BBQ recipes

Wow, what a great day - all of a sudden, summer has arrived, and the bbq beckons! Well, that is unless, like me, it needs a major cleanout as it hasnt been used all winter and it has been so wet this spring that only the truly deranged would have attempted to cook outdoors! Here are a few tips and tricks to make your BBQ successful - exerpts from my Tips and Tricks Guide that accompanies our BBQ Workshop...

How to create the perfect marinade for BBQing food

Different tastes that must be balanced to achieve a really good marinade:

sweet, - this can be achieved using honey or fruit juice – sugar is not a great option unless you don’t have an alternative – it is too non-subtle!

sour, - from acid – so lemon, lime, vinegar etc

bitter, closely associated with sour for many people, coffee, plain chocolate, beer etc

salty – obviously from salt or its derivatives…

umami has been added in recent decades – this is about a savoury flavour such as soya, ketchup etc – very important for this to be blended into BBQ flavours!...

For most dishes, you also need to add in some ‘piquancy’ in the form of pepper (either chilli pepper or black peppercorns), paprika (either smoked or unsmoked) and/or herbs and spices to add that unique set of flavours. You need to be careful not to over-complicate matters when it comes to this lot of tastes – a little can go a long way!

Think about your bbq as a total taste experience, but adding in some simple flavours to give your taste buds a break! The breaks can be provided by potatoes, breads, even simple salads such as couscous or green salads will give a contrast to the stronger more pungent flavours

Recipes and guidelines for BBQ food… just a few options to add zing to plain old chicken breasts - I would recommend that you try and get the best chicken you can afford - cheap efforts often have water added, so you end up with an unpleasant texture to the finished dish.

Mediterranean Citrus Marinade – this will work for chicken or fish…

For 4 breasts of chicken…

o 3 tablespoons of olive oil (one that doesn’t have too strong a taste – doesn’t have to be extra virgin)
o rind and juice of one large lemon or two small ones
o 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
o 1 teaspoon of runny honey
o 3 large sprigs of thyme – you could also use oregano or a smaller quantity of rosemary
o Sea salt and black pepper to season)

Combine thoroughly. Cut each chicken breast into three-four strips and then coat the whole lot with the marinade for about 15 minutes.

Thai-style chicken marinade

o Juice and rind of one lime
o 1 inch knob of ginger, finely chopped
o 1 stick of lemongrass, outer leaves removed and inner core finely chopped
o 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
o 2 tablespoons of sesame oil
o 1 teaspoon of runny honey
o fresh coriander – about a tablespoon finely chopped
o 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds (optional)

Mix all the marinade ingredients together and then mix with strips of chicken; leave to marinade for 15 minutes minimum.

Sticky tomato and fennel marinade

o Five tablespoons of good tomato sauce
o 1 teaspoon of Worcestershire or other tangy sauce
o some drops of Tabasco or fresh chillies (this depends on how hot you like your food!)
o Fennel seeds – about a teaspoon, crushed with a mortar/pestle
o Tablespoon of olive oil
o 2 garlic cloves
o salt and pepper
o Some fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

Mix all the marinade ingredients together and then mix with strips of chicken; leave to marinade for 15 minutes minimum

Enjoy - get in touch if you would like more ideas for that BBQ, and which wines to match with the different tastes!

Life and death matters

A very good friend recently died very suddenly, which was a great shock to us all. It kind of knocked the stuffing out of us for quite a while, so we are only getting back to normal now. It is amazing to think that we blithely ignore the fact that there is a very thin line between life and death, and we spend most of our time on things that in the greater scheme of things are fairly meaningless. Lets face it, if you really thought that this weekend might be your last, would you be doing what you are planning to do?? If so, that is absolutely fantastic! However, if not, then change your plans now... For myself, I'm re-iterating my motto of live life to the full, only do things that you truly believe in and enjoy whatever you are doing to the fullest extent possible. And that means that I am finishing work now, I am going to sit outside in the late evening sun, and in a little while I will have a great dinner and a few (hopefully not too many!) glasses of wine and raise a glass to Selwyn - may you be doing likewise where-ever you are...