Grilling Through the Polar Vortex

 

The highlight of our week was an overnight stay in Toronto where we attended one of Bonnie Stern’s Book Clubs.  We had all read Craig Davidson’s gritty and gripping book Cataract City, and were fortunate enough to be sharing a table with him at the Annex’s jewel, Big Crow.  This Canadian barbecue restaurant is meant to conjure the atmosphere of a cabin in Algonquin Park, with cedar walls, picnic tables and blazing fires.  Our frozen toes made the experience really authentic.  The food was fantastic:  Matzo Ball Soup that had been simmered for 2 days, sweet and spicy cornbread, tender brisket, succulent Cornish hens, and decked-out broccoli and rice.  And back to the author, Craig was charming, articulate, humble, fascinating and sweet.  We will all be avid fans of any past and future work.  

 

Sitting with Craig Davidson was an extra super bonus.

Thanks, Mary Ann, for organizing the best "craft" ever!

Lately we’ve been wondering: just when is it too cold to barbecue?  The answer, it seems, is NEVER!  When the mercury dipped below -25°C we started to question what makes it worth it to brave the elements and arrived at the following:  delicious caramelized flavour, leaner meat thanks to the fat dripping off instead of into your dish, and beautiful presentation.  So we proceeded to dissect what was meant to be a one-dish meal and grill each element.  And when I say “we”, it was my husband shivering on the deck grilling everything to perfection.  At these temperatures, it is essential to have a platter heating inside to bring everything off the grill. 

Chicken with Grilled Clementines and Fennel

For the marinade:

Scant ½ cup Metaxa liqueur

4 tablespoons olive oil

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

2 whole star anise

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 fennel bulbs, trimmed and cut into wedges

2 red peppers, cut into large chunks

2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs

4 clementines, unpeeled and sliced horizontally into ¼” slices

chopped fresh parsley

In a medium sized bowl mix all the marinade ingredients.  Arrange the chicken, clementines and vegetables in a large flat glass baking dish and pour the marinade over top.  Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or even overnight. 

Preheat barbecue on MEDIUM HIGH for 10 minutes.  Reduce the temperature to MEDIUM LOW, and brush the grids well with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.  Reserving the marinade, place the chicken thighs on the grill, and cook them for a total of 12 minutes, turning 3 times for Perfect Grill Marks.  Grill the red peppers and fennel for 10 minutes, or until tender, and the clementines for about 5 minutes, just until caramelized and juicy. 

Meanwhile, pour the reserved marinade into a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Simmer for 5 -10 minutes or until slightly thickened. 

Arrange the grilled chicken, clementines, peppers and fennel on a hot platter.  Pour the marinade over top and sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley.

Check out Big Crow on Dupont in Toronto