The Artisanal Kitchen: Barbecue Sides

Mushrooms in Parsley Cream

Serves 6 to 8

Parsley's flavor and texture pair well with anything that has that special "fifth taste" known as umami, which we find in mushrooms, a particularly fine partner for all kinds of meat. This happy pairing has something to do with the texture of cooked mushrooms: smooth and moist, just like the collagen in meat when it has been lovingly cooked for a long time at the right temperature.

Note the use of beurre manié—butter kneaded with flour. It adds enough "stick" to sauces to hold them together without overreducing.

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 cup finely chopped shallots

2 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

2 tablespoons dry white wine

6 cups small firm white button mushrooms

A sprig of fresh thyme

1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth

2 cups heavy cream

½ teaspoon thinly shaved frozen beurre manié (see Note)

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into ½-inch cubes and refrigerate. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a 4-quart pot over medium heat until it bubbles gently. Add the shallots, garlic, and a pinch each of salt and white pepper and cook until the shallots are just translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and white wine, bring to a boil, and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and thyme, stirring well, then add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half.

Add the cream, bring to a simmer, and cook for 2 minutes. Add the beurre manié, stirring until incorporated, and simmer very gently for 10 minutes, or until well thickened.

Meanwhile, wrap the parsley in a double layer of cheesecloth, run under cold water, and squeeze dry (rinsing the parsley will cause some of the chlorophyll to leach out and prevent it from giving the cream a greenish tinge).

Taste the mushrooms and adjust the seasoning if necessary. Swirl in the cubed butter piece by piece until incorporated, then remove the pot from the heat and stir in the parsley. Adjust the acidity with a little more lemon juice if necessary, and serve.

Note: To make beurre manié, blend ½ cup all-purpose flour with 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened. Transfer to an airtight container, or shape into a log and wrap in plastic wrap and then foil, and freeze until needed. The butter will keep for at least a month.

Fried Shallot Loaf

Serves 8 to 10

While there are a million recipes that start with the instruction "chop the shallots and sauté until golden," there are too few that focus on this relative of garlic and onions. The oniony flavor and aroma of shallots seem to caress every iota of flavor in grilled food, especially meat. They bring out sweetness and savoriness simultaneously. Batter-fried crispness punches it all home.

Vegetable oil for deep-frying

5 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon garlic salt

2½ pounds shallots (about 20 shallots), sliced ⅛ inch thick and separated into rings

1 quart milk

3 large eggs, lightly beaten

Sea or kosher salt

Preheat the oil to 350°F in a deep fryer (see Note). Meanwhile, combine the flour and garlic salt in a large bowl and mix well. Put the shallots in a medium bowl and pour the milk and eggs over them, stirring to combine.

Gently lift out the shallot rings a handful at a time, with some of the milk and egg clinging to them, and toss with the seasoned flour; the shallots will be a bit sticky and clumpy. Put the fryer basket into the fryer, drop in all the floured shallots in an even layer, and immediately put a second fryer basket on top to compress the shallots and submerge them in the oil. Fry until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully remove the shallots from the basket and drain briefly on paper towels, then transfer to a rack and season with salt. Serve immediately.

Note: If you don't have a deep fryer and two fryer baskets, heat 3 inches of oil in a large, deep pot and cook the shallots in batches, adding them in clumps to the hot oil to make free-form "cakes," or fritters.

Creamed Corn with Chives and Chiles

Serves 6 to 8

Employing cream cheese as a thickener is a surprising use of a familiar taste. People always smile when they figure out that the secret ingredient is something they have eaten and enjoyed their whole lives.

Using the well-known and fondly remembered is a great strategy for creating recipes that people are predisposed to like. It's a door that opens out onto the pleasure in other less familiar ingredients and combinations.

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

½ cup finely diced Spanish onion

¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper

¼ cup finely diced green bell pepper

3 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1 teaspoon fresh rosemary leaves

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

Juice of 1 lemon, or to taste

1 cup chicken stock or canned low-sodium broth

4 cups corn kernels (from 7 to 8 ears)

1 cup heavy cream

4 ounces cream cheese

Sea or kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

½ cup shredded mild cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons thinly sliced (on the bias) scallions

3 tablespoons thinly sliced mild red chile pepper, such as Anaheim

2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh chives

Cut 2 tablespoons of the butter into ½-inch cubes and refrigerate. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat until it crackles. Add the onion, bell peppers, garlic, thyme, rosemary, and cayenne and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is just translucent, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the lemon juice and cook until most of the liquid has evaporated, about 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, bring to a boil, and cook until reduced by half.

Add the corn kernels, bring to a simmer, and cook until tender, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring the cream just to a boil in a small saucepan. Add the cream cheese and whisk gently until melted and smooth.

Add the cream mixture to the corn and stir gently until thoroughly incorporated, then simmer very gently for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring constantly. Season with salt and white pepper, then swirl in the cubed butter piece by piece until incorporated. Stir in the shredded cheese.

Remove from the heat and stir in the scallions, chile, and chives. Add more lemon juice and/or salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Bubbling Bacon Butter Beans

Serves 6 to 8