David Ross

Too many ideas running through my head. So anyone have experience grilling oysters? I know they don't take too long, just until they open. I'll be adding some wood chips to the fire for smoke, but I may let them go a bit farther than just opened in terms of doneness. Anyone have experience grilling tomatoes over an open flame? I know it will probably take a vegetable basket for the grill, maybe something underneath that to trap juices. I'm thinking of fire-grilled oysters and something with smoked tomatoes.

As many of you know, I'm a collector of and fan of the Time-Life series "Foods of the World" published in the 1960's. I think it would be interesting to pick a volume, "The Foods of France" for example, and prepare some of the dishes. Then add some commentary on how our cooking and tastes have changed over the past 50 years and maybe offer your own update on one of the cookbook recipes and see how the dishes compare.

For grilling lobster, would you buy live lobsters and take them straight to the grill or would you steam them first, split them down the middle, then grill over your open flame?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRIUbFLjtX0 Fortunately, Lloyd only got the accent wrong. “Shrimp on the Barbie” was a catch phrase that grew out of the smash-hit 1986 film “Crocodile Dundee” starring rugged Australian Paul Hogan. Yet Australians and Austrians alike, folks the world over for that matter, share a taste for shrimp grilled over an open flame. Summer is the perfect time to introduce our latest Cook-off, eG Cook-Off #70, Shellfish Grilled Over an Open Flame. (Click here http://forums.egulle...cook-off-index/ for the complete eG Cook-Off Index). Wikipedia defines shellfish as a term for “exoskeleton-bearing aquatic invertebrates including various species of molluscs, crustaceans and echinoderms.” However, biological language can often be confusing, (at least to a humble home cook like me), so I include clams, mussels, oysters, cockles, scallops, shrimp, lobster, crayfish and crabs under the umbrella of shellfish. Sea urchin, cuttlefish, octopus and squid also fall under the guise of the term “shellfish.” Culinary definitions aside, never restrain yourself when it comes to creativity during a Cook-Off. While grilled lobster with drawn butter is a classic, what about grilled lobster with smoked paprika butter and grilled pineapple salsa? A new take on grilling shellfish. I for one am stocking my grilling pantry with the fixings of a spicy Northwest seafood stew—clams, mussels, Dungeness crab, prawns, salmon and halibut—all cooked over an open flame. I’m also pondering a bowl of steaming miso broth, thick rice noodles and grilled oysters. As for the fire? In the Pacific Northwest we favor alder and fruitwoods for a flavorful yet mild smoke that allows the seafood to be the star of the dish. If briquettes or propane flames your fire, Bob’s your Uncle. http://www.pond5.com/stock-footage/11778127/man-woman-serve-barbecue-bbq-1960s-vintage-film-8mm-retro-ho.html My Father (not the poor fellow in this video), wrapped shellfish and salmon in foil and put it on the barbecue. We were having “barbecued” seafood for dinner. For years I wondered, “what’s the point?” We were simply steaming sweet, succulent Oregon shrimp in foil with lemon and butter. It was delicious for sure, but I wondered where the “barbecue” flavor was coming from. I wouldn’t think of wrapping shellfish in foil today—I want that char, those blackened, caramelized bit, that smoky flavor to come through when I grill shellfish over an open flame. Go clam digging. Trap a crab. Net some crayfish. Visit your fishmonger. Let’s grill some shellfish.

Grilled flanksteak with tomatillo salsa-

Thanks. I soak the cherries overnight in cherry brandy. It's a simple shortbread crust of butter, powdered sugar and flour, then a basic custard of eggs, cream, milk and vanilla. I learned a trick from a pastry chef--put some of the leftover pastry scraps sprinkled around the batter and cherries before baking to thicken the custard--and give a little texture. It's a really easy and really good pastry for the summer.

I'm about a B+ amateur barbecue cook, but these beef short ribs hit the A scale--juicy, smokey and spicy. I buy the meatiest short ribs, (on the bone), that I can find. I use "Stubb's" beef rub. Yep, out of the bottle. Maybe not the method purists use, but along with Paul Prudhomme's "Cajun Magic" seasonings they have the best flavor compared to the home rubs I've made. I sealed the seasoned ribs in a bag and stored them in the fridge overnight. Then day two, I used my Bradley electric/digital smoker. Smoked with mesquite bisquettes at 280 for two hours, then wrapped in foil and cooked another two hours, then one hour uncovered. No sauce during the cooking, just a dash of Stubb's Smokey Mesquite Barbecue Sauce just before serving.

Cherry Clafouti made with our wonderful crop of fresh Bing cherries from Wenatchee, Washington-

Good for you for testing it. I think a dark or stout would be too heavy of a taste for fried onion rings. It would be interesting to compare the sugar contents in a stout opposed to an ale, the thought being a higher sugar content could burn quicker during the frying process. I don't know for sure but it struck me that could be an issue in addition to the flavor.

Delicious. Thanks for posting.

From our "Cooking with Beer" Cook-Off here, http://forums.egullet.org/topic/151237-eg-cook-off-69-cooking-with-beer/page-1, Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ice Cream, Candied Orange, Crispy Hazelnut Cookie, Dark Chocolate Sauce with Cointreau, Fresh Raspberries-

After a week of tinkering, I got the ice cream dish finished. It turned out to be more of a hazelnut dish rather than a beer dish, but no worries, the flavors and textures married together quite well, with a hint of malt and ale flavors mingled into the mix. I used my basic ice cream recipe-a French custard base of milk, cream, egg yolks, sugar and vanilla bean. Then I added a syrup made from reducing the Rogue Ale Hazelnut Brown Nectar. During processing of the custard I added some toasted hazelnuts for texture. The other elements were candied orange peel, (that I intentionally cut wide with a vegetable peeler for a different look), a crispy hazelnut cookie, dark chocolate with Cointreau (orange liqueur), and fresh raspberries. Without adding the ale, the ice cream would have fallen a bit flat--vanilla with toasted hazelnuts. Adding the ale added a note of chocolate, hazelnut and hint of malt. Just enough. The worst part of the dish was the photo. I realized after plating that I had left my digital camera at home. Ugh. My first food photo would have to be taken with a cell phone. Turned out passable, but not as delicious as the photos that I get from my little Canon Powershot. "Hazelnut Brown Nectar Ice Cream, Candied Orange, Crispy Hazelnut Cookie, Dark Chocolate Sauce with Cointreau, Fresh Raspberries"-

One of the local supermarkets held their annual "Lobster Fest" on Friday. They sold both live and cooked lobsters, flown in the day before from New England. I got two of the biggies, as in 2 1/2 pounders. Tossed in mayonnaise and some chopped celery leaves, salt and pepper. We don't have authentic lobster roll buns out here in Eastern, Washington, but I found very nice, (and big), hard rolls so split them down the middle, toasted and brushed with butter. Simple and delicious after a hot day.

Lobster Roll-

Trust me folks, the moniker "Moderator of a Cook-Off" in no way includes the title of Michelin-Star Chef. And how. Right now the ice cream, with a dark beer, is in the Cuisinart ice cream maker. I'll let it chill overnight in the freezer to set and then tomorrow compose the other elements of the dish: bittersweet chocolate sauce with Cointreau (orange), the ice cream made with this wonderful beer and toasted, chopped hazelnuts, candied orange peel, hazelnut tuiles and fresh raspberries. It's really more of a hazelnut dish, but speaks of the Northwest. We are one of the largest producers of "filberts" (the chi-chi term being hazelnuts) and more artisan beers than I will ever get through my kitchen. Wish me luck. This is the "Hazelnut Brown Nectar" Ale from Rogue Ales, (Newport, Oregon). The label is wonderful, "A nutty twist to a traditional European Brown Ale. Dark brown in color with a hazelnut aroma, a rich nutty flavor and a smooth malty finish." Now this is just fantastic, "14 ingredients: 2-row, Munich, (I'm thinking the hops), C-15, C-75, C-120, kiln coffee, Brown and Rogue Farms Dare and Risk Malts, Rogue Farms Revolution and independent hops, hazelnut extract, free range coastal water and pacman yeast." I was under the impression all the waters flowing out of mountain streams into Oregon coastal waters are "free," but I'm just a cook.

What about beer in sweet dishes like ice cream, cookies or paired with fruit?

Last week at a local restaurant they served a fantastic appetizer of fresh pretzels with a warm beer cheese sauce. I've always loved beer cheese soup, so why not take a try at homemade pretzels with beer cheese dipping sauce? My first attempt at making pretzel rolls wasn't bad for a rookie effort, but I need some help from our pretzel bakers. The crust didn't have a deep-brown color. Texture good and chewy and a yeasty flavor, just didn't hit the color spectrum on my first try. For the beer cheese sauce, I used the Ninkasi Brewing Company Spring Reign Ale that I had used for the beer-battered onion rings. Interesting how the character of the beer changed from being used in a batter to being cooked in a beer cheese sauce. In a very good way in terms of flavor, the beer turned bitter, with a pronounced flavor and scent of malt and yeast. I don't think the bitterness would suit everyone's tastes but I thought it worked well with sharp cheddar cheese. Pimento Beer Cheese Dipping Sauce- 1/4 cup butter 2 tbsp. chopped shallot 1/4 cup flour 1 12oz. bottle of beer 1 cup milk 2 tsp. Tabasco hot sauce 1 tbsp. canned, chopped red pimento 2 cups grated sharp cheddar 1/3 cup chopped green onion Salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the shallot. Saute until the shallot is soft, then add the flour and stir to make a roux. Don't let the roux cook too long, this isn't a traditional dark brown roux. Once the butter and flour and combined, add the beer. Let the mixture come to a low boil and add the milk. Once the sauce thickens, add the Tabasco, pimento and cheddar and stir the sauce until it is smooth. Reduce the heat to low, then stir in the chopped green onions. Season with salt and pepper and serve with warm pretzel rolls or soft pretzels.

I remember that beer from years ago, but in the drinking arena. I think you bring up a good point about the string flavors in the pork. My initial assumption was that if there was a heavy smoke that alone would subdue the beer flavor, but then if the pork was cured with salt and smoked, the salt flavor would have definitely made a difference in shutting out the beer. I think just about any ale would be a pansy next to that pork.

The sweet onions I used came from Mexico. I didn't think they had much onion or sweet flavor, certainly not as much flavor as the Walla Walla's.

If you go to the Walla Walla Sweet site, http://sweetonions.org/, they say the onions are "available" mid-June through late July. They are planted in September and harvested the following summer. The ingredients in the dry mix are wheat flour, cornstarch, baking powder, garlic powder, black pepper powder and msg.

Like huckleberry pie, Copper River salmon "candy" and asparagus with prosciutto and honeydew sorbet, I usually only make fried onion rings once a year when these beautiful ingredients bless us up here in the Pacific Northwest. Once a year when the Walla Walla sweets are in season. Walla Walla has become a trendy Northwest destination--all sorts of funky restaurants have opened and new vineyards seem to open every year. Yet Walla Walla's most famous agricultural product is the Walla Walla sweet, a big, beefy, sweet onion that lends itself quite well to deep frying in a cloak of beer batter, (My Mother went to Whitman College in Walla Walla and she often raved about the "Walla Walla Sweet Onion Sandwich." Thick slices of onion on white bread, no mayo). Recently I found this wonderful fried chicken dry batter mix at the local Korean grocery store. It's got a serious blend of black pepper and garlic and just takes equal parts dry mix to liquid. I have to admit that I cut the top off the package for two reasons--to pour out the mix of course, but also to cover the name, "Mr. Hung" Fried Chicken Batter Mix. To who they refer to as Mr. Hung I am not sure, but it makes an incredibly crisp, flavorful batter when mixed with beer. Staying local and seasonal, I chose this beer- This is the "Twilight Summer Ale" from Deschutes Brewery of Bend, Oregon. The tasting notes are "select malts and a heady dose of bold Amarillo hops deliver full-on flavor and crafted nuance in a spry summer-style ale." Was I taking a risk pairing a pretty front-on ale with black pepper and garlic mix and the somewhat delicate flavor of sweet onion? After all, I was making "onion" rings not crispy beet batter bits. I have to say I have become fairly experienced with the deep fryer. It's a bit intimidating at first, but really quite easy to master and you're not dealing with a lot of ingredients or prep. I sliced the onions in thick, about 1/2" slices, then let them sit in buttermilk in the fridge for about two hours. Then dredged in just the dry batter mix, then into the batter itself, a 50-50 blend of the dry mix and the Twilight Summer Ale. I recently switched from canola to sunflower oil for deep-frying. (With the exception of potatoes which I fry in.............beef tallow). The sunflower oil seems to hold up under heat a bit better than canola and always delivers a very crisp item. After about 4 minutes in 350 oil, we have- Success! The measure, in part, of a good onion ring is texture. It must be crispy and hold up crispy, never going soggy even when touching a paper napkin. More so, the batter mix should never just fall off. It must cloak the slice of onion. The buttermilk to dry mix to batter process helped. Served with homemade preserved lemon mayonnaise garnished with capers and chives. And the flavor? Crispy of course, sweet onion and both the flavor and a hint of the hoppy beer. Not a thirst-quenching rush of beer but definitely beer flavor.

That my friend is going to be delicious.

That looks wonderful. I'm trying a new take on fried onion rings tonight with a beer batter.

Is it nice on its own or did you add a scoop of ice cream or dollop of whipped cream?

The perfect marriage of beer into cooking. I'm going to try that this weekend with the other two beer dishes I'm planning.