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Archive for the ‘Barbecue’ Category

Barbecue Sea bass & Citrus Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 19 August 2013| 1 Comment »

This is such a clever idea, especially if you don’t have one of those fancy things for cooking fish on the barbecue. The fish doesn’t stick to the grill but you still get all the smoky barbecue flavours plus a  delicious spike of citrus. The idea has us thinking of other combinations and we loved the caramelisation that happened to the oranges which gives the dish an extra dimension.

Wine Suggestion: This cries out for a Spanish white, like Albarino or Godello, where the best examples balance a depth of texture with a lightness of being. We drank a Dominio de Tares Godello from Bierzo which was amazing on its own and then with the fish. Perfectly matched.

Barbecue Sea Bass & Citrus Salad – serves 4

  • 2-3 large oranges
  • zest of 1 lemon (keep the juice for the salad)
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 x 300g whole sea bass, scaled, gutted and slashed down each side (or 8 fillets)

FOR THE SALAD: 

  • 2 oranges, segmented
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 bags watercress
  • handful small capers
  • handful pitted green olives, roughly chopped

Finely grate the zest of the 1 of the oranges and add to the lemon zest. Mix with the olive oil, then drizzle over the fish and season.

Cut the rest of the oranges into slices, about ½ cm thick. Arrange the orange slices over the barbecue grill, close together so you can lay the fish on top. Barbecue the fish for 5-8 minutes on each side, or until the flesh flakes easily.

To make the salad: Put the orange segments into a large bowl, with the squeezed juice from the rest of the oranges and the lemon juice. Season and stir in the olive oil. Toss the watercress in the orange dressing with the capers and the olives.

Serve the fish with the salad.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Paneer Tikka or Spicy Barbecued Paneer Skewers

Posted in Asian, Barbecue, Food, Indian, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , on 9 July 2013| 1 Comment »

We recently acquired a recipe book called Prashad: Indian Vegetarian Cooking (thanks Mum). You might remember Prashad as Gordon Ramsay’s best restaurant runner-up on TV a couple of years ago. This is the first recipe we tried from the book and is guaranteed to make your veggie friends happy at your next summer barbecue. Vegetarians often get a bum deal at barbecues, palmed off with a few peppers and onions skewered on a stick. These should right all your past wrong-doings.

Paneer is an Indian unsalted white cheese with a crumbly texture and mild taste that  goes really well with strong flavours and marinades. You can buy it in supermarkets as well as specialist Asian shops.

These are very easy to make but you need to marinade the night before!

Drinks Suggestion: We enjoyed this with both a lager and a citrus-laden Blonde Ale; fresh and summery.

Paneer Tikka – makes 6 skewers 

  • 2 x 250 blocks of paneer cheese
  • 1 medium red pepper,cut into 6 chunky pieces
  • 1 medium green pepper, cut into 6 chunky pieces
  • 1 medium onion, cut into 6 wedges
  • 2 lemons, quartered to serve

MARINADE: 

  • 2-3 green chillies, seeds left in
  • 4-8 garlic cloves
  • 2 handfuls of fresh coriander, chopped fine
  • 2 tsp ground coriander
  • 2 tsp garam masala 
  • 1½ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp trumeric
  • 2 tbsp plain live yogurt
  • 100ml sunflower oil

Finely chop the chillies and garlic then tip into a large bowl and add the other marinade ingredients.

Cut each block of cheese into 9 equal-sized cubes and add to the marinade along with the pepper and onion pieces. Stir to coat, then cover and leave in the fridge overnight.

Thread 6 skewers with 3 pieces of cheese seperated by pieces of pepper and onion. Cook the skewers over a hot barbecue for 20 minutes, until slightly charred, turning every 4-5 minutes.

Serve with the lemon quarters, a green salad and some cucumber and yogurt dip.

(Original recipe from Kaushy Patel’s Prashad: Indian Vegetarian Cooking, Saltyard Books 2012.)

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Barbecue Satay Skewers

Posted in Asian, Barbecue, Chicken, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 9 April 2013| 4 Comments »

This chicken marinade is great for the barbecue as it really tenderises the meat. You should serve these satay skewers with some peanut sauce. The sauce in the picture is our friend Thaiba’s satay sauce that she kindly sent home with us in a takeaway box last time we were over. This is a secret family recipe, but we are very glad she makes it for us!

Barbecue Satay Skewers – to serve 8

  • 450g chicken meat, skinned and boned
  • 2 tsp ground turmeric
  • ½ tsp garam masala
  • 1 tsp freshly ground cumin
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • juice of 1 lemon

Mix all the ingredients (except the chicken) together in a large bowl. Cut the chicken into cubes and add to the bowl. Marinate overnight.

Thread the meat onto skewers and cook on a hot barbecue.

Serve with peanut sauce and rice.

Wine Suggestion: balance the bold flavours and richness with a bold Greco di Tufo from southern Italy. We love the minerality and freshness combined with the body and weight of a good example. We drank one made by Vesevo recently which was very good but look out for Mastroberardino, who helped save the appellation and grape.

(Original recipe from Darina Allen’s Ballymaloe Cookery Course, Kyle Cathie Limied, 2001.)

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Marinated Grilled Lamb

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Italian, Lamb, tagged , , , , , on 4 April 2013| Leave a Comment »

We used a leg from a hogget (one year old lamb) as this has greater flavour. If you use a young “Spring” lamb this will be juicier and cook quicker but is more delicate in flavour.

Agnello Marinato alla Griglia – to serve 6

  • 1 leg of spring lamb, about 2.25kg in weight, boned and butterflied
  • 5 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
  • 2 tbsp rosemary leaves, chopped
  • coarsely ground pepper
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 3 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp sea salt

Mix the crushed garlic, rosemary and a good pinch of pepper in a bowl, and rub into the cut side of the meat. Put in a shallow dish and pour over the lemon juice and olive oil. Turn the meat over a few times until completely coated, then cover. Leave to marinate at room temperature overnight (or at least 4 hours), turning occasionally.

Preheat the grill or barbecue to very high. Remove the meat from the marinate and pat dry. Season with salt. Carefully place the meat on the grill and seal on both sides. Lower the heat and keep cooking until done to your liking, turning once. Allow a minimum of 8 minutes per side but it could take up to 45 minutes in total depending on the age and size of the lamb as well as the barbecue temperature.

Wine Suggestion: We think that good Bordeaux works well with this and proceeded to try a couple of different Chateau to test this theory. The first was a birthday present of Chateau Mission Haut Brion from the Graves where the pencilly and inky character complemented the lamb. A very fine wine indeed and a real treat. We then followed by a Chateau d’Angludet from Margaux which was more mellow and feminine to round out the end of the meal. A treat altogether.

(Original recipe from The River Café Cookbook by Ruth Rogers and Rose Gray, Ebury Press, 1995.)

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Lebanese Lamb Chops with Seven Spices

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Lamb, tagged , , , , , , on 15 January 2013| 4 Comments »

Another success from “The Lebanese Kitchen”. First you have to make a Lebanese Seven Spices mix which you can use to add flavour to loads of dishes.

Lebanese Seven Spices Mix – makes 175g

  • 5 tbsp ground allspice
  • 3½ tbsp pepper
  • 3½ tbsp ground cinnamon
  • 5 tbsp ground cloves
  • 4 tbsp ground nutmeg
  • 4 tbsp ground fenugreek
  • 4 tbsp ground ginger

Mix the spices together and store in an airtight jar in a dark cupboard until needed.

Lamb Chops with Seven Spices – to serve 4

  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 1½ tbsp seven spices mix
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp black pepper
  • 4 lamb chops
  • natural yogurt and lemon wedges to serve

Mix the garlic, seven spices mix, lemon juice, salt, and pepper in a bowl, add the lamb chops, and rub mixture into the meat. Leave to marinade for about 1½ hours.

Barbecue for 4-6 minutes on each side, then serve with the lemon wedges and yogurt.

Wine Suggestion: We had a really nice Spanish red, Pago de los Capellanes, from Ribero del Duero (thanks Alicia). 100% Tempranillo with a lovely juicy depth and loads of flavour. Alternately you could try a wine from the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon which also makes juicy, heady, red wines.

(Original recipe from The Lebanese Kitchen by Salma Hage, Phaidon Press Ltd, 2012.)

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Barbecued Balsamic Beef

Posted in Barbecue, Beef, Food, tagged , , , , , , , on 27 August 2012| 3 Comments »

Our new favourite way to cook steak. This is delicious and there’s no need to splash out on an expensive cut. We’ve been using rump steak but it will also work really well with skirt steak if you can find it. You’ll need to cook skirt for a bit longer though.

Barbecued balsamic beef – to serve 4

  • 600g thick piece of rump steak
  • 2 shallots, very finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar, plus a little extra

Put the beef in a wide shallow dish and rub it all over with the shallots and balsamic vinegar. Season and leave to marinate for 20 minutes.

Make sure your barbecue or grill is really hot before starting to cook.

Barbecue (or grill) the beef for 3-4 minutes on each side, depending on how thick it is. Take off the barbecue and cover with foil for 5 minutes, then slice thinly across the grain and serve with the meat juices.

Add a drizzle of olive oil and balsamic vinegar if you like.

Serve with potatoes roasted with rosemary and garlic.

Wine Suggestion: Try a Tuscan red from Bolgheri or the Maremma which will give you a nice juiciness but still maintain the depth of structure and tannin needed to work with the steak.

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BBQ Greek Lamb Souvlaki

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Greek, Lamb, tagged , , , , , on 16 July 2012| 1 Comment »

These Greek kebabs are easy and delicious when barbecued and served with Tzatziki (a Greek yogurt dip), sliced tomatoes, pickled chillies and sliced gherkins.

Souvlaki – to serve 8

  • 2kg boned shoulder of lamb
  • 1 tbsp dried oregano
  • 1 large lemon, juiced plus wedges to serve
  • 150ml extra virgin olive oil
  • Paprika for sprinkling

Trim excess fat off the lamb and cut into bite-sized pieces. Put into a bowl with the oregano, lemon juice, olive oil, 2 tsps salt and some black pepper and leave to marinate at room temperature for about an hour.

Preheat the barbecue. Thread the lamb onto metal skewers and cook on the hot barbecue, until browned on the outside but still juicy in the centre. Sprinkle with a pinch of paprika and a squeeze of lemon juice to serve.

Drink with: a southern Italian red such as Negromaro or Primitivo. Italian wines from Puglia and Calabria complement Greek foods very well which is not surprising given the very strong historical and social links between them. In this case there is a good balance of warm ripe fruits, earthy tannins and medium weight.

(Original recipe from Rick Stein’s Mediterranean Escapes, BBC Books, 2007.)

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BBQ Chicken and Peach Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Healthy, Marsanne, Roussanne, Wine, tagged , , , , , , , , on 29 June 2012| 2 Comments »

Our local supermarket, which will remain nameless, has perfectly ripe Spanish peaches at the moment. Absolutely perfect for a summer barbecue salad. It’s worth paying the extra for free-range chicken from a reliable source (probably not the local supermarket).

Warm Chicken & Peach Salad – to serve 4

  • 500g good-quality chicken breasts
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • olive oil
  • baby spinach leaves
  • ripe peaches
  • basil

Heat the barbecue.

Put the chicken breast in a shallow dish. Add 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 1 tbsp olive oil and plenty of salt and pepper. Turn the chicken breasts in the marinade until they are well-coated.

Cook the chicken on the hot barbecue until cooked through (ours took about 6 minutes on each side). You are going to slice the chicken anyway so it’s no problem to slice open one of the fillets to check.

Scatter a good few handfuls of spinach and a small handful of basil leaves over a large serving platter.

Mix 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, a few shredded basil leaves and some salt and pepper together to make a dressing.

Slice the chicken and peaches and toss gently with the salad leaves. Drizzle over the dressing and serve.

Drink with: either Roussanne or Marsanne with their stone-fruit flavours to complement the light peachy flavours of the salad. We had a glass of a St Joseph white from Pierre Gaillard made from Roussanne which is amazing on it’s own and a perfect match for this dish.

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BBQ Tikka Sea Bream

Posted in Asian, Barbecue, Beer, Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , on 28 June 2012| 1 Comment »

We didn’t brush the grill of our barbecue well enough to prevent the skin sticking to it. If you’re cooking fish on a barbecue learn from our mistakes and brush the grill down well and rub with a bit of oil to stop it sticking. You can also season the fish with salt and set it aside for 15 minutes or so before cooking which will draw the moisture out of the skin. Alternatively you can take the extra safe precaution of cooking the fish on some tinfoil. This is a delicious way to cook fish and you get the flavours of the garlic, ginger and Tikka flavours with the added barbecue smokiness which works a treat and can be served with a fresh cucumber, tomato and coriander salad.

BBQ Tikka Sea Bream – to serve 2

  • 2 tbsp finely grated fresh ginger
  • 4 garlic cloves, finely grated
  • 2 small sea bream, approx. 450g each
  • 6 tbsp natural yoghurt
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 2 tsp chilli powder
  • 3 tsp cumin seeds

Get the barbecue hot.

Slash the skin of the fish on either side and place in a shallow dish. Mix the ginger and garlic, season with salt, then rub all over the fish.

Mix the yoghurt with the oil, spices and seasoning. Pour this over the fish and rub it all over the fish with your hands, inside and out.

Cook for about 6 minutes on each side and serve with an Indian-style salad.

Drink with: a chilled bottle of Singha beer, preferably outside in the sunshine.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Summer Barbecue Chicken

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , on 28 May 2012| Leave a Comment »

At last summer has arrived in Dublin and you can smell barbecues everywhere. Here’s a healthy alternative to sausages and burgers and it tastes delicious!

Summer Barbecue Chicken – to serve 4

  • 4 skinless chicken breasts (not too big)
  • 3 tbsp maple syrup
  • 1 tbsp wholegrain mustard
  • grated zest of 1 orange

Slash the chicken breasts a few times across the top. Put the rest of the ingredients in a shallow dish and swish together. Then add the chicken and turn it over a few times until completely covered. If you have time you can leave it in the fridge for up to 24 hours to marinade (cover the dish with cling film), if not it will still taste great cooked straight away.

Cook the chicken on a barbecue turning once and brushing on any marinade left in the dish. Ours took about 8 minutes in total but cook them longer if necessary.

Serve with a salad and some new potatoes.

Wine Suggestion: We would try a light red here rather than a white wine to complement the chicken. Barbecues intensify flavour and a white wine can easily become overwhelmed. Try an Italian Valpolicella which has a bit of spice and should be able to stand up to the powerful flavours.

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Barbecue tuna with peppery tomatoes & potatoes

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 21 May 2012| 1 Comment »

This makes a really tasty side dish so serve it with something else if you’re not keen on tuna. A definite repeat recipe!

Tuna with peppery tomatoes & potatoes – to serve 4

  • 4 tuna steaks
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 3 garlic cloves, crushed
  • few thyme sprigs
  • 500g new potatoes, sliced about 1 cm thick
  • 2 red peppers, cut into large chunks
  • 1 red onion, cut into 8 wedges
  • 1 green chilli, deseeded and chopped
  • 400g tin cherry tomatoes

Preheat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7 and put in a roasting tin to heat up. Put the tuna in a shallow dish with half the oil, about two-thirds of the garlic and leaves from a sprig of thyme. Leave to marinate.

Get your barbecue on as you want a high heat to cook the tuna later (a griddle pan will suffice if it’s not barbecue weather).

Put the potatoes, peppers, onion and chilli into the hot tin with the rest of the oil and toss to coat. Roast for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are very nearly cooked (you might need to put them back in for another 5-10 minutes). Add the rest of the garlic and thyme and stir well before adding the tomatoes, then cook for another 5 minutes and add some seasoning.

Wipe most of the marinade off the fish, season, then sear on the barbecue for a minute on each side for medium (longer if you like it better done). Serve with the veg.

Wine Suggestion: Serve with a light Italian red, like a Valpolicella, which will have enough acidity for the tomatoey sauce.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Salmon with dill and capers

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , on 9 May 2012| 1 Comment »

Low calorie and really good for you. The salmon stays lovely and moist. Serve with asparagus and new potatoes.

Salmon with Dill & Capers – to serve 8 (but easy to adapt for less)

  • 140g Greek yogurt
  • 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
  • zest 1 lemon
  • 1 tbsp chopped dill
  • 1 tbsp small capers, lightly chopped
  • 8 portions of fresh salmon, scaled
  • lemon wedges to serve

Mix the yogurt, mustard, lemon zest, dill and capers together and season with pepper. Use this mixture to coat the salmon really well.

Either grill the salmon on foil for 6-8 minutes (no need to turn) or barbecue for 3-4 minutes on each side (we recommend a fish grill).

Serve with the lemon wedges and some green veg and salad.

Wine Suggestion: This would work with a medium-bodied unoaked Chardonnay, like a Macon-Villages from Burgundy. Nothing too complex as you don’t want to overwhelm the flavours of the delicate salmon.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Ferran Adrià’s Home Cooked Cheeseburgers

Posted in Barbecue, Beef, Food, tagged , , , , , on 7 February 2012| 1 Comment »

We recently got a present of Ferran Adrià’s The Family Meal and we highly recommend it. This is far from the style of food famously served at Ferran’s legendary Spanish restaurant, elBulli. Instead this is a collection of simple and tasty menus that were eaten by the staff at elBulli before service started. The cheeseburger recipe below is part of a menu of Caesar salad, Cheeseburger & potato crisps and Santiago cake. The recipes are all given in quantities for 2, 6, 20 and 75 people so start planning your next party!

Cheeseburgers – to serve 2, 6, 20 or 75 

  • white bread crusts removed (7g, 20g, 65g or 250g)
  • whole milk (1½ tsp, 20ml, 65ml or 250 ml)
  • minced beef (250g, 660g, 2.2kg, 8kg)
  • eggs (½, 1, 4 or 15)
  • salt (¼ tsp, 1 tsp, 22g or 80g)
  • freshly ground white pepper (1 pinch, ¼ tsp, 6g or 20g)
  • burger buns (2, 6, 20 or 75)
  • olive oil (2 tbsp, 6 tbsp, 400ml, 1.5 l)
  • Cheddar cheese slices 2, 6, 20, 75)

To make the burgers, tear the bread into pieces and soak in the milk for 5 minutes.

Combine the meat, eggs, soaked bread, salt and pepper in a large bowl.

Stir together with your hands until the mixture is even.

Shape into burgers weighing about 135g each.

Cook the burgers with the oil in a frying pan, or under a hot grill, turning once during cooking (we used a barbecue).

Cook for 3 minutes for rare, 5 minutes for medium and 8 minutes for well done.

Cut the buns in half and toast them lightly in a dry pan or under the grill.

Top each burger with a slice of cheese and life onto a bun. Add ketchup, mayo, mustard, onions, pickles, tomatoes, lettuce or whatever else you like on your burger. Sandwich with the top half of the bun and serve.

Ferran suggests serving the cheeseburgers with potato crisps (50g, 150g, 500g or 2kg!). We had oven fries instead which we found a good alternative.

Wine Suggestion: A red with nice juicy fruit and a little spice; nothing too subtle or too full-bodied would work well. A medium-bodied Cotes du Rhone red or maybe a beer suits the barbecue theme.

(Original recipe from The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adrià, Phaidon 2011.)

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Really good spuds!

Posted in Barbecue, Food, tagged , , , , , , on 8 September 2011| 1 Comment »

We cooked these recently and took pics, as always, so we could post the recipe on the blog later. Only to find out that we have in fact cooked them before and blogged the recipe also. So we would like to reiterate that this is a very nice way to cook potatoes. We also recommend that you make a little note beside every recipe you do so you don’t forget that you’ve made it before and whether or not you liked it. We almost always do this but clearly forgot this time. You can get the recipe here.

A great accompaniment to potatoes and steak were these courgettes from Johnny and Vivienne’s garden which barbecued superbly, especially with the lemon halves which contribute a caramel zing.

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Melanzane alla Parmigiana (Aubergine Parmigiana)

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Italian, Side dish, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , on 22 August 2011| 6 Comments »

I think Jamie’s Italy might be our favourite Jamie book – it’s without a doubt the one we’ve cooked the most out of. This is a super way to use up aubergines which are bang in season at the moment. Jamie says this is a side dish but we served it as a main with some garlic bread and next time we’ll serve a green salad too. The revelation for us was to barbecue (or grill) the aubergines to avoid the oiliness you so often get with this dish.

Jamie’s Aubergine Parmigiana – to serve 6 as a side dish or 4 as a main

  • 3 large firm aubergines
  • olive oil
  • 1 onion, finely chopped
  • 1 clove of garlic, finely sliced
  • 1 heaped tsp dried oregano
  • 2 x 400g tins of good-quality plum tomatoes
  • a little wine vinegar
  • a large handful of basil
  • 4 large handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan
  • 2 handfuls of dried breadcrumbs (we used Panko)
  • a little fresh oregano, leaves chopped
  • 1 x 150g ball of buffalo mozzarella
Slice the aubergine into 1cm thick slices and set aside. Get the barbecue (or griddle pan) really hot. Meanwhile put some olive oil into a large pan and put onto a medium heat. Add the onion, garlic and dried oregano and cook for 10 minutes, until the onion is soft and the garlic has started to colour. Break up the tomatoes and add to the onion, garlic and oregano. Give it all a stir and cover and simmer slowly for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, barbecue the aubergines until lightly charred, in batches. When the tomato sauce is reduced, season it carefully with salt, pepper and a tiny bit of wine vinegar, and add the basil.

Put a small layer of tomato sauce is an earthenware dish, then a thin scattering of Parmesan, followed by a single layer of aubergines. Repeat until the ingredients are used, finishing with a little sauce and a good sprinkle of Parmesan. Tear the mozzarella over the top and scatter over the breadcrumbs. Bake the dish at 190°C/375°F/gas 5 for half an hour until golden and bubbling.

Nice!

(Original recipe from Jamie’s Italy published by Penguin Group, 2005)

Wine suggestion: a great way to match food and wine is to look at where the food comes from … in this case Northern Italy so a nice Barbera d’Asti would work a treat.

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Teriyaki Chicken and Barbecued Lemons

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food, Healthy, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , on 17 August 2011| 1 Comment »

I’m sure we’ve already mentioned that we panic-buy skinless, boneless chicken thighs – though they do seem to be easier to get these days. Thighs are much tastier than chicken breasts and don’t have the same tendency to dry out.

After a relatively sunny day on Sunday we deicided to plan a barbecue for Monday. Jono ended up standing outside in the rain under a big umbrella – that’s summer in Ireland! Do try barbecuing lemon halves – it makes them super juicy and a bit milder, perfect squeezed over grilled meat or fish.

Teryyaki mustard chicken – to serve 4

  • 8 boneless chicken thigh fillets – the skin can be on or off
  • vegetable oil, for brushing
For the teriyaki sauce
  • 3 tbsp beer
  • 3 tbsp Japanese soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp mustard powder
  • lemon halves, for serving
Combine the teriyaki sauce ingredients in a small bowl and stir until the sugar dissolves.

Put the chicken in a flat, non-metallic dish and pour over the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for no more than 3 hours, turning now and again. Take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before cooking.

Light the barbecue. Brush the grill with a little vegetable oil to stop the chicken sticking. Put the chicken thighs on the grill, reserving the marinade, and cook for about 5 minutes, turn and cook for another 3 minutes.

Start basting with the teriyaki sauce and turning every minute – for about 4 minutes or until the thighs start to look charred at the edges.

Check they are cooked through and remove them to a plate, cover and rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Serve with barbecued lemon halves to squeeze over.

(Original recipe by Ross Dobson for Sainsbury’s Magazine, August 2009)

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Fancy Barbecue Fare

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Pork, Side dish, Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , on 31 July 2011| 2 Comments »

Something a little different for the barbecue (and if it rains it can be cooked in the oven). The bean and olive salad is also delicious. We like this because it can serve up to eight people  but can also be easily adapted for two (or as many as you like). You can also assemble the pork up to a day in advance and keep it in the fridge.  A few new spuds on the side are the perfect accompaniment.

Stuffed pork medallions – to serve 8 (we successfully quartered to serve 2)

  • 16 boneless pork loin steaks
  • large bunch sage, leaves picked (about 32 leaves)
  • 125g ball mozzarella, sliced into 16 pieces
  • 2 lemons, halved
  • cocktail sticks.
Put the pork on a board and make a deep pocket in the side using the tip of a knife, without cutting all the way through. Wiggle the knife around so the pocket is bigger than the opening. Stuff the pockets with a bit of cheese and a sage leaf. Close the opening by threading a cocktail stick through. Press another sage leaf on top of each medallion. Squeeze over juice from one of the lemon halves. You can make these up to a day ahead and keep them in the fridge.

Drizzle the medallions with a little bit of oil and barbecue for 4 minutes on each side (starting with the sage-leaf side down). While they are cooking, barbecue the lemon halves, cut side down, until charred, for squeezing over at the end. Season and serve.

If all else fails you can griddle the medallions in batches on a griddle pan, then transfer to a hot baking tray in the oven to finish cooking (160C/140C fan/gas 3).

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Bean & olive salad – also to serve 8 but make less if you’re not that many!

  • 2 yellow peppers
  • 2 red peppers
  • 300g green beans
  • 300g cherry tomatoes, halved
  • 1 tbsp small capers
  • 2 handfuls of black olives, stoned (or not if you can’t be bothered)
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • large bunch basil, leaves picked, large ones shredded, small ones left whole
Blacken the peppers using a gas flame, barbecue or hot grill. Put them in a bowl and cover with cling film. When they are cool, peel, deseed and cut them into strips, keeping any juices.

Cook the beans in boiling salted water until crunch but not squeaky, then drain and put in ice water to stop them cooking further. Toss everything together, adding the shredded basil at the last minute and scatter over the small leaves to finish.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

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Glazed veggie kebabs for the bbq

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Healthy, Uncategorized, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , on 13 July 2011| Leave a Comment »

This is a veggie version of our Easy BBQ Kebabs and this time we made our own honey-mustard marinade. Another convenience item that we won’t be buying again as it’s just so simple to make (and we always have honey and mustard in the cupboard). These should keep your veggie friends happy or you can serve them as a side dish for the carnivores. We had them with baked potatoes and parsley butter as there was leftover parsley in the fridge. Very yummy indeed.

Veggie kebabs to serve 4

  • 2 tbsp clear honey
  • 2 tsp grainy mustard
  • 4 tbsp oil
  • 2 courgettes, thickly sliced
  • 1 aubergine, cut into chunks
  • 1 red onion, cut into thin wedges
  • 12 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 orange pepper, cut into chunks
If you only have wooden skewers you need to soak them for about 30 minutes or they will burn on the barbecue. We like metal ones.

Blend the honey, mustard and oil with seasoning.

Thread the vegetables onto the skewers and brush with the glaze.

Cook for 20-30 minutes on the barbecue.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

If you have leftovers stir them through some couscous with some toasted nuts and herbs for lunchboxes.

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Easy BBQ Kebabs

Posted in Barbecue, Chicken, Food on 27 June 2011| Leave a Comment »

We were very tired on Sunday (after our big dinner party the night before) so these kebabs were about as much as we could muster. They are easy to do for a crowd too if you’re planning a summer barbecue. It’s a bit of a cheat as we use a bought honey and mustard marinade (ours was from Marks & Spencer).

BBQ Honey & Mustard Chicken Kebabs – serves 4 

  • 4 chicken breasts, cut into chunks
  • 12 rashers of streaky bacon
  • 1 yellow, 1 red and 1 orange pepper, cut into chunks
  • 2 red onions, cut into wedges
  • 1 bottle of honey & mustard marinade (M&S do a good one)

Stretch the bacon rashers with the back of a knife and cut each slice into 3 pieces. Wrap the pieces of bacon around the lumps of chicken.

Thread the peppers, onions, and chicken onto skewers (metal ones are best – if you have wooden ones you need to soak them for 20 minutes so they don’t burn on the barbecue).

Brush the marinade over the kebabs and leave for 20 minutes or so.

Cook the kebabs on a barbecue until the chicken is cooked through.

Serve with potatoes and coleslaw.

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Emergency Red Mullet Recipe

Posted in Barbecue, Fish, Food, Healthy, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on 4 April 2011| Leave a Comment »

Our local fish counter (in Caviston’s, Glasthule) had Red Mullet today, which we never see, so I urgently called Jules to find a recipe. She found this in 2 minutes flat and we went with it as there wasn’t too many ingredients. The salsa tastes absolutely amazing. Now that the evenings are longer we’ve been dying to use the barbecue more so we’re very pleased with ourselves for a Monday night (especially as we’d planned to have  salad!) Very full and satisfied now.

Barbecue red mullet with a hot salsa (to serve 4)

For the fish:

  • 4 red mullet, scaled, cleaned and gutted
  • small bunch of fresh oregano, leaves picked

For the salsa:

  • a handful of black olives, stoned and roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
  • 1 fresh red chilli, deseeded and finely sliced
  • a few sprigs of fresh rosemary
  • 6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
  • juice of 1/2 a lemon
  • a small bunch of flatleaf parsley, leaves picked and torn

Get your barbecue hot.

Slash the fish all over on both sides, about 1 cm deep, to help it cook through.

Roughly chop some oregano on a big board and spread it out. Sprinkle with a generous amount of salt and black pepper.

Roll the fish over the board and rub all the flavourings into the slashes you made.

Barbecue the fish for about 4 minutes on each side until you have crispy skin and soft cooked flesh inside.

Heat a little olive oil in a frying pan and add the chopped olives. Warm them through for a minute or two and add the garlic, chilli and rosemary sprigs. Fry gently until the garlic is soft.

Remove and discard the rosemary and toss in the chopped tomatoes. Squeeze in the lemon juice and add the parsley.

Taste for seasoning (you probably won’t need salt as the olives will be salty) and warm through.

(Original recipe from Jamie Oliver)

Wine suggestion: We had a glass of Gruner Veltliner from Marlborough in New Zealand. Very unusual as this grape’s home turf is Austria. Quite peachy with bit of typical white pepper spice. If you fancy something different you can buy it in Mitchell and Son for about €15.95. A refreshing change from Sauvignon Blanc.

 

 

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