cover (position lid vent over chicken if using charcoal) and cook until potatoes are tender and chicken breasts register 160 degrees and thighs register 175 degrees, about 1 hour, rotating chicken halfway through cooking.

6. Transfer potatoes to plate and chicken to carving board. Tent chicken with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve chicken and serve with potatoes and lemon wedges.

Source: “Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share” by America’s Test Kitchen

Creamy Herb Dip

The flavors in this perky dip benefit from being prepared ahead, at least one hour, or better yet, up to 2 days in advance. Don’t be shy about using plenty of fresh herbs. Basil, dill, parsley, and tarragon all work well, in any combination. Accompany the dip with raw veggies and if you like, slices of crusty bread that is quickly grilled on the barbecue.

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup fresh basil, dill, parsley, and/or tarragon, in any combination

2 green onions, trimmed, chopped (including dark green stalks)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

DIRECTIONS

1. Process all ingredients in food processor until smooth, about 30 seconds, scraping down sides if needed. Transfer dip to serving bowl, cover and refrigerate until flavors meld, at least 1 hour or up to 2 days. Season with salt and pepper to taste before serving.

Source: “Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share” by America’s Test Kitchen

Summer Tomato Salad

July 4th seems like the perfect time to show off summer’s vine-ripened tomatoes in a tempting salad. It’s not complicated; the simple dressing pairs a mix of oil, vinegar, shallots and parsley that mingle on the platter with the juices of the cut tomatoes.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 pound mixed ripe tomatoes, cored

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

DIRECTIONS

1. Halve or quarter small tomatoes; cut medium tomatoes into 1/2-inch wedges; slice large tomatoes 1/4-inch thick. Arrange tomatoes on a serving platter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Top with parsley and shallot. Drizzle with oil and vinegar. Serve.

Source: “Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share” by America’s Test Kitchen

Grilled Peaches with Butter Cookies and Ice Cream

Grilling peaches enhances the natural sweetness of the fruit. Adorned with grill marks, the tasty fruit is teamed with storebought ice cream and crumbled butter cookies. Grill the peaches up to 2 days in advance if you like; bring them to room temperature before serving.

Yield: 4 servings

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 pounds fresh ripe but slightly firm peaches or nectarines, halved, pitted

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 cups crumbled butter cookies

1 pint vanilla ice cream

DIRECTIONS

1. For charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney started half filled with charcoal briquettes (3 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. For gas grill: Turn on all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Turn primary burner to medium and turn off other burners.

2. Clean and oil cooking grate. Brush cut side of peaches with melted butter. Arrange peaches cut side-down on hotter side of grill and cook until grill marks have formed, 5 to 7 minutes, moving fruit if necessary to ensure even cooking.

3. The next step requires a 9-by-13-inch metal pan or disposable aluminum pan (don’t use any type of glass pan). Transfer peaches to pan and cover with aluminum foil. Place pan on cooler side of grill and cook until fruit is very tender and a paring knife slips in and out with little resistance, about 15 minutes. Remove pan from grill, uncover, and set peaches aside until ready to serve.

4. Cut peaches into wedges and divide them among serving bowls. Sprinkle with cookie crumbles and top with scoops of ice cream. Serve.

Source: “Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share” by America’s Test Kitchen