Delight your guests with elevated, backyard ready dishes from Atlanta’s best chefs

The cookout is one of summertime’s quintessential joys, bringing friends and families together for a backyard revel. To keep you from making the same potato salad—again—we recruited some of our favorite local chefs to share recipes that are sure to take your cookout to the next level. Reach for one of these before your next fête, and your guests will be sure to ask for seconds.

Photo: Erik Meadows

COCONUT LEMONGRASS CHICKEN WINGS
Makes 12 wings
Recipe courtesy of Sweet Auburn BBQ

1 dozen chicken wings
6 tbsp. freshly ground lemongrass
2 tsp. diced garlic
2 tsp. chopped shallots
1 c. coconut milk
2 tbsp. chili oil
4 tbsp. oyster sauce

Prepare chicken wings to preference by oven or grill. While wings are cooking, sauté lemongrass, garlic and shallots in chili oil for 1-2 minutes or until fragrant. Add coconut milk and oyster sauce to pan and let simmer until sauce thickens and becomes sticky. Remove pan from heat, toss cooked wings in sauce and enjoy!

Sweet Auburn BBQ
656 N. Highland Ave., 30306
678.515.3550
sweetauburnbbq.com

Photo: Chrysta Poulos

PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE
Serves 6 to 8
Recipe courtesy of BeetleCat

BROWN SUGAR MIX:
4 oz. butter, melted
1 c. brown sugar
CAKE:
4 oz. canola oil
2 c. granulated sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
2 c. all purpose flour
¾ c. whole milk
¼ c. buttermilk
20 oz. can sliced pineapple rings, drained
10 maraschino cherries, halved

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Line a 10-inch cake pan with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray.

In a large bowl, whisk canola oil, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs one at a time, whisking until combined. In a medium bowl combine the baking powder, salt and all -purpose flour. Add the dry ingredients and milks to the sugar mixture, alternating.

Pour brown sugar mix in the bottom of the cake pan and arrange pineapple rings and cherries; press down slightly. Pour cake batter over and bake until cake is golden brown and an inserted skewer comes out clean, about 30-25 minutes. Let cool about 5 minutes before inverting cake on to plate.

BeetleCat
299 N. Highland Ave., 30307
678.732.0360
beetlecatatl.com

ELOTE (traditional Mexican corn on the cob)
Serves 4
Recipe provided by Bone Garden Cantina

4 ears corn on the cob
¼ c. mayonnaise (more or less, depending on taste)
¼ c. crumbled queso fresco
Chili powder to taste
Lime wedges

Grill corn. After corn is grilled, cover entire cob in mayonnaise, sprinkle with queso fresco and dust with chili powder to taste. Squeeze lime on corn before eating, serving more wedges on the side if desired.

Note: Not a mayo fan? Kristen Benoit, owner of Bone Garden, suggests a Mexican brand of sour cream such as El Mexicano’s Crema Mexicana as a substitute.

Bone Garden Cantina
1425 Ellsworth Industrial Blvd., 30318
404.418.9072
bonegardencantina.com

IT’S A WING THING

Consider yourself a wing nut? Head to Springer Mountain Farms’ Southern Wing Showdown (formerly Atlanta Wing Fest) at The Foundry at Puritan Mill on August 20, when chefs from around the Southeast will whip up their best, boldest wing recipes for a shot at the wing king title. Visit SouthernWingShowdown.com for ticketing and more info.