HYDE PARK, N.Y. — Turn up the heat on your summer vegetables, especially the intense heat of grills and broilers that gives the vegetables a rich, bold flavor.
Eggplant takes on a delicious smoky taste and a melting texture. Corn becomes a study in contrasts, its bright yellow kernels slashed with brown stripes from the grill bars.
Grilled vegetables can be savored hot from the grill as a main or side dish, or served with a wonderful homemade sauce. They can also be cooled and featured in stuffed pita sandwiches, as the centerpiece of a salad platter or sliced and tossed with pasta for a quick entree.
Chefs have experimented and expanded the repertoire of grillable vegetables from a relatively short list that included summer squashes, peppers and sliced onions. They have found they can also satisfactorily grill and broil vegetables ranging from a tender leafy head of radicchio to such dense and sturdy vegetables as winter squashes.
For grilling, choose perfectly fresh vegetables, showing no softening, discoloration or wilting. Rinse or scrub selected vegetables well. Remove peel or skin, the core and seeds, if appropriate. Then, before grilling or broiling, larger vegetables should be cut into uniform slices or other even-size shapes. Thread small vegetables or chunks of vegetables onto skewers, if desired.
High-moisture or tender vegetables can be grilled or broiled from the raw state; dense or starchy vegetables may need preliminary cooking — such as light steaming— to make sure they are properly done.
Among the vegetables that can be grilled from the raw state are eggplant, zucchini, peppers and mushrooms. Vegetables that are typically par-cooked include fennel, sweet potatoes, carrots and beets.
Vegetables can be seasoned before grilling or broiling with a marinade. Marinate soft vegetables and precooked hard vegetables briefly (15 to 30 minutes) before grilling or broiling. Longer marination could result in the vegetables' absorbing too much moisture.
Let excess marinade, especially oil-based marinades, drain from vegetables before grilling or broiling to prevent grill flare-ups which would leave a carbon residue on the vegetables. One way to avoid this is to marinate vegetables after grilling.
Vegetables can be seasoned during cooking, however — with care. Brush on the glaze or marinade, and baste lightly with additional marinade or oil if the vegetables appear to be drying out.
If a marinade has been used, it can be served as a sauce with the cooked vegetables. Other sauces you might serve over your grilled vegetables include salsa, soy sauce, a jus-based sauce, reduced heavy cream, butter sauce or cream sauce.
Other seasoning can be added to grilled or broiled vegetables after cooking; salt and pepper will not adhere well to all raw vegetables, but will to a vegetable that is hot from the grill or broiler.
If the vegetables seem in danger of sticking to the bars or falling through, put them on a sizzler platter or in a hand-grill.
Grill or broil the vegetables, turning as necessary, until cooked to the preferred doneness. Turn them over with a spatula or tongs after the first side has been marked or browned. To make crosshatch marks, give the vegetables a 90-degree turn after the grill bars have made a striped imprint, then let the bars make another set of stripes before flipping the vegetables to the second side. Finish the cooking time on the second side to get a well-browned exterior.
Vegetables that are to be used in another dish may be grilled just enough to mark and flavor them beforehand.
Serve grilled vegetables hot, cool or room temperature. Remember that thick cuts or high-starch vegetables can retain heat, even after they are removed from the grill or broiler, so allow enough margin for carry-over cooking to avoid overcooking.
Maintain grills and broilers carefully. Scour the rods well with a wire grill brush between grilling different foods, as well as after each service period, to remove buildup of charred food particles.
Rub the rods lightly with a cloth dipped in vegetable oil to lubricate them before preheating the grill. It may also be necessary to lubricate the rods during cooking time, so keep a small container of oil and a cloth near the grilling and broiling equipment.
The grill should be thoroughly heated before you begin grilling. This also helps keep vegetables from sticking to the rods.
GRILLED SHIITAKE MUSHROOMS WITH SOY-SESAME GLAZE
1 1/2 pounds shiitake mushrooms
4 scallions, left whole
Soy-Sesame Glaze (recipe follows)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
Wipe the mushroom caps with a soft cloth to clean. If desired, slice large caps in half. Add the mushrooms and green onions to the glaze and marinate at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Remove the mushrooms and green onions from the glaze, letting the excess drain away. Grill mushrooms and green onions on a preheated grill or broiler until they are marked on all sides and cooked through, about 2 minutes on each side. Scatter with sesame seeds and serve at once.
Notes: Once grilled, the mushrooms can be returned to the marinade, allowed to cool to room temperature, and added to salads or other dishes as a garnish. Makes 4 servings.
SOY SESAME GLAZE
1/4 cup soy sauce or tamari
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup peanut or corn oil
2 tablespoons tahini paste
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
Combine all ingredients for the glaze. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. Makes 4 servings.
Recipes adapted from "The New Professional Chef, Seventh Edition," (John Wiley & Sons, scheduled for publication October 2001)