WQED Multimedia

Because cooking times vary for
meats and vegetables, it’s best to
have individual skewers for
similar items.

The first time you impale a wiener on a stick and hold it against the flickering heat of a wood fire, you are tapping into a collective experience that goes back thousands of years in the history of humankind. The open fire was the first gathering place for families and clans, providing warmth and protection from the environment. There’s no evidence of exactly when or why people began sticking their food into the fire before eating it, but the word must have got out that “cooking” was the way to go.

Large-scale events called for rotating spits or planks that could be inverted for even heating. Smaller meals could be made over braziers using thin pieces of wood to suspend the food over the flame. The skewer was born. Long live the shish kebab! The term shish kebab (or kabob/kebob) means “skewer meat” and may also have roots in the Aramaic word kabbeb, meaning to roast or char.

In any case, it has come to mean meat and sometimes vegetables that are marinated and then threaded onto thin sticks and roasted quickly over a flame or high heat. This style of cooking is at the opposite end of the outdoor culinary spectrum from barbecue. There, the phrase is low and slow, using cuts of meat that slowly render their fats to keep the meat moist and tender over long cooking times. Food on skewers is cut to bite-sized pieces and then marinated in mixtures designed to tenderize and add flavor and aroma during the searing exposure to the flame. You should be able to taste the char at the edges of food that has been infused with intense flavors. Most of us can’t—or would prefer not to—dig a hole in our backyards to build a cook fire. But an old charcoal grill might provide a place for a small wood fire.

Small pieces of firewood would be perfect for outdoor grilling. I’m talking about the kind of campfire you would make on a camping trip. You start with kindling then add twigs and sticks and finally bigger pieces of wood. It may seem like a lot of work, but it adds authenticity and flavor to the food. Be patient and let the wood burn to nice shimmering embers. They are actually hotter than the visible flames at the start of a fire. If that makes you too nervous, or if you don’t have time to create a wood fire, go ahead and use your grill. Make sure your gas grill is cranked up to high or your charcoal grill is as hot as you can get it. I’ve found it is much better to have separate skewers for each item rather than trying to get variety on each stick.

Things cook at different rates, and you would have to burn a shrimp if it were on a skewer next to zucchini cubes. I’ve included marinades for shrimp, swordfish, chicken, lamb, pork and vegetables. They all have at least three elements: oil, tenderizer and herb complement. Feel free to mix, match and experiment with your own trilogies.

Ingredients:
Swordfish Marinade
2 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon minced dill

Lamb Marinade
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 cloves garlic crushed
1 tablespoon coriander

Shrimp Marinade
1 tablespoon melted butter
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

Chicken Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon basil

Vegetable Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon oregano

Pork Marinade
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon fresh ginger

Directions:
1. Trim all the fat and sinew from the chicken breasts. With your palm on the top of a cutlet, carefully slice horizontally to create 2 thin slices. Repeat with the other cutlet. You can also splurge and buy sliced chicken breasts, or ask the butcher to trim and slice them for you.

2. Season the flour with salt and pepper in a pie dish. Dredge the cutlet slices and shake off any excess flour.

3. Heat 2 tablespoons of the butter in a 12-inch skillet. Brown the cutlets for a minute or two on each side until light-golden-brown. Remove to a dish and keep warm.

4. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet and add the mushrooms. Fry until they release their moisture.

5. Sprinkle the remaining flour from the pie plate into the skillet. Stir to form a roux.

6. Add the chicken stock and wine, stirring constantly. Bring the sauce to a boil. When it has thickened, add the chicken and lemon juice and reduce to a simmer. Cover and continue to cook on low.

7. In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoon of butter and stir in the rice until the kernels are well-coated. (Make sure this is plain long-grain rice, not converted, not instant, not Minute, not boil-in-bag.)

8. Add the salt, the cup of water and cup of frozen peas. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a very low simmer and cover tightly. Cook for exactly 18 minutes. The chicken will be finished cooking at the same time as the rice.

9. Remove the rice dish from the heat and
fluff with a fork. Serve it alongside the chicken cutlets.

10. This recipe can be doubled or quadrupled. The proportions are 1 part rice to 2 parts water. The cooking time never changes. My favorite long-grain rice is basmati. It has a nutty flavor and aroma and an extra long grain.

Serves 2.

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TOP 10 ESSENTIALS FOR COOKING
Here's my top-10 list of kitchen essentials for a well-equipped kitchen:

1. An 8-inch chef knife and 3-inch paring knife. Make sure they are high-carbon stainless, forged knives. Avoid the "82-knife set."

2. Cutting board. I favor nylon or bamboo. In either case, make sure it is lightweight and at least 12-by-20-inches.

3. Measuring cups and spoons. You'll need a 2-cup and a 4-cup liquid measuring cup, a set of measuring cups for dry ingredients and a set of measuring spoons. Stainless steel is the most durable.

4. A 12-inch nonstick skillet with cover. Tri-ply such as All-Clad is the best for even heating. This pan does everything from omelets to sautés.

5. An 8-quart stock pot. This is essential for boiling pasta, steaming vegetables or making large batches of chili, soups and stews.

6. Colander. Get stainless steel with firmly riveted handles.

7. A 3-quart covered saucepan. This rounds out your pots-and-pans inventory for small boiling projects and heating canned soups.

8. A four-sided cheese grater. Freshly grated cheese is a big flavor boost for your cooking. This tool is also useful for grating vegetables and shredding lemon zest.

9. Sheet pan. This inexpensive pan has raised sides and can be used to bake cookies, breads and pizza, or to roast vegetables and meats.

10. A 6-quart slow cooker. This is a working couple's best friend. Ten minutes of prep in the morning yields a dinner entree and loads of leftovers. The models with the thickest insert provide the slowest, most-even cooking. Be sure it's at least a 5-quart capacity.

- Chris Fennimore