Grillin’ for the Fourth!

Tomorrow I’ll continue my month of ice cream with one of my favorite ice creams ever, but I couldn’t wait to share some grill recipes for this Fourth of July weekend. Beer can chicken, grilled potato salad, grilled sweet corn and grilled peaches – an entire meal from the grill! Wishing you a safe, fun and delicious weekend!

Beer Can Chicken

• 12 ounce can of beer or cola
• 1 whole chicken (4 to 5 pounds)
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• Dry rub (recipe below)

Preheat your grill to medium and prepare the grill to cook the chicken over indirect heat. (If you’re cooking over charcoal arrange the coals along the outside of the grill so the chicken won’t be directly above them; if you’re using gas don’t place the chicken directly above a burner.)

Remove the giblets from your chicken and rinse it well. Pat it dry, inside and out, with a paper towel. Brush the chicken with the oil and then massage the dry rub into the chicken, inside the body, outside the body, and between the skin and the flesh. Open the can of beer or cola and remove half of the contents. Once the grill is preheated, place the opened can of beer or cola into the cavity of the chicken (with legs downward). Place the chicken on the grill with the can upright and position the legs of the chicken to help stabilize it. Cook the chicken for 1 ½ to 2 hours, until a thermometer inserted into the breast reads 165 degrees and inserted into the thigh reads 180 degrees.

For the Dry Rub

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon ground mustard
• 1 teaspoon celery salt
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon black pepper

Grilled Potato Salad

• 2 pounds red-skinned potatoes (unpeeled)
• Canola oil
• Salt
• Black pepper
• 1 ear of corn
• ½ red bell pepper
• ½ yellow bell pepper
• ½ small red onion, chopped
• ½ cup chopped fresh basil

Preheat the grill to medium. Cut the potatoes into 1-inch chunks. Toss the potatoes with a tablespoon of the canola oil and half  a teaspoon each of salt and pepper. Place the potatoes on a large piece of foil in a single and form a packet around them. Place the potatoes on the grill, directly over the heat. Cook for approximately 40 minutes, flipping the packet over after 20 minutes.

Peel back the husk on the ear of corn, leaving it attached at the base. Remove the silk. Soak the corn in cold water for about 5 minutes.  After soaking, brush the corn with oil and sprinkle it with salt and pepper.  Pull the husk back up around the cob. Cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes, rotating the corn several times. After removing the corn from the grill allow it to cool and then cut the kernels off of the cob.

Cut the bell peppers in half. Remove the core and seeds from the half of the pepper you’ll be using and cut each half in half again. Brush both sides of each quarter of the pepper with canola oil. Place the pieces on the grill and cook for about 10 minutes per side or until the skin of the pepper is charred. After removing the pepper pieces from the grill, carefully remove the skins and cut the peppers into ½ inch pieces.

Combine the cooked potatoes, corn, bell peppers in a medium bowl with the onions and basil. Dress the salad with the vinaigrette shortly before serving.

For the Vinaigrette:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar.  Mix in the minced garlic.

Corn on the Cob with Herb Butter

• 4 ears of corn
• 2 tablespoons softened butter
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon dried parsley
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper

Preheat the grill to medium. Peel back the husk on the ear of corn, leaving it attached at the base. Remove the silk. Soak the ears of corn in cold water for about 5 minutes.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the butter, mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, parsley, salt and pepper. After soaking, brush each earn of corn with the butter mixture. Pull the husk back up around the corn and place it on the grill. Cook for about 10 minutes, rotating it several times.

Grilled Peaches

• 4 ripe peaches
• 4 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• Canola oil

Preheat the grill to medium. Cut the peaches in half and remove the pits. In a small bowl, combine the brown sugar and cinnamon. Brush the cut side of each peach with canola oil and sprinkle it with the cinnamon sugar. Place the peaches, sugared side down, on the grill. Grill for about 5 minutes, until the peaches are tender. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

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