After a summer hiatus, I'm thrilled to be bringing back the supper club. To make the most of the city's gorgeous nearly-fall weather, I asked my dear friends Moritz & Alexis to loan me their grill and adorable backyard in Fort Greene.
My amazing, if ridiculous friend Moritz—donning astro turf from his backyard as a scarf.
The BBQ menu was largely inspired by classes I've taken at the Institute of Culinary Education with alum and current Executive Chef at Spice Market, Anthony Ricco. In particular, I have to thank him for teaching me to break down a whole chicken, as well as his recipes for Indonesian spice rub and Southeast Asian slaw.
Many thanks to my dear friend—and test kitchen chef—Melissa Knific for manning the grill.
To start, I grilled skewered shisito peppers, which, as an eating experience, are a game of "Russian roulette." Most are very mild, but every once in a while...you really hit a hot one. I also steamed edamame and tossed it with Maldon salt and curry powder for a pre-meal snack.
Thanks to the many hands of my hungry guests, we picked about 5 bunches of herbs for both the slaw and a big pot of nasi ulam, a rice dish I first discovered on the menu of Fatty Cue in Williamsburg. The combination of cilantro, mint, lemongrass, and ground shrimp powder create an herbaceous umami that brings an addictive amount of flavor to sticky jasmine rice.
Speaking of funky flavors, the slaw consisted of red and green cabbage, asian pear, julienned carrot, bean sprouts, mint, cilantro and a dressing of sweetened condensed milk, fish sauce, lime juice, sriracha and rice vinegar.
The chicken was prepared two ways—on the bone, rubbed with Indonesian dry rub and skewered, with dry rub and a bit of chili marinade. A batch of grilled pineapple rounded out the meal.
But let's never forget dessert. The marvelous Molly Marzalek-Kelly, head pastry chef at BAKED in Red Hook joined us yet again, this time supplying home-made fortune cookies and whoopie pies with coconut or mango filling. The fortune cookies contained hand-written notes—questions, in fact, that guests answered aloud. My favorite demanded, "Tell us your favorite summer moment." One friend generously responded, "This."
Photos by Lauren DeFilippo