BYLINES BY SCOTT

HOLY SMOKE

What says summer more than a barbecue? Burgers, beers and a bounty of the quintessential American indulgence.

It goes without saying that in my line of work—managing some of the best chefs in America—the tradition of basic Americana and paper plates needs to be turned on its head. So how should you set
the stage for a new, modern-day barbecue at the beach?

I convinced chef Marc Murphy of Food Network’s Chopped fame to invite some foodie buddies out to his Bridgehampton abode to redefine this time-honored outing. Let’s start with a name change for this style of cooking altogether! It’s the Hamptons, and we all know that seasonal status stems from how big your bottle of rosé is… thus the introduction of the “RBQ.” Yup, our take on barbecue with a heavy rosé component. We did stick with some traditions—a little 2017 Les Côtes du Luberon—but his rosé is in a can.

For kids, there are two cardinal sins: playing with knives and fire. So naturally, with a childlike excitement, Murphy was all about sharp knives and flame throwing. Having just come back from Uruguay and Argentina, he was primed for a tribute to the forgotten art of cooking over an open flame. In an homage to Francis Mallmann, the godfather of cooking with fire, Murphy, a ferocious lover of the Heat Miser, set the stage for an epic day.
As the clouds burned off on an early afternoon, we loaded Murphy’s pickup truck with firewood and his newly crafted raw-steel cooktop. Only locally sourced ingredients were invited as sacrifices for our carnivorous pleasure. Bone-in ribeye with mint chimichurri, shrimp with garlic and harissa marinade, and an endless plethora of fresh grilled vegetables set the table.

“It’s just better—you can taste the smoke,” says Murphy. And he was right. The flavors were amazing, and the open-flame cooking elevated the experience of your basic barbecue. To be honest, it probably ruined me and my taste buds for the remainder of the season.

Read the Article at ModernLurxury.com HERE.