Perfect al fresco dining
Key to a successful barbecue is to have interesting bites to keep us going while the aromas of food cooking whet our appetites. If barbecuing on the beach or in fields or picnic areas, remember to bring home every scrap of rubbish. It is our responsibility to leave them clean and ready for the next family to use our patch.
A whole chicken can be cut from underneath to flatten it so the breast is spread out (butterflied/spatchcocked) which makes it quicker to cook. Marinate in ground cardamom and coriander, olive oil, lime juice, and chopped chilli for an hour if possible. Allow to cook for 30 minutes each side, testing the thickest parts (leg and breast) before serving. You can see how to butterfly a chicken below:
The natural fat in lamb is often more moist than beef, so ask your butcher to cut lamb steaks. Butterflied lamb is an expensive treat. With the bone removed and the meat flattened out, it can cook evenly. Rub with olive oil mixed with lemon juice first, and add sprigs of marjoram or fresh thyme towards the end of cooking.
Whole peppers, courgettes, and tomatoes become sweeter and cook beautifully on the barbecue. Peppers take about 30 minutes and need to be turned for even cooking. Tomatoes and courgettes take about 15 minutes, depending on their size. Use both to spread on chunky bread or add to salads.
Thread chunks of halloumi cheese with chunks of courgette or aubergine, whole tomatoes, and red peppers drizzled with olive oil to grill on the barbecue for 15 minutes.
Make a big salad of white rice, cooled and mixed with a generous handful of parsley, coriander, mint, and cashews, toasted almonds or hazelnuts, a little olive oil, and the grated rind and juice of a lemon. At the last minute drizzle with pomegranate (which can be bought in Asian stores for about €2) for a sweet and sour finish, or date syrup for sweeter.
Fish is delicious cooked on a barbecue. Oily fish is best if cooking it unwrapped. Whole mackerel, sardines, salmon steaks, and swordfish need a light brushing of sunflower or olive oil to keep them moist. Try oil flavoured with a little chopped mint and a crushed tomato for the swordfish. See my recipe below to use plentiful Irish cod.
Make or buy good focaccia. Many independent bakeries make excellent versions, some with sliced tomatoes or olives on top which avoids the need for any oil or butter for moisture.
Day-old bread can be warmed on the barbecue to bring it back to life.
Roast whole peaches on the least hot area of the barbecue for 30 minutes until soft and juicy. Slice and serve on rounds of bread warmed on the grill.
Wrapping food in foil also helps to form a barrier with the added benefit of keeping meat, vegetables, and fish moist. If food does get charred, cut those pieces off and discard — don’t eat black, crumbling lumps. They may be tasty, but they are not good for health.
This recipe was inspired by chef Yotam Ottolenghi who adds shredded celeriac and kohlrabi which are also very good. His book Jerusalem is superb.
Dressing:
Cut the beetroot and carrot into matchsticks or grate thickly, keeping each separate until serving to keep their colour.
Warm the dressing ingredients until the sugar has dissolved and just as it comes to the boil pour half over each vegetable. Allow to sit in a cool place for at least an hour.
Meanwhile, remove the stalks from the herbs and chop the coriander and parsley leaves roughly, shredding the mint finely. Discard the stalks. Mix in the lemon rind. Just before serving add the crumbled mozzarella (or use feta) and black pepper to the combined carrot and beetroot. Top with the herbs.
There is superb cod in shops and markets at the moment so give it special treatment in this simple recipe which also works well for salmon, hake, and monkfish.
Pick out any pin bones from the cod and rub with the olive oil, paprika, and salt. Place half the herbs and onion on a sheet of foil and top with a sprinkling of the oil and vinegar. Lay the cod on top gently, and use the remaining ingredients on top.
Seal with foil by scrunching it up, making sure it is well sealed. You want it to steam gently.
Place on the barbecue for 30 minutes if the flesh is thick and the heat high. Otherwise try it after 20 minutes. It will continue to cook a little while you unwrap it so err on the side of undercooking.
Serve with tomato salsa or cucumber relish.
Preheat oven to 160c. Slice the rhubarb into 3cm pieces and scatter with the sugar and orange juice. If you have any other fruit juice to hand, use it. Diluted elderflower cordial is delicious.
Cover with lid or foil and bake 20 minutes or until the rhubarb is soft. Blend with all the juices until smooth. When cool, mix into barely softened vanilla ice-cream to make ripple effect and serve in cones. Also good as a sauce over vanilla or strawberry ice-cream.
