Pisco-Grapefruit Brunch Pitcher Recipe

Bottle up this bright and tangy pisco cocktail today for brunch tomorrow. This drink is especially delicious in winter, when grapefruits are at their peak flavor. Batching the drink in advance means you're all ready for lazy weekend day-drinking.

Note: Use a vegetable peeler to remove zest for the syrup; trim off as much white pith as much as possible. A mix of Ruby Red and Oro Blanco grapefruits yields especially fragrant juice, but you can also use all Ruby Reds with good results. Encanto Pisco from Peru has a wonderful herbaceous quality, but you can substitute whatever pisco is available to you.

SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
medium saucepan, fine-mesh strainer, air-tight container, 24-ounce carafe or swing-top bottle
INGREDIENTS
For the Grapefruit Syrup:
Zest from one medium grapefruit (see note)
1 cup freshly squeezed grapefruit juice from 2 to 3 grapefruits (see note above)
1 cup granulated sugar
For the Bottled Cocktails:
3 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 ounces freshly squeezed lime juice from 3 limes
9 ounces pisco, such as Encanto
4 1/2 ounces Grapefruit Syrup
6 sprigs fresh thyme for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1.
For the Grapefruit Syrup: Combine grapefruit zest, juice, and sugar in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let stand for 1 hour. Strain into an air-tight container. Refrigerate until ready to use or up to 1 week.

2.
For the Bottled Cocktails: In the bottom of a mixing glass, muddle together thyme and salt. Add lime juice and stir. Fine-strain into a 24-ounce carafe or swing-top bottle and then pour in grapefruit syrup and pisco. Cap and gently shake to combine. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 1 hour.

3.
For each cocktail, add one large ice cube to a double rocks glass. Pour in 2 3/4 ounces of the bottled cocktail. Gently stir and garnish with a sprig of thyme.

Read More

5-Minute Grilled Chicken Cutlets With Rosemary, Garlic, and Lemon Recipe

Even I have days in which I've spent far too long in front of a computer screen and realize that I only have half an hour before my wife gets home and it's dinnertime. This right here is the easiest, most foolproof way I know to get a hot grilled chicken dinner on the table in record time. Not only that, but it packs in more flavor than most all-day recipes.
                                                           WHY IT WORKS
A quick marinade performs double duty as a finishing sauce.
Cutting the chicken into cutlets makes for record-fast cooking time.

Cooking the chicken almost all the way through on one side develops plenty of browned flavor while maintaining juiciness.
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT:
Grill
INGREDIENTS
3 medium cloves garlic, minced (about 1 tablespoon)
3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary
2 tablespoons fresh juice from 2 lemons
6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (5 to 7 ounces each), cut into 8 cutlets

DIRECTIONS

1.

Light one chimney full of charcoal. When all the charcoal is lit and covered with gray ash, pour out and arrange the coals on one side of the charcoal grate. Set cooking grate in place, cover grill and allow to preheat for 5 minutes. Alternatively, set half the burners on a gas grill to the highest heat setting, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean and oil the grilling grate.

2.

Whisk together garlic, rosemary, lemon juice, and olive oil in a large bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Transfer half of mixture to a separate container and set aside. Add chicken to the large bowl and turn pieces to thoroughly coat.

3.

Place chicken directly over the hot side of the grill, cover, and cook, rotating the pieces occasionally (but not flipping them), until the chicken is almost completely cooked through and only a few pink spots remain on the top side, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken and cook on second side until just done, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a serving platter. Re-whisk reserved marinade and pour it over the chicken. Serve immediately.

Read More