Weeknight Dishes: Perfectly grilled chicken, roasted mushroom larb and spaghetti with fried eggs

By Emily Weinstein, The New York Times

Wouldn’t it be nice to work the grill in a state of total relaxation, with a drink in hand, instead of anxiously poking at the food to make sure you’re doing it right? I think so, and so I’ve decided that this is the summer I’ll finally get better at grilling. Hopefully I’ll progress from a place of basic competence to something like sure-handedness.

Grilled Chicken Legs

The best grilled chicken smells like summer. To achieve that charred aroma, you want to crisp the skin while cooking the meat through and keeping it juicy. Setting oil-slicked meat over direct, moderate heat and covering the grill prevents flare-ups, which can burn the skin before the meat loses its rawness. Because fire lends its own flavor, the chicken really doesn’t need anything more than salt and pepper, but if you want a little sweetness, savoriness and spice, you can brush on the simple soy glaze toward the end of cooki...