4 Mouthwatering Memorial Day Recipes From Chef Mario Batali
The celebrity chef reveals how to make the best burgers and wings.
If you’re a regular reader (and if you’re not – hi! Come, hang out. You’ll like us, honestly. We’re friendly and we smell good), you’ll know that we’re pretty into our food here. That’s why we got celebrity chef Mario Batali to whip us up a few dishes to try out over the Memorial Day weekend. But wait! There’s more to it.
It’s the 104th anniversary of Hellmann’s mayonnaise, too, so we got him to include mayo in all the recipes. If, like us, you firmly believe that humanity was put on this earth to consume the creamy white heaven-goo in as large quantities as physically possible, then you’re going to be very happy with these. And if you’re not that into mayo? Don’t worry, these recipes are just as good without the white stuff:
Chicken Wings With White BBQ Sauce
Ingredients for the barbeque sauce:
. 1 cup Hellmann’s Olive Oil mayonnaise
. ½ cup white vinegar
. 2 tablespoons sugar
. 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
. Juice and zest of 1 lemon
. 1 teaspoon salt
. 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
Ingredients for the wings
. 24 chicken wings
. 2 tablespoons chili powder
. 2 tablespoons paprika
. 1 tablespoon garlic powder
. 1 teaspoon salt
. 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
. 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
. 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, combine all the ingredients for the barbeque sauce and then cover and store in fridge. It must be cold!
2. In a large bowl, combine the dry ingredients. Rub the chicken wings with the olive oil, then toss into bowl with spice mix and toss till well coated. Place in a Ziploc bag in the fridge until ready to cook.
3. Preheat the broiler or the grill. If using the broiler, place the wings on a broiler tray and put under broiler and cook the wings, turning every 3-4 minutes, until the meat is no longer pink near the bone, about 15-20 minutes. Serve the wings hot with small bowls of the white bbq sauce for dipping
Juicy Salsa Burger
Ingredients:
. 2 lbs ground Chuck
. 1/2 onion, peeled and grated
. 3 tablespoons Hellmann’s
. 3 tablespoons Worcestershire
. 1 tablespoons Chili Powder (optional)
. 1/2 cup Salsa, or more for serving (fire roasted salsa preferred)
. Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
1. Mix Chuck, Hellmann’s, grated onion, Worcestershire and chili powder (if using) together. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Make patties.
3. Grill to desired temperature.
4. Top with salsa and serve on buns
Grilled Corn Italian Style
Ingredients (Makes 6 ears):
. 6 ears of fresh sweet corn
. 2 tablespoons honey
. ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
. ¼ cup Hellmann’s Balsamic Mayonnaise
. ½ cup grated Parmigiano
. About 2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
. Hot red pepper flakes (optional)
. Pepper mill with black peppercorns in it
Directions:
1. Preheat a grill or the broiler.
2. Place the corn on the hottest part of the grill and cook for 3 minutes, or until grill marks appear on the first side. Roll each ear over a quarter turn and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then repeat two more times.
3. Meanwhile, heat the honey in a microwave for 20 seconds and then mix with the olive oil the balsamic mayo in a small bowl till smooth, and pour onto a large flat plate. Spread the Parmigiano on another flat plate.
4. When the corn is cooked, roll each ear in the honey and mayo mixture, and then dredge in the Parmigiano to coat lightly. Place on a platter, sprinkle with the mint and pepper flakes, and serve immediately with fresh black pepper on the side.
Cheddar and Scallion Pocket Burgers
Ingredients for the Burger (Makes 6 burgers):
. 2 pounds Ground Chuck
. 2 teaspoons celery seed
. 1 tablespoon Freshly Ground Pepper
. 3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
. ¼ cup Hellmann’s Olive Oil Mayonnaise
. 2 tablespoons olive oil
. 6 Hamburger Buns
. Salt to taste
Directions:
1. Place chopped meat in a mixing bowl and mix with the celery seed, pepper, Worcestershire, salt, and olive oil mayo, and mix gently till well mixed. Form 12 equal thin patties (about 2 ½ oz each, about 6 inches across) and put in the fridge.
2. In another mixing bowl, stir together the cheddar, the scallions, and the olive oil mayo until nicely mixed. To assemble the pocket burger, lay 6 patties on a clean workspace and divide the cheddar mix evenly among them, on top and right in the middle.
3. Place 1 patty on top of each to form 6 burgers with a cheese center and carefully press the edges together to form a closed disk that kind of looks like a flying saucer. Place in the fridge until just ready to cook. Brush each burger with a little olive oil and place on the grill, griddle or skillet, and cook 7 minutes on the first side.
4. Gently turn over and cook 6 minutes on the second side, or until cooked to your liking. Remove, place on toasted buns, and serve with condiments.
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