What A Smokin' Holiday

I must have been a good girl this year because as an early birthday present my husband gave me a smoker.  Yeah, you read that right...a Weber Smokey Mountain Cooker to smoke meat and other goodies.

For our inaugural smoked meat feast, we decided to smoke some chicken.  Since folks had Monday off from work, we thought it would be a good day to share.  We invited my brother and his girlfriend, Kate and our friends Dave and Wendy to join us.

Smoked Chicken
Serves 8 to 12


3 whole fryer chickens (3 to 4 lbs each)
48 oz Goya brand mojo criollo
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup canola oil

Between 6 and 8 hours before dinner, split the chickens and get them ready for the marinade.  To split a chicken - lay the chicken breast-side down on a cutting board.  Using heavy-duty kitchen shears or a sharp knife, cut down both sides of backbone.  Flip the chicken over, so the cut section is down.  With your hands, push against the breast to crack it open.  Use the kitchen shears or knife to cut through the breast and finish splitting the chicken.  You also want to break up the leg joint.  Grip the thigh firmly, then bend or twist the legs on each half until you hear or feel the break at the joint between the leg and the thigh.

Now you are ready to marinate the chicken halves.  Use one-gallon zip-top plastic bags or glass dishes to marinate the chicken, no metal containers.  Place chicken in the preferred container, shake the marinade bottles well, and then pour over chicken.  Put it in the refrigerator covered for 4 to 6 hours, turning once or twice to distribute the marinade.

Two hours before dinner, start a fire in your smoker.  We used a chimney starter to help get it going and used a mix of lump hardwood charcoal and mesquite wood chunks.

While you are waiting for the charcoal in your starter to engage, pat the chicken dry and brush with 1/2 cup oil.  Season lightly with salt and pepper.

When the lit charcoal and wood are ready for cooking, arrange the chicken on the grate.  Place the chicken halves in a circle, breast-side in, on the grate, as close to the middle as possible without crowding.  We put two halves of chicken on the bottom grate and four halves on the top grate.  Put on the lid.  The top and bottom vents of the cooker should both be open, but adjust them by closing slightly if the temperature gets too hot.  You want to shoot for 250 to 275 degrees F.  It was hot enough outside that it impacted the heat of our cooker so much we needed to adjust the vents.

Arranging the chicken on the grate with the breast away from the hottest zone on the grate to protect the breast meat from drying out and help the meat cook more evenly.  On the Weber Smokey Mountain cooker, the perimeter of the grate is hotter because heat flows around the water pan and up the sides.  Hence, breast side in.  Leave the lid on for 1 1/2 hours.  No peeking or you will slow down the cooking.

One and one-half hours into the cook, open the lid and puncture the thickest part of the breast with a fork.  If the juice running out the chicken is clear, it is done.  If the juice is still pinkish, leave the chicken on the cooker and replace the lid and fork-test the chicken every 10 to 15 minutes until the juices run clear.  The chickens on the top were done in one and a half hours and the bottom chicken was done about 15 minutes later.

As a guide to the joys of our new smoker, we've been using the cookbook, Low and Slow: Master the Art of Barbeque in 5 Easy Lessons.  It includes the above recipe.

Punch for Independence Day

My husband and I spent some of the holiday weekend in Cleveland, and part of our visit included a get-together at his father's house.  We supplied the punch.

Our original goal was to make a festive red punch, but this recipe was so intriguing to us, we had to give it a try.  It is a pretty amber color instead.  This punch was a hit even with folks who don't like the taste of alcohol.

Independence Day Punch

375 mL rye
750 mL sherry
2 2-liter bottles of ginger ale
orange, sliced

The night before your party, you need to put together the ice ring.  Use one 2 liter bottle of ginger ale to make an ice ring.  Pour half the bottle into a Bundt pan and place in freezer to firm up for a few hours.  Once the liquid is somewhat firm, but not solid, remove the pan and arrange orange slices in a pretty pattern.  Then pour the remainder of the ginger ale bottle into the Bundt pan and place back in freezer.  Leave it be until firm.

Once you are ready to serve, pour rye and sherry into punch bowl, and slightly stir.  Unmold the ice ring and place in the punch bowl.  Open second 2 liter bottle of ginger ale and pour into bowl.   Your punch bowl may not be able to hold the entire bottle of ginger ale, so be careful.

Now it is ready to serve.  The punch becomes smoother as the ginger ale ice ring melts, but some folks may want to add a bit more ginger ale to their glass early in the festivities.   You could also make your ice ring a bit smaller and pour the ginger ale directly into the punch bowl.  We wanted the punch to stay colder longer and therefore preferred a larger ice ring.

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

My brother came over yesterday to help me with a project, and he brought a cantaloupe with him.  It was ripe and juicy, but he was less than satisfied with its mealy texture.  He figured I could come up with something to do with it, and he hoped it would involve vodka.

As a matter of fact, little brother, I do have something in mind and why, yes it can incorporate vodka.  We can fix that texture problem, too.  How about some agua fresca?

What is agua fresca, you ask?  It is a popular beverage in Mexico (and I understand across Central America) of fruit or vegetables with sugar and water.  Easy and refreshing.  I drank them a lot when I lived in Austin.  It was a cooling drink after eating spicy tacos, or when I wanted a sweet treat while slaving away in downtown.

But you don't have to go to Mexico, or even Austin to enjoy agua fresca.  You can easily make it at home.

Cantaloupe Agua Fresca

1 cantaloupe, peeled, sliced
1/3 cup sugar
4 cups water

Blitz the cantaloupe and sugar in a blender.  Pour into a pitcher and add 4 cups of water.  Stir well.

Serve over ice and pour in some vodka or rum.  My brother and I prefer citron vodka with the cantaloupe.  However, it is just as yummy without the booze.

Blackberry Cocktails

A perfectly ripe blackberry is a beautiful and delicious thing.  Blackberries are reaching their peak here in the Washington, DC area, and I cannot get enough.  My family grew blackberries when I was young and I just adore them.  I like picking them, too.  It reminds me of childhood and the vines that grew near our horse pasture.  My horse, Bess, was very curious and would watch you closely as you picked the fruit, hoping it would mean something sweet for her, too.

I wasn't really feeling in the mood for traditional baking with blackberries, so I decided to come up with some cocktails instead.  A number of blackberry-themed drink recipes using creme de mure or creme de cassis, which is a blackberry liqueur.  I do not have that liqueur, but I thought I might create even more delicious blackberry flavor if I used a blackberry puree instead.  So, I pulled out my trusty blender and got to work.

To make the blackberry puree...In a blender, add 2 cups of blackberries, 1/4 cup water, 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, and 3 Tbsp of sugar.  Puree and taste.   Continue to add sugar or a bit more water until desired consistency and taste.  Some berries are sweeter and riper than others and need less sugar.  I've given you a starting point, it is up to you to make it work.

I mixed up two different blackberry cocktails.  One, I call a Tequila Sunset, a take on the Tequila Sunrise.  The second is a modified version of the Bramble, which is gin based.  Give them both a try, even if you don't think you like gin or tequila.

Tequila Sunset

Makes 1

crushed ice

1 oz tequila

4 oz orange juice

1 oz blackberry puree (see above recipe)

2 oz club soda or seltzer (optional)

Pour the tequila and orange juice into an ice-filled glass, and stir.  Float the blackberry puree on top, and let it slowly descend through the drink.  Top with club soda or seltzer, if desired.

Blackberry Bramble

Makes 1

crushed ice

2 oz gin

1 oz lime juice

1/2 oz simple syrup

1 oz blackberry puree (see above recipe)

garnish with fresh blackberries and a lime wedge

Fill shaker with ice and add gin, lime juice, and simple syrup.  Shake and strain into glass with crushed ice.  Pour the blackberry puree on top and let it descend through the glass.  Garnish with blackberries and a lime wedge.

Beat the Heat with Some Cool Cucumbers

We've had a long string of pretty hot days here in DC this summer so my husband and I were grateful we were invited to a poolside party this weekend.  Another guest was grilling so I wanted to bring a side dish that was cool and wouldn't be too filling in the heat.  A refreshing cucumber salad fit the bill.  Mix in some grape tomatoes and fresh mint and you have yourself a easy summer dish.

Cucumber Salad with Tomatoes and Mint

1/3 cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
4 large cucumbers, peeled and chopped into bite-size pieces
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1 pint grape tomatoes
1/3 cup fresh mint, chopped
2 Tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

In a bowl, combine red wine vinegar, sugar, and salt.

Stir in cucumbers.  Add onion, tomatoes, and mint.

Then, gently toss with olive oil and add salt and pepper to taste.