BROILING is not a job that can be done with the left hand of a chef whose right hand is stirring a sauce or sautéing a fish. Broiling is an art which demands exclusive attention, great skill. and long experience, and I have at least one friend, now a chef of considerable repute, who learned that fact the hard way!
This chef, whom we shall call Leon, served his apprenticeship under me in the Ritz kitchens many years ago. We had also in training in the kitchen a young girl who worked in the home of one of the hotel's directors, and I am afraid that the young lady was something of a distraction to Leon. To put it bluntly, Leon was acting like a small boy riding his bicycle with no hands-to a fall. He was showing off. and unfortunately for him he chose the wrung trick. He took half a shad, not the delicate filet-which is notoriously difficult to handle-but a substantial piece of the fish and laid it on the broiling grill with all the flourishes of a master. But while the flourishes were there, the skill was lacking. The grill was not quite hot enough, and the fish stuck to the grill so firmly that poor Leon had to call the grill chef to scrape it off for hint. Then Leon had to watch, his face red for more reasons than the heat of the broiler flame, while the chef marked the fish with a red-hot pique-feu, the poker which was also used to lift the round stove lids, to quadriller it with a pattern of crossbars in imitation of the effect produced by proper broiling.
It is a captivating sight to see a talented grill chef expertly cooking piece-after piece of fragile fish, with never a bit broken or a shred left sticking to the wires, each piece geometrically marked by the hot wires in an attractive pattern, and a sight that makes one appreciate the efforts of the grillardin.
The first grillardin I ever worked with, and certainly one of the best, was père Auguste of the Hôtel du Rhin in Paris. He was a huge man. and with a grot bonnet blanc perched on his massive head he made the other chefs look like people of another, and rather diminutive, race. He was a skilled chef and a tireless worker, or Mr. Morlock, the manager, would never have put up with him, for père Augusts was seldom entirely sober. His own special and inviolable glass was. like himself, enormous. It could hold a quart bottle of wine . . . and it usually did. When be had drunk his own wine, we young commit gave him most of ours, and the courrier, in order to fuel his good humor. always brought hint the wine the guests had left in their bottles. So père Angute was usually très gas and often so funny that we could barely keep our minds on our jobs. When the other chefs went off for their afternoon outing. and we commis, who never had any time off, were busy making the intricate garnishes for dinner-carving roses from beets and turnips, rolling out colored noodles to cut into fancy shapes, fashioning little lemon baskets for parsley and so on-père Auguste would settle himself in a large chair in the far corner of the kitchen and go to sleep.
Grunts and groans signaled pèrs Auguste's awakening and were our cue to rush him a glassful of wine. After several false starts he would finally heave himself out of the chair and stagger to the range. But once at his broiler, père-Auguste was all business, working furiously for hours on end, stopping occasionally. of course, for more wine. livery piece of meat or fish that came off his grill had the right shade of brown and a perfect quadrillé. It was always cooked à point, that is. to the exact degree of doneness. His hands may have been big and at times a little shaky, but. drunk or sober, when he tapped a filet mignon or a roast with his two big fingers, he knew at once whether it was à point or needed more cooking, and he handled piece after fragile piece of delicate boned shad as casually as if he were frying eggs for a roadside diner. His wine-blurred eyes saw even the smallest imperfection in one of the garnished platters waiting for the food from his grill. Then he would try to explain what was wrong to Bob Touch, the young English apprentice who worked under him. By this time the high hat would have slipped to a decidedly rakish angle, the great white-coated bulk would be teetering and swaying, and the thick tongue was only able to manage some entirely meaningless sounds like “monyeu, monyeu, monyeu, ” which poor, puzzled Bob tried to translate into English! Watching the confusion would send us all into raits of laughter until the head chef came over to put a stop to our nonsense-and in words that were full of meaning.
Fifty or more years ago hotel kitchens used only charcoal or coke for broiling. Coke made a hotter fire and was preferred. It was hotter for the chef, too, and usually broiled him along will) the meat. In the old Ritz in New York we had two charcoal broilers and one coke broiler, as well as several fueled by gas and electricity. Few modern establishments are designed with chimneys that go directly from the charcoal or cokebroilers to the roof, which fire department regulations of most cities require, so most places now use gas or electricity.
The first step in broiling is to make the quadrillé, or brown markings. The wire grill must be very hot, for the food is laid on it over the fire to sear the stripes in one direction. Then the meat or fish is lifted with a big spatula and moved halfway around to sear a diamond or crossbar pattern. The cooking is then finished in various ways. Steaks and chops are turned over and cooked on the oilier side, but a delicate piece of fish is usually placed in a hot pan, skin side down, quadrillé up. and finished under a gas or electric broiler or in the oven. With the firm skin underneath, the fish is less apt to break when the cook lifts it off with his spatula. Large pieces of meat to be broiled-whole beef filets, racks or loins of baby lamb, or young turkeys, for example-after they have been seared in the broiler, are finished in the oven to avoid the drying which might be caused by longer broiling.
Broiling is a quick way to cook, but because it is a quick way it is an exacting one. In some instances even a minute or two of overcooking may spoil the results. Or the wrong temperature-not hot enough for a thick piece of beef, too hot for a thin fish filet-may cause disappointment. It is practice that gives you an understanding of the heat of broiler grills and practice that develops your ability to tell how long to broil different foods. Then there is the problem of smoke; as long as you have fat and fire in close proximity you most certainly will have smoke. To minimize this smoking, trim off all surplus fat from the meat, leaving only enough to protect the edges. Another problem is caused when fat from broiling food drips onto the wood or charcoal fire beneath and bursts into flame. The chef keeps the flames under control with water. He dips a small whisk broom, kept just for this purpose, into water and shakes it over the fire-using only enough water, however, to quiet the flames without extinguishing the glowing embers.
The dark meats are best suited, I believe, to broiling-beef, lamb, English mutton, and some of the big game. Have the broiler very hot, spread the meat with butter or good fat, and season it with a little salt. When it is done on one side, turn, spread the other side with butter or fat, season with salt, and finish broiling. Never pierce the flesh with a fork to turn it. Use a spatula or put the fork into the fat at the edge. Most people like red meats rate. If you look carefully, you will notice that when the meat reaches the medium-rare stage, tiny drops of pink juice appear on the surface of the side being cooked. When the meat is touched lightly with the first and second fingers, it is firm but still retains a noticeable springiness. If it feels soft it is not done; if it is quite firm, it is too well done. Always cook a piece of meat less than an inch thick very quickly, over a good hot fire. For a thicker piece, turn down the heat a little-sprinkle a few ashes over too hot a charcoal fire-so that the outside won't be unpleasantly scorched before the meat is cooked. A cut of meat more than three inches thick is best finished in the oven after it has been browned on both sides.
There are a few people who like steaks and chops well cooked. I remember that a guest at the old Ritz once sent some chops back for more cooking and the grill chef was so indignant that his idea of perfection was questioned that he threw them on the grill and left them there until they were practically burned. The waiter was reluctant to take the chops back to the dining room. He said he was afraid they would be thrown at his head. I learned later that the guest had been delighted and had given the waiter an extra tip for serving the chops just the way he liked them!
White meats should be well-done and should be cooked slowly, with moderate heat. Broiled spring chicken is very good, as is baby lamb. But most people prefer veal and pork cooked in other ways.
If you want to broil veal, have the meat cut not more than one-half inch thick. Flour it on both sides and brush it well with butter. This gives a nice golden color, and if the heat is kept moderate, the veal will be juicy, even though it must be cooked until it is welldone. Calf's liver should also be floured and brushed with butter before broiling; usually it is cooked medium-rare.
To broil chicken, spread the skin side with butter, season it with salt, and broil the skin side first. Then turn the chicken over, brush the underside with butter, season with salt, and broil, brushing often with butter. Test by pricking the second joint with a fork. The juice which comes out should be clear and have no pink tinge.
Although broiling is a good way to cook almost any fish, it is especially good for the fatty varieties. Cut tiny incisions in the top of small whole fish or filets.otherwise the heat causes the fish to contract and curl the edges. Flour the fish well, shake off any surplus flour, spread it with melted butter or oil, and lay it on a very hot grill. Turn down the heat and broil the fish until it flakes easily. brushing it frequently with butter or oil. If the grill is hot enough, the fish will not require turning. Having the grill very, very hoc helps to prevent the fish from sticking to the grill, The flour forms a crust which browns attractively and helps to keep the fish from breaking after it is cooked. Then, with two spatulas, the fish can be loosened carefully from the grill or broiler pan and lifted intact to the serving dish.
liven with all these tricks it takes an expert with some years of experience to handle a whole shad or salmon. It is better to have shad boned at the fish store and cut into pieces that are easy to handle, and salmon should be sliced into steaks about an inch thick.
There are two broiled specialties that intrigue amateur chefs; The first is à la diable or diable -or, in English, deviled. Favorite à la diable dishes are beef ribs and chicken, which first earned their reputation as a supper dish in English clubs. The diable mixture of butter, mustard. Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and bread crumbs is spread over the cooked meat, which is then browned under a broiler. Some like CO add a little anchovy paste to the mixture, others a little curry powder. Leftover cooked meat is warmed just a little in the oven or broiler before it is spread with the seasoned bread crumb coating. A somewhat similar dish is baby lamb persillé. In this case a very young, tender lamb breast is broiled until done, then covered with bread crumbs mixed with chopped parsley, sprinkled with butter, and put back on the broiler to brown the crust.
The second broiling method that interests the amateur is planking. A new plank should be prepared as follows: Scrub it well and dry it thoroughly. Then brush it generously with salad oil. put in a cold oven, adjust the thermostat to 325° F., and let oven and plank heat at the same time. After about 25 minutes. remove the plank and let it cool, brushing it with more oil, which will be absorbed by the wood as it cools. This treatment helps to preserve the wood and will keep it from cracking and splitting under the hot broiler. In using the plank, prepare the garnishes first. Cook the vegetables and keep them hot in a little butter and prepare potatoes ducbesse for the border. Then broil the steak-or fish-on a grill or broiler pan in the usual way, turn it, and continue to broil until it is half done on the second side. While the meat is broiling, heat the plank ill the oven. When you turn the steak, remove the hot plank from the oven and pipe the potatoes dachesse in a decorative border around the edge with a pastry bag and tube. When the steak is half cooked on the second side, transfer it to the plank and put the plank under the broiler to brown the potatoes and finish cooking the steak. Then arrange the bouquets of vegetables between the potatoes and meat. A plank used for fish will retain the fish taste and should not be used for any other purpose.
A final warning: Broiled foods, like soufflés, should be served the minute they leave the range. Broiled meats kept warm in a warming oven become dry and tough, and if broiled meats are put in covered dishes, they continue to cook in the steam and are bound to lose their crispness and tenderness. It's better to let guests wait than for broiled meats to wait.
Chateaubriand
A chateaubriand is a piece of the filet of beef, 2 ½ to 2 ¾ inches thick. cut from near the head of the filet where the meat is thickest. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt, spread with butter, and broil the meat in a preheated broiling oven for about 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Transfer the Chateaubriand to a hot pan, spread it with 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, and continue to cook under a medium flame for about 15 minutes for rare, or only a little longer for medium-rare. Test by tapping the meat with the fingers: If it is soft and a little springy to the touch, the meat is rare; if it is firm, it is medium-rare. Serve with béarnaise sauce (see May, 1952), maitre d'hôtel butter, or sauce Chateaubriand (see “The Last Touch”) and water cress and French-fried or souffléed potatoes.
Broiled Filet Mignon
A filet mignon resembles a Chateaubriand, but it is only from 1 to I ½ inches thick. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt, spread with butter, and broil the meat in a preheated broiling oven for about 5 to A minutes on each side for rare or a few minutes longer for medium-rate.
Broiled Tournedos
Tournedos are cut from the heart ofthe beef filet and are from ¾ to 1 inch thick, The pieces should not be too large and should be well trimmed. Sprinkle both sides lightly with salt, spread with butter, and broil the meat in a preheated broiling oven for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side for rare or a few minutes longer for medium-rare. Serve on pieces of toast sautéed in butter or on artichoke bottoms and with a sauce such as Madeira mushroom, Madeira, marchand de vin, Choron (see “The Last Touch”), or béarnaise (see May, 1952).
Filet Mignon Henri IV
Broil the filet (see directions above) and serve it with béarnaise sauce (see May, 1952) and pommes pontneuf. These are French-fried potatoes cut smaller than the conventional size.
Broiled Hamburg Steak
Combine 2 pounds chopped fresh lean beef with ½ cup finely chopped beef marrow and 1/3 cup heavy cream or cold water. The liquid makes the meat more juicy. Season with salt and pepper, and, if desired, add ¼ cup finely chopped onion cooked until soft in 2 tablespoons butter. Shape the mixture into fiat rounds, brush with butter, and broil in a preheated broiling oven for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side for medium or a little longer for welldone. Serve with sauce portugaise (see“The Last Touch”).
Carpel Bag Steak
Have a piece of sirloin steak cut 2 J/2 to .3 inches thick and large enough to serve six. Insert a sharp knife in the center of one side and slice horizontally to within an inch or two of the edges of the steak to make a pocket. Stuff the pocket with 18 to 20 small raw oysters, seasoned with salt and pepper. Sew the edges of the opening together. Broil the steak in a preheated broiling oven for about 12 to 15 minutes on each side. For well-done meat, transfer the steak to a hot pan, spread it with 2 tablespoons butter, and continue to ò ok for a few minutes longer under a medium flame, basting with the butter. Serve with maitre d'hôtel butter (see “The Last Touch”) and the juices in the pan.
Broiled Veal Chop or Cutlet
Have veal chops cut about 1 inch thick. Sprinkle them with a little salt and pepper and dust them with flour. Spread the chops with melted butter and broil them in a preheated broiling oven for 7 to 8 minutes on each side. Transfer the chops to a hot pan, spread them with 2 tablespoons butter, and continue to cook under a medium flame for about 2 to 3 minutes longer on each side, basting often with the butter and juices in the pan. The veal should be well-done with no pink juice showing when the meat is tested with a fork. Serve with the juices in the pan or with maitre d'hôtel butter (see “The Last Touch”).
Broiled Lamb Kidneys
Remove the membrane and fat from lamb kidneys, wash and dry them, split and put on brochettes-long metal skewers-arranging them horizontally so that the flat sides and not the edges face the heat. Allow 2 or 3 kidneys for each serving. Season the kidneys with salt and pepper, brush them with butter or melted fat, and broil in a preheated broiling oven for a few minutes on each side. Serve immediately; if the kidneys are allowed to stand, they become dry and tough. Serve with maitre d'hôtel butter (see “The Last Touch”), slices of broiled bacon, and fried potatoes.
Broiled Lamb Chops
Season lamb chops with sale and brush them with butter or melted far. Broil them in a medium-hot broiler for 3 to 5 minutes on each side for rare, depending on the thickness of the chops, or a little longer for medium or well-done.
Broiled Mutton Chops
Mutton chops are usually served rare or medium-rare. They are cut thicker than lamb chops and have more fat on them. Broil thick mutton chops in a preheated broiler for 6 to 7 minutes on each side. Transfer them to a hot pan. spread with 1 tablespoon butter, and continue to cook under a medium flame for about 10 minutes longer on each side for medium-rare, basting often with the juices in the pan. If the chops include the kidney, cook for about 5 minutes longer.
Kebab of Lamb
Cut the tenderloin or any tender cut of lamb into small pieces about ½ inch thick. Put the pieces on a metal skewer with small pieces of bay leaf and slices of onion between them. Sliced bacon, cut in small pieces, and mushrooms may also be put on the skewer, alternating with the pieces of lamb. Season with salt and pepper and marinate the kebabs in salad oil for an hour or more. Drain and broil the kebabs in a preheated broiler for 5 to 7 minutes, or until the meat is brown on all sides. Serve with tomato sauce (see April, 1952) and cooked rite.
Broiled Spring Cbicken
Broiling chickens range in size from the squab chicken of about 1 ¼ pounds to the conventional broiler of 2 ¼ to 2 ½ pounds. Split a broiler down the back, clean, and, if necessary, singe it. Season the chicken with salt, spread it with melted butter, and put it, skin side up, in a preheated broiling oven. When the skin is golden brown, turn, spread the uncooked side with 1 to 2 tablespoons butter, and continue to cook under a medium flame until done, basting often with the butler. Test by pricking the leg or second joint with a fork, and if the juice which comes out is clear and has no pink tinge, the chicken is done. Make a gravy by adding a little stock to the pan juices and stirring in the brown crustiness clinging to the pan. Garnish with slices of broiled bacon or ham. broiled mushrooms or tomatoes, and water cress.
Broiled Spring Chicken Diable
Split a broiler down the back, clean, and, if necessary, singe it. Season the chicken with salt and brush it with butter. Put it in a pan in a hot oven (400°to 425° F.) and cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or just long enough to make the flesh firm and to give the skin a slight golden color. Meanwhile make a (liable mixture. Cream 2 or 3 tablespoons butter with 1 teaspoon English mustard and a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and mix it with 1 cup fine fresh bread crumbs. Remove the chicken from the oven and take out any of the bones that can be easily withdrawn. Spread the chicken with a layer of the (liable mixture and finish cooking it by broiling it under a medium flame for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Test by pricking the leg or second joint with a fork, and if the juice which comes out is clear and has no pink tinge, the chicken is done. Care should be taken to keep the broiling heat low enough so that the crumbs do not become too brown but have a nice golden color. Serve hot or allow to cool, but never chill in the refrigerator.
Broiled Baby Turkey
Split a young turkey weighing 4 to 6 pounds, clean, and singe it. Season the turkey with salt and brush it with melted fat. Put it on a hot grill in a preheated broiling oven, with the skin side on the grill to mark it, and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a hot pan with the skin side up, spread it with 3 to 4 tablespoons butter, and continue to cook under a medium flame for about an hour, or until done, basting often. After about 20 minutes of cooking, add 2 to 3 tablespoons water or stock to the pan to keep the turkey from scorching. Test by pricking the leg or second joint with a fork. If the juice which comes out is clear and has no pink tinge, the turkey is done. Make a gravy by adding a little water or chicken stock to the pan and stirring in all the brown crustiness around the part. Garnish with water cress and serve with devil sauce (sec “The Last Touch”).
Broiled Brook Trout or Other Small Fish
Clean the fish and leave them whole. Make a few cuts on each side to prevent the skin from shrinking during the broiling. Season the fish with salt and pepper and roll them in flour and in salad oil. Place the fish on a hot buttered pan and broil them under a medium flame for about 8 to 10 minutes on each side, or until the flesh Hakes easily from the bones when tested with a small pointed knife. Serve with almond butter sauce (see “The Last Touch”).
Broiled Lobster Split a 1 ¼- to 2-pound live lobster and remove the sac behind the head and the intestinal vein. Crack the large claws with the handle of a heavy knife. Arrange the lobster halves on a broiler pan, cut side up, season with a little salt and pepper, and spread generously with butter. Broil the lobster under a moderate flame for 15 to 18 minutes, depending on the size, basting it from time to time with a little melted butter. Have the lobster far enough from the heat so it won't scorch before the meat is cooked. If several lobsters are to be cooked at one time, cut off the claws and arrange the body sections and the claws compactly on the grill. Serve with lemon quarters and melted butter.
Oysters en Brochette
Drain the oysters, reserving the juice, and wrap each in a piece of bacon. Arrange from 3 to 6 wrapped oysters on a skewer and place the skewers in a pan. Spread the oysters with a little butter and broil under a hot flame until the bacon is cooked. Serve on toast with the oyster liquor heated with a little butter.