Summer Entertaining: Easiest Grilled Corn (ever!)

Whoop Whoop! It's just about corn season!! Fresh picked corn is probably already in stores and farmer's markets in some areas of the country and I just cannot wait to bite into that first piece of corn from the grill. Some of my friends think it is hard to grill good corn- that it gets dried out, etc. I've got a super easy way to grill corn for a crowd that is perfect every time. Here's how:

MARTIE'S PERFECTLY EASY GRILLED CORN

2 dozen ears of fresh corn in the husk (you don't have to remove the inner silks)

tub or bucket

Styrofoam ice chest

Grill

Long handled tongs

Directions

Check the ears for any evidence of bugs, etc. Snip the silks off of the tip of each ear. I usually don't slice the bottom off so people have something to hold on to... but you can cut them level if you are using plastic corn holders.

Submerge the ears in cool water and let them soak for 30 minutes.

While the corn is soaking, fire up your grill. You want medium heat and indirect - which means move the coals to the outer edge of the grill if you are using charcoal. Make sure the grill rack is not down too low. You want indirect heat so the husks don't burn. A bit of charring is good but if the heat is too high or the grill is too low over the coals, you'll burn up the husks before the corn cooks inside.

Once the coals are ready, drain the water.

Place the corn on the center of the grill- stay away from the outer edge where there could be hot spots.

Cover the grill and leave it alone for 12 minutes. (you may need to adjust the time if you have a larger quantity of corn)

Open and turn the ears to char the other side. Close the grill and let cook for another 5 minutes.

Remove the corn and immediately put it in the Styrofoam ice chest and put the top on it as fast as you can. Put something heavy on top of the chest to keep the lid down tight.

Allow the corn to continue to steam in the chest until serving time- at least 15 minutes. I usually do this an hour or more before the party and it is perfect to serve when guests arrive. The ice chest keeps the corn steaming hot!

To serve: Open the chest and allow guests to serve themselves. Simply peel back the husks and the silks fall off with it. So easy, so fast, and soooo good!

Serve with my wonderful HERB BUTTER and a little kosher salt.

Note: Make sure to have a box or something handy to collect all of the husks. And plan for at least two ears per guest... maybe three!

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Easy Weekend Grilling: Hot Dogs, Brats and Sausage Dogs (and a beer)

Everyone loves a good hot dog. I guess there's nothing that says summer like a good ball park hot dog... or hamburger. But today is all about the dogs... an easy, affordable way to feed a bunch of folks and make them really happy, too!

Rather than just the standard hot dog, I decided to grill up different varieties of hot and sweet sausages: chicken and sage, chicken and apple, and spicy Italian along with some traditional brats. There is a trick to grilling really good sausages. You have to get them done all the way through yet keep them moist and not char the heck out of them on the outside. My trick to the perfect sausage is to pre-cook them first in beer. You can also do this with water but the beer really adds something extra to the flavor.

MARTIE'S GRILLED SAUSAGES

2 1/2 bottles of your favorite beer (reserving the other 1/2 for the peppers)

1 dozen fresh sausages, any kind. I like the spicy chicken or Italian sausages best

2 tablespoons olive oil

Pour the beer into a large pot. Add the sausages. Bring to a boil and then immediately turn off the heat. Let the sausages sit in the beer until it cools to room temperature.

To grill: Get your coals to a medium heat. Remove the sausages from the beer and brush them with a little of the olive oil. Grill about 10 minutes or until done. The time will depend on the size of the sausage and the heat.

THREE PEPPER AND TWO ONION HOT DOG TOPPING

1 each red, green, and yellow bell pepper, seeded and sliced into strips

1 small white onion, sliced into strips

1 small red onion, sliced into strips

1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and sliced into small strips (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 bottle beer (I like to use a lager but use your favorite)

salt and pepper

Put all of the ingredients except the beer into a bowl and toss together to coat. Turn out onto a hot pan or skillet. Cook over medium-high heat. Don't stir too frequently; allow the veggies to caramelize slightly before stirring. After the veggies have been cooking for about 3 minutes, add the beer. Reduce the heat to medium and cook, allowing the beer to reduce. Stir occasionally.  

Some people like a steamed bun for their hot dogs. I prefer a toasted bun. Brush a little of the olive oil on the bread and toast it lightly (too crusty will result in a broken bun= no fun!).

Shout out to a new favorite beer: Red Brick Pale Ale. They're out of Atlanta, GA. Check them out.

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Chili, Lime and Garlic Grilled Shrimp

In the South, nothing says summer like shrimp.... you know Forrest Gump: Lemon Shrimp, boiled shrimp, BBQ Shrimp, Shrimp Etouffee.... do I need to go on? You can make a marinade for your shrimp out of just about anything. Toss it in a Ziploc bag and let them swim around for a while, then grill those babies up.... nothing better! Here's a quick summer shrimp recipe that you can make for a party or for supper for two on the deck.... it will make you feel like you've taken a trip to the beach, even if you didn't! I like to serve this one with a super cold beer with a lime squeezed in to cut the heat of the chili. Sooo good!

CHILI LIME & GARLIC GRILLED SHRIMP

Ingredients

6 limes (zest and juice 3-4, save the others for garnish)

4 cloves garlic , minced

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground pepper

1/8 teaspoon chili powder

Dash cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes

2 pounds large shrimp , peeled and deveined (I leave the tails on-- or you CAN leave the peel on)

1/4 cup cilantro , chopped

Directions

Zest three limes and juice them.  You'll want about 1 tablespoon of lime zest and one 1/2 cup lime juice.  Place all ingredients into a large Ziploc bag. Toss and refrigerate 30 minutes. Remove from refrigerator 15 minutes before grilling. Thread skewers with 4 to 5 shrimp each. Remember- if you use wooden skewers, you need to soak them in water for an hour before you put them on the fire. Shrimp are DONE when they just turn pink. Any more heat will make them tough! Light your grill or heat your grill pan to medium. When coals are medium-hot or grill pan is heated, put the shrimp on a paper towel to absorb the excess marinade. Place the skewers on the heat. Grill 2 to 3 minutes on each side, just until curled and pink in color. Remove from grill and slide off skewers. Serve with a squeeze of lime over cilantro lime rice or just with some nice crusty bread.

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Martie Knows Grilling: Cedar Planked Salmon

Perfect for easy entertaining, this salmon recipe will be one you go to when you really want people to think you've fussed... and you'll be smiling because you know you didn't!  You can plank and grill any fish, but salmon delivers the best results to me. Enjoy!

Cedar Planked Salmon

Cedar Planks ( I like one for each guest-- I serve right on the plank-- make sure to put something underneath because it will be charred on the bottom)

4 Salmon fillets (make sure any bones and skin are removed)

1/2 cup Olive Oil plus 1 tablespoon for the planks

1/2 teaspoon each salt & pepper

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 teaspoon lemon zest

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon Coleman's Dry Mustard

1 tablespoon butter, room temp

Get cedar planks from your favorite culinary store, Lowe's, World Market or even Target. Look in the BBQ section. Soak your planks in water at least two hours before grilling. I've added a little bourbon to my soak and once I even added Tabasco. Didn't seem to do much to the flavor.

Next, while your planks are soaking, get your trusty Ziploc bag; add all ingredients except the salmon. Squish all of the ingredients around and add the salmon about an hour before grilling. Keep it chilled until grilling.

Heat coals to medium-high heat (hold your hand over for a 3 count) Remove the planks from soaking. Place on the grill to dry slightly and then lightly rub planks with a little olive oil to keep fish from sticking. Remove the fish from marinade and place on the planks. Top with a lemon slice if you like. Grill with the top closed for 12-20 minutes (despending on the size and thickness of your fish) or until the salmon flakes easily. Mist any flare ups or if the edges of the plank start to catch fire.

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Martie's Super Southern Sliders

MARTIE’S SUPER SOUTHERN SLIDERS

My spin on Wolfgang’s extravagant Oscar sliders. It’s hardly worth firing up the grill for these. A griddle, cast iron skillet, or grill pan works even better.

Serves 8

Photo: Tamika Moore/The Birmingham NewsIngredients

1 ½ pounds ground beef 

 Pinch each, Kosher salt and cracked black pepper to season

4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Slider buns or any mini buns; rolls or bread will do

Butter

Super Fast Remoulade Sauce (recipe below)

Condiments

Cherry tomatoes, sliced

Aged cheddar cheese, sliced

Red onion, sliced ultra thin

Dill pickles, sliced thin

Put the ground beef in a bowl and add salt and pepper. Use your hands to combine. Form into patties using about 2-3 tablespoons of the beef for each one. Drizzle the patties with olive oil and season with a bit more salt and pepper. Set aside.

Make the Remoulade. Then, prepare the buns by slicing them in half and lightly buttering each side.

Heat your pan or pre-heat your griddle to 400 degrees. Put patties on the grill; cook 3 minutes on the first side. Flip, and top with the cheese, allowing it to melt. While the patties are cooking, lightly brown the buns by toasting them on the grill.

Top each bun with a little of the Remoulade, a burger, red onion slice, arugula leaves, tomato, and a slice of pickle.

 SUPER FAST REMOULADE SAUCE

 Ingredients

¾ cup mayonnaise

1 ½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon prepared horseradish

½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

½ teaspoon minced garlic

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon sweet relish (I used Wickle’s relish and it was delicious!)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and whisk together to blend. Chill until needed. Makes enough for about 24 sliders. Will keep in the fridge for 2-3 days.