Culinary stars from across the city will once again gather at the Seaport Hotel & World Trade Center to grill up a storm when Chefs in Shorts returns this weekend. Now in its 21st year, the annual outdoor celebration is an evening of tastings featuring libations and food from dozens of Boston’s best chefs, with proceeds going to benefit the local nonprofit Future Chefs. Here are five dishes you definitely don’t want to miss at Chefs in Shorts 2018, plus a few recipes you can try at home.
5 must-try dishes at Chefs in Shorts 2018
Spearpoint Oysters
What’s a trip to the Seaport if you don’t munch on some great seafood? Fill up on Spearpoint oysters courtesy of il Molo executive chef Pino Maffeo at Chefs in Shorts.
Ribs and Coleslaw
No barbeque is complete without a delicious rack of ribs. Chef Nick Hrynkiw from Earls Kitchen + Bar will serve up braised pork ribs with a healthy side of creamy coleslaw this weekend.
S’mores in a Crock
Seaport Hotel executive pastry chef Karen Hodsdson will once again serve up her fan-favorite S’mores in a Crock dessert, made with graham crackers, chocolate chips, mini marshmallows and vanilla ice cream. “This will be my 6th year serving my signature s’mores dessert for Chefs in Shorts,” Hodsdson says. “I have had numerous people each year come back for seconds and thirds – last year a man ate five of them!”
Grilled Peaches
Robert Differ, pastry chef at the Mandarin Oriental and Bar Boulud, has a southern-inspired dish ready for Chefs in Shorts. Make sure to try the grilled peaches this weekend, made with a brown sugar glaze and a citron crème fraîche pound cake. “It should make for a nice bite, and an early taste of summer,” Differ says. Once you’ve tried them at Chefs in Shorts, whip up a batch yourself with the recipe below.
Ingredients
-3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (14 tablespoons) unsalted butter
-3/8 cup cream cheese
-1/2 teaspoon salt
-1 1/2 cups sugar
-1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
-1 teaspoon baking powder
-2 teaspoons vanilla extract
-1/2 teaspoon lemon oil
-1 teaspoon fresh lemon zest
-5 large eggs
Directions
-To make the cake, preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 8 1/2″ x 4 1/2″ loaf pans or one tube or bundt-style pan.
-In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter and cream cheese until soft and fluffy. Add the salt, sugar, flour, and baking powder, and beat for 5 minutes; the batter will be stiff.
-Add the vanilla and lemon oil, zest and 1 egg. Mix well. Continue to add the eggs, one at a time, beating well and scraping the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. When done, the batter will be very fluffy. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan(s).
-Bake the cake for 55 to 60 minutes (for the tube or bundt-style pans) or 35 to 40 minutes (for the two loaf pans), or until a cake tester or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
-Remove the cake from the oven; allow it to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. Turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.
Hawaiian Barbecue Chicken Wings
If you’re a fan of chicken wings, try Seaport Hotel executive chef Richard Rayment’s Hawaiian twist on the dish, featuring caramelized pineapple and toasted sweetbread.
Ingredients
-3 pounds chicken wings
-1 cup unsweetened pineapple juice
-½ cup soy sauce
-½ cup light brown sugar
-½ cup coconut milk
-2-inch piece ginger, smashed
-4 garlic cloves, smashed
-¼ cup ketchup
-¼ cup sriracha
-1 tablespoon onion powder
-1 pineapple, rind cut off and sliced
-¼ cup brown sugar
-canola oil
-black pepper to taste
Directions
-Place everything in a pot except the Chicken wings
-Bring to a boil, cook for about 10 minutes making sure the sugar has dissolved, cool down.
-When marinade is cold, pour over the chicken wings. Keep ½ cup aside to baste wings when grilling.
-Leave to marinade for 4 to 6 hours.
-Heat grill, place wings on grill, cook, turning every now and then and keep basting while cooking.
-Make sure wings are cooked, about 30 minutes
Carmelized pineapple directions
-Toss pineapple with the brown sugar. Let sit for 20 minutes.
-Oil the grill.
-Place pineapple on grill, cook for 2-3 minutes on each side.
-Flavor with ground black pepper.
-You’re ready to enjoy the island taste with a garnish of shredded coconut and thin slices of green onion or/and your favorite Hawaiian sweet sauces.
If you go:
June 22, 7 p.m-10 p.m., Seaport World Trade Center, 200 Seaport Blvd., Boston, $90, chefsinshorts2018.eventbrite.com
