Dream food in a dream place. French onion rings on the edge of COBB BBQ in the mountains, cuttlefish and orange sausage, fresh shrimp and grilled fish, right on the beach. Grilling season is open! How and with what to cook so that it is possible to cook whatever you want and wherever you want on coals?
The first brief acquaintance with COBB took place while packing for a long-awaited, long-awaited and distant trip - we were going to Greece. Then the eye fell on a black bag with the wordless inscription COBB, standing between the scanty mantle of friends Ieva and Arthur. The bag did not take up much space, so it "migrated" during the entire trip: it was in the trunk, it was between the chairs, it was under the feet. I forgot about it until the evening of the third day of the trip. Then we stopped for the night already in the middle of Greece, near the famous mountain town of Delphi. Greek sanctuaries and archaeological monuments in the open air. A long and exhausting journey across Europe was already behind him.
Since the day was coming to an end and it was already getting dark, and we were winding through the windings of the endless serpentine, we urgently needed to find a place to stop - we wanted rest and warm home-cooked food. After turning off the road, we found a secluded parking lot, from the edge of which we could see the starry night sky and somewhere below the distant clusters of lights of towns and villages. Ieva and Artūras were determined to make French onion (recipe below). Since all the necessary products were already bought during the last stop, in an even smaller store in a small town, and the onions were peeled and cut even before the stop at the back of the car, after the stop, all that remained was to set up the COBB charcoal and start cooking. A deep casserole-pan is suitable for this. Since it takes a little time to prepare the onion soup, so that the time does not pass, we sat by the crackling fire and shared our travel experiences of the past few days, had a light snack and waited impatiently for the onion soup. When the aroma of caramelizing onions spread (a serious competitor to the word "cabbage"), we realized that we didn't have to wait long. A pinch of garlic, a drop of brandy and we already tasted a wonderful flavored onion soup, deftly lifting the spoons, with strings of cheese sticking out of them. Since COBB's skillet-sauté is big enough and there was still a lot of onion left over, we kept it for breakfast. Fatigue and satiety forced to quickly prepare for rest...
We got up with the first rays of the sun rising from behind the mountains and the sounds of the herding sheep's bells echoing in the distance. The morning view that we saw and that was hidden from us by the darkness of the night was amazing!!!!
On one side, in the distance, you can see snow-capped mountain peaks, olive groves spreading on the slopes, and on the other - a rocky cliff, an endless valley and a deeply incised bay of the blue sea. I declare with assurance and guarantee - I have never seen a more amazing view in my life!!!
Heat the COBB coals for ten minutes and the onion, which has been matured overnight, is already heated. It was a great fuel for the day and for the onward journey further into the south of Greece.
It was the first time I tasted food prepared at COBB.
After traveling around Greece for a few more days, we finally reached our destination - Kalamata. We stayed on the first floor of a private house with a terrace where we could continue to enjoy the food prepared on the grill. This time, COBB served as a pan for frying cuttlefish brought back from the Kalamata fish market and traditional Greek sausage with oranges.
I am very glad that I took advantage of the service kindly offered at the market - gutting the cuttlefish. The helpful woman cut the cuttlefish with skillful movements, pulling out the only hard oval, oblong bone, guts and everything else that was unnecessary. It remains to marinate the cuttlefish: pure olive oil, a pinch of salt and a squeeze of lemon juice. When you cook from fresh, high-quality fish or seafood - it seems that nothing else is needed. For cooking, I used a COBB Griddle pan with grooves. I cooked the cuttlefish together with half a head of garlic and sliced lemon. I want to note that the cuttlefish fillet needs to be cut several times on both sides before frying. Doing this will prevent the fried cuttlefish from browning.
As I worked at the grill, the circle (or rather the line) of people waiting grew larger and larger as the wonderful aroma of fried cuttlefish and orange sausage wafted out. It didn't take long to wait, because it only takes a short time to cook.
It was the first time I tried COBB myself.
A few days later we visited the fish market again, this time we bought small shrimps and 3 kinds of different fish. We wanted to try the big shrimp, but in January the fishermen don't catch them because they go deep into the sea. And we wanted to try a variety of fish, so we bought several different types. The merchant probably didn't bother to calculate, he said the price - 5 euros. The price suited us by the time we paid, the fish had already been gutted and we were off to find the beach.
We found it. A beautiful sandy beach with a stone block that we used instead of a table.
Unfortunately, we had to boil the shrimp ourselves, all one and a half kilos. I marinated the fish after sprinkling pure olive oil with salt, adding a couple of sprigs of fresh parsley inside.
We baked and feasted right here, taking directly from COBB. What could be better than the blue sea, sandy beach, warmth and good food with a glass of Greek wine surrounded by friends.
What I liked about COBB - it is completely simple. There are no unnecessary parts, adjustments, etc. You just need to start the coconut charcoal briquettes and cook - boil, stew, fry, maybe smoke? I also liked the fact that the cooking temperature is not too high, everything heats up evenly, there is no need to rush or stir, and it is practically impossible to burn the food being prepared.
And COBB's unequivocal advantage over any other grill is that you can cook food anywhere: on the beach, in the mountains, on the grass, on the terrace, even at home.
French onion with COBB
You will need:
- ~ 10 onions;
- For toasting bread
- 200 gr. Maasdam cheese
- ~ 2 l of your favorite broth
- 1-2 glasses of champagne or white wine
- 3-5 spoons of brandy
- 2-4 cloves of garlic
- Herbs
Preparation:
Cut the onions into half rings and put them in the butter heated in a deep COBB pan, add a few pinches of salt. When onions are slowly cooked, they release their natural sugars and gradually caramelize. Cover the onions with a lid while cooking, stir every 15 minutes. A necessary condition for a delicious onion is slow cooking and caramelization of the onions. Be prepared to spend ~ 2 hours.
When the onions get a brown caramel color, add finely chopped garlic. Then pour brandy and light it so that the alcohol evaporates and only a pleasant smell remains. Add the champagne or wine and cook briefly with the onions until the mixture becomes syrupy.
Pour broth over the prepared onions (prepare the broth before you start frying the onions). Add your favorite spices or a French bouquet garni - a bunch of herbs tied with string so that the soup can be easily removed after cooking.
Cook the soup on low heat for ~ 30 min. Add salt and pepper to taste.
After removing the soup from COBB - toast the bread slices, arrange the Maasdam cheese. Put the bread and cheese in the bottom of the soup cup, or on top of the soup, as you prefer.
Delicious!
See you next time at COBB!
Daivas Girončiks
