The Veggies José Andrés Loves To Grill With The Skin On
If there's one chef that knows how to reinvent classic dishes, it's José Andrés. From his potato chip omelet to an intriguing tomato and bread salad, Andrés incorporates much of his Spanish upbringing into hearty foods and colorful cocktails alike.
Not only does he have 19 restaurants to his name (via José Andrés Restaurants), but he's also a humanitarian, evidenced by his World Central Kitchen concept. This organization aims to provide food supplies to those who have been struck by disasters or emergencies in an effort to lower world hunger.
But the chef also knows how to have fun, especially with his restaurant, Bazaar Meat, in Las Vegas. As Food & Wine explains, the "fire stage" is certainly the highlight, as guests can gaze in amazement at the Spanish Josper ovens, grills, and meat selections in one beautiful setup. It's clear that grilling is one of the chef's passions, and that's especially true for vegetables. Here are some of his tried-and-true favorites.
An array of seasonal vegetables
Before you run gung-ho around a grocery store looking for vegetables, take this word of advice from David Thomas, who is Bazaar's concept chef-partner. Seasonal and fresh veggies are key here (via Food & Wine), and that's because of their higher nutritional content and tastes, per Seasonal Food Guide. Plus, local farmers will definitely thank you.
That being said, the vegetables that José Andrés loves to work with à la grilling are eggplants, onions, corn, and potatoes, as mentioned on Food & Wine. "Vegetables are a natural for the grill," Andrés told the outlet. "Eggplants are easy. The way I like to do it is the way we do it in Catalonia. We grill the whole eggplant; the skin is a good protector for the flesh. Onions are very good if you're patient because you can burn the entire onion outside, and inside the flesh is soft." For potatoes, he recommends using aluminum foil as an extra layer of protection.
If you're curious about how long some of these vegetables take to grill, the Almanac provides a pretty handy chart with brief preparation instructions and grilling times for ten vegetables. For instance, corn will take up to 20 minutes to cook, while sliced onions need almost 10 minutes for one side. It's also worth noting that most of the instructions state to slice the vegetables, while Andrés seems to prefer leaving them whole.