You may be putting chicken on the grill this weekend.

For advice, we spoke with Claudia Sidoti, Head Chef and Head Recipe Developer at HelloFresh, a popular meal ingredients delivery service that makes it easier to cook delicious, nutritious meals (a gift for Father’s Day?).

Claudia reminds us that dark meat chicken is “so much better on the grill than white meat. It stays moist and the skin gets nice and crispy.”

To save money but still keep guests happy, she recommends BBQ chicken wings and drumsticks.

“They key to perfecting dark meat,” she says, “is a good marinade and setting up the grill for direct and indirect heat, so you can get the meat cooked through without burning the skin.”

For cooking indoors, here are Claudia’s chicken-cooking tips.
 
 
HOW TO COOK A WHOLE CHICKEN

 
 
HOW TO COOK A CHICKEN BREASTS

[1] Dark meat chicken is better for grilling. You’ll have much moister chicken (photo courtesy Sun Basket).

[2] Ready, set, roast. All photos courtesy Good Eggs.

[3] While your eye may be drawn to the largest cuts, smaller breasts cook more evenly.

[4] Patting the chicken dry with paper towels limits the spatter.

HOW TO COOK BONE-IN CHICKEN PART & BONELESS CHICKEN THIGHS

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*Fun With English: “Splatter” refers to action that happens to a liquid, so that drops fly out and strike another surface. “Spatter” refers to the drops that have landed on the surface.
  

Angsley salt from the sea around Wales (photo by River Soma | THE NIBBLE).

[3] Maldon River salt from England. It forms unique pyramid-shape crystals (photo courtesy Stephen Upson).

[4] Kosher salt, from underground mines (photo courtesy WiseGeek).

In the world of culinary salts, flake/flaky salts are coarse-grained salts with large, visible grains (the flakes).

It’s a favorite for what chefs, who use it as a finishing salt (after the food is cooked or otherwise prepared), for what they call a pop of flavor and crunch.
 
 
SEA SALT VS. MINED SALT

Salt is harvested from either sea water or rock-salt deposits in salt mines, which aeons ago were underground seas.

Sea Salt

Sea salts are produced over the world, and flake salts—flat flakes—are a subset. While fewer areas produce them, they are evaporated from Angsley (Wales—photo #2) and Maldon (England—photo #3) to Cyprus (photo #1), France, Australia and New Zealand.

 
Mined Salt/Land Salt

 
Whether a sea salt or a land salt, the crunchy flakes dissolves quickly atop foods, resulting in a “pop” of flavor.
 
 
HOW TO USE FLAKY SALT

Kosher salt (photo #4) is a coarse-grained salt made from the same mined salt as table salt. It’s evaporated in a way to make the grains larger. As with sea salt, the evaporation process determines the salt’s final shape. But with mind salt, the company, not Mother Nature, controls the evaporation process.

The large grain size makes kosher salt popular for sprinkling on top of meat, to deliver that pop and crunch.

Another benefit: Kosher salt dissolves quickly, making it a popular all-purpose cooking salt—and it’s far less expensive than sea salt.

Most brands are flat grains, but some brands evaporate their kosher salt into the elegant pyramidal in structure, emulating the famed Maldon salt.
 
Substituting Kosher Salt

You can’t simply substitute one type of salt for another: Measurements will be different between kosher salt, table salt and sea salt.

That’s because the different size of the grains make different salts more or less “salty.”

Here is a conversion chart from Morton.
 
Kosher Salt Trivia

Any salt can be kosher if it’s produced under kosher supervision. But that’s not how kosher salt got its name.

Coarse salt’s original purpose was to kosher meat, which means to remove the blood from the butchered meat, a requirement of kosher law.

Wordsmiths may wonder why its name is not koshering salt. Very astute!

Way back, some American company labeled the boxes “kosher salt” instead of koshering salt. The shorter name stuck.
 
 
CHECK OUT THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF SALT

Our Salt Glossary has a complete education in the many types of salt.

[2] When tomatoes are their most delicious, try this “double tomato Caprese”: beefsteak and cherry tomatoes (photo courtesy Elegant Affairs Caterers).

[3] Another way to enjoy Caprese: in an avocado boat (here’s the recipe from Souffle Bombay).

So don’t hesitate to serve red, white and blue-themed food and drink.

Here are more than 50 recipes, for everything from breakfast to cocktails, lunch to desserts.

Here’s an addition to the list, a recipe sent to us by Gina Homolka of Skinnytaste. She specializes in healthy, low fat, family-friendly recipes. Sign up to get email recipes at SkinnyTaste.com.
 
 
EASY CAPRESE, FOR A HOLIDAY OR ANY DAY

Americans love Caprese salad, so called because the idea was brought to the U.S. by vacationers on the isle of Capri (the scoop).

Gina says: “I love the salty-sweet combination of watermelon, mozzarella, arugula and balsamic—a delicious twist on the classic Caprese which is usually made with tomatoes, mozzarella and basil (photo #1).

“I’m actually not a huge fan of tomatoes until late August when they are falling off my tomato plants, so watermelon is a great alternative.

“Cutting the watermelon with a star-shaped cookie cutter makes these perfect for Memorial day or July 4th.”

This is an easy recipe, no cooking required: four basic ingredients plus seasonings and a star-shape cookie cutter.

You can prep the salads in advance and leave them in the fridge until you’re ready to serve.

More advice from Gina: “I buy my fresh mozzarella in a local Italian deli and they even slice it for me on their slicer, which saves me time. I finish the Capreses with Modenacrem Balsamic Glaze from Delallo (I love this stuff!!).

“Buying balsamic glaze is a huge time saver. The alternative is to simmer balsamic on the stove until it reduces down.”
 
 
RECIPE: WATERMELON CAPRESE SALAD

Ingredients For 8 Servings

 
Plus

 
Preparation

1. CUT 16 stars from the watermelon, about 1 ounce each). Save the excess watermelon for another use.

2. ARRANGE half of the watermelon slices on a platter. Layer with mozzarella and arugula; drizzle each with 1/4 teaspoon olive oil. Add a pinch of salt and optional pepper to each.

3. TOP with a final star, drizzle each with balsamic glaze and serve.

*We have a selection of flavored coarse sea salts, and used rosemary sea salt for an extra hint of flavor. You can also make flavored sea salt by mixing coarse sea salt with a dried herb of choice.
  

For holiday weekends or cookouts, most of us pick up cole slaw at the grocery store.

This commercial slaw generally consists of cabbage, mayonnaise thinned with vinegar, and a few shreds of carrot for color. It may be tangy and crunchy, but it can be so much more flavorful.

Here’s how to fix up store-bought cole slaw and other salads: chicken, egg, macaroni, potato, etc.

Or, choose one of the nine recipes below, from Asian-accented slaws to bacon and blue cheese.
 
 
COLE SLAW HISTORY: WHAT’S A SLAW & WHY IS IT “COLE?”

A little “slaw” history:

Slaw is a salad consisting primarily of shredded raw white cabbage. Its origin goes back to ancient Roman times, when the cabbage was mixed with vinegar. Mayonnaise didn’t appear until the 18th century (mayonnaise history).

Coleslaw, also spelled cole slaw, originates from the Latin colis, cabbage.

Cabbage was easy to grow and a mainstay of the diet of the poor (who, it should be said, represented most of the population). It also was easy to store and had a long shelf life. No doubt, many European families dined on chopped cabbage salad.

Enter the Dutch. “Slaw” comes from a variation of the Dutch sla; koolsalade, or cabbage salad, shortened to koolsla. Cabbage, “kool,” is pronounced “cole.”

Dutch travelers to the New World made koolsla with local cabbage. Instead of being torn into bite-size pieces like lettuce salad, the cabbage was thinly sliced or shredded. “Sla” is short for “salade.”

In English, “slaw” came to specify a salad of shredded vegetables. Over time, shredded cabbage slaw was joined by carrot slaw and more recently, broccoli slaw and shaved Brussels sprouts slaw.

The term got anglicized in the 18th century as cole slaw (and sometimes, cold slaw).

Today in the U.S., cole slaw is a shredded cabbage salad with a mayonnaise-based dressing, often with a shredded carrot. It can be made with red cabbage for more pizzazz, as in today’s recipe; but few people do so.

Some people add fruits: diced mango or pineapple, raisins, sliced grapes, etc. We didn’t use them in the recipe because of the peanut dressing; but you can easily add dried cherries, raisins, or other dried fruits.

Coleslaw can be dressed with vinaigrette or mayonnaise. Some regional American recipes use mustard.
 
 
RECIPE: THAI-ACCENTED COLE SLAW

This recipe for Thai-accented cole slaw is adapted from Beekman 1802. Thai ingredients like peanut butter, peanuts, ginger, and soy sauce add flair; and the Thai-style dressing replaces the mayonnaise.

Prep time is 15 minutes, and cook time for the dressing is 6 minutes.
 
 
Ingredients

 
For The Dressing

[2] Red, white and blue cole slaw. The blue is blue cheese (photo courtesy Eat Wisconsin Cheese).

[3] Peanut cole slaw with granola (photo courtesy Nuts For Granola).

[4] Spicy Thai cole slaw (photo courtesy A Communal Table)

1. TOAST the sesame seeds (optional). Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sesame; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until golden brown and fragrant. Immediately pour out of the hot pan to avoid over-toasting.

2. COMBINE the cabbage and peppers in a large salad bowl.

3. COMBINE the dressing ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for four minutes.

4. REMOVE from the heat and immediately toss with the cabbage-peppers mix. Once it has cooled to room temperature, add the basil and toss again. Refrigerate and serve cool or at room temperature.
 
 
MORE SLAW RECIPES

CHECK OUT WHAT’S HAPPENING ON OUR HOME PAGE, THENIBBLE.COM.

[1] What’s on your Memorial Day table? How about a sausage-and-beer tasting (photo courtesy Dovetail Brewery | Chicago)?

[2] What’s under the toppings? Grilled sausages, to pair with beer (photo courtesy Tete | Chicago).

[3] What’s on your Memorial Day table? How about a sausage-and-beer tasting (photos courtesy Les Trois Petits Cochons)?

[4] What’s on your Memorial Day table? How about a sausage-and-beer tasting (photos courtesy Les Trois Petits Cochons)?

[5] What’s on your Memorial Day table? How about a sausage-and-beer tasting (photos courtesy Les Trois Petits Cochons)?

Along with the chicken, steaks and fish on the grill, how about sausages? Better yet, how about a sausage and beer painting?

While there are good brands across the country, we especially enjoy the sausages of Les Trois Petits Cochons (lay-TWAH peh-TEET coe-SHONE, a.k.a. The Three Little Pigs).

Available nationwide, the brand began in our home town of New York City, so we’ve been eating them for a decade or two (along with the pate and other charcuterie).

When we asked the brand what beers they would pair with the sausages, they were forthcoming with these recommendations. The pairings can be ported to any brand of sausage.
 
 
SAUSAGE & BEER PAIRINGS

Whether your sausage is chicken, lamb or pork, there’s an excellent pairing of light- or medium-bodied beer (the different types of beer).

Lovers of heavy-body beers can substitute a doppelbock for medium-body beers.

Andouille Sausage – Pork Sausage with Spices
PAIRING: A medium-bodied beer such as an ale, IPA or bock beer.

Chicken Andouille – Chicken Sausage with Spices
PAIRING: A light-bodied beer such as a lager or a medium-bodied beer such as an ale.

Chicken Merguez – Chicken Sausage with Harissa
PAIRING: A medium-bodied beer such as an ale, IPA or bock beer.

Chicken Provençale – Chicken Sausage with Spring Vegetables
PAIRING: A medium-bodied beer such as an ale, IPA, or bock beer.

Chicken Sausage with Spinach & Gruyere Cheese
PAIRING: A medium-bodied beer such as an ale, IPA or bock beer.

Merguez Sausage – Lamb Sausage with Spices
PAIRING: A light-bodied beer such as a pilsner or a medium-bodied beer such as an ale.

Smoked Chicken Sausage with Apples & Calvados
PAIRING: A light-bodied beer such as a lager, pilsner or wheat beer.
 
 
Are you hungry yet?

We sure are!
 

21 WAYS TO USE LEFTOVER SAUSAGE

Instead of reheating the sausages for the plate or a roll, change the format.

Slice them, dice them, or remove the meat from the casing; serve with:

Les Trois Petits Cochons has produced award-winning, all natural pâté and charcuterie since 1975 by crafting small, handmade batches using high-quality ingredients. One of the most awarded specialty food companies in North America, Les Trois Petits Cochons began as a small charcuterie in Greenwich Village, New York City. Today it leads the pâté and charcuterie industry, offering a complete line of artisanal pâtés, mousses, terrines, sausages, saucissons, smoked meats and other French specialties.