Summer is Kebab time

French Chicken Kebabs Recipe

One of our summer rituals is putting anything we can on a stick and grilling it. Kebabs are pretty much the perfect thing to grill. They’re bite-size, so they’re easy for parties. It’s simple to combine protein and vegetables, and that minimizes side-dishes. And there are infinite variations.

INGREDIENTS

   4 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-1/2-inch chunks
   Kosher salt
   1 tablespoon grainy mustard
   Zest and juice of 1 orange
   6 bamboo skewers
   1 head of fennel, trimmed, cored, and cut into small wedges
   24 pitted black olives, such as kalamata
   Finely chopped, fresh Italian parsley leaves, for garnish (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Place the chicken thighs in a baking dish and season all over with salt. In a bowl, stir together the mustard, orange zest, and orange juice; pour over the chicken thighs. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours.
2. When you’re ready to grill, soak the skewers in water for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct-heat grilling over medium heat. Thread the meat, fennel, and olives onto the skewers, discarding the marinade and distributing the ingredients evenly among the skewers.
4. Grill, turning once, until the meat and fennel are cooked through and nicely charred, about 10 minutes (move off the heat if the skewers start to get too brown). Transfer to a platter, garnish with parsley if you like, and serve.
5. Pair these skewers with a fluffy rice pilaf and a dry French rosé, served very cold.

Lemongrass Pork and Red Onion Kebabs

Satay was the inspiration for the marinade of lemongrass, fish sauce, brown sugar, and soy sauce. It’s lightly sweet and salty, with umami depths, just right for enhancing the taste of the pork. We call for shoulder, a cut with judicious fat marbling—it ensures yours skewers won’t dry out on the grill. Enjoy with a great salad, Thai beer or a pitcher of margaritas.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped
• 2 small shallots, roughly chopped
• 2 stalks lemongrass, trimmed and chopped
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil, plus more for coating the grill
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds boneless pork shoulder (1-inch-thick steak), cut into 1-inch chunks
• 8 bamboo skewers
• 1 large red onion, trimmed and cut into thin wedges
• Fresh cilantro, chopped, for garnish (optional)

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Put the garlic, shallot, lemongrass, brown sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, measured oil, and a few grinds of pepper in a blender and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides. Transfer to a bowl or baking dish and add the pork, tossing to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours.
2. Soak 8 bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes.
3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for indirect-heat grilling over medium heat. Remove the pork from the marinade and thread it onto the skewers with the red onion, distributing the ingredients evenly between skewers.
4. Brush and oil the grill grate. Grill the kebabs over the hottest part of the grill, turning once, until the meat is nicely charred, about 6 minutes. Move to the other side of the grill, cover, and continue to cook until the meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Transfer to a platter, garnish with cilantro if you like, and serve.

Korean Short Rib Kebabs

Korean kalbi was the inspiration, but these skewers have their own personality. Soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil, and a kick of Sriracha give boneless beef short ribs tons of flavor. Unlike chunky kebabs, the meat gets threaded on the skewers satay-style. Serve with sautéed Asian-style broccoli and a mountain of steamed rice.

INGREDIENTS:

   3 tablespoons soy sauce
   1 tablespoon mirin
   1 tablespoon brown sugar
   1 tablespoon rice vinegar
   2 teaspoons Sriracha
   1 teaspoon sesame oil
   4 green onions, minced
   2 garlic cloves, minced
   1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds boneless short ribs, trimmed of silver skin and large bits of fat, cut into 3-inch chunks, and then thinly sliced against the grain into 1/4-inch slices
  12 bamboo skewers

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. In a baking dish, stir together the soy, mirin, brown sugar, vinegar, Sriracha, oil, half of the onions, and the garlic. Add the short rib strips and toss to coat. Cover and let marinate for 4 to 6 hours.

2. When you’re ready to grill, soak 12 bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes.

3. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill for direct-heat grilling over medium heat. Thread the meat onto the skewers like an accordion, then flatten it out (kind of like satay). Discard the marinade.

4. Grill, turning once, until cooked through and nicely charred, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a platter, garnish with the remaining green onions, and serve.

Grill on my friends, The summer is still young and it's hot in the kitchen.