Summer Flavor Winter Wonder

georgehirsch June 30, 2025

You can make magic with a simple eggplant, squash, and tomato. Layers of flavor come together to create this meatless wonder. And the gratin only tastes better the next day.

Eggplant Squash Gratin

Makes 4 - 6 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

Slice the peeled eggplant and squash lengthwise. Coat lightly in flour. Sear in olive oil with a few whole garlic cloves. Turn the eggplant and squash when they are light brown, and remove. Cool. Slice tomatoes thickly. Layer vegetables in an ovenproof casserole, lightly oil, and layer eggplant, squash, and tomato; repeat using up the remaining vegetables—optional parmesan can be added between layers. Place whole sautéed garlic on top of the layered vegetables, sprinkle with fresh, ground breadcrumbs, parmesan cheese, basil sprigs, and chopped parsley, and drizzle with olive oil on top.

Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Serve warm or cold.

Note: For another perfect do-ahead meal or picnic addition, you can watch the OVEN-FRIED CHICKEN VIDEO recipe below.

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Summer Lobster Boil

George Hirsch June 26, 2025

Boils are also known as a Steam, Bake, Fish Fry, Potluck, Planks, or Seafood Barbecue. Here are a few kinds of boils I’ve either been privileged to attend in my travels or have had the pleasure of creating myself.

George Hirsch's Lobster Boil

New England - lobster steamed with beer, corn, sausage, and new potatoes
Montauk - mussels, clams, lobster, striped bass, duck quarters, LI Yukons, corn
Maryland or Chesapeake - blue crab, oysters, and clams steamed with beer, vinegar, and Old Bay cooked in a steamer basket, served with crackers, corn, and slaw
Cajun & Creole Boil - shrimp, crab, crawfish, andouille sausage or kielbasa, small red new potatoes
Low Country or Frogmore Stew - usually just shrimp with smoked sausage & corn
Texan - crawfish, oysters, and good old Texan smoked brisket
Monterey - Dungeness crabs, shrimp, and artichokes when in season
Seattle - planked salmon & oysters

Types of seafood commonly used for a boil are typically shellfish, with shrimp being the most popular ingredient. Local availability, taste preferences, and imagination can rule your boil. You may consider Dungeness and blue claw crabs, shrimp, oysters, calamari, hard-shell and razor clams, mussels, crawfish, Pacific salmon, or striped bass for your boil. Equipment: a large outdoor gas grill, cooker, or large pit with charcoal, as well as a large pot (size depends on the amount of seafood and the number of guests). 20-gallon stockpot, large paddle to stir, large wire strainer or skimmer to scoop, tongs, mallets, crackers, picks, picnic tables, No utensils––eat with your hands.

Summer Boil

Flavoring ingredients: onions, split heads of garlic, salt, lemons, beer, bay leaves, crab boil seasoning, cayenne pepper, hot sauce

George Hirsch's Lobster Boil

Serve: Remove the seafood from the pot, drain it well, and place it on picnic tables covered with newspaper, brown paper, or butcher paper. Serve with bowls of lemon wedges, melted butter, bottles of hot sauce, and good-quality pieces of bread. Beverages: Iced tubs of tall necks or keg beer (keep it local to your boil theme), tall necks of root beer, chilled rosé, iced tea, or lemonade.

George Hirsch's Lobster Boil

Preparing George’s East Coast Seafood Boil Recipe

My boil is a combination of New England, Maryland & Montauk and is easily prepared on the side burner of a gas grill. Change seafood according to your own taste and availability. Add snow peas for additional color and crunch.

Non-seafood additions to boil with cook times:

1 link per person smoked or Italian sausage, grilled & add to the boil at the end
3 small red new potatoes per person, 15 minutes
1 ear of corn per person, 10 minutes
1/4 cup snow peas, 2-3 minutes
2 Tablespoons melted butter per person for dipping
Serve hot sauce on the side

To prepare Seafood Boil:

Add 2 cups of water, 2 bottles of beer, 1 head of fresh chopped garlic, 4 bay leaves, several sprigs of fresh parsley, 1 Tablespoon of black peppercorns, 1 Tablespoon of powdered garlic, 1 Tablespoon thyme, and 1/4 cup of paprika. If you like it spicy, add dried hot pepper flakes or chopped jalapeño. Bring the liquid to a boil.

Add seafood in stages for different cooking times:

Lobster 7 minutes for a 1-pound lobster + 1 minute for each additional 4 ounces
Blue Claw Crabs 5-7 minutes
Steamers or Littlenecks- 5-7 minutes or until opened
Shrimp (shell on) 4-5 minutes
Mussels 3-4 minutes or until opened

Separately, to boil lobsters:

Fill a large pot three-quarters full of cold water and cover.
A good rule of thumb is to allow 2 1/2 quarts of water for each lobster. Two or more lobsters will cook at the same time, provided the pot is large enough. When in doubt, use two pots.
Bring the water to a rapid boil.
Lobsters should be alive with the safety bands left on the claws. Drop the live lobsters one at a time head first, let the water boil again, and cover the pot. Now you will begin to time the cooking.
Allow 7 minutes for a one-pound lobster, and add 1 minute for every 4 ounces. A 1 1/2-pound lobster will cook in 9 minutes.
Lobsters will turn a bright red when cooked. Remove lobsters from the pot with a pair of tongs.
Allow at least 2- 1 pound lobsters per person since a 1-pound lobster offers only 4 ounces of meat.

George Hirsch's Lobster Boil

To Grill Lobsters:

Lobsters are split and cleaned
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 Tablespoons seafood seasoning
6 cloves garlic, sliced
1/4 pound clarified or drawn butter
3 lemons, cut into wedges

Preheat grill to medium-high

Combine the olive oil, seafood seasoning, and garlic in a small bowl. Place the lobster on its back and brush it with some of the oil mixture. Place the lobster on the grill, split side down, for 3 minutes. Brush with olive oil, turn, and cook for 5 to 6 minutes longer, until done. A 1 1/2-pound lobster should cook in 9 minutes: 7 minutes for the first pound and 1 minute for each additional 4 ounces.

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George Hirsch Lifestyle PBS TV Series visits Montauk Clam Bar

Oven Fried Garlic Chicken, as seen on George Hirsch Lifestyle

George Hirsch June 10, 2025

Many of you have requested this recipe from George Hirsch Lifestyle TV series. I am delighted to share.

Who doesn’t like fried chicken? However, frying chicken in the traditional manner can cause health concerns and take a long time to prepare correctly. The solution is my oven-fried garlic Chicken. It is as good as it looks. Perfect for making and taking to the tailgate or picnic, it tastes even better the next day! That's if you have any left.

Add a side of Mac and Cheese and wrap up with Double Chocolate Brownies for a perfect homestyle comfort menu.

George’s Oven Fried Garlic Chicken

Makes 8-10 pieces

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

1 whole chicken cut into 8 - 10 pieces or pre-cut from a butcher

Juice of 1/2 fresh lemon

2 cups flour, approximate

paper bag or food-safe plastic bag

For The Chicken Rub

1 teaspoon each: dried basil, oregano, thyme, sweet paprika

1/2 Tablespoon garlic powder

Pinch of fresh ground nutmeg

Pinch sea salt and ground black pepper to taste

Combine all seasonings for chicken.

Add seasoning rub to chicken, coating each piece, then squeeze lemon juice over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Place half of the flour in a bag and add additional flour as needed.

Place two pieces of chicken in the bag of flour at a time, close tightly, and shake the bag, coating the chicken evenly. Remove flour-coated chicken with tongs and shake off any excess flour. Place flour-coated chicken in a low-sided heavy gauge roasting pan. Repeat until all chicken has been coated with flour. Make sure the chicken is not crowded in a roasting pan. See Tips.

Place chicken in the oven at 425 degrees F. for the first 15 min or until chicken begins to color (you will smell aroma), then lower oven to 350 degrees F. for 30 - 35 minutes until golden brown or until done. Time depends on the size of the chicken pieces.

After removing from the oven, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes and serve.

Tips:

- For crispy chicken, use a heavy gauge low-sided pan (to prevent the chicken from steaming).

- Do not overcrowd the chicken in the pan; allow air circulation.

- The oven-baked chicken fries in their own fat. Using just breasts (white meat) does not oven fry as well due to lower fat content; for best results, cook with a mixture of white and dark meat that has a higher fat content.

- Trust the cooking times. Avoid opening the oven door to peek at the chicken while cooking. It will still be there. The temperature drops each time you open the oven door, causing the chicken to steam.

- To keep chicken crisp after cooking, place chicken on a wire baking screen until cool.

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

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Gather 'Round the Grill Cookbook, Vintage (new)

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George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

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Gameday Chili

George Hirsch January 30, 2025

Entertaining a crowd during Gameday Season?

Then, it's time to fire up the cooktop and start chopping. Those flavors will come together deliciously by gameday. This recipe calls for one bottle of IPA beer, my favorite from my local microbrew. I always advise you to use only what you would drink!

This basic chili recipe combines several flavors of the Southwest.

Options: Turkey and pork can be substituted for beef and combined for ultimate flavor. To make it vegetarian, use eggplant, squash, and extra onion in place of the meat.

IPA Chili

Makes 6- 8 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle

2 pounds sirloin or chuck - cut into 1/2 inch pieces or a ground beef combo

4 slices maple cured bacon, chopped

10 cloves garlic, chopped

1 cup sweet onion, chopped

4 scallions, chopped

2 jalapenos, seeded and chopped

1 fresh serrano chili pepper, chopped

1 Tablespoon each: cumin, oregano, basil and thyme

1 teaspoon cinnamon

12 ounces of a good microbrew IPA

2 cups canned plum tomatoes with juice, chopped

1 Tablespoon cider vinegar

1 16-ounce can of red beans, rinsed and drained

2 Tablespoons cilantro

Preheat a large soup pot over medium-high heat.

Add bacon and allow the bacon to get a light golden color. Add garlic, onion, olive oil, scallions, jalapenos, and serrano, and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add beef and cook until becomes lightly browned. Drain off any excess fat. Season with cumin, oregano, basil, hot pepper flakes, and cinnamon.

Add beer and reduce liquid for one minute; add tomatoes and vinegar.

Lower the temperature to a gentle simmer. Stir, cover pot, and cook for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Add beans and cook for 30 minutes or until the meat is tender.

**LISTEN SATURDAY Feb 10th and SUNDAY Feb 11th at 10AM**

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13 EPISODES on 4 HD-DVD Disk Set, season one

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George Hirsch Living it UP! cooking & lifestyle book

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Farmer's Grilled Potato Salad

georgehirsch August 15, 2024

*Grilled Summer Squash with Thyme and Thai Basil*

Summer's bounty from the farm inspired this salad, made with baby Yukon potatoes, colorful confetti of grilled peppers, eggplant, zucchini, sweet red, green and white onion & fresh dill. You can embellish this recipe by adding any grilled sliced meats or seafood.

George Hirsch Basket of Fresh Picked Farm Vegetables

Farmer's Grilled Potato Salad
Makes 8 servings

chefgeorgehirsch.com | George Hirsch Lifestyle
For the Dressing:
3 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 Tablespoons olive oil
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 Tablespoon horseradish
4 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 cup sour cream 1 teaspoon sea salt fresh ground pepper to taste

- Mix all ingredients in a small bowl.

For the Salad:
2 pounds Yukon, blue or red new potatoes - grill roast, or boil, cool—then chill in refrigerator overnight
1 each sweet white & red onions, sliced and grilled 6 green onions, trimmed and grilled
1 each: red, yellow & green bell peppers, split - grilled, and sliced 1 each eggplant, sliced and grilled1 each green and yellow squash, sliced and grilled1/4 cup olive oil
4 Tablespoons fresh dill, chopped1 teaspoon sea salt fresh ground pepper to taste

Two days before serving: Cook potatoes. If grilling, slice or split potatoes in half; if boiling, leave whole. Cool at room temperature, then place in refrigerator. The day before serving: Cut potatoes into 1/2-inch pieces. Combine potatoes and dill in a large bowl. Add 3/4 of the dressing and toss well. Refrigerate overnight. Grill vegetables for 2-3 minutes on each side. Brush with olive oil and top with dill, sea salt, and pepper. Cool at room temperature, then place in refrigerator.

Day of serving: Mix the remaining 1/4 of the dressing in the potatoes. Arrange grilled vegetables on a platter with potato salad. Just before serving. Top with a fresh sprig of dill.

Food Safety Tip: Never put hot or warm food in the refrigerator. Chill to room temperature, and then place in the refrigerator uncovered. After food has become fully chilled, then cover.