Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - August 7, 2024, Winnipeg, Manitoba WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM ● C3 WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 7, 2024 Vegetable grilling 101 to bring out best flavours I F you have ever tasted grilled shiitake mushrooms in an izakaya in Japan or enjoyed blistered padrón peppers in one of Spain’s tapas bars, you know there are many joys to grilling vegetables. As an Aussie, barbecue is ingrained into my culture, but it’s my world travels that have helped me step up my skills when it comes to grilling vegetables. Sure, anyone can throw a shrimp or steak on the barbie but what about vegetables? Chef Johan Eriksson of Centrum Krog in Piteå, Sweden, tells me the keys to grilling vegetables are practice and timing: “Get to know your grill … and you will find that your vegetables are sweeter, juicier and even richer in taste than boiling and steaming them.” With summer produce season in full swing, here are my top tips for grilling vegetables. The best vegetables for grilling The options for grilling vegetables are endless, so be brave and don’t limit yourself to just large chunks of zuc- chini, onion and peppers this season. Mushrooms are a favourite of mine, but Brussels sprouts and snow peas are just as delightful with their natural juices that are released when kissed by a flame. Chef Ross Lusted of Woodcut in Sydney recommends vegetables that are naturally high in sugar, such as sunchokes, which caramelize beauti- fully on the grill. Cruciferous vegetables and salad greens do well when blistered as large wedges over high heat. I love charring large kale leaves on the grill before tossing them in a Caesar-style dress- ing, and Eriksson tells me that even cabbage and Little Gem and iceberg lettuces make for great warm salads when served with a zingy yogurt dressing, roasted garlic and a generous shower of grated hard cheese. Harder root vegetables, such as beets, parsnips and pumpkin, can also go on the grill, but your best bet is to wrap them in foil and slow-roast over an indirect flame so that they are tender in the middle when tested with a skewer or knife. Tools and equipment for grill- ing vegetables Long tongs are a must for me when grilling vegetables so that I don’t get my forearms singed when reaching to the back of the grill, but one of my favourite tools is a cast-iron pan, which I preheat on the grill before putting in lightly greased vegetables. It reduces the risk of losing vegetables through the grates and minimizes cleanup without losing that charred flavour. For similar reasons, try using a perforated frying pan or wire rack, chef Axell Torres of Osborn House in Bundanoon, Australia, says. “The pan allows the smoke to circulate and give you that smoky flavour, yet you have greater control over smaller vegeta- bles and do not lose them through the grill grates,” he says. A grill basket is another similar option. Skewers, as in Grilled Antipasto on a Stick, are also handy. Just remember to soak your wooden skewers in water for 20 to 30 minutes so they don’t burn, and make sure you cut all your vege- tables into similar size chunks so they cook evenly. How to keep grilled vegetables from sticking and overcooking To keep them from sticking to the grates, I lightly toss vegetables in a neutral oil and prefer to avoid any- thing with a lower smoke point, such as extra-virgin olive oil, which can burn and make vegetables taste bitter. Don’t mask the flavour of the vegeta- bles with too much fat, but that doesn’t mean you can’t baste your vegetables while they are on the grill. Eriksson, for example, uses brown butter on his charred cabbage. Cooking is about using your senses, and the same goes for grilling veggies. “When the vegetables start to give off a nice aroma, it’s a good sign that they’re ready to eat,” says chef Yuki Kugota of Megu in Gstaad, Switzer- land. Use your finger to gently press the vegetables, or even run a paring knife through the centre of roasted beets and other root vegetables to check for doneness. If the vegetables offer no resistance and release juices, they are most likely done. Be sure to take into account residual cooking. Since most vegetables are full of water, they will steam from the inside and continue to cook when removed from the heat, so consider pulling them off the grates slightly before you think they’re done. Use a mix of direct and indirect heat to grill vegetables Here’s something I learned from Ko- rean barbecue: Create a tiered cooking system. Rather than throwing vegeta- bles and thinly sliced cuts of beef on the grill and letting them either burn there or in my mouth, I use indirect and direct heat, which helps control the speed at which vegetables cook. Just like with steak, I always start my vegetables on the hottest part of the flame and flip before moving them to a lower heat to either continue cooking or keep warm until I’m ready to serve them. Add smoky flavour to grilled vegetables To take your vegetables to the next level, try creating smoke. Chef Jon Oskar Arnason of Bryggargatan in Skellefteå, Sweden, suggests intensify- ing the flavour without the use of wood chips. “The trick is to capture smoke — not the black smoke from your marinade but those from the natural juices that drip out of your vegetables,” Arnason says. If you have a lid on your grill, keep it closed while slow-roasting harder vegetables, but if you don’t, invert a large metal bowl over them. How to use grilled vegetables For the simplest grilled vegetables, I drizzle a generous amount of cold- pressed Italian olive oil, add a splash of red wine vinegar and season with salt and pepper while they’re still warm. In Japan, grilled vegetables, such as baby leeks, are eaten directly off the grill and dipped in salt or soy sauce. Put grilled vegetables to use in a wide variety of dishes. Toss in salads or grain bowls. Use as pizza toppings. Add to quiche, frittata or a Spanish tortilla. I look to Italy and stuff grilled vegetables with buffalo mozzarella in crusty rolls. For heartier meals, I throw mixed grilled vegetables, including eggplant and peppers, in a spicy fish head Singapore curry sauce. The possibilities are so numerous and delicious that I grill more vegetables than I need just to have an excuse to use up the leftovers. — The Washington Post MICHELLE TCHEA Don’t mask flavour with too much fat, but brown butter is good on charred cabbage. Pre-soaking wooden skewers in water for 20 to 30 minutes helps prevent them from burning. PHOTOS BY PEGGY CORMARY / THE WASHINGTON POST Vegetables can be grilled on grates, in a grill basket, threaded onto skewers or in a cast-iron pan so no veggies are lost through the grates. Make room on your grill for smoky charred eggplant SUMMER grilling tends to focus on meat, but vegetables also get great flavour from a stint over hot coals. So move the burgers and hot dogs to the side and make room on your grill for smoky, tender eggplant. In this recipe from our cookbook Milk Street 365: The All-Purpose Cookbook for Every Day of the Year, we halve eggplants instead of keeping them whole, exposing the flesh to the direct heat to develop deeper flavour. Making a crosshatch pattern in the flesh with a knife further increases the surface area to maximize browning. The eggplants are cooked cut side down until well browned, then flipped and brushed with garlic oil. Bits of garlic are pushed into the cuts, where they soften and mellow. The eggplant then is covered and roasted until a skewer inserted at the narrow end of the largest eggplant half meets no resistance, then finished with a fresh salad of parsley, mint, sesame seeds and lemon zest. We like to serve the eggplant in the charred skins, but the cooked flesh also can be scooped into a bowl, mashed and mixed with the herb mix- ture, then finished with olive oil and lemon juice. If you prefer to cook the eggplant indoors, broil the oil-brushed eggplant halves cut side up on a wire rack set on a broiler-safe rimmed baking sheet. — The Associated Press CHRISTOPHER KIMBALL GRILLED EGGPLANT WITH SESAME AND HERBS MILK STREET / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Grilled eggplant can be just as much of a summer treat as a hamburger or hot dog. Start to finish: 1 hour Servings: 6 2 medium eggplants, halved length- wise 125 ml (½ cup) extra-virgin olive oil, divided, plus extra to serve Kosher salt and ground black pepper 6 medium garlic cloves, finely grated 125 ml (½ cup) finely chopped fresh parsley 125 ml (½ cup) finely chopped fresh mint 90 ml (6 tbsp) sesame seeds, toasted 15 ml (1 tbsp) grated lemon zest, plus 30 ml (2 tbsp) lemon juice PREPARE a charcoal or gas grill. For a charcoal grill, spread a large chimney of hot coals evenly over one side of the grill bed; open the bottom grill vents. Heat the grill, covered, for 5 minutes, then clean and oil the cooking grate. For a gas grill, turn half of the burners to high and heat, covered, for 5 to 10 minutes, then clean and oil the grate. Using a paring knife, carefully score the flesh of each eggplant half in a crosshatch pattern, spacing the cuts about 2 cms (¾ in.) apart. Be careful not to cut through the skin. Use 60 ml (¼ cup) of the oil to brush the eggplant flesh evenly, then sea- son with salt and pepper. In a small bowl, stir together the remaining 60 ml (¼ cup) oil and the garlic. Grill the eggplant halves cut side down on the hot side of the grill until well browned, 5 to 10 minutes. Flip the halves cut side up and move to the cooler side of the grill. Brush the garlic-oil mixture onto the flesh, using the brush to push the garlic into the cuts. Cover and cook until a skewer inserted at the narrow end of the largest eggplant half meets no resistance, 30 to 40 minutes. In a small bowl, stir together the parsley, mint, sesame seeds, lemon zest and 2 ml (½ tsp) each salt and pepper. Use a spoon to carefully separate the flesh from the skin of each half, but leaving it in place. Sprinkle each half with the herb mixture, then carefully stir it into the flesh to com- bine. Drizzle with olive oil and the lemon juice. Serve warm or at room temperature. ARTS ● LIFE I FOOD ;