An ideal barbecue for a small group of friends, this is a selection of delicious little morsels that can be prepared a few hours ahead and need relatively minimal cooking. Carefully packed in a cooler, the items listed here could be taken to a beach or beauty spot, or you could just stay at home and eat in the garden. You’ll need a small barbecue with medium-hot coals ready at the point of cooking.
Good accompaniments for the recipes in this section are bread, Potato Salad, and your favourite green salad. Buttermilk Posset with Peaches and Redcurrants or Fruit Salad in a Melon are nice alternatives for dessert. A simpler option is a selection of well-chosen cheeses and a basket of summer fruit.
Serves 4
8 quail
juice of 1 lemon
3 tablespoons olive oil
coarse sea salt
good bread, to serve
Quail make good, simple barbecue food and cook quickly over medium-hot charcoal. For a more complex marinade.
The quail can be cooked whole, or they can be prepared as follows: Cut through the backbone of each quail and press down with the heel of your hand on the breastbone to flatten the bird. Squeeze a little lemon juice over either side of each bird and sprinkle with oil (or use the herb marinade). Leave the birds for anything between 30 minutes and 4 hours. Put them in the fridge if leaving them for longer than 1 hour, and allow them to come to room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.
When ready to grill, put each flattened bird on the barbecue grill so that the inside, containing all the bones, is closest to the fire. Cook for 4–6 minutes, depending on the heat, then turn and cook the skin side for about the same time. Lift each one using the tongs and allow the part where the meat is thickest to cook along the edge if necessary. Make sure the birds are cooked through, and brush with a little more oil as they cook. Alternatively, grill the birds whole, turning frequently until done.
Sprinkle with a little more lemon juice, add a scatter of coarse salt, and eat with good bread. Make sure you have plenty of kitchen paper or napkins for wiping greasy fingers.
Serves 4, as an appetiser
1 tablespoon oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped herbs, such as chervil, parsley, tarragon, either singly or in combination
16–20 small scallops, depending on size, without the coral
80g prosciutto crudo
People will eat as many of these scallops as you are prepared to cook. An excellent little appetiser, they also make good hot canapés for a smart picnic or barbecue.
The packs of small scallops sold in supermarkets are ideal for this. If the only scallops available are large ones, which can be very expensive, buy just 1 per person and add some other appetisers (you may want to do this anyway) or choose alternatives – Bresaola Rolls, Chilled Cucumber Cream, Marinated Barbecued Prawns, Salt Sticks and serve with various dips.
Soak 4 bamboo skewers for 30 minutes before cooking. Put the oil, lemon juice and herbs in a large bowl and mix well, then add the scallops. Leave to marinate for 30 minutes.
Remove the scallops from the marinade and wrap each in a piece of prosciutto. Thread onto the skewers and grill over hot coals for 4–5 minutes, turning frequently so that the prosciutto crisps and the shellfish cooks evenly.
If serving as canapés, slide the scallops off the skewers and put a cocktail stick in each one before serving.
Small scallops are also very good on skewers with a thin slice of chorizo in between each one. Grill them for 5 minutes, turning frequently.
Makes 12 appetiser-sized skewers
600g boneless chicken meat from the breast or thigh, cut into 1cm cubes
thinly sliced onions fried in oil until brown and very crisp (optional), to garnish
For the marinade
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon soy sauce
a pinch of cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
a squeeze of lemon or lime juice
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
For the sauce
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
2 shallots, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
cayenne pepper, to taste
120g crunchy peanut butter
1 teaspoon Thai fish sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon soft brown sugar
My version of the classic Indonesian dish is made with ingredients I had to hand at the time, which were not especially Indonesian, but it still produces something very acceptable. The sauce can be made the day before and reheated gently.
To make the marinade, put all the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Put the chicken in the marinade and stir to coat. Put in the fridge and leave for at least 2 hours and preferably 24 hours.
Soak 12 wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes before cooking. To make the sauce, heat the oil in a frying pan over a medium-low heat, and add the shallots and garlic. Cook gently for 3 minutes, then add the cayenne and 250ml water. Stir and bring to the boil.
Add all the other ingredients, stir, then simmer quite briskly, stirring constantly until the sauce has become thick and creamy in texture (although the crunch of the peanut will still be apparent).
Divide the meat among the skewers, packing it fairly loosely onto the ends. Cook on the barbecue grill over a high heat, turning once or twice until the chicken is thoroughly cooked all the way through.
Reheat the peanut sauce and put it in a bowl, sprinkle over the fried onions to garnish, if using. Serve alongside the chicken for everyone to help themselves. If you plan to eat away from home, the sauce will need to be reheated over the barbecue, so put it in a small saucepan.
Serves 4
250–300g strawberries, hulled
4 tablespoons caster sugar
4 sheets (4g) gelatine
For the wine jelly
250–300g strawberries, hulled
4 teaspoons caster sugar
4 sheets gelatine
375ml well-flavoured dessert wine (such as Brown Brothers Orange Muscat and Flora)
ice cubes
This is an elegant, refreshing, and delicious dessert for a special barbecue or picnic on a warm summer evening. Make individual portions in glasses – you may want to use fairly chunky ones if you have to carry them any distance, and remember, if driving, that wine, even in a jellied form, still contains alcohol.
Cut the first 300g or so strawberries in pieces and put in a saucepan over a medium heat with 2 tablespoons water and the sugar. Heat gently, stirring, until the mixture comes to a simmer and the strawberries soften slightly and give up their juice. Don’t cook any longer than necessary.
Put the mixture into a blender or food processor and blend to make a purée, then sieve the mixture over a bowl. Discard the pips.
Soak the gelatine in cold water to cover until it softens, then squeeze to extract as much water as possible. Return the strawberry juices to the pan, add the gelatine and heat gently until the gelatine has dissolved. Leave to cool a little before transferring to the glasses. Carefully divide among 4 glasses (I use chunky tumblers that hold 300ml). Chill until set.
To make the wine jelly, cut the reamining strawberries into halves or quarters, depending on size. Put in a bowl and sprinkle over the sugar, then leave to macerate for 1 hour.
Put the gelatine in a bowl and cover with half the wine. Leave to soak until soft.
Put the remaining wine in a small saucepan over a medium heat and heat gently. Add the gelatine and the wine it has soaked in, and stir until it dissolves. Don’t heat any more than necessary.
Divide the macerated strawberries and any juice they have produced among the glasses. Take 4 tablespoons of the wine jelly mix and stir it in a small bowl over ice until it is at the point of setting, then divide among the glasses (this will help prevent the berries floating). Chill while the remaining jelly cools until nearly set. Divide this among the glasses, and chill again until needed.
