For the better part of a year I used nothing but my grill to cook. I was in the midst of a home renovation, and I had an electric skillet, but the grill was by far the first choice. Because of that I learned to grill a few unusual things you might not normally think of!
1. Fruit (All Of It): Most fruit can be grilled, even fruit you'd think would be too soggy, like watermelon. Make sure your grill is already hot and leave them on just long enough to put marks on the surface and singe a bit of the sweet sugar inside.
2. Celery Root: Take large slices of this knobby root vegetable and lay them over indirect heat. They'll be seared on the outside and creamy on the inside when they're done!
3. Shellfish: Grilled shellfish are quick and easy. In only two minutes they open and can go straight into a tasty broth, butter sauce, or eaten right off the grill grates!
4. Cake: Why would you take a perfectly good piece of cake and put it on the grill? Simple. For texture. Place a piece of solid cake (pound cake is a good example) and let it sit for a few moments on the grill. Top with your favorite ice cream for an extra texture and smokiness!
5. Meatloaf: Slice your finished product for extra tasty sandwiches or pretty presentation!
Do you grill anything unusual? Let us know in the comments below!
Related: Make It Sizzle: 10 Dessert Recipes Featuring Grilled Fruit
(Image: Sarah Rae Trover)
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Wow - we grill fruit all the time, but the rest are surprising.
I'll add: artichokes and tofu - people are always surprised when we have these grilled (be sure to steam the artichokes first).
Check out the review of this guy's restaurant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/28/dining/reviews/28rest.html?pagewanted=all
Shellfish is a surprise? "Throw another shrimp on the barbie"? Anyone? No?
Broccoli is fantastic-break it down from a large fresh piece into about 4 pieces, douse in olive oil and seasoning and put on grill. We've been grilling it this way for 15 years or more and every summer someone seems surprised to see broccoli on the grill.
Cauliflower "steaks" grill up great too. Just slice thickly from top to bottom, brush with oil and sprinkle with salt.
@akay : my thoughts exactly!
Akay & Crazylady: Although shrimp is quite common, for those that don't live on a coast, it's easy to forget about things like clams which seem like they'd fall though the grates at first glance. My apologies for not making that more clear!
Zucchini halves (lengthwise). I put them cut side down first, to get grill marks, and then finish with indirect heat (cut side up) and lots of basting with fresh herb butter. YUM!
sliced eggplant, drizzle with olive oil and some balsamic vinigar and crumble some feta on top. YUM.
and sliced peaches or nectarines wrapped in prosciutto. Add slices to a bed of lightly dressed arugula.
Definitely try peaches! I grilled some peach halves and some pineapple spears last year and people near lost their minds. So delicious.
Grilled Garlic Cloves!
For added flavor place them in a tin of Sesame Oil and let sit over the grill on indirect heat for 20 minutes.
cabbage... butter, salt, pepper, dash of cayenne. wrap them in aluminum foil.
Brussel Sprouts!!!
Pineapple! Yum!
I live in a camper (working on our house) and since it gets super hot in there with the oven on we try to grill anything we can. I make pizza by simple rolling out the dough onto foil, brushing with olive oil, flip onto grill, brush the up side before flipping then top with everything and close the lid. You can also warm up frozen stuff on their too...I'll make pasta in a pot on the side burner of the grill and put grocery store frozen garlic bread on the grill and close the lid. Works like an oven just make sure to flip often so that it doesn't burn.
Cooking oysters on a grill is awesome. When I was a kid, my family would go to an oyster shack on a tributary of the Chesapeake and buy a gunny sack full of oysters that had been collected that day. There were two main ways to do them. One, if you had a grill going, just put the oysters on the rack, rounded side down until the slightly open. The second way, if we were doing a lot of them, was to put an old enamel table top over a fire (held up by bend rebar). Line the oysters up on the table top and cover them with wet burlap so that they steam. Check now and then, and take them off the table top as soon as they gap open a little.
We'd stand around in the backyard, eating oysters as they opened, dipping them in the sauces Mom had made. Purists would just use a little lemon and maybe a shot of Tabasco. It was always a little chilly, with autumn leaves blowing around us. The best oysters are in the fall and winter, even if a state allows summer harvest. Bacteria are less active in the cold weather, but in terms of taste, the oysters build up their reserves during the cool or cold months in order to spawn in the spring. Cold weather oysters are fatter and richer than those who have recently spawned.
We have a grill wok we love to use for stir frys. It adds such a nice smoky flavor.
Romaine lettuce cut in half, with the core still on. Drizzle it with a lit bit of olive oil, and a splash of balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Yummy!!!
Pineapple!!!!!
I see it's already been mentioned, but it deserves mentioning a few times. I grill it then serve over coconut ice cream ....just delicious...
I think I'll grill some tonight!
Avocado, brush with olive oil and some salt & pepper. Delicious! Grilled tomatoes are amazing too.
A family Christmas tradition is to cook fruit cake on the BBQ. Spread a good serving of butter/margarine on both sides and pop onto the grill!