Red onion, black olive and sage salsa
Smashed cannellini beans, capers and lemon
Spiced cauliflower dip with Greek yogurt and roast garlic
Beetroot, goat’s cheese and caraway dip
New potato, halloumi and sage kebabs
Grilled courgettes and aubergines with chickpeas and tahini dressing
Garlic and thyme mushrooms in a foil bag
Chargrilled asparagus and spring onions with Romesco sauce
Garlic and balsamic roast tomato salad
Blue cheese and Little Gem salad
Black peppercorn and garlic bavette baps
Jerk chicken wings with coconut-bean rice and pineapple salsa
Jerk chicken wings with coconut-bean rice and pineapple salsa
Butterflied lamb with garlic and rosemary
Spiced lamb and apricot kebabs
Satay-style pork ribs with spicy peanut sauce
Indian-spiced salmon with minted yogurt dressing
Kiwi-marinated squid with chermoula dressing
White chocolate and blackcurrant tart with gingernut crumb base
Pimm’s jelly with strawberries and minted cucumber cream
Often the first meal we turn to for al fresco entertaining, having friends over for a barbecue is enduringly the most popular way to eat outside. From about Easter onwards I grasp every opportunity possible to barbecue in the garden, and my favourite and most successful parties are often in the late spring, the atmosphere heady with the sense of a whole summer of fun stretching ahead.
Whilst cooking over fire no doubt makes food taste nicer – who can deny that a steak is not vastly improved by a gorgeously charred and crisp outside? – I think there is also much to be said for the edible memories that get dug up from the past when you barbecue. For me, cooking and eating in the garden, glass of wine close to hand, often reminds me of long ago holidays, conjuring up a sense of complete relaxation and freedom from the norm.
One of my very favourite barbecue moments was well over a decade ago whilst on honeymoon in Tobago, where we bought fresh tuna directly from a fisherman who’d dragged his boat on to the shore. We lit a disposable barbecue on the beach and cooked it there and then, accompanied by little more than a box of chips and a couple of beers from the beach bar, not to mention a few eager stray dogs. Simply heaven.
The very best barbecue food is all about bold flavours, colourful dishes that can easily be scaled up to feed a crowd, and food that doesn’t try too hard but simply celebrates all we love about summer eating. As you have your kitchen and fridge close to hand, food can easily be prepared in advance, easing the pressure during the party. Most of the marinated meat and vegetable dishes in this chapter can be prepped ahead and kept covered in the fridge quite happily for 2–3 days. Close proximity to the fridge also means you can be more dairy heavy, and this is where I save my very favourite ‘cream and fruit’ pudding combos that I wouldn’t dream of taking on a picnic or up a hillside.
This chapter includes lots of ideas for simple but stunning salads, and meat and fish marinated to perfection, plus a collection of lovely nibbles to keep people going while you fire up the coals.
THE BARBECUE – CHARCOAL OR GAS?
In terms of the necessary equipment, at its most simple all you need is to create a fire with some sort of grill above it to lay the food on. Barbecue purists (which I am most certainly not!) would say you need charcoal to get the best flavour from your cooking, and to some extent I would agree that real flames do give amazing results. But a gas-fired barbecue is a brilliantly convenient invention, and indeed what I have in my own garden. You just press a button, and within minutes you are cooking in a way that is no more time-consuming than lighting your hob or grill inside.
I have been known to barbecue something for dinner in the depths of winter just to get that amazing charred, caramelized flavour, and with the gas option I know for a fact that I barbecue more frequently than I would if I had to light a fire every time. That said, I do often light up my fire pit in the garden and use that as a barbecue when I feel a touch more adventurous (see here for some fire pit cooking tips), but I like to know that both options are there.
Whichever way you choose to cook, a little preheating time is necessary. It takes 30–40 minutes of burning for charcoal to be ready to cook on, and about 10–15 minutes for a gas barbecue to get up to speed.
Apart from the barbecue itself, a few tools will make your life infinitely easier.
One thing that’s really worth investing in is a barbecue grilling cage, basically a two-sided grill that is hinged at one end with some sort of handle for turning. These grilling cages are particularly good for cooking fish (either whole or fillets) or any other food that is a little on the delicate side or prone to sticking. I also find them useful for kebabs, so you can slide in several and turn them all over in one fell swoop. They have become really popular recently and should be very easy to find. I’ve even seen them in my local supermarket during the barbecue season.
The other barbecue tools I own are a set of long-handled metal implements, comprising tongs for turning sausages, a two-pronged fork for turning cuts of meat, and a spatula for flipping burgers or fish. Lastly, a stiff wire-bristled brush for scrubbing the grill after use is the most efficient way to clean your barbecue.
I generally like to keep gadgets to a minimum in my life, and any other fancy bits of barbecuing equipment are entirely optional to my mind, but I know some (men, I’m mostly looking at you!) will disagree, preferring to up the ante in the gear-stakes. That is entirely your choice.
HOW TO COOK ON A BARBECUE
Judging the temperature
Cooking on a barbecue is not a perfect science and you need a way to be able to judge temperature easily, and this is what I do. Simply hold your hand about 10–11cm over the heat (about the height of a tin of baked beans) and follow these rules for how long you can keep it there:
▪ 1–2 seconds – the heat is hot
▪ 3–4 seconds – the heat is medium-hot
▪ 5–6 seconds – the heat is medium
If you can hold your hand there for any longer it’s probably a bit too cool to form the lovely caramelized crust you are after. With charcoal barbecues, bear in mind it is far easier to let the heat reduce than to increase the heat whilst you’re cooking. So I would err on the side of caution and start by using more charcoal than you think you’ll need.
Vegetables tend to just look ‘done’ when they are ready, but for meat and fish you need to be a little more certain to make sure your food is safe to eat. With a bit of practice you can use the ‘prod test’ with red meats, the principle being that meat becomes firmer as it becomes more cooked. Start by pressing the meat with a finger, then compare that feel to the feel of the base of the inside of your thumb as you touch your index finger and thumb together. If the meat is rare it will feel like when you touch your thumb and index finger together, basically soft and squidgy. As it becomes medium done, it feels the same as when you touch your thumb and middle finger together, then ring finger, and finally, well done meat should feel the same as when you touch your thumb and little finger together, much firmer to the touch. This method does take a bit of practice to be confident, so if you are in any doubt, check with a knife as well. With chicken, I would always recommend checking it in decent light with a knife to make sure there is no sign of pink before serving to your guests.
STICKING ISSUES
This can be quite a tough rule to follow, but don’t be tempted to interfere too much with your food once you’ve laid it on the grill. Food will always stick initially but once it’s been cooking for a bit a crust forms and you should be able to move it easily. So don’t try and turn things over too much. Some food is naturally more prone to sticking – delicately textured food such as fish, or things that are naturally low in fat such as chicken breast – and this is where a barbecue grilling cage (see above) is a very useful bit of kit.
GETTING AHEAD OF THE GAME
Barbecuing is pure cooking theatre and people will naturally gather around you, watching you as you cook. Hopefully some may even offer to lend a hand (although don’t be afraid to tell them to go away if you’d rather do it yourself!). To my mind this is all part of the fun of cooking outside, but it can be a little daunting if you’re not used to cooking in front of a crowd, so it pays to get as organized as possible ahead of the game. I’ve tried to keep things simple by making the majority of the recipes in this chapter easy to prepare beforehand so that when your guests turn up hungry you can deliver them something delicious with the minimum fuss. My golden rule with all entertaining is to be disciplined and don’t overstretch yourself. Do a few dishes and do them well rather than struggle to turn out a multitude of different things. I would rather eat one beautifully cooked, well-seasoned bit of meat or fish with a selection of simple interesting salads than an endless parade of sausages, burgers and kebabs.
Home-made mayonnaise, thick and wobbly, occasionally has a place in my kitchen, but it is a treat usually reserved for (albeit rare) indulgent feasts of fresh crab or prawns. For more regular eating, I prefer the ready-made stuff, as it’s a much lighter beast that goes with many more dishes, including salads, sarnies, cold meat and grilled fish.
To jazz up the flavour a bit, I often add a bit of this and that to suit what we’re eating. Here are a few of my favourite flavoured mayos.
The amounts given are enough to season 3–4 generous tablespoons of mayo. To all of these I would also add a generous grind of black pepper.
▪ Tarragon and chives – add a tablespoon each of chopped tarragon leaves and chives. Classic with simple barbecued chicken; also good with salmon steaks.
▪ Smoky chilli – stir through ½–1 teaspoon smoked paprika and 1 finely chopped red chilli. Lovely with home-made burgers or sausages.
▪ Sweet chilli and lime – stir through 1 tablespoon sweet chilli sauce and the finely grated zest of 1 lime. Add a little lime juice for a sharper (and slightly runnier) dressing, or a little finely chopped red chilli for a hotter mayo. Perfect with prawns or squid.
▪ Double mustard – add a combo of smooth pungent English for heat and grainy wholegrain for texture. Mustard is a personal thing. I love the heat it gives so I add loads. Start with a heaped teaspoon of each, and increase to taste. Good with pork chops.
▪ Lemon – stir through the finely grated zest of 1 large lemon, plus a squeeze or two of juice to taste. Perfect with simply grilled chicken or whole trout.
▪ Garlic and basil – crush 1–2 cloves of garlic into a paste with a little sea salt, then mix in. Chop a small handful of basil leaves and stir through. Great with a fat juicy steak or prawns.
▪ Tartare-ish with capers, gherkins and parsley – mix together 1 tablespoon roughly chopped (drained) capers, a couple of finely chopped gherkins and a small handful of chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, then stir through. Good with all fish.
▪ Curry – stir through 1 tablespoon of your favourite curry paste (paste gives a much better flavour than powder). Great with all sorts of meaty kebabs, plus grilled vegetables.
I don’t really do ‘starters’ when I have friends over, preferring to take an informal approach to feeding people. But when you’re barbecuing, things often take a little longer than you might plan for, so it’s great to have plenty for everyone to nibble on to keep the hunger at bay.
My answer is to slice and toast a whole baguette (or two!) several hours ahead and then when people arrive, I pile them into a bowl and surround with various little dishes containing tasty bits of this and that. Add a bottle of good extra virgin olive oil and some crunchy sea salt flakes and let people tuck in.
Lots of almost instant bruschetta ideas…
▪ Whole tub of creamy ricotta, upended on to a saucer, scattered with a little finely chopped red chilli.
▪ Handful of lightly toasted pine nuts or chopped walnuts.
▪ Couple of balls of mozzarella, torn into bite-size pieces, scattered with plenty of roughly chopped basil.
▪ Generous plateful of serrano or Parma ham, or salami.
▪ Ready-made antipasti, such as chargrilled artichoke hearts, vinegary anchovies, sun-blush tomatoes or marinated red peppers.
▪ Tub of hummus (scoop it into a dish, scatter over some chopped parsley or a little paprika and drizzle over extra olive oil) or taramasalata (drizzle with olive oil and grate over some lemon zest).
▪ Dish of freshly shaved Parmesan (or even better, leave the whole wedge on a saucer with a vegetable peeler for people to do it themselves).
And a couple of things that take just a little more effort…
This is great served with serrano ham or salami.
SERVES 4–6
1 red onion, very finely chopped
1 × 290g jar pitted Kalamata olives, drained and finely chopped
4 sage leaves, finely chopped
2–3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1–2 tbsp sherry vinegar
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
A pinch of caster sugar
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, adding the oil and vinegar to taste, and seasoning with plenty of black pepper and the caster sugar.
Lovely spread on toast whilst it’s still warm.
SERVES 4–6
4 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, finely chopped
2–3 sprigs of thyme or ½ tsp dried thyme
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tbsp (drained) capers, roughly chopped
1 × 400g tin cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat half of the oil in a frying pan and gently sweat the onion with the thyme over a very low heat until very soft and lightly caramelized, about 20–30 minutes. Remove the thyme stalks.
Add the garlic and capers and fry for a couple more minutes before tipping in the beans, along with the lemon zest and juice, mashing gently over a low heat until warm. Season with salt and black pepper, then drizzle with the remaining oil. Serve warm or at room temperature.
I often make ‘crisps’ out of pitta bread – simply slice open, separate the 2 halves, sprinkle with dried chilli flakes, cumin seeds and salt to taste, drizzle with olive oil and bake until dry – then I decided to broaden out my easy-dipper repertoire by giving naan bread a similar treatment. So much nicer than bland, ready-made breadsticks, and a complete doddle to make.
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
Slice as many naan breads as you want into 1cm strips (I allow about half a naan per person) and spread out over several baking trays. Drizzle over plenty of olive oil, then sprinkle over sea salt flakes and freshly ground black pepper. Add spices to taste if you like – cumin, fennel or caraway seeds are great, as are dried chilli flakes. Or buy flavoured naans (garlic and coriander ones are delicious) to keep it simple.
Bake in the oven for about 12 minutes, turning over halfway through, until crisp and dry. Leave to cool, then stick into glasses for serving. Made ahead of time, these keep for several weeks in an airtight tin.
And to serve with the bread sticks, make one (or both!) of these tasty dips…
SERVES 4–6
1 medium cauliflower, cut into florets
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp dried chilli flakes, or to taste
3 tbsp olive oil
25g butter
6 cloves garlic, unpeeled
3 tbsp Greek yogurt
2 tbsp cold water
Squeeze of lemon juice, or to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas 4.
Put the cauliflower florets into a roasting tin, then sprinkle over the cumin and coriander seeds, along with the chilli flakes. Season with a little salt and black pepper and drizzle over the oil. Dot with the butter and tuck in the garlic cloves. Cover loosely with foil and bake in the oven for about 1 hour, stirring once or twice, until the cauliflower is tender.
Remove from the oven and cool slightly, then tip into a blender or food processor, along with any juices, squeezing the garlic cloves out of their skins. Add the yogurt, along with the water, and blitz to a smooth, creamy purée. Sharpen to taste with the lemon juice and add a touch more seasoning, if necessary.
Scrape into a bowl and serve warm or at room temperature (this is best not served chilled).
SERVES 4–6
1 × 250g packet ready-cooked beetroot (non-vinegary kind)
1 × 125g log creamy goat’s cheese (rindless)
Dollop of crème fraîche
Small bunch of chives, snipped
1 tsp caraway seeds
1–2 tsp red wine vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put all the ingredients into a blender or food processor and blitz to a smooth and vividly pink purée. Adjust the seasoning to taste with the vinegar, salt and black pepper. Scoop into a bowl and serve at room temperature.
Red onion, black olive and sage salsa • Spiced cauliflower dip with Greek yogurt and roast garlic • Naan bread sticks • Beetroot, goat’s cheese and caraway dip
Vegetarians can eat wonderfully well at a barbecue and these simple ideas are sure to go down a storm with everyone. Handily they can all be prepped ahead of time so will help you to get ahead of the game too. Once prepped, just keep them in the fridge overnight.
MAKES 6 KEBABS
400g new potatoes
Olive oil, for dressing
2 × 250g packs halloumi cheese, cut into cubes
Small handful of sage leaves
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the potatoes in a pan, cover with cold water and add a shake of salt. Bring to the boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain and cut in half, toss in a good slug of oil and season with salt and black pepper. Toss the halloumi separately in another good slug of oil, adding seasoning as you go.
Thread the potatoes and halloumi alternately on to 6 skewers, tucking the sage leaves in-between. Cook over a medium-hot barbecue for about 10 minutes, turning regularly, until evenly charred. Serve hot.
These kebabs are great served with one of the flavoured mayos here.
MAKES ABOUT 6 SKEWERS
2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp cumin seeds
A pinch of dried chilli flakes
1 × 400g tin pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1 × 125g ball mozzarella, drained and finely diced
400g mini sweet peppers
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the oil in a frying pan and gently fry the onion until it is softening, about 10–15 minutes. Add the garlic, cumin seeds and chilli flakes and fry for a couple more minutes. Add the pinto beans and fry for a few more minutes, mashing up the beans with a wooden spoon. Season with salt and black pepper, remove from the heat and leave to cool. Stir the mozzarella through the cold bean mixture.
Cut the tops off the mini sweet peppers and use the handle of a teaspoon to scrape out the seeds. Fill each one with the bean mixture, popping the lids back on firmly. Carefully (they can be a bit tough) slide 2 or 3 filled peppers on to skewers, pushing them snugly up against each other.
Drizzle a little oil over the skewers and then cook over a medium-hot barbecue for around 10–15 minutes, turning regularly, until evenly charred. Serve hot.
SERVES 4–6
100g tahini (sesame paste)
100ml cold water
Finely grated zest and juice of ½ lemon
1 clove garlic, crushed
A pinch of chilli powder (optional)
2–3 courgettes, cut lengthways into 5mm-thick slices
2 aubergines, cut lengthways into 5mm-thick slices
Olive oil, for brushing
1 × 400g tin chickpeas, drained and rinsed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Make a quick dressing by whisking together the tahini and water. Stir through the lemon zest and juice and garlic. Season with salt and black pepper, adding the chilli powder to taste, if you fancy. Set aside at room temperature, whilst you prepare and cook the veg.
Brush the courgette and aubergine slices on both sides with a little oil, then season with salt and black pepper. Cook over a medium-hot barbecue for a few minutes on each side, turning occasionally, until nicely coloured and cooked through.
Arrange on a serving platter (see here), scatter over the chickpeas, then drizzle on the dressing. Serve whilst the vegetables are still hot, or make a few hours ahead and rest at room temperature until you are ready to eat.
SERVES 4–6
500g mixed mushrooms, sliced or torn into bite-size pieces
2–3 cloves garlic, chopped
50g butter
Few sprigs of thyme
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Tear off 2 generous sheets of foil and lay one on top of the other in a cross shape. Pile the mushrooms into the centre of the foil. Scatter with the garlic, dot with the butter, season well with salt and black pepper and then tuck in the thyme sprigs. Bring up the sides of the foil and scrunch together to make a sealed bag. Wrap the bag in a third sheet of foil to be completely certain it’s sealed. Set aside at room temperature until you are ready to cook.
Place the foil bag over a medium-hot barbecue and cook for around 20 minutes, turning over a couple of times with tongs so the mushrooms cook evenly. Open up the bag and tip the mushrooms and all the delicious juices into a serving bowl (discard the thyme stalks).
Great served on their own, or use as a topping on either steak or beef or bean burgers.
In the Catalan region of northern Spain they adore eating calcots (a kind of giant succulent spring onion) charred over an open fire and eaten with a pungent pepper and garlic sauce called Romesco. Phenomenally popular, there are whole restaurants and even festivals dedicated to their consumption, but they’re sadly almost impossible to source outside Spain. So here (see photo) is my British interpretation, using seasonal asparagus and fat spring onions.
The Romesco sauce will keep for a week or so in the fridge. It’s best not served fridge-cold, so take it out a few hours before you want to eat.
SERVES 6
For the Romesco sauce
3 tbsp olive oil
2 large red peppers, deseeded and cut into 2cm pieces
50g whole blanched almonds
2 slices white bread, crusts removed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
½ tsp smoked paprika
1–2 tsp sherry vinegar
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the asparagus and spring onions
2 bundles of asparagus (about 250g each), woody ends trimmed
2 bunches of fat (sometimes called continental) spring onions, sliced in half lengthways
2 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling
To make the Romesco sauce, heat half of the oil in a heavy-based pan and fry the red peppers over a high heat for around 15–20 minutes, stirring regularly, until slightly charred in places.
Meanwhile, toast the almonds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat for a couple of minutes. Tip into a food processor and pulse until ground. Add the rest of the oil to the same pan and fry the bread slices on both sides until crisp. Leave to cool for a few minutes before crumbling into the food processor.
Add the cooked peppers (plus any cooking oil) to the food processor, along with the garlic and smoked paprika. Blitz, adding just enough cold water to make smooth. Season with a little vinegar, salt and black pepper, then set aside at room temperature until you are ready to serve.
Put the asparagus and spring onions into a large bowl and cover with cold water. Leave to soak for a few minutes (to remove any lurking grit), then drain and rinse.
When you are ready to eat, spread the asparagus and spring onions out on a baking tray and drizzle over the oil. Sprinkle generously with sea salt flakes and toss to mix well. Place over a hot barbecue for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until cooked and nicely charred in places. Pile on to a big serving plate and serve immediately with the Romesco sauce alongside to dip the veg in.
Chargrilled asparagus and spring onions with Romesco sauce • Mini Mexican stuffed peppers • Grilled courgettes and aubergines with chickpeas and tahini dressing • New potato, halloumi and sage kebabs
The best salads are often the simplest, just a handful of top-notch ingredients treated with minimal fuss. Most, but not all, salads benefit from being served at room temperature. For example, anything tomato-based shouldn’t be eaten chilled – you get ten times more flavour from a room temperature tomato than a chilly one. Ditto marinated Mediterranean-style veg like courgettes or aubergines. Lettuce, however, works best straight from the fridge and so does anything dairy-based that you top your salad with, such as cheese and creamy dressings.
Here are a few of my favourite easy salads for barbecue feasting.
Mix together equal quantities of chunkily chopped cucumber, tomatoes and deseeded green pepper. Mix through a little thinly sliced red onion and a generous handful of pitted Kalamata olives. Sprinkle on a little dried oregano, then drizzle over extra virgin olive oil and a little red wine vinegar.
Set aside at room temperature for up to 1 hour before serving, or make ahead and keep in the fridge for up to 24 hours. Just before serving, give everything a quick mix before crumbling over some feta cheese.
Cut 6 fresh figs, warm from the sun (or at least warm from your kitchen windowsill!), into quarters, dot with spoonfuls of cold ricotta, scatter over chopped basil leaves and drizzle with plenty of extra virgin olive oil. Add a generous grind of black pepper and you’ve got a summery salad fit for a king.
For jazzing up less-than-perfectly-ripe tomatoes, this salad is just the thing. Halve the tomatoes and lay cut-side up in a roasting tray. Slice up some cloves of garlic and poke a slice or two into each tomato half. Drizzle over a little olive oil and balsamic vinegar and season with salt and black pepper. Roast in a preheated oven at 180°C/Gas 4 for 40 minutes. Leave to cool to room temperature before serving.
For each Little Gem lettuce (allow half a lettuce per person), blend together 50g blue cheese (Stilton is my favourite) with a heaped tablespoon of soured cream and a few snipped chives. A stick blender in a jug makes a smooth sauce, or mash the ingredients together with a fork for a more rustic version. Season with plenty of black pepper, then cover and chill in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
Burgers – a barbecue essential
I think a good burger is probably the first thing people think of when you mention a barbecue and they are certainly a regular feature in our house. To my mind, there are two simple tricks to a good burger. Firstly, don’t use mince that is too lean – I would always go for meat with a 20% fat content. Fat equals flavour and it also effectively bastes the meat as it cooks, keeping it juicy and delicious. Secondly, don’t over handle the meat as you mix in the seasonings and shape your burgers. Too much squashing and squishing will compact the burger and make it dense and chewy rather than fall-apart tender.
There are hundreds of recipes out there for beef burgers and this just happens to be mine. It’s quick and simple, loved by grown-ups and kids alike and, best of all, it can be spruced up with all manner of toppings to elevate it to another league (see some tasty ideas above). The burgers will keep for up to 3 days in the fridge on a covered plate, or they can be frozen, well wrapped, for up to 3 months (defrost in the fridge overnight before cooking).
MAKES 6 GENEROUS MAN-APPETITE (i.e. ME) BURGERS (MAKE THEM SMALLER IF YOU LIKE)
1 onion, very finely chopped or grated
2 tsp Marmite
1 tsp dried mixed herbs
1kg good-quality minced beef
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Mix the onion, Marmite, herbs and salt and black pepper together in a mixing bowl to make a paste. Add the minced beef and mix the flavourings through lightly, then divide into 6 even-size balls. Flatten each one between the palms of your hands until about 1.5cm thick and 12cm in diameter. At this point, you can interleave the burgers with cling film or non-stick baking paper and refrigerate until you are ready to cook.
Grill the burgers on a medium-hot barbecue for about 3 minutes on each side or until cooked to your liking. Adopt a strict one-turn-only policy with your burgers – this not only allows a caramelized crust to develop which adds much in the flavour department, but it also minimizes the chances of the burgers falling apart. Serve with soft buns and toppings of your choice (see here).
There is a multitude of ways to change this simple burger recipe, the easiest being to add flavour with spices – a generous pinch of any of the spice mixes here would be a great addition. Or swap the beef mince for another type of meat. Here are a few suggestions:
▪ With pork mince, Asian flavours work perfectly. Use the Thai-style Scotch egg recipe here as a base for delicious pork burgers – simply double up the quantities to make six generous burgers. Or, for a very British pork burger, mix the mince with chopped fresh sage, grated apple and a generous dollop of your favourite mustard.
▪ With lamb mince, try the Middle Eastern lamb and date burgers here, or for classic lamb combos, mix the mince with plenty of freshly chopped mint or rosemary.
▪ Turkey mince is both affordable and nutritious, and makes a great base for a burger. To my mind, its mild flavour calls out for plenty of spicing to liven it up, and it also works well with Asian-style spicing. For a smoky turkey burger I would add a few rashers of finely chopped bacon or chorizo, along with a pinch of smoked paprika, as well as the finely chopped onion.
And something to put on your burger…
The joy of having a plain and simple burger is the fun you can have topping it. Here are a few of my favourite ideas…
▪ Cheese – blue, Cheddar, Brie and mozzarella all bring something special to the table; the main thing is to choose a ‘melty’ variety of cheese that’ll ooze deliciously over the hot burger.
▪ Crisp grilled bacon – a classic burger combo, particularly if it’s smoked.
▪ Gherkins – I know it is a bit ‘golden arches’, but there’s a reason for adding them as the vinegary sharpness works wonders to balance the richness of the meat.
▪ Chutney/pickle – onion chutney, Indian spiced pickle, or even classic Branston are all fab.
▪ Chilli sauce – if you’re a chilli fiend, you’ll surely have your own favourite, but I particularly like anything made with fruity Scotch bonnet chillies.
▪ Salad – a bit of green crunch is good; peppery rocket or plain soft English lettuce are my favourites.
▪ Avocado – sliced thinly, adds a lovely creaminess.
▪ Mayo – always a winner (see here for a few interesting flavours).
Steak on a barbecue feels like a real treat and is great for spoiling yourself and your loved ones. Fillet steak is often thought to be the most prized cut (and therefore the most expensive), but to my mind it lacks in flavour and, being so lean, it can easily dry out. Steak that has a liberal marbling of fat throughout will be both juicy and tasty, and for that reason rib-eye is my go-to steak for a good balance between flavour and tenderness.
My preference is always to get a thick steak for sharing, and for this I visit my butcher who will cut it just as I like it. Ready-cut steaks from a supermarket tend to be on the thin side, which makes them rather too easy to overcook. With a thick steak you can get the outside really crisp and caramelized, which adds intensity to the flavour, whilst the inside stays as rare as you like.
The other cuts I love to barbecue are skirt steak and flank steak (which sometimes goes by the more glamorous name of ‘bavette’). Both these cuts are economical and very tasty, but to stay tender they are best cooked very quickly over a high heat and served rather rare inside. To ensure it’s extra tender, serve sliced across the grain.
Here is my favourite easy recipe for skirt or flank steak.
SERVES 6
900g skirt or flank steak in one thickish piece (about 2cm thick or so, if possible)
2–3 cloves garlic, very thinly sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
2–3 tsp black peppercorns, crushed
Sea salt flakes, to taste
6 soft baps, cut in half
1 old-fashioned round English lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
Hot mustard or Double Mustard Mayo (see here), to taste
Lay the steak on a board and pierce all over using the tip of a cook’s knife. Stuff slivers of garlic inside the slits, tucking it well inside the meat so it doesn’t burn on the outside. Rub the steak all over with the oil, then sprinkle on the black pepper, rubbing it in on both sides. At this point your steak is ready to cook.
Get your barbecue really hot. Sear the steak over the barbecue for about 3 minutes on each side for a 2cm-thick steak, then remove and leave to rest on a board, loosely covered with foil, for about 10 minutes. This should give you a medium-rare steak; cook it for a little less if your steak is thinner, or more if it is thicker.
After resting, season with sea salt flakes, then thinly slice the steak across the grain and stuff into the baps with the lettuce leaves and a smear of hot mustard or Double Mustard Mayo.
Jamaican jerk seasoning is a heady and addictive blend of herbs and spices and there are some really great ready-made spice mixes available. For this recipe, I grabbed a tin of my favourite brand to make it extra easy, but if you fancy having a go at mixing your own blend, try experimenting with ground allspice, dried thyme, finely chopped (deseeded) Scotch bonnet chillies and crushed garlic.
SERVES 4–6
1kg chicken wings
2 tbsp olive oil
2–3 tbsp jerk spice rub
For the rice
300g basmati rice
1 × 400ml tin coconut milk
200ml cold water
1 tbsp jerk spice rub
1 × 400g tin black-eye or black turtle beans, drained and rinsed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the salsa
½ fresh pineapple, peeled, cored and finely diced
3 shallots, finely chopped
Handful of coriander leaves, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lime
2–3 red chillies, chopped
1–2 tsp caster sugar
Spread the chicken wings out over 1 or 2 baking trays and drizzle over the oil. Sprinkle with the jerk spice, then rub it all over the wings (use gloves if your skin is sensitive to chilli). Set aside for at least 1 hour in the fridge or, even better, overnight.
Begin the rice and salsa about 1 hour before you want to eat. Put the rice, coconut milk, water and jerk spice into a medium saucepan with a snug-fitting lid. Stir well and leave to soak for 30 minutes. Stir the beans through the rice and season with salt and black pepper. Set over a medium heat, bring to the boil, clamp on the lid tightly and boil for exactly 1 minute. Turn off the heat and do not remove the lid. Leave the rice to finish cooking undisturbed for 13 minutes. Lightly fluff up the rice with a fork, re-cover and set aside to keep warm whilst the chicken is cooking.
Make the salsa by combining all the ingredients in a bowl. Set aside at room temperature to allow the flavours to develop whilst you cook the chicken.
Cook the chicken wings over a medium-hot barbecue, turning regularly, for around 20 minutes. If they are colouring too much, move them to a slightly cooler part of the grill so they cook through to the centre without burning.
To serve, spoon the rice on to a platter and pile the chicken wings on top. Serve the salsa in a small bowl alongside for people to help themselves.
Lamb is perhaps the perfect red meat for the barbecue as it’s liberally and evenly marbled with fat, so the meat effectively self-bastes as it grills. Perfect served crisp on the outside and pink in the middle, lamb is best cooked fairly quickly over a hot barbecue.
Butterfly a whole leg of lamb out flat and stuff slivers of garlic and rosemary sprigs into deep slits in the meat. Drizzle with olive oil and cook over a hot barbecue for around 15 minutes on each side for medium-rare. A 1.5kg leg (bone-in weight) will serve around 6 people. Your butcher can help with the butterflying, but if you want to give it a go it’s pretty easy – all you are doing is cutting the bone out and flattening the meat. Use a small, sharp knife to scrape along the bone to ease it away from the meat. A bit rough and ready is just fine!
Influenced by the North African tradition of serving meat with fruit, these spicy kebabs are delicious served simply with buttery couscous and a green salad. Toasting the cumin and coriander seeds is not essential but it does really ‘wake up’ the flavours, so I would recommend it.
SERVES 6
800g boneless lamb leg steaks, diced into 3–4cm cubes
6 fresh apricots
Olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling
Handful of chopped coriander
For the spice paste
1 tbsp each cumin and coriander seeds
2 tbsp paprika
1–2 tsp dried chilli flakes
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp soft light brown sugar
2 cloves garlic, crushed
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 tbsp olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
First make the spice paste. Heat a small, dry frying pan, toast the cumin and coriander seeds together for a minute or so, then grind roughly using a pestle and mortar. Add everything else to the ground seeds, seasoning with salt and black pepper as you go, and mix to a paste.
Add the spice paste to the lamb and mix it thoroughly through the meat. Cover and leave in the fridge for a couple of hours, or overnight if possible.
When you are ready to cook, cut the apricots in half and remove the stones. Thread the lamb on to skewers, dividing it evenly and adding 2 apricot halves to each skewer amongst the meat, then drizzle over a little oil.
Cook over a hot barbecue for about 7–8 minutes, turning occasionally, by which time the lamb should be lovely and crisp on the outside and just pink in the middle. Arrange on a serving plate, sprinkle with a few sea salt flakes and scatter over the chopped coriander.
I love ribs, I think they appeal to the latent cave woman in me, but they are a bit of a hands-on eating experience, so use pork leg steaks or loin chops if you prefer, allowing one per person. For extra flavour in the sauce, pour any leftover marinade in along with the water – just be sure to boil it well so it cooks.
SERVES 4
For the ribs
1.5kg meaty pork ribs (sometimes called ‘king’ ribs)
Finely grated zest and juice of 2 limes
5 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 shallots or 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3–4cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tbsp black peppercorns, roughly crushed
1 tbsp caster sugar
2 tsp ground turmeric
For the spicy peanut sauce
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 shallots or 1 banana shallot, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, trimmed and finely chopped
½–1 tsp dried chilli flakes
200g roasted salted peanuts
1 × 160ml tin coconut cream
250ml cold water
1 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp soft dark brown sugar
To prepare the ribs, spread them out on a large baking tray. In a small bowl, mix together the lime zest and juice, soy sauce, oil, shallots, garlic, ginger, black pepper, sugar and turmeric. Pour over the ribs and rub in really well using your hands. Leave to marinate for at least 1 hour or overnight in the fridge.
When you are ready to cook, grill the ribs on a medium-hot barbecue for about 20 minutes, turning regularly. If they start to catch a little, move them to a cooler area of the grill. Reserve any leftover marinade to boil in the peanut sauce if you want, but add it along with the water to be sure it gets a good boil to cook it. Once the ribs are cooked, remove to a plate, cover with foil and leave to rest whilst you finish the sauce.
Heat the oil in a saucepan and gently fry the shallots, garlic, lemongrass and chilli flakes until the shallot is softening, about 10 minutes. Whizz the peanuts in a food processor until ground (or seal them in a ziplock food bag and crush with a rolling pin).
Tip the ground peanuts into the pan, along with the coconut cream, water, soy sauce and sugar, plus any reserved marinade, if you like. Stir well and bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to a steady simmer and cook until reduced to a spoonable consistency, stirring every now and then, about 15–20 minutes.
Serve the barbecued ribs with the spicy peanut sauce alongside in a bowl.
I love to barbecue fish and some of my most memorable outdoor meals have come from the sea. Oily fish works best as it’s less likely to dry out and generally has a good, firm texture so it doesn’t fall apart. Whole trout, sardines or mackerel and tuna steaks are all great, but here is perhaps my favourite way with salmon.
SERVES 4–6
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1–2 tsp dried chilli flakes
½ tsp black peppercorns
½ cinnamon stick (about 4cm), crumbled
Seeds of 4 green cardamom pods
5 cloves
½ tsp sea salt
2 tbsp vegetable oil
600g boneless salmon fillet (skin on)
For the minted yogurt dressing
6 tbsp plain yogurt
Handful of mint leaves, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
Juice of ½ lemon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Small handful of chopped coriander, to garnish (optional)
Lemon wedges, to serve (optional)
Blitz the spices coarsely in a spice mill, or use a pestle and mortar and a bit of elbow grease, then mix with the salt and oil.
Using a sharp knife, slash the skin of the fish deeply, but not all the way through, at 1cm intervals. Rub the spice paste all over the fish, being a little more generous on the skin side, rubbing it well into the cuts you have made (the spices will flavour the fish deep inside). Leave to marinate for 30 minutes, covered but out of the fridge.
Transfer the salmon to a barbecue grilling cage (see here) and cook, skin-side down first, over a medium-hot barbecue for around 10–12 minutes, turning over halfway through, until deep golden and crispy. Transfer to a serving plate (use a blunt knife to release the fish from the cage – the non-skin side may stick a bit). Cover with foil and leave to rest for 5 minutes to let the fish finish cooking gently.
For the dressing, mix the yogurt, mint, garlic and lemon together in a bowl and season with salt and black pepper. Drizzle a little dressing over the fish, then scatter over the coriander, if using. Serve the rest of the dressing on the side.
Marinating with kiwi is an antipodean thing, a tip picked up and handed on via my husband’s travels to Australia many moons ago. The fruit contains an enzyme that tenderizes in a way that nothing else does and it’s particularly effective with squid that can have a tendency to toughen up on cooking. The squid doesn’t taste remotely of kiwi either, just in case you were wondering…!
I serve this barbecued squid with a chermoula dressing – chermoula is a pungent marinade from Tunisia and it works particularly well with seafood. It keeps well in the fridge for up to 3 days in a bowl covered with a layer of cling film pressed on to the surface.
SERVES 4
2 large squid, cleaned and left whole
2 kiwi fruit, peeled and roughly chopped
Olive oil, for drizzling
Sea salt flakes, for sprinkling, and freshly ground black pepper
For the chermoula dressing
5 tbsp olive oil
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1½ tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground ginger
Small bunch of coriander, roughly chopped
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
First make the dressing. Put everything into a food processor, or use a stick blender in a jug, and process until smooth. Season with salt and black pepper. Leave at room temperature for an hour or so, if possible, to allow the flavours to mingle.
Prepare the squid. Remove the ‘wings’ from each squid and set aside. Slice each body down one side and open out so that it is flat, then cut in half, giving you a total of 4 body pieces (plus the 4 wings). Using a sharp knife, very lightly score all over the surface of the body pieces and wings in a diagonal pattern. Put the prepared squid into a large, flat dish, along with any tentacles.
Put the kiwi into a jug and purée with a stick blender, then pour on to the squid, spreading all over. Leave to marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes. Thread the squid (body pieces, wings and tentacles too) on to skewers (use a few skewers crossed over in a diamond shape to keep the squid pieces flat whilst they cook). Drizzle a little oil all over and sprinkle with a few sea salt flakes and a grind of black pepper.
Cook over a very hot barbecue for just a minute or two on each side, then serve immediately with the chermoula dressing to drizzle over.
Puddings made of a combo of fruit and cream tick all the right boxes in my book and none more so than fruit fools – such easy, impressive puddings that can be knocked up with minimal effort. This one, using a rich purée of dried apricots, was designed for a spring barbecue when the weather was lovely and warm but there was not a lot of decent ripe fruit to be found.
SERVES 6
350g dried apricots, roughly chopped
Finely grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
300ml cold water
100g whole blanched almonds
400ml double cream
1 tbsp icing sugar
2–3 tbsp amaretto (optional)
300g Greek yogurt (0%-fat is fine, if you prefer)
50g ratafia biscuits
Combine the apricots, lemon zest and juice and water in a saucepan. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer gently until very tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and use a stick blender to purée until smooth. Spread out in a shallow dish (this will cool it much quicker) and set aside until completely cold.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas 6. Spread the almonds out on a baking tray and toast in the oven until golden brown, about 8–10 minutes. Do set a timer here as they burn really easily (I speak from bitter experience!). Leave to cool, then roughly chop.
Pour the cream into a large mixing bowl, sprinkle over the icing sugar and add the amaretto, if using (start with a couple of tablespoons, you can always add a little more to taste). Whip until thick and holding soft peaks. Taste, adding a splash more amaretto if you fancy, then fold in the yogurt thoroughly. Lightly fold through the cold apricot purée and most of the almonds, leaving it ripply, then scoop into a serving dish. Cover and chill in the fridge until needed (overnight is fine).
Just before serving, sprinkle over the rest of the chopped almonds and the ratafia biscuits, roughly crushing them in your hands as you go.
A couple of other favourite fools…
As the seasons change I alter the fruit I use – rhubarb, gooseberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and plums all get the fool treatment, using the same basic quantities of cream, icing sugar and yogurt. Here are my two other favourites:
▪ Simmer about 500g topped and tailed gooseberries with a splash of elderflower cordial, and sweeten to taste before cooling. This is great sprinkled with crumbled ginger biscuits.
▪ Stone and chop 650g plums and simmer with a pinch of ground cinnamon, and sweeten to taste before cooling. This works brilliantly with the crumbled ratafia biscuits.
I’ve never been 100 per cent certain about the merits of white chocolate – it always felt a little sweet and, dare I say it, one-dimensional. That was until I teamed it up with a vibrant blackcurrant compote in this tart. Quite a thing to look at, and a real explosion of tastes, this is a winner. There are a few cooling and chilling stages, but it can happily be made the day before and kept in the fridge overnight.
SERVES 6-ISH
200g gingernut biscuits
100g butter, melted, plus extra for greasing
400g white chocolate, broken into pieces
200ml double cream
½ tsp vanilla extract
250g blackcurrants (fresh or frozen)
1 tbsp cold water
2–3 tbsp granulated sugar
Lightly grease a 25cm loose-based flan tin.
Whizz the gingernuts in a food processor until they form fine crumbs. Stir through the melted butter, tip into the prepared tin and press down firmly with the back of a metal spoon, taking the mixture up the sides as well as over the base. Chill in the fridge for 30 minutes until firm.
For the filling, put 350g of the white chocolate, along with the cream and vanilla extract, into a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. Leave the chocolate to melt, stirring frequently, until you have a thick, shiny sauce. Pour over the chilled gingernut base, transfer to the fridge and leave to set firm, ideally overnight, but 3–4 hours at a push.
Meanwhile, put the blackcurrants, water and sugar into a small pan and simmer over a low heat until soft. Remove from the heat and cool completely. Once the filling has set, pour the cold blackcurrant compote over, spreading it to the edges.
Melt the remaining white chocolate in a small heatproof bowl as before. Using a teaspoon, drizzle the melted chocolate over the blackcurrant topping, then set aside at a cool room temperature until set. Release the tart from the tin and transfer to a serving plate. It will keep for a few days in the fridge, but I guarantee it won’t be around that long.
Who says jelly and cream is just for kids? This boozy version is inspired by a classic Pimm’s cocktail and is very refreshing and summery. You need to start this recipe the night before you want to eat it as it needs plenty of time to set.
SERVES 6
8 sheets of leaf gelatine (about 16g)
400ml Pimm’s No. 1
2 × 330ml cans clear lemonade
300g strawberries, hulled
½ large cucumber
1 × 170ml carton double cream
3 sprigs of mint, leaves picked and finely chopped
2 tbsp icing sugar
Add the gelatine leaves to a bowl of cold water, one at a time to prevent them clumping together, and leave to soak for 10 minutes.
Measure the Pimm’s into a large jug and top up with the lemonade, then pour around 200ml into a small saucepan. Warm gently, but don’t boil, then remove from the heat. Remove the gelatine leaves from the soaking water and squeeze out any excess liquid before dropping them into the pan, stirring well until completely melted. Pour back into the jug of Pimm’s mixture and stir thoroughly, then pour the lot into a large serving bowl.
Cut half of the strawberries into quarters (reserve the rest for decoration), sliding them into the jelly as you go. Carefully transfer the bowl to the fridge and leave to set overnight.
Use a zester or small, sharp knife to peel long thin strips of peel from the cucumber and drop into a bowl of cold water. Pop in the fridge, where they will curl up into pretty spirals. Grate the cucumber into a small bowl, then stir through the cream and mint. Cover and leave to infuse in the fridge overnight.
The next day, tip the infused cream into a fine-meshed sieve placed over a mixing bowl, then use the back of a spoon to squeeze as much cream through as possible. Discard the cucumber and mint. Add the icing sugar to the cream and lightly whip to form very soft peaks. Spoon into a serving dish to serve alongside the jelly.
Decorate the jelly with the remaining strawberries, chopping or slicing them as you wish. Finally, remove the cucumber peel from the water and carefully pat dry, before sprinkling over the top.
And finally, a few speedy ideas for kids…
I can offer my kids as many delicious puddings as I can come up with but the simple fact is that they, and I’m sure other people’s too, like the simple sweet things best. Basically, that means vanilla ice cream, so here are a few of their best ideas to top it with…
▪ Melted Mars bar sauce, a blast from my childhood – simply chop up a few Mars bars and melt them in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water. They will set back to a toffee-ish sauce when poured over cold ice cream.
▪ Give Toblerone the same melting treatment, or try Snickers bars for a nutty toffee explosion.
▪ Chopped nuts – brazils, pecans and walnuts are favourites in our house.
▪ Chopped or whole fruit, such as peaches, nectarines, strawberries or raspberries.
▪ White, dark or milk chocolate chips.
▪ Multi-coloured sugar sprinkles in the full rainbow spectrum.
