The Sophisticated Summer Grill

Summer is upon us in full force, and with it comes the instinct to cut loose and indulge yourself. It's time for icy cocktails, gorgeous women and outdoor dining. Unlike the winter party season, when hosts blow the dust off their fine china and crystal, summer means cooking over charcoal. Meals are served on paper plates, drinks in plastic cups. And in lieu of napkins, there's always a garden hose.

This summer, why not try something special? Just because you're cooking outdoors doesn't mean your creations should fail to weaken a woman's knees. Good company aside, the soul of a party can always be sipped from a glass or stuck with a fork--and a grilled meal can be as sophisticated and ambitious as anything you would serve on Christmas Eve.

"The goal in grilling is to excite the flavors so you can really taste them," says Eric Ripert, the 39-year-old executive chef of Le Bernardin, which the Zagat guide has voted the restaurant with the top food in New York City four years in a row. Ripert himself won the 2003 James Beard award for outstanding chef in the U.S., which is kind of like winning an Oscar for best performance in a kitchen. "You must find the best ingredients--the freshest fish, the best tomatoes," he adds.

Good advice indeed, and there's more where that came from. To help turn your summer fete into a four-star feast, Playboy visited the kitchens of four New York chefs, some of the finest cooks in North America, and asked each of them to prepare one signature dish using a grill--the kind of fare they would serve at their own backyard party. The distinguished cast:

Ripert, Tom Colicchio of Gramercy Tavern and Craft, Marcus Samuelsson of Aquavit and Riingo, and David Waltuck of the inimitable Chanterelle. We asked them to prepare dishes that would appeal to seafood lovers, steak freaks and everyone in between. While their offerings vary wildly, the chefs are unanimous in their approach to outdoor cooking.

For starters, avoid the inferno at all costs. "The minute you put anything over an open flame," says Colicchio, "you're going to get a tough, dry exterior and an uncooked center with a charred taste. The trick is to sear over high heat and then move your food to a cooler part of the grill to finish cooking."

Another steadfast rule: Prepare ahead of time. A good portion of the recipes that follow--Samuelsson's summer vegetables, Ripert's yogurt sauce, Waltuck's duck-fat béarnaise and Colicchio's classic bordelaise--can be made well before your guests arrive. The last thing you want is to let them see you sweat, slicing and scorching in a panic when you should be clinking cocktail glasses and tending to their whims. And God forbid you should run out of booze. Always keep the bar properly stocked.

Last but never least, make sure that you have a great time. The party's vibe starts with you, the host. Whether you're entertaining two dozen guests or just one, you might as well indulge your every desire: cocktails, women, music, sunshine and some plates of fantastic summer fare--four examples of which we're serving on the next two pages. They're a little more time-consuming than your average cheeseburger, but the payoff is worth it. Feast your eyes and your stomach will follow.

Marcus Samuelsson Aquavit and Riingo

You know you're in for an experience the moment you enter the dining room of Aquavit, just across the street from the Museum of Modern Art. The huge six-story atrium is a converted townhouse that once belonged to Nelson Rockefeller. With a garden, a waterfall and a one-of-a-kind menu, it has an atmosphere that was made for impressing your girlfriend.

Though Aquavit is heralded as America's premier Scandinavian restaurant, its menu is a United Nations of flavors. Chef Samuelsson, 33, was born in Ethiopia, raised in Sweden and trained in France at Georges Blanc (which rates three Michelin stars). He brings all those influences to the table (example: his warm beef carpaccio served in mushroom tea). Riingo, his new ultra-chic restaurant at New York's Alex hotel, takes the experience in a different direction, adding Japanese flavors to its menu and its elegant interior.

How does Samuelsson define the essence of grilling? "There's something primal about it--men cooking outdoors, the hunters gatheredaround the fire." His chicken dish, however, is anything but primitive. Exquisite is more the word.

[recipe_title]•Grilled Chicken and Summer Vegetables[recipe_title]

(Serves 6)

[recipe]2 whole chickens[/recipe]

[recipe]2 eggplants, cut into 2-inch cubes[/recipe]

[recipe]6 scallions[/recipe]

[recipe]8 cloves garlic[/recipe]

[recipe]4 shallots, cut in half[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup pine nuts[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup chopped arugula[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup chopped spinach[/recipe]

[recipe_title]Marinade[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 cup olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup soy sauce[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup balsamic vinegar juice from six limes[/recipe]

[recipe]2 bird's-eye chilies, finely chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]4 sprigs thyme[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons sesame oil[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons miso paste[/recipe]

Preheat oven (to 250°) and light grill. For the marinade, whisk olive oil with soy sauce and balsamic vinegar. Add lime juice, chilies and thyme, then sesame oil and miso. Brush marinade over chickens. Stuff chickens with eggplants, scallions, garlic, shallots and pine nuts. Tie chickens closed and bake for 45 minutes, brushing with marinade and turning them every 10 minutes. Remove chickens and cut into legs, thighs and breast. Brush with marinade (use a clean brush) and grill breasts four minutes on each side, legs and thighs eight minutes on each side. Sauté vegetables for five minutes or so, then toss with arugula and spinach. Serve on the side.

Eric Ripert--le Bernardin

Among gourmands with pockets full of money, there may be no hotter seat in New York than at a table at Le Bernardin. Known for its religious reverence for seafood, this is where you go to experience classic service and the cuisine of Ripert. Raised in Andorra, on the border between Spain and France, Ripert came of age in the exclusive kitchens of Paris before arriving at Le Bernardin in 1991. Critics were soon raving about his sea scallops with foie gras and roasted tournedos of monkfish.

When cooking outdoors at his summer house, Ripert lays black slate over the grill. The slate crisps the outside of a piece of fish while keeping it from drying out. "When you tuna or swordfish, the steak should be no more than three fourths of an inch thick," he advises. "Otherwise the crust will become too dry by the time the middle is warm."

[recipe_title]•Seared Tuna Kebabs With Yogurt Sauce[/recipe_title]

(Serves 4)

[recipe]1 pound tuna steak, cut into 1-inch cubes[/recipe]

[recipe]2 red peppers, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces[/recipe]

[recipe]2 yellow peppers, seeded, cut into 1-inch pieces 2 medium zucchini, cut into 1-inch cubes[/recipe]

[recipe]1 red onion, cut into 1-inch pieces[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons herbes de Provence[/recipe]

[recipe]salt and pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe_title]Yogurt Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 cup plain yogurt[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 clove garlic, minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon chopped chives[/recipe]

[recipe]juice of 1 lemon[/recipe]

[recipe]salt and pepper[/recipe]

Light the grill and lay the slate over it. While it heats, make your sauce. Combine yogurt, cucumber, garlic, chives and lemon juice in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside. In a medium saucepan of boiling salted water, blanch peppers, zucchini and onion for one minute. Drain in a colander and refresh with cold water. Thread tuna and vegetables on metal skewers and season with salt, pepper and herbes de Provence. Smear oil lightly on the hot slate. Sear kebabs evenly for one to two minutes on each side. Transfer to a plate, and serve yogurt sauce on the side or dribbled on top.

David Waltuck Chanterelle

What is dining at Chanterelle like? Perhaps its essence is best captured by a New York Times reviewer who gleefully sampled the menu: "Virtually everything I've tasted has been satisfying. Pillows of ravioli stuffed with potatoes come with both white and black truffles. A terrine of foie gras is laced with the sweetness of white raisins, edged with the heat of black peppercorns." Hungry yet?

Waltuck, 49, wasn't flaunting a rarefied pedigree in 1979 when he opened Chanterelle, a bastion of elegance, romanticism and imaginative French cuisine. Born and bred in the Bronx, he opened Chanterelle when he was just 24--an impressive feat, considering that his restaurant has twice earned four stars from The New York Times.

His duck recipe is the most ambitious dish from our group of experts--and that translates to serious extravagance. Hey, you have to pay to play.

[recipe_title]•Duck Mixed Grill With Duck-Fat Béarnaise[recipe_title]

(Serves 6. All things duck are available at dartagnan.com.)

[recipe]2 duck breasts, separated (remove two thirds of the fat from breast)[/recipe]

[recipe]6 duck sausages[/recipe]

[recipe]3 duck-leg confits (separate legs from thighs)[/recipe]

[recipe]6 half-inch-thick pieces of foie gras, about 1 ounce each flour Duck-Fat Béarnaise[/recipe]

[recipe_title]Duck-Fat Béarnaise[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1/3 cup tarragon vinegar[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup dry white wine[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons finely chopped shallots[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh tarragon[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns[/recipe]

[recipe]3 egg yolks[/recipe]

[recipe]2/3 cup rendered duck fat[/recipe]

[recipe]salt and pepper[/recipe]

Combine vinegar, white wine, shallots, most of the tarragon (save two tablespoons for later) and pepper in a sauce pot. Bring to a boil and reduce by two thirds, then strain. In a metal mixing bowl combine the reduction and egg yolks; whisk over a pot of simmering water until frothy and hot to the touch. Eggs must be cooked but not curdled. Meanwhile, heat duck fat; it should be very warm but not boiling hot. Remove from heat, and whisk duck fat gradually into eggs. You should end up with a thick, pourable sauce. If it gets too thick, add a little hot water. Season with salt and pepper to taste and add reserved tarragon. Keep in a warm place--not too hot or sauce will curdle, not too cool or it will solidify.

On a grill (not too hot), cook duck breasts until rare and the sausages for about five to 10 minutes, flipping and moving the breasts to avoid flare-ups. Duck confits need only to be crisped on the skin side and reheated. Last thing on the grill: the foie gras. Dust lightly with flour and grill quickly so it cooks rare. Plate one piece foie gras, four slices duck breast, one sausage and one piece confit per person. Drizzle on duck-fat béarnaise. Grilled asparagus is a good accompaniment, as are potatoes fried in duck fat.

Tom Colicchio Gramercy Tavern And Craft

Few restaurants in the world are as perfectly romantic as Gramercy Tavern. In the mood for a casual date? The bar up front melds fine dining with a relaxed, cornucopia-themed decor. Feeling a bit more ambitious? The dining room in back is a shrine to everything edible. Think salt-baked salmon with pea shoots and rhubarb, or fondue of Maine crab with fava bean puree. Chef Colicchio, 41, opened Gramercy Tavern in 1994, and Craft (around the corner) and Craftsteak (in Las Vegas) more recently. One taste of his porterhouse with bordelaise and you'll know why he was one of five nominees for this year's James Beard award for outstanding chef in America.

[recipe_title]•Porterhouse Steak With Bordelaise Sauce[recipe_title]

(Serves 4)

[recipe]2 porterhouse steaks, 2 inches thick kosher salt and freshly ground pepper[/recipe]

[recipe_title]Bordelaise Sauce[/recipe_title]

[recipe]2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1 small yellow onion, peeled and chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1 small carrot, peeled and chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1 stalk celery, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]3 cups cremini mushrooms, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup shallots, chopped[/recipe]

[recipe]1 bottle dry red wine[/recipe]

[recipe]3 quarts veal stock[/recipe]

[recipe]1 bunch thyme[/recipe]

[recipe]kosher salt and freshly ground pepper[/recipe]

Begin with the sauce. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrot, celery, mushrooms and shallots. Cook until vegetables soften and begin to brown, about 15 minutes. Add wine and reduce until the pan is almost dry, about 25 minutes. Add stock, reduce the heat to medium, and simmer, skimming frequently until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, at least one hour. Strain sauce through a fine colander, add thyme, and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to steep.

Heat up your grill. Season steak on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill each side for about five minutes for medium rare. Transfer steaks to a plate and allow to rest in a warm place for five to 10 minutes. Meanwhile, remove thyme from sauce and warm the sauce over low heat. Slice steak and serve with sauce.