Spanning the world: five grilled entrées with a global array of flavors

There are three things that I love about grilling. The first is the casual yet exciting vibe of this pastime, which I first experienced at a young age helping my dad, the original old-school griller. There's just something about cooking outside on a sunny summer day that makes it a lot more fun than anything you can do in your kitchen.

But though it's laid-back and fun, grilling is also a serious cooking method - along with sautéing, braising, and poaching, it was among the leading culinary techniques defined by Escoffier in his culinary catalog. This, to me, is the second great thing about grilling: It's simply a fantastic way to cook food. The key is the hot fire, searing the exterior while keeping the interior juicy and moist. There's nothing else like it.

Finally, there's the universality of this ancient technique. All across the world, from Latin America to the Caribbean, Southeast Asia to the Middle East , meat, fish, vegetables, and even fruit are grilled every day. Understanding the unique flavor combinations used in these cuisines can open up a whole new world of grilling ideas. Inspired by some of these traditional recipes, I created the following dishes to add a twist to your summer repertoire.

Kitchen Tips: Grilling Fish
A lot of folks think that grilling fish - like the salmon with hoisin glaze - is difficult because of its nasty reputation for sticking to the grill. Follow these three tips, and you'll find that it's not really hard at all:

Keep It Neat and Clean
A very hot, clean grill rack is one of your best allies in the war against sticking. To remove leftover food particles from the last time you grilled, preheat the grill with the top closed for ten minutes (if you're using a charcoal grill, do this after you've spread out the coals), then scrape down the grate with a wire brush prior to cooking. The particles will burn up during preheating and be easy to remove. To keep your grate extra-clean, do this again after you've finished cooking - close the top for ten minutes to let the residue crisp up, then brush down the grate.

Lightly Oil the Fish
Rub the fish very lightly with vegetable oil before putting it on the grill. You want it moistened with oil, but not dripping: Any excess that drips onto the fire will create greasy smoke that will give the fish an acrid taste. After rubbing my fish with oil, I also like to sprinkle it with salt and pepper to bring out the flavor.

Let It Sit
This is probably the most common mistake that people make when grilling fish: Resist the urge to fiddle with it. Once you place the fish on the grill, let it sit undisturbed for a few minutes before you try to move it. This will allow a seared crust to develop between the grill rack and the fish, preventing sticking. If you try to move the fish too soon, the crust won't be thick enough and it will stick to the grill and break off from the rest of the fish.

Five Grilled Dishes with International Flavors

Cumin-Crusted Monster Pork Chop with Peach Chipotle Salsa

Grilled Jerk Chicken with Scotch Bonnet Sauce and Mango Chutney

Grilled Lamb and Fig Skewers with Mint-Pepper Glaze and Grilled Eggplant

Grilled Salmon with Hoisin Glaze and Plum-Ginger Relish

Grilled Shrimp and Scallions with Southeast Asian Dipping Sauces


Chris Schlesinger is the chef-owner of East Coast Grill in Cambridge, MA, and is the coauthor with John Willoughby of several cookbooks, including

License to Grill and How to Cook Meat.


MORE FROM EPICURIOUS:

  • Fire It Up
    Conquer the coals with our complete guide to grilling and barbecue