Posted Sept 5, 2011
Grilling Vegetables
Chris Schlesinger of East Coast Grill shows the no-nonsense and easiest way to grill perfect vegetables every time.
In the accompanying video, the Cambridge chef and author grills squash, onion, tomato and sweet potato, but recommends that you grill almost any kind of vegetable when you can.
With dense vegetables such as sweet potatoes you want to blanch them ahead so they can grill easier. In general, you will want to slice the vegetables as thick as you can so that they will maintain their interior texture while getting browned on the outside.
Start with a grill the way Chris usually does it — a hot fire on one side and a medium on the other. This gives you more control because you can switch what you are cooking back and forth as needed.
Lightly oil and salt the surface of the vegetables. If you over-oil, some will drip off and cause the fire to flare up.
Cook the pieces a few minutes on the first side and flip when you have the desired brownness. A good tip from Chris is to not cook anything on the grill (vegetable, meat, fish, etc.) the same length of time on the second side that you do the first. It is not necessary and will only dry out your food.
Chris’s must-have grill tools include long handled tongs, a wire metal brush, and last, but not least, a favorite beverage (since grilling is an exact science, and there is always pressure to make it perfect, your favorite beverage keeps you cool under fire).
Grilled Vegetables
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
1 large tomato
1 large onion
1 zucchini
4 tablespoons salad oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper (white is best) to taste
Instructions:
Prepare the grill. Parboil the sweet potato while the grill is warming.
1. Cut the vegetables into thick slices so that they will get nice and brown on the outside but retain their texture inside of the slices.
2. Lightly rub the vegetable slices with oil and season with salt and pepper. Note: Do not use excess oil as this will cause a flame-up and the vegetables will burn.
3. Grill the vegetable slices 4 to 5 minutes on one side over a medium hot fire, being careful not to overcook them. Turn and cook the other side about half the amount of time as the first side.
4. Check for doneness by bending a piece gently and peering inside it, looking for a slight translucence in the center.
5. Remove the slices from the grill and serve with condiments or place on top of a salad.
Recipe courtesy of “The Thrill of the Grill” by Christopher Schlesinger and John Willoughby, Chronical Books, 1996.
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