We took advantage of our good-natured house guests for the weekend, John and Fran Bonscher, to once again try the smoked chicken recipe we mentioned in an earlier column. We all agreed that it was terrific, and now that we have accurate measurements for the basil coating, we hope you will give it a try. We find that it is also excellent cold. The tomato pie is very quick to make since there is no crust involved and provides a colorful side dish.
The baked corn recipe is from Lee Bailey's 1983 cookbook, Country Weekends (Clarkson N. Potter, Inc.). For our purposes, the recipe has been halved and the amount of flour slightly reduced. For corn lovers, this is an incredible combination of chewy crust and creamy interior. We highly recommend it. The meal ends with a quick peach dessert (if you are able to find any following the late freeze this spring).
Ingredients:
In a food processor, combine basil, parsley, garlic, salt and olive oil. Process until mixture becomes a paste (add additional oil if necessary to reach spreading consistency). Wash the chickens and dry with paper towels, inside and out. Pat the basil paste onto the entire surface of the chicken as well as in the cavity. Place each chicken in a plastic freezer bag, seal, and refrigerate for 24 hours.
Soak hickory chips in water for two hours prior to cooking. Prepare charcoal grill (we use a Weber Kettle) with all of the coals on one side of the grill. When coals are uniformly gray, place the wet hickory chips in a large pile on the grill surface directly over the charcoal. The chickens should be placed away from the charcoal. Cover the grill and leave the vents partially open to promote maximum smoke from the hickory chips. Turn the chickens every fifteen minutes. If the chips are burning too rapidly, moisten them with water. Check the chickens after one hour. When done, the drumstick should move easily and, when pricked, the juices should run clear. 6 servings.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 325° and butter a 9 inch pie pan. In a skillet, partially cook the bacon, drain on paper towels and set aside.
Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs evenly on the bottom of the pie pan. Arrange half of the tomato slices on the bread crumbs and top with half the chopped onion. Evenly scatter one half of the grated cheese over the onions and repeat the layers with the remaining tomatoes, onion and cheese. Pour the beaten eggs over the pie and season to taste. Top the pie with the remaining bread crumbs and arrange the partially cooked bacon over the crumbs. Bake the pie for 45 minutes, or until the bacon is crisp. 4-6 servings.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 425°. Put 2 TBS of oil into a heavy 8 inch cast iron skillet. Allow pan to heat in oven for 30 minutes.
Cut kernels from the corn and scrape thoroughly to get out all the juice. Add salt and flour, stirring constantly to make a thick batter.
Remove heated skillet from oven and spread the corn mixture in the middle of the pan. Do not stir, but spread mixture evenly in the pan. Bake for 30 minutes, or until a crust forms on the bottom and the top is beginning to brown. Remove from the oven and invert over a serving plate. Cut into wedges. 4 servings.
Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread the crumbled macaroons on a baking sheet and bake until golden brown (about 8 minutes), stirring occasionally. Cool to room temperature.
Combine sliced peaches, sugar, bourbon and lemon juice in a medium mixing bowl. Let the mixture stand at room temperature, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is completely dissolved and a syrup forms (about 20 minutes).
Spoon the ice cream into dessert bowls, top with peaches and juice and sprinkle with macaroon crumbs. 4 servings.
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