Welcome to According to Smoky. Here you will find the latest and greatest from C. Clark "Smoky" Hale notable 'baster', author, publisher, television star in both the barbecue and 'the real' world. And yes, he is a real person and not the webmaster

Smoky will be offering his talents, techniques and secrets discovered over the last 150 years, or so. He will be to the point, pull no punches and if you suffer through the process, you will become a much better outdoor cook, turning out masterpiece meals for friends and family alike.

In this column, Smoky talks about his recent valentine's day experiment. . . . . take notes!

So, with no further adieu, we turn the mike to Smoky. You're on Smoky . . . . .

OUTDOOR COOKING WITH SMOKY HALE

Smoky Hale

"Some admire breasts more than others. I find them irresistible. They are beautiful and tender and deserve gentle, loving attention - some say even adoration. Whether perfumed and coquettishly covered or presented bare and boldly in their natural beauty, they are delightful." Smoky Hale

Fortunately, they are also easily available and economical. That's why I buy whole chickens and de-bone the breasts. Some of you aren't heavily into de-boning breasts, but it's your loss. It only takes about two minutes and a sharp knife.

I understand, better than most, that few of you have ever seen a sharp knife - much less had one in the kitchen. That's a shame. Trying to cut with a dull knife is like weeding the herb garden with a 2" by 4." You just keep hacking away without accomplishing much more than exercise.

The sharp edge is perhaps Man's oldest discovery and it has been vital to civilization. Until the last generation, everyone understood the need for good knives, and everybody had one. But city living and mass marketing have brought us junk like the infamous "Ginzu" knives, which are only good at cutting purses. Like a good man, good knives, these days, are hard to find.

You need a sharp knife with a blade from 4-6 inches long. If you are de-boning the whole chicken, start from the back. If you are just de-boning the breasts, lay the bird on the back and make a long cut from top to bottom along the breast bone. If you are right-handed, do the left side first and rotate the bird before doing the other side.

Lift the flap beside the incision and make additional strokes from top to bottom, keeping the edge against the rib cage. Remove the first breast, rotate the bird and do the other. Pound the breasts between waxed paper to flatten to about 1/2 inch. After two or three times, it's as easy as eating ice cream. Save the thighs and legs for your favorite use and throw the skin and carcass into a stock pot.

Chicken breasts, whether you boned them yourself or bought them already de-boned, offer a multitude of tastes, textures and treatments. We'll broil these on the grill and serve them bold and succulent, decorated only with a fair complexion tinged of red. Perfect for a cozy, private dinner for two.

Crush a small clove of garlic into 1 stick melted butter. Add the juice of two lemons and keep warm. In 1/8 cup hot water, steep:

Thyme, ground, 1/4 tsp.

Sage 1/4 tsp.

Dry mustard 1/4 tsp.

Rosemary, 1/4 tsp. (grind with mortar and
pestle or an herb/spice grinder)

Onion powder 1/4 tsp.

Fresh ginger, grated 1 tsp.

Cayenne pepper Dash

Press the breasts into rather uniform thickness. Baste with sauce and allow to soak at least 10 minutes. The breasts will cook in less than ten minutes after they hit the grill. Prepare everything else accordingly.

Baste again, sprinkle nicely with paprika and place on the grill. Baste the top side and turn quickly. Allow only one or two minutes per side. Baste frequently; turn often. Do not over cook or allow to brown. Those of us who care, observe that when breasts become firm, they are ready.

Remove from the grill to a warm plate. Serve to your valentine with veggies of your choice and a white with some character.

"A jug of wine, a pair of breasts and, thou beside me at the grill".

Smoky Has A New Book The Great American Barbecue & Grilling Manual 416 pages of great information and wonderful recipes. @ The Barbecue Store

Fun,
Smoky
C. Clark Hale
8168 Hwy 98 E.
McComb, MS 39648

Smoky's 5th basic position for really great barbecue'n.