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Grilling with Mario Batali

By Alexis Korman

1:05 PM EDT, July 1, 2008

Grilled scallops, from the book 'Mario Batali: Italian Grill,' published by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins. (Beatriz Da Costa)

Summer means the heat is on--and grills all over town are being fired up for that all-American activity -- barbecuing. Haven't got a backyard, you say? Never mind. we've got you covered (see: Where to get your grill on).

With a new book, Italian Grill, out (Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins, $29.95), Mario Batali gives us his take on grilling Italian style, as well as a few tricks-of-the-trade.

Where do you go for good cuts of meat and produce for the grill? The best place to shop is the Union Square Greenmarket, hands down. For meat, I like Citarella on Sixth Avenue and Albanese Meats on Elizabeth Street; for poultry, I like Quattro Farms at the Greenmarket.

Any tips or secrets for those grilling in the great outdoors? Most importantly you need the best available ingredients, which you can buy at the greenmarket of your choice. Secondly, you need a hot grill.

'Italian Grill' seems to eschew heavy sauces in lieu of a more minimal style of dressing meat. Why? I love the myriad, varied approaches to barbecue throughout America. There's no need to strive for exact consistency, just strive for the delicious.

Do you have any secrets for our readers on grilling shellfish and seafood? If you think it's going to stick, it will. Use a piastra (a flat griddle -- see: Cooking on a piastra, attached) or just a piece of doubled-over foil on the grill grate and cook with the lid down for a minute less than normal to get that delightful smokiness that is the hallmark of the perfect grilled food.

MARIO BATALI'S SEA SCALLOPS ALLA CAPRESE
Serves 6

2 pounds mixed heirloom tomatoes
24 fresh basil leaves
3 medium red onions, cut into 1-inch-thick slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
5 to 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
12 giant diver scallops (about 2 ounces each)
2 tablespoons Maldon salt or other coarse sea salt
1 lemon, cut in half

Preheat a gas grill or prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. Place a piastra (see attached) on the grill to preheat.
Slice the tomatoes creatively (leave very small ones whole) and lay out on a platter. Tear the basil leaves over the tomatoes, strewing them about. Set aside.
Season the onion slices on both sides with salt and pepper. Place them on the hot dry piastra and cook, unmoved, for 7 to 10 minutes, until well charred on the first side. Using tongs, carefully turn the slices over and cook for 7 to 10 minutes on the second side, until well charred and softened. Transfer to a plate and let cool slightly, then separate the onion slices into smaller rings and scatter them over the tomatoes. Drizzle with 3 to 4 tablespoons of the olive oil.

While the onions cook, carve a checkerboard pattern about ¼ inch deep into one side of each scallop. Season them all over with salt and pepper, toss them in a bowl with the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, and stir gently to coat.
Place the scallops on the dry, clean piastra, design side down, and cook for 5 to 7 minutes, unmoved, until almost cooked -- they should be opaque almost all the way through. Flip them over and sear for just 30 seconds, then remove and arrange on the tomato salad.

Sprinkle the tomatoes with the Maldon salt, squeeze the lemon halves over the scallops and tomatoes, and serve.

TRADE SECRET: Scoring the scallops before grilling makes them open up like a flower, and the contrast between the golden brown surface and white interior is striking. The trick here is to cook the scallops 90 percent on the first side, until very well seared, then just give them a quick finish on the other side.

Excerpted from 'Mario Batali: Italian Grill,' published by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins.