Food News and Views – Pizza on the Grill June 27, 2008

Food and Dining Radio Show – 6.27.08

Linda Gassenheimer (LG)

Joseph Cooper (JC)

Fred Tasker (FT)

Elizabeth Carmel (EC)

 

LG: Here’s a new statistic: women are grilling more than men these days. Our guest today is a Master, or I should say Mistress, at taming the flame. Elizabeth Carmel is our guest and she says she grills year round on her balcony in Chicago. She’s the author of several books including her latest, Pizza On The Grill. Welcome.

 

EC: Thank you.

 

LG: Our topic today is mastering our grills. Sitting in his usual seat is Fred Tasker. He’s the wine columnist for the Miami Herald and he writes the wine suggestions for my dinner in minutes column. You can read his column at my website dinnerinminutes.com. What are we drinking today?

 

FT: I have a little diatribe about grilling in South Florida in the middle of the summer.

 

EC: My favorite weather in the world is my air conditioning on and the windows open at the same time.

 

FT: FP&L loves us.

 

LG: Elizabeth is joining us from New York City. Congratulations on your newest book Pizza On The Grill. 

EC: Thank you. Fred should like this as well because we have a drink suggestions with every pizza.

 

FT: Not just wine?

 

EC: Mostly wine. That’s generally my choice of beverage.

 

LG: Well you’re his new best friend. Okay brick oven pizza is popular but pizza on the grill? I picture it melting on the grates and the toping sliding into the fire.

 

EC: Everybody asks me about that.  It doesn’t because you’ve preheated your grill and when you lay your raw dough across the grate instantly the yeast rises. That’s a big distinction between grilled pizza and your pizzeria. We don’t top it until it’s grilled on one side.

 

JC: So you have to flip that thing?

 

LG: And you need a cover?

 

EC: Yes, you need to roll out the dough and I use grits or polenta in the dough which helps prevent it from sticking and it gives it a rustic texture. Then I use lots of olive oil because that helps it be crispy, promotes caramelization and prevents it from sticking. I do not oil the grate.

 

LG: You put the olive oil inside the dough?

 

EC: On top of both sides. Oil the food, not the grates. And I always put oil on anything that I cook because it helps with the crust and it prevents all the food from sticking.

 

JC: After all of these years I finally find this out.

 

EC: So you grill on a medium direct heat. That’s really important because some people tell you to put it on high but if you do that it will burn up. So you need a medium heat. After 2 or 3 minutes you take it off and flip it over. Then put the lid back down and reset the grill with indirect heat. After we top the pizza we put it back on where it’s not too hot. That way the cheese is melted and the bottom is crispy.

 

LG: Tell us about your other grilling tips.

 

EC: Oiling your food and not the grates is really important. People tell you to oil the grates because restaurants oil griddles. The reason it doesn’t work with a grill is because you preheated the grill so if you oil the grates you have a big fire hazard and also your grates are hot to that oil immediate burns. We’ve all felt the bottom of a sauté pan that hasn’t been well-washed. You know how the bottom gets really sticky? That’s because it’s baked on oil that hasn’t been well-washed. So you’re gluing the food to the cooking grates. Also it keeps the natural juices on the inside. If you don’t the juices will evaporate out.

 

JC: Even for steaks?

 

EC: Yes.

 

LG: What are other tips?

 

EC: Buy the best quality ingredients you can afford and let the grill work its magic. Use heat but don’t use too much heat because then you’ll burn the outside and not cook the inside. For example, very few people actually know how to grill hot dogs. If you prick holes in your hot dogs then they won’t explode on the grill. The steam will escape.

 

JC: I like them kinda burned anyway.

 

EC: In England they call sausages bangers because they bang open when you cook them. The other thing I want to tell everybody is that great grilling is the will to grill. It’s only 10 percent skill. It’s not complicated. You need to preheat your grill and know the different between direct and indirect heat. Direct heat is what it sounds like – the burner is on directly underneath the food. Indirect heat is when the heat source is on either side of the food. It should be equal on both sides. If you don’t do that you have to rotate your food.

 

LG: All great advice. We’re talking with grilling expert Elizabeth Carmel. She’s the author of several books on grilling including her latest, Pizza On The Grill. It’s dinner in minutes time. It’s a Curried Shrimp with Basmati Rice. If you’d like the recipe see my website dinnerinminutes.com. Fred, are we drinking today?

 

FT: As you know, one of my pet peeves is that people like New York PR firms think this is the nicest time of year around the country. But for places like Florida, Texas, Arizona and Mexico that’s like promoting skinny dipping in Minnesota in the winter. I’ve devised an indoor cookout. I have recipes for outdoor food cooked inside your air-conditioned kitchen like indoor ribs and potato salad. Then cut out watermelon with your melon baler, put it in a martini glass and pour champagne over the top. You might also drink some icy cold cava, the Spanish stuff that’s really good.

 

JC: What do you recommend for seafood on the grill?

 

EC: It’s very important to oil your fish that you’re cooking. Use a medium-high heat, about 375, and wait until the fish naturally releases itself before you flip it. Don’t turn it too early.

 

LG: That’s a great tip because fish is the worst.

 

JC: What about those hinged baskets?

 

EC: I haven’t had much luck. The fish sticks to the hinged basket. You’ve got to oil it. Another great tip for oilier fish like salmon is to leave the skin on one side of the filet and I take the fish off between the flesh and the skin. Some people love salmon skin so I turn off the heat and let it cook.

 

LG: I’m so sorry but we’re out of time. Elizabeth, thank you so much for joining us.