A Time to Grill

Americans have finally caught on. You don't need long, rather intimidating metal skewers to cook kebabs on the backyard grill (think Middle Eastern shashlik). Instead, take a cue from Far Eastern kitchens (as in Thai satays) and use short bamboo sticks, which thread through vegetables with ease. Bamboo skewers are inexpensive, sold in supermarkets, and can hold all the elements of an English mixed grill or keep flattened Cornish hens from falling through the rack. Soak them in water before loading them with chunks of meat, fish, poultry, or vegetables. (We prefer to cook meats and vegetables separately, which guarantees that nothing will overcook.) Slide the grilled foods off the skewers and onto plates, light the votives, and savor the meal one succulent piece at a time.

ENGLISH MIXED GRILL
SERVES 6

12 small yellow potatoes, unpeeled and halved
12 cipollini or boiling onions
12 large white mushrooms, stems trimmed Olive oil (for brushing)
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh rosemary
Salt and pepper, to taste
6 loin lamb chops
6 sweet pork sausages

Soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 20 minutes.

Fit a large saucepan with a steamer insert and add water to the level of the steamer. Bring to a boil, add the potatoes, cover the pan, and steam over high heat for 15 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a skewer. Remove the potatoes from the steamer and set aside.

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill.

Using 2 skewers, thread the onions without peeling them. Use 2 more skewers for the mushrooms, and another 2 for the potatoes. Set the skewers on a large rimmed baking sheet. Brush the vegetables with oil and sprinkle with rosemary, salt, and pepper.

Skewer 3 lamb chops through the wide end onto 1 skewer. Thread another skewer through the pointed ends of the chops, so they sit without wiggling. Do the same with the other 3 chops.

Using 2 skewers, thread the sausages lengthwise. Prick them well all over.

Arrange the meat on another rimmed baking sheet. Brush the meat with oil. Sprinkle the lamb chops with rosemary, salt, and pepper.

When the charcoal is gray or the gas heat is at medium, set the sausages on the grill. Cover the grill and cook the sausages, turning often, for 8 minutes or until they are cooked through. After the sausages have been cooking for 3 minutes, add the lamb and vegetable skewers. Cover the grill. Cook the lamb for 5 minutes on a side (or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 130 degrees for pink lamb; cook the chops a few minutes more for well-done meat). The vegetable skewers will take 8 to 10 minutes.

Remove the food from the grill as it becomes ready and slide it off the skewers. Arrange on dinner plates and serve at once.

GRILLED FLATTENED HENS
SERVES 6

6 Cornish hens (1 to 1 1/4 pounds each)
1 cup chopped mixed fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, oregano, parsley)
5 tablespoons olive oil, or more if needed Salt and pepper, to taste
Olive oil (for brushing)
6 thick slices rustic bread
1 clove garlic, halved
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill. Soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water for at least 20 minutes.

Set a hen on a cutting board breast side down. Remove the giblets from the cavity and wipe the cavity with paper towels. With kitchen shears, cut along either side of the backbone and lift it out (freeze it for making stock for another recipe). Turn the hen over, and, with the heel of your hand, press firmly on the center of the skin so the breastbone flattens. Do the same with the other birds.

In a bowl, stir the herbs, oil, salt, and pepper to make a paste. Slide your fingers between the skin and the flesh of a hen along each side of the breast. Then slide your fingers between the skin and flesh along the thighs. Using a small spoon, spread a little of the herb mixture under the skin on each side of the breast and the thighs. Do the same with the other birds.

Insert a skewer into one of the wings, push it through the breast, and out through the other wing. Insert another skewer into a thigh. Push it through the bird and out the other thigh. Brush the skin with oil and sprinkle with more salt and pepper. Do the same with the other hens.

When the charcoal is gray or the gas heat is at medium, set the hens on the rack skin side down. Cover and grill for 15 minutes or until the skin is charred. Turn the hens, re-cover the grill, and continue cooking for 15 minutes or until a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees.

Lightly brush both sides of the bread with oil and then with the cut side of the garlic. Grill the bread, turning often, until it is lightly charred.

Remove the skewers from the hens. Arrange a piece of bread on each of 6 plates, set a hen on each one, and serve at once with the lemon wedges.

Ask the Cook: Spouse Special

Can you recommend a good recipe for lemon chicken?
JULIA MURPHY /// FOXBOROUGH

As a chef and a cooking teacher, I am always asked by people if I cook at home. I do, but my wife makes a few very special dishes, including an excellent lemon chicken. Start with two boneless, skinless chicken breasts (four halves). Prepare a marinade using 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, the juice and grated rind of 2 lemons, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger, 1 finely chopped garlic clove, and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil. Place the chicken in a shallow bowl and pour the marinade on top. Cover the dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to overnight. When ready to cook, place about 1/2 cup of flour in a shallow bowl and season with salt and pepper. Remove the chicken from the marinade and use paper towels to pat the breasts dry. Reserve the marinade. Lightly coat the breasts with the flour, shaking off the excess. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat 3 tablespoons of sesame oil and cook the breasts for 3 to 5 minutes per side or until they are cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it on a warm serving platter. In the skillet, lightly brown 1 thinly sliced onion. Add the marinade and bring to a rolling boil. Add 1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 cup of chicken stock. Return the chicken breasts to the pan and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges, rice, and steamed broccoli.

By Peter J. Kelly, a chef-instructor at Johnson & Wales University.