America’s Test Kitchen presents some great grilling recipes for celebrating Independence Day

America’s Test Kitchen’s cookbook, “Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share,” is packed with recipes perfect for your Fourth of July barbecue. (Photo: Getty Images)

Life, liberty, and the pursuit of grilled happiness: these are some of our undeniable culinary rights on the Fourth of July. There are three Independence Day dishes that I always include on my menu this holiday: a perfectly grilled protein (beef or chicken), tasty potatoes, and seasonal fruit served with ice cream.

I was getting hungry when I saw the game plan, “Summertime and the Grilling is Easy,” from America’s Test Kitchen’s “Gatherings: Casual-Fancy Meals to Share.” My stomach was rumbling just reading about it, and the recipes were perfect for my easy prep environment.

Menus and recipes were developed by Dan Zuccarello, executive food editor for books at America’s Test Kitchen.

“I especially love grilling when I have people over so everyone can socialize,” Zuccarello writes, “and when possible, I serve family style. Food served on large platters looks very impressive and is easy to serve.”

Happy 4th of July. Happy grilling!

Tips

• An instant-read thermometer is especially useful when grilling proteins, helping to prevent overcooking or undercooking.
• Look for potatoes that are 1 to 2 inches in diameter. If your potato is larger, cut it in half.
• Instead of using lemon slices, you can cut a lemon in half and char it cut-side down on the grill grates for a few minutes.
• Inserting two wooden skewers into each chicken breast and drumstick will help keep the chicken from falling apart while grilling.

Grilled lemon garlic chicken and potatoes

The term “spatchcocking” sounds a little risky, but it’s simply a cooking technique that flattens a whole chicken so it can be grilled easily and quickly. Some people call it “butterflying.” Whatever you call it, it’s an essential technique for preparing chicken for this delicious lemon-garlic grill. You’ll need kitchen shears to cut the backbone, but it’s not difficult to flatten it.

Serves 4

material

6 cloves of garlic, minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

4 teaspoons kosher salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 teaspoons grated lemon rind, plus lemon slices for garnish

1 ½ teaspoons ground coriander

1 teaspoon ground pepper

1 whole chicken (3.5-4 lbs) (giblets not included)

2 wooden skewers (12 inches)

1 pound small, unpeeled Yukon potatoes (about 1-2 inches in diameter)

direction

Whisk together the garlic, oil, salt, sugar, zest, coriander and pepper in a bowl until it forms a paste.

Place the chicken breast side down and cut along both sides of the backbone with kitchen scissors. Discard the backbone or reserve it for making soup, if desired. Discard any excess fat and skin from the neck area. Flip the chicken over and use the heel of your hand to flatten the breastbone. Tuck the wing tips over the back. Poke holes all over the chicken with a skewer. Insert one skewer along the length of the chicken, from the thickest part of the breast to the body of the chicken. Repeat on the other half of the chicken with the second skewer.

Spread the paste evenly over the skin side of the chicken. Transfer the chicken, skin side up, to a plate and refrigerate, uncovered, for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.

For charcoal grills: Open bottom vent all the way. Light a large chimney starter with rolled charcoal chunks (7 quarts). When the top coals are partially covered with ash, pour it evenly onto one half of the grill. Put cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent all the way. Cook until grill is hot, about 5 minutes. For gas grills: Turn all burners to high, cover, and cook until grill is hot, about 15 minutes. Leave main burner on high and turn off other burners. (Adjust main burner, or if using a three-burner grill, main and secondary burners as needed to keep grill temperature at about 400 degrees.)

Clean and oil cooking grates. Place chicken skin-side up on cooler side of grill with skewers parallel to grates. Arrange potatoes around chicken on cooler side of grill. Cover (if using charcoal, place lid vent over chicken) and cook until potatoes are tender and chicken breasts reach 160° and thighs reach 175°, about 1 hour. Rotate chicken halfway through cooking.

Transfer the potatoes to a plate and the chicken to a carving board. Cover the chicken with aluminum foil and let rest for 15 minutes. Carve the chicken and serve with the potatoes and lemon slices.

— “Getting Together: Casual Fine Dining,” America’s Test Kitchen

Creamy Herb Dip

This vibrant dip’s flavor is enhanced if you prepare it at least an hour, but preferably 2 days ahead. Feel free to use lots of fresh herbs; basil, dill, parsley and tarragon all work great in any combination. Serve the dip with raw vegetables and, if you like, some crusty bread that’s been lightly toasted on the barbecue.

Makes about 2 cups

material

1 ½ cups plain Greek yogurt

1/2 cup fresh basil, dill, parsley, and tarragon (any combination)

2 spring onions, trimmed and chopped (including the dark green stems)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

direction

Blend all ingredients in a food processor for about 30 seconds until smooth, scraping down sides as needed. Transfer the dip to a serving bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 2 days to allow flavors to blend. Season with salt and pepper before serving.

— “Getting Together: Casual Fine Dining,” America’s Test Kitchen

Summer tomato salad

The Fourth of July seems like the perfect time to toss those summer tomatoes into an attractive salad. It’s not complicated: The simple dressing is a mix of oil, vinegar, shallots, and parsley that mixes with the juices of the diced tomatoes on a platter.

Serves 4

material

1 pound mixed ripe tomatoes, cored

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves

1 shallot, thinly sliced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

direction

Halve or quarter small tomatoes, cut medium tomatoes into 1/2 inch wedges, and slice large tomatoes into 1/4 inch thick slices. Arrange tomatoes on a serving platter and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Garnish with parsley and shallots. Serve with the oil and vinegar.

— “Getting Together: Casual Fine Dining,” America’s Test Kitchen

Baked Peaches with Butter Cookies and Ice Cream

Grilling peaches brings out the fruit’s natural sweetness. Serve these delicious grill-marked fruits with store-bought ice cream and crumbled butter cookies. If desired, grill peaches up to 2 days ahead and allow to come to room temperature before serving.

Serves 4

material

1.5 pounds fresh, ripe, semi-firm peaches or nectarines (halved and seeds removed)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

2 cups crushed butter cookies

1 pint vanilla ice cream

direction

For charcoal grills: Open bottom vent all the way. Fill large chimney halfway with chunks of charcoal (3 quarts) and light. When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour it evenly onto half of grill. Put cooking grate in place, cover, and open vent all the way. Cook until grill is hot, about 5 minutes. For gas grills: Turn all burners to high, cover, and cook until grill is hot, about 15 minutes. Turn main burner to medium and turn other burners off.

Clean and oil the cooking grill. Brush cut sides of the peaches with melted butter. Place the peaches cut-side down on the hotter side of the grill and grill for 5 to 7 minutes, until cooked through, moving the fruit as needed to ensure even cooking.