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Archive for the ‘Barbecue’ Category

Pork Souvlaki with oregano

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 29 March 2016| Leave a Comment »

Pork Souvlaki with oregano

Have you got your barbecue out yet? We’ve had a few sunny days in Dublin and the cold breeze is gradually starting to ease; the clocks have gone forward and we’re looking forward to much more time spent outside. We have to confess to using the barbecue all year round and have been caught out in the snow or rain grilling up a feast and this is one of our favourite ideas. Nothing beats some good chips with your souvlaki.

Wine Suggestion: to celebrate the Spring sunshine we broke out a Provence rosé from Chateau Vignelaure, a lovely and serious wine that delivers a great texture and structure as well as summer fruit flavours to inspire us.

Pork Souvlaki with Oregano – serves 4

  • 400g pork shoulder, cut into 3 cm cubes
  • 30ml lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ tsp ground cumin
  • ½ tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1 tsp smoked paprika
  • 1 small garlic clove, grated
  • ½ tsp salt

Mix all the marinade ingredients in a bowl and add the meat. Marinate for an hour or so, then thread onto skewers. Cook on a preheated barbecue for about 10-12 minutes.

(Original recipe from Venice to Istanbul by Rick Stein, BBC Books, 2015.)

 

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Rick Stein’s Steak n Mushrooms

Posted in Barbecue, Beef, Food, Greek, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 21 March 2016| Leave a Comment »

Steak & Mushrooms

What could be better than steak, mushrooms & chips? Nothing too groundbreaking here but we do recommend taking some inspiration from the Greeks when cooking your mushrooms.

Wine Suggestion: We always fall for a big red when having steak and this dish caused us to try one of our 2009 Bordeaux’s lying waiting in the cellar; this time the Ch Capbern Gasquetton. Full of flavour and still very youthful but the seven years from vintage has brought it all together and made it a great match.

Grilled steak with village mushrooms – serves 4

  • 4 rib-eye or sirloin steaks (rib-eye would be our preference), about 250g each
  • 50ml olive oil, plus a bit extra for brushing on the steaks
  • 2 tsp dried oregano
  • ½ a lemon
  • 200g button mushrooms, thinly sliced
  • 5 cloves of garlic, chopped
  • 25ml balsamic vinegar

Brush the steaks with oil, season with salt, pepper and half the oregano, then grill on a hot barbecue until cooked the way you like.

Sauté the mushrooms in the 50ml of olive oil with the garlic, balsamic vinegar, ½ tsp salt, 20 turns of the black pepper mill and the rest of the oregano. Serve with the steak (and some chips if you like).

(Original recipe from Venice to Istanbul by Rick Stein, BBC Books, 2015.)

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Courgette & Halloumi Kebabs

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 19 October 2015| 1 Comment »

Courgette & Haloumi Kebabs

There’s still a few courgettes left in the shops and there is just enough warmth left in the air to brave one last barbecue. We had these as a main course with a couscous salad. If that’s a step too far you could treat this as a side and barbecue some bangers or burgers for Halloween.

Courgette & Halloumi Kebabs – serves 4

  • ½tsp chilli powder
  • small handful mint, chopped
  • 1 lemon, juiced and zested
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • 2 courgettes, cut into 1 cm rounds
  • 225g pack halloumi cheese, cut into large cubes

Mix the chilli, half the mint, lemon zest and juice, olive oil, courgettes and halloumi together in a bowl. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.

Thread the marinated courgettes and halloumi cubes onto skewers (soak them first if you’re using wooden ones). Cook on a preheated barbecue for 7-8 minutes, turning and basting with any leftover marinade.

Sprinkle the rest of the mint over before serving.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

Courgette & Haloumi Kebabs with couscous

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Halloumi Kebabs with Thyme & Lemon Baste

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , on 10 September 2015| Leave a Comment »

Haloumi kebabs

Here’s a nice veggie kebab recipe for the barbecue. The cheese makes these a bit more substantial than just lots of grilled veg. Serve with some nice salads and pitta bread. The kebabs and baste can be prepped in advance.

Wine Suggestion: A nice fresh white with good texture works well with this, so try a crisper grape grown in a warmer region. We went for a Fiano from Puglia in the south of Italy made by Michele Biancardi. It was thirst quenching and pure with a peachy stonefruit flavour and a citrus twist followed by a touch of honey and hints of warm middle-eastern spices. A great balance to the slightly salty cheese, zesty lemon, herbs and mustard.

Halloumi Kebabs with Thyme Lemon Baste – serves 4

  • 2 medium courgettes, halved lengthways and thickly sliced
  • 1 large red onion, cut into wedges and separated into pieces
  • 250g halloumi cheese, cut into 16 chunks
  • 16 cherry tomatoes
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp fresh thyme or lemon thyme leaves
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Thread the halloumi, cherry tomatoes, courgettes and onion onto 8 skewers (if using wooden skewers you need to soak them in water for about 20 minutes first).

To make the baste mix together the olive oil, lemon juice, thyme, mustard and some seasoning.

Put the kebabs onto a preheated barbecue. Give the baste a good stir and then brush the kebabs with it. Cook the kebabs for about 5 minutes or until the cheese has turned golden and the vegetables are just tender.

(Original recipe from BBC Good Food)

 

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Haloumi & Aubergine Kebabs with a Pea and Mint Bulgur Salad

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Vegetarian, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 27 July 2015| Leave a Comment »

Haloumi & Aubergine Kebabs on a bulgur & pea salad

We’re much keener on nutty bulgur than quinoa that seems so popular at the moment. Bulgur makes for a much more interesting salad in our opinion and these aubergine and halloumi kebabs are a great veggie option for the barbecue. Leftovers taste nice for lunch the next day too.

Aubergine and Halloumi Kebabs with Garlic & Herb Bulgur Wheat 

  • 2 aubergines, sliced into strips
  • 200g pack of halloumi cheese, cut into cubes
  • 2 tbsp olive oil plus more for brushing
  • 1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
  • 1 tsp chopped mint

FOR THE GARLIC & HERB BULGUR WHEAT

  • 200g bulgur wheat
  • 175g frozen peas
  • 6 tbsp garlic oil (to make garlic oil just gently simmer a couple of peeled and smashed garlic cloves in oil for about 10 minutes, then discard the garlic and let the oil cool before using)
  • juice of 1 lemon
  • handful of herbs (such as mint, parsley, chives or a mixture) roughly chopped

Brush the aubergine strips with olive oil and barbecue until softened. Thread onto skewers with the halloumi cubes.

Mix the remaining olive oil with the chopped capers and mint.

Barbecue the kebabs until the cheese is golden and drizzle over the dressing to serve.

Meanwhile, cook the bulgar wheat in boiling salted water for 15 minutes or until tender, adding the peas for the last few minutes.

Make the dressing with the oil, lemon juice and seasoning. Fold the herbs through the drained bulgur wheat and peas and gently stir in the dressing.

(Original recipe for kebabs from BBC Olive Magazine July 2014 and bulgur wheat from BBC Good Food.)

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Jerk Pork with Rice & Peas

Posted in Barbecue, Food, Pork, tagged , , , , , on 5 May 2015| Leave a Comment »

Jerk Pork with rice & peas

A great guy called Alistan is a regular in one of our favourite lunch spots, Ukiyo, and we were tipped off that he had his own Jerk marinade, Munroes. We put it on some pork chops and added a Jamaican classic, Rice & Peas (Rice and Beans), which worked brilliantly and we will be definitely giving this marinade a go again. We have subsequently tried it with a few other meats like chicken and lamb and it proved itself very versatile.

If you live in Dublin you can buy Munroes Jamaican Jerk Marinade in Fallon & Byrne. For a full list of stockists see munroes.net.

Jerk Pork with Rice & Peas – serves 6

  • 6 pork chops
  • Monroes Jamaican Jerk marinade

FOR THE RICE & PEAS: 

  • 200g basmati rice
  • 400g can of coconut milk
  • 1 bunch of scallions, sliced
  • 2 large thyme sprigs
  • 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
  • 2 x 410g cans kidney beans, drained

Pour a generous amount of the Jamaican Jerk marinade over the pork chops and turn a few times to make sure they are well coated. Cover and refrigerate overnight or for at least a couple of hours.

Light your barbecue a good half hour before you’re ready to cook and cook the pork when the coals are white hot. Meanwhile, prepare the rice and peas.

Rinse the rice in plenty of cold water and tip into a saucepan with all the remaining ingredients, except the kidney beans. Season with salt, add 300ml cold water and set over a high heat. When the rice begins to boil, turn the heat down to medium, cover and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the beans to the rice, then cover with a lid and leave off the heat for 5 minutes until all the liquid has been absorbed.

Serve the rice with the Jerk pork off the barbecue.

(Recipe for Rice & Peas by John Torode for BBC Good Food)

Munroes jerk marinade

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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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