Hello From the Kitchen!
June is here, patio season and that means summertime. Warm weather just seems to bring out the fun in us all. Join us this month and embrace your playful side as we explore fun and exciting festivities in the summer.
Poolside grilling has an aroma unlike any other. We have all experienced this while out on our back porch when we suddenly smell the neighbor’s grill, making us wonder, “What are they cooking over there?”. This time of year brings out the Grill Master in us all, that primordial instinct to combine food and fire. Having friends and family for a day at the pool will bring out some of the most fantastic foods, full of flavor and color. There is an endless array of options to choose from. These days our clients stretch their imaginations and do not reserve the grill or just meat. Try more of our grilled fruit kabobs dusted in cumin and cayenne. And better yet, enjoy the feast with a Caribbean popup complete with steel drums. We can host it all. Call us at Exclusive chefs to get all the details. All you have to worry about is your guest list.
For a taste of my favorite summertime food, here are my suggestions on what to eat for picnics, pool parties, or a day of grilling. These are easy picnic food recipes you can make to serve up memorable experiences with friends and family this season.
-Chef Dennis Hicks
HOW TO MAKE GRILLED PIZZA
Why should you put pizza dough on a grill VS in the kitchen oven? A baked pizza needs about 800 F to cook properly but no kitchen oven can reach that temperature, which is why you cook your pizza for longer and with a thinner crust. But on a grill, you can let the temperature reach maximum heat and the process will mimic the wood-fired brick ovens pizza places have been perfecting for centuries. Whether using charcoal or gas, the smoke from the grill will char your pizza and give it the smokey flavor you simply cannot get from a conventional oven.
Grilled Pizza
This will char your pizza and give it a smokey flavor PREP TIME: 20 minsCOOK TIME: 1 hrTOTAL TIME: 1 hr 20 mins
INGREDIENTS
- 8 ounces Packaged pizza dough
- 1/8 cup Olive oil
- 2 ounces Asiago cheese shredded
- 1 each Thinly sliced tomato
- 1/2 cup Basil
- 4 ounces Mozarella cheese shredded
- Salt to taste
- Freshly ground pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat grill on high heat and oil grates.
- Place dough in a bowl and allow it to rise 2 times original size (1 hour). Flour your work surface and rolling pin. Divide dough in 1/2. Roll each half to 10 inch in a diameter circle.
- Place dough rounds onto grill with a pizza peel or spatula and close lid. Cook until grill marks appear (3 minutes). Remove from the grill and flip onto work surface. Move grill temperature to medium heat.
- Brush the rounds with olive oil. Place 1/2 the asiago cheese per round. Add tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Season with salt and pepper.
- Transfer the rounds to the grill and close lid. Cook until the grill marks appear on the bottom of round and until cheese is melted (8-10 minutes). Remove from grill and cool for 5 minutes.
HOW TO MAKE BLUE RIBBON FRIED CHICKEN WITH BUTTERMILK
Growing up in Texas we had lakes, not pools, but regardless of the scenery, the food was essential. And at the center of all that is a summer outing. These were times when your annual family reunion would take place. The picnics my parents and grandparents would prepare were legendary. Fried chicken, grilled stuffed burgers, corn on the cob, collard greens, cornbread, and red beans and rice. The younger kids were given baskets and sent out into the field to pick fresh strawberries and black berries. My uncle would bring 4-5 watermelons, 2 of which were soaked in moonshine and made into Drunk’n Balls (adults only). I finally got the nerve to try one while home from the military in my mid 20’s. Picnics are great and so easy to prepare. Could you imagine a wedding picnic style? No tables, no chairs, just blankets and baskets. We have done it and it was beautiful. Whether you are at your local park or parts unknown, you can just pack a picnic basket, a blanket, and some crispy, seasoned fried chicken…you will thank me later.
BLUE RIBBON FRIED CHICKEN WITH BUTTERMILK
Award-winning crispy and juicy fried chicken PREP TIME: 45 minsCOOK TIME: 45 minsTOTAL TIME: 1 hr 30 mins
INGREDIENTS
- 4 pieces Assorted bone in chicken
- 1 tbsp Kosher salt
- 1.5 tbsp Smoked paprika
- 1 tbsp Ground white pepper
- 0.5 tbsp Garlic powder
- 0.5 tbsp Ground ginger
- 0.5 tbsp Celery salt
- 0.5 tbsp Freshly ground black pepper
- 0.5 tbsp Ground mustard
- 1 tsp Dried thyme
- 1 tsp Dried basil
- 0.5 tsp Dried oregano
- 1 cup All purpose flour
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 0.5 cup Buttermilk
- 1 each Large egg white
- 2 tbsp Vodka
- 2 quarts Vegetable oil
INSTRUCTIONS
- On a baking sheet, place the chicken and salt the meat with .5 tablespoon. Allow them to set for 30 minutes.
- Combine the paprika, white pepper, garlic powder, ginger, celery, black pepper, mustard, thyme, basil, and oregano in a bowl.
- Using 1/2 the spice mix, coat the chicken well.
- Add the flour, cornstarch, .5 tablespoon salt to remaining spice mix and mix thoroughly. In a bowl whisk together the buttermilk, eggs whites and vodka.
- Working on one piece of chicken at at time, dip 1st into buttermilk mix, coating well. Move chicken to the flour mix and completely coat the chicken pressing in the flour into the chicken.
- Repeat this until all chicken is coated and place them on a baking sheet.
- Place oil in large pot and attach a candy thermometer. Heat oil until it reaches 350 degrees. Place paper towels onto a baking sheet.
- Place 2-3 pieces of chicken into oil and fry until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 (12-15 minutes).
- Transfer the chicken to the paper towel-lined baking sheet once they are cooked and cool for 10 minutes.
HOW TO MAKE STRAWBERRY JALAPENO MINT JULEP
While in the military we had stopped in Benidorm, Spain. My shipmates and I were sitting at a beach cabana 50 yards from the ocean, the air warm and salty. Our bartender’s name was Roco. He had been in the Navy too, and when his tour was up he retired to Benidorm and bought this bar on the beach. We swapped navy stories and ports of call as the sun was setting. He asked us, “Have you ever had a spicy margarita?” Being 20 we said, no and began to prepare what I can only describe as fire and ice in a glass. He grabbed skewered jalapenos of a hibachi he had behind the bar, sliced them and added cane sugar to a sauté pot. In a blender he poured copious amounts of tequila and added lime juice. Then Roco added the jalapenos to the mixture. This drink was so cold even though he set it on fire. I drank 3 and woke up the next day, on the beach in a pool of sweat. Well fast forward to today, I’ve made my own version of his cocktail— my ode to Roco and that summer day on the beach at Benidorm. For those of you who love margaritas and spicy drinks, try this out at your next pool party.
Strawberry Jalepeno Mint Julep
Fire and ice in a glass PREP TIME: 10 minsCOOK TIME: 45 minsTOTAL TIME: 55 minsSERVINGS: 1
INGREDIENTS
- 0.5 cup Water
- 0.5 cup Sugar
- 2 each Halved Jalapeno chiles
- 0.25 cup Chopped strawberries
- 8 each Mint leaves
- 2 ounces Bourbon whiskey as needed
- Iceberg lettuce as needed
- 12 ounces Seltzer
- 1 each Strawberry
- 1 each Sliced red jalapeno
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine water, sugar and jalapenos. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature. Discard jalapenos.
- In a cocktail glass, muddle strawberries and mint. Add bourbon and 1 tablespoon simple syrup, then fill with ice and top off with seltzer.
- Garnish with mint a strawberry and red jalapeno slices.
We at Exclusive Chefs realize that the opening of the summer brings family and friends together. Enjoy them and catch up on lost time while we take care of the food, libations and entertainment leaving the summer of ‘21 a beautiful memory.
