Grilling Vegetables

With Chris Schlesinger

Chris Schlesinger shows the no-nonsense and easiest way to grill perfect vegetables every time. In this video he cooks squash, onion, tomato and sweet potato, but recommends that you grill almost any kind of vegetable when you can.

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 of it will drip off and cause the fire to flare up. 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.

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.

Ingredients

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).

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato
1 large tomato
1 large onion
1 zucchini
4 tablespoons salad oil
Salt & freshly ground pepper (white is best) to taste

Instructions

Prepare the grill. Par boil 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 get burned.
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.

Chris was born and raised in Virginia, where he first developed his love for barbecue, spicy food and live fire cooking. He entered the foodservice industry at age 18, when he left college and became a dishwasher. Fascinated by the intense energy and teamwork that are the heart of any restaurant kitchen, Chris went on to become a line cook, and then decided to pursue a formal culinary education at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) where he graduated in 1977.

Following his graduation from the CIA in 1977, Chris worked in 35 different restaurants, working with New England's most innovative chefs during the first blossoming of nouvelle cuisine. He also continued his extensive travels to regions featuring overhead waves and low 80s temperatures, further honing his fondness for loud flavors, seafood, and grilling.

In 1986 Chris opened the East Coast Grill, in 1989, Jake and Earl's Dixie BBQ and in 1990, The Blue Room. All of these restaurants received national attention. In 1996 Chris consolidated his restaurant efforts and revamped the East Coast Grill, tripling its size and shifting its focus to seafood. In 1999 Chris opened the Back Eddy in Westport, MA, overlooking the Westport River. Close relationships with local farmers, fishermen, brewers, vintners and cheese makers define the menu at the Back Eddy.

Chris is the co-author with John Willoughby of five cookbooks: the James Beard Cookbook Award winner, The Thrill of the Grill (Morrow, 1990); Salsas, Sambals, Chutneys, and Chowchows (Morrow, 1993); Big Flavors of the Hot Sun (Morrow, 1994); Lettuce in Your Kitchen (Morrow, 1996); and License to Grill (Morrow, 1997). They also have a monthly feature in The New York Times, and have written numerous articles for magazines such as GQ and Food & Wine. Chris is also a Contributing Editor for Saveur magazine.

An accomplished cooking teacher, Chris has taught culinary students at his alma mater, the Culinary Institute of America, in both the New York and Napa Valley campuses. Chris was the winner of the 1996 James Beard Awards "Best Chef of the Northeast". He has appeared on dozens of television shows around the USA to talk about food and cooking, has been a guest speaker at numerous conferences, and has been featured in over 200 magazine and newspaper articles. Chris is also a founding member of the national organization Chefs 2000 and actively works with local farmers to preserve farming in New England.