Grilling

Grilling

Grilling is a favourite cooking method all around the world. It results in excellent flavours - a perfectly grilled steak with a crosshatch pattern satisfies most people. Grilling traditionally uses radiation from a direct heat source underneath the food, e.g. hot coals under a wire grill.

Modern equipment in a restaurant has to be more reliable and less labour intensive, so lava grills or griddle plates are used. This actually uses conduction from a heat source underneath the item, however it is also referred to as grilling. A top heat source such as a salamander is also commonly used for grilling fish fillets. This may also be referred to as broiling.

Grilling Vegetables, Legumes and Fruit

Vegetables which are high in moisture, such as zucchini, are suitable for grilling. Although grilled vegetables are not served very often, grill marks can be used as a decoration for capsicum, eggplant, zucchini, asparagus and tomatoes. Grilled vegetables can be combined with vinaigrette and feta cheese for an interesting accompaniment to a meal.

Some vegetables are pre-cooked and then grilled for additional flavour. Corn cobs can be finished on the grill for extra colour, but can also be grilled directly on low heat, or in their husks. Legumes such as lentils can be formed into patties and then grilled for extra flavour.

Fruit is mainly grilled as an accompaniment, e.g. pineapple rings, apple wedges and bananas. Other fruit can be pre-cooked, then covered with sugar or coatings such as crème pâtissière, Anglaise sauce or meringue and finished under the salamander or a blowtorch. This process can be used to finish the cooking process and to provide extra colour for the dish.

Grilling Farinaceous Items

Grilled toast is often the first smell that we experience in the morning. Grilling is an ideal way of adding flavour and texture to bread and grilled bread is used for many menu applications. Grilled sandwiches, wraps, bruschetta, rye bread slices and toasts are popular as snacks and entrées, and toast is an essential part of a café breakfast.

All Asian cuisines incorporate the use of grilling in their cooking. Leftover rice can be moulded into patties and grilled. Soy sauce can be added, which provides extra colour and caramelisation when grilled.

Italians grill leftover risotto and also use grilling when cooking arancini. Fillings are surrounded by rice, which are then grilled. Many different fillings such as salami and cheese can be used. You can serve a variety of arancini, which will create nice surprises for the customer when they bite into them.

Polenta and gnocchi Romaine are often grilled to enhance the presentation and add extra flavour.

Grilling Dairy Items

Many types of cheese can be grilled, with a variety of menu applications. Firm cheese such as paneer, haloumi, feta and goat’s cheese can be cut into slices and grilled. Softer cheeses such as mozzarella can be sprinkled on top of other food items and gratinated.

Cheese is ideal for grilling. Whether we use firm cheese and cut it into slices and then grill it, or sprinkle it on food and then gratinate it under the salamander, the menu applications are endless. Open sandwiches and toasts such as croque-monsieur are topped with sliced cheese and then grilled under the salamander. Whether you use cheddar, mozzarella, Emmental or Edam depends on your taste preferences.

The Swiss raclette is another famous grilled dairy menu item. This semi-firm cheese originates in Switzerland and is traditionally melted near a fire, then scraped onto a plate and eaten with bread, potatoes, pickles and gherkins. Special raclette cookers can be placed in the middle of the table for a communal meal.

A dairy alternative such as tofu can also be grilled for additional texture. Firm varieties must be used and are often marinated in tamari before grilling. The grilled tofu can be added to vegetable stir-fry and salads.

Glossary term - Tamari: a traditional Japanese soy sauce, which contains little or no wheat and is darker and more flavoursome than typical soy sauce.

Grilling Protein Items

Meat, poultry and game are often char-grilled to create a crisp surface, while retaining the internal juices. The degree of doneness is especially important when grilling. Ensure that the wait staff asks the customer for their preference and then records it on the docket. Typical abbreviations are WD, MW, MR and R, meaning well done, medium well, medium rare and rare. Bleu (very rare) may also be requested.

While many people are happy to eat a beef fillet steak medium rare, many people prefer pork to be cooked through. Many customers now order salmon to be cooked medium rare, whereas in the past it was always ordered well done.

It is important to cook the items exactly how the customer wants it. Most chefs would recommend that a beef steak is cooked no further than medium, as a well done steak will be tougher, dry and less flavoursome. However, if your customer cannot stand the sight of blood, then the steak will need to be cooked through. In this circumstance, cooking the steak à point is ideal, as it is cooked through but still retains some moisture.

All first class cut items are suitable for grilling as they contain limited sinews and connective tissue, so they can be cooked in a short period of time. Second class cuts are not usually grilled, as they will remain tough. If second-class cuts are used, they are either marinated or boiled beforehand, to break down the sinews. Korean BBQ beef ribs is a typical menu example of grilled second-class cuts.

Before grilling, the meat must be seasoned and placed in oil, to prevent sticking. A very hot grill also helps to prevent items sticking to the surface. Do not put the oil on the grill as it will burn! Heat control is important as you require enough heat to seal the outside and provide a crisp surface, but not so much that the outside will burn and the inside remains raw. This applies particularly to mince and sausages.

Chef’s Hint: Wagyu beef, with its famed marbling, needs to be cooked medium to allow all of the fat to break down.

Chicken is grilled slowly to prevent it from burning. Teriyaki chicken is a popular Japanese dish, in which chicken pieces are marinated in sake, mirin, soy sauce, sugar and ginger and then grilled. Always grill the skin side first, then turn the chicken over and cook slowly until it is cooked through. The chicken can be basted with the marinade while it is grilling, for extra sheen and flavour. Duck breast is usually grilled in the same way, skin-side first.

Seafood is often grilled under the salamander to help retain moisture. Fish can be floured and drawn through melted butter or oil before grilling. As an alternative, fish can also be drawn through breadcrumbs and then sautéed in butter to create a different texture. Crumbed fish is referred to as St. Germainor Caprice on classical menus.

Chef's Hint: A hot poker can be used to add a trellis pattern to a fish after it has been floured and before it is drawn through the fat.

Grilling is a popular method of cookery for crustaceans. Grilled prawns, lobster tails and bug tails are just a few menu options. Many classical dishes such as oysters Mornay and lobster Thermidor are finished under the salamander. This provides a lovely texture.

A frittata is grilled under the salamander so that the egg sets slowly.