We like to double the stability of ingredients such as shrimp by inserting two skewers instead of one. Double skewers help guarantee even grilling and easier turning, and they stop pieces from unnecessary rotating.

One reader recently asked: “Given three basic skewer choices: metal, wooden or freshly cut stems of rosemary or other aromatic herb, which should I select for best results?”

Each skewer type requires special handling, and you can expect similar results from each. Herb stems can add a faint flavoring and aroma to skewered food, however; and rosemary is the best herb to use because of its sturdy stems.

According to “Cooking A to Z” edited by Jane Horn, “metal skewers can get hot enough to cause serious burns … wooden or herbal skewers need soaking in water for half an hour or more before use to prevent scorching.”

For those hot metal skewers, try turning them with tongs: “If you’re grilling shrimp, lightly grab onto a single shrimp to turn the entire skewer,” wrote the editors of Cook’s Illustrated Magazine in a recent issue.

Once you’ve grilled food to perfection, what’s the best way to remove it from skewers? We like Steven Raichlen’s approach described in “The Barbecue Bible”: Serve skewered food with a platter of flatbread.

“Cooks in the Near East and Central Asia … hold the end of the skewer in one hand and grab the meat with the other, using a piece of pita bread or a sheet of lavash as a pot holder,” Raichlen wrote. “They pull the meat toward them a tiny bit to loosen it from the skewer, then slide it off the skewer onto the plate.”

login to post comments