Cooking up a storm: Currabinny’s best BBQ tips
Want to cook up the perfect barbecue this summer? The duo at Currabinny compile their top tips and recipes for .
The sun has come out for Will Murray and James Kavanagh from Currabinny ahead of their appearance at Taste of Dublin, and these guys couldn’t be more thrilled.
“There’s nothing like the food in summer,” they say from their Dublin base. If you’re new to James and Will, the partners in life and business are a match made in foodie heaven. William studied under Darina and Rory Allen at Ballymaloe, and James has a background in food-related marketing. Their combined love of food led them to found Currabinny, a catering company and pop up restaurant named after Will’s Cork home place and an homage to their belief that Irish food is the best in the world.
Entertaining is second nature to these guys, and the warmer months give them an opportunity to flex their barbecue skills and show off their love of Irish produce. “A barbecue is an amazing way to feed a lot of people really simply, with very few ingredients,” says Will. “It adds so much flavour and excitement to simple food, that you can impress people really easily with relatively little effort.”
Growing up by the sea, Will’s childhood is steeped in memories of fresh fish, cooked simply on the barbeque after a day on the beach.
“During the height of the summer the mackerel would chase the sprat, you would come into the shore and you’d see a wall of mackerel in the sea – it was incredible.”
Seasonality is extremely important to James and Will, and they say that the barbecue offers a fantastic way to make homegrown vegetables shine. “I love grilling asparagus and spring onions really quickly.”
Corn on the cob gives great bang for your buck, recommends James, just throw it on the grill and finish with lots of salt and butter. Both James and Will love the natural seasoning that incorporating seaweed into their recipes brings, and add dilisk to bread mixes and sauces.
“I love the casualness of a barbecue. There is no rush; you can cook throughout the day and people can watch their meal being cooked,” says James. “Our favourite place to sit in a restaurant is at the bar, so we can see into the restaurant, and that’s the nice thing about a barbecue – you can see the action as it happens.”
Ease is key to a successful barbecue party, say the guys. “Stick to three big salads,” advises James. “Serve them in big bowls and make them hearty. We love Orzo with a lemon cream or a fresh tomato and basil salad. Keep the salads simple, because there are so many flavours coming from the meat and barbecue that you don’t want to take away from that.”
Marinades are a great idea to add interest, reckons Will. “I like using yoghurt and buttermilk and we use coffee grounds to season beef – it’s so delicious.”
A few sauces and dips are a wonderful way for your guests to pimp their own plates, advocates James. “We like making a tahini sauce or chimichurri or salsa verde with a twist, like our one flavoured with dilisk – don’t go mad; one or two will be really effective.”
The barbecue is a wonderful way to celebrate meat, says Will. “I think it’s always good to experiment with different cuts of meat. Obviously some cuts are more suitable for barbecue – rib eye is my favourite because it has that little bit of fat that melts into the meat and adds so much flavour.”
A good relationship with your local butcher is crucial, says James. “Trust your local butcher – they know what’s good and are so knowledgeable about how to cook their food.” At the end of the day, throwing a barbecue is as much about entertaining as it is cooking, and as hosts, it’s essential to be relaxed. “I think that having a big jug of Pimms or something similar for when people arrive is so welcoming,” says James. “It’s so easy to make, and it really sets the tone for your party.”
The food, they caution, should always be the main attraction. “I always arrive absolutely ravenous to parties and barbecues,” laughs James. “I think it’s so important to have nice bread and dips for people to dig into. My Dad always has a big bowl of cocktail sausages with honey and they are gone in an instant.”
If you’re hosting a barbecue, remember that no man is an island, and accept help if it’s offered, advise the duo. “Everyone has gotten so good at cooking, and everyone has that thing that they make really well, so let people bring a dish if they want, it’s so helpful.”
Will says that as the friend who generally cooks for his group, the best thing someone can do is to offer to bring dessert. “It’s fantastic to know that the final course is being looked after, and that’s something I don’t have to stress about.”
For those guests who are less than handy in the kitchen, there is one gift that wins out over all others at James and Will’s barbecues: “A bottle of gin is always welcome in our house – bring that and you can stay for the night!”
- William Murray and James Kavanagh appear at this year’s Taste of Dublin at the Iveagh Gardens from June 14 to June 17. Tickets from €15, available now from tasteofdublin.ie
- Photographed on location at All Alfresco, Glasthule, Co. Dublin. allalfresco.ie
You can of course buy mackerel fillets in your local fish monger, prepared and ready for the barbeque or pan. If you do have a whole one, filleting it is quite straightforward.
Using a sharp filleting knife, make an incision behind both pectoral fins behind the head of the fish. Flip the fish onto its belly and cut the head off, straight through the backbone. Throw the head away or keep for a fish stock, you could even use them as bait to catch other fish.
Slice down the backbone of the fish’s body, dragging the knife as close to it as possible.
Keeping the knife hugging the backbone as you continue to cut away the fillet from the bone. Repeat this on the other side until both fillets are removed.
Use a tweezers to remove the pin-bones from the middle of each fillet.
Rinse the fillets with cold water and pat dry with kitchen paper.
Turn your barbecue on while you prepare the fillets, putting the grill over the hot coals.
Rub some olive oil into the skin of the fish and season well with salt and pepper on both sides. Cut the lemon in half and slice one half into a few rounds. Squeeze the other half over the mackerel fillets.
Drizzle some olive oil over the hot grill and arrange the sprigs of thyme as a sort of bed on the grill. Place the mackerel fillets skin side down on the thyme sprigs. The sprigs will likely burn and even catch fire but this will all add to the smoky aroma you want the meat to absorb.
After 3-4 minutes turn the fillets over and cook for a further 3 or 4 minutes until the flesh has turned grey white.
Soak Dillisk in water for 10 minutes, before draining and patting dry with kitchen paper.
Combine Dillisk, shallot, anchovy, parsley, olive oil, capers, lemon zest in a medium bowl and leave aside until ready to use.
Drizzle over the mackerel fillets when they are ready to serve.
Whisk the lemon juice, zest, chilli, extra virgin olive oil and mustard in a small bowl until well combined.
Remove woody ends of asparagus, and any dry or scraggly bits of the spring onions, chopping them in half if they are particularly thick. Slice the fennel bulbs lengthwise, ½ inch thick.
Season the veg with salt and pepper and toss in a tray or bowl with olive oil.
The veg will need around 4 minutes each side, turning once until lightly charred.
Drizzle with the lemon and chilli dressing and serve.
