On Sunday, talented inventor and craftsman, Ray Palermo and his wife Luchi welcomed members of the Atlanta Food Bloggers’ Society into their home for an up close and personal demonstration of the Hexx. This portable naturally fired home grill is a smaller version of the original QuadCooker. Both allow you to reach temperatures of 900 degrees F which far exceed the maximum temps of typical charcoal grills. This allows you to get food on the table much faster as well. Below, you’ll get a chance to see them both in action as our hosts prepared several delicious bites for us to enjoy during the demonstration.
We started with Jorge’s Grilled Salsa and Chips. Fresh tomatoes, green onions and a jalapeno were placed in a Perforated Wok which is part of a Kit sold independently of the Hexx. Also available is a standard wok which is great for stir-frying and deep frying. After a few minutes on the grill, the charred vegetables were placed in a blender and the result was this warm bowl of comfort. It would be all too easy to sit around with this salsa, a bag of nacho chips and a margarita and just chomp away.
The entree that would take the most time to prepare and that we seemed most excited about trying was the Seafood Paella. Ray wanted to go ahead and get it started so he stepped over to the QuadCooker before moving on to the other dishes. Just imagine the aroma when those onions and garlic started to sizzle. The Paella Pan is huge which is ideal when you have several hungry mouths to feed and it fits nicely over the 18″ Grill which means even cooking.
The next thing to make its way onto the Hexx were these apple slices. They were also grilled using the Perforated Wok which sits atop a Wok Ring. I think it’s my favorite add-on because it allows you to cook fruits and vegetables without worrying about pieces falling through and you still get good even heat distribution.
After turning and grilling a few minutes more, the apples were removed from the grill, topped with generous slices of Cheddar Cheese then returned to the grill just long enough to soften the cheese a bit. The warmed slices were then removed to a platter, drizzled with honey and topped with Pumpkin Seeds.
I’ve never grilled apples before, but I adore them and have a special relationship with cheese so I’d totally do this on my own. Seeing this appetizer grilled on the Hexx makes me feel like I can get really creative with food. The unit is small enough to not feel intimidating and since the outside stays cool to the touch it makes me feel that much safer. The fact that it’s portable is a huge bonus.
The foundation of the Hexx is a QuadRock base. This material allows the interior, called the crucible, to reach and maintain impressive high temperatures. The use of QuadRock also means that if you rub your hand against the outside of the unit, you won’t get burned. That doesn’t mean you should encourage that habit, but it’s a very nice feature for a grill/cooker to have.
Here are some other good eats you can add to that wonderful heat:
Notice the char and grill marks. The Grate that the steaks, sausages and pineapple are sitting on top of is laser-cut case-hardened steel grill. It’s heavier than any grate I’ve ever held and ensures that heat is distributed evenly so all of your food gets the same amount of love.
Doesn’t that look tasty? As you can see, the Hexx does this and so much more. We now have a unique opportunity to be a part of the process to help Ray & Luchi Palermo continue their passion for grilling by supporting their dream via their Kickstarter Campaign which just started yesterday. Go check it out.
About that Paella… Here’s a quick look at it finishing up on the QuadCooker.
Go ahead and say your ahhhs because it’s a pretty nice looking dish.
Visit the QuadCooker website to learn more and to download recipes. As mentioned before, the Palermo’s are currently seeking backers on Kickstarter so go on over and read more about it. There’s also a video for your enjoyment. Thanks for taking the time to stop by and reading all of this. I know it’s a lot but I have a healthy adoration for food and for people who want to make preparing it easier.
Disclosure: The Palermo’s provided complimentary food and beverages during this demonstration. I received no monetary compensation for this post. All opinions are my own and were not influenced in any way. You can view my full Disclosure Policy here.
