6 hours ago
10
I dabbled in barbecue for years before I got my first proper grill with a lid and vents. It was a gamechanger; I could control the airflow (to make it hotter or cooler), and the lid transformed the grill into a sort-of oven, enabling slower cooks (rather than only fast grilling). No longer was I starting chicken in my indoor oven before finishing it over the coals – I could do the whole thing outside.
I found myself lighting the grill more and more, seeking that flavour that only comes with fire and smoke, but also relishing the fact it took me outside. Nowadays, I cook everything over fire, from fish and shellfish to vegetables, beans, meat, even desserts. Fire cooking feels both instinctive and exciting because no two cooks are ever the same. People tell me they find barbecuing scary, and I understand because I once felt like this, too. But with a few basic tips, such as “zoning” your barbecue, anyone can become a pro. I truly believe that by starting to barbecue we’re not learning a skill, but re-learning something we’ve forgotten.
Jerk prawns with fire-roasted tomato and garlic pepper sauce (pictured top)
Prep 10
Marinate 15 min
Cook 55
Serves 4 as a starter
20 raw shell-on king prawns
2 spring onions
2 tsp ground pimento (allspice)
2 garlic cloves
10g fresh ginger
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Zest and juice of 2 limes, plus wedges to serve
1 tsp golden caster sugar
5 sprigs thyme
½-1 scotch bonnet, depending on heat preference
½ tsp fine sea salt
1 tbsp neutral oil
Lime wedges, to serve
For the fire-roasted tomato and garlic pepper sauce (makes 400g)
2 red onions
2 tbsp rapeseed oil, plus extra for drizzling
1 garlic bulb, outer skin removed and root end sliced off
A pinch of salt, plus extra to taste
1 red pepper
2 tomatoes
2 scotch bonnets
2 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tsp light brown sugar (optional)
Light the barbecue with the coals set up for 50:50 cooking. Put the onions directly on to the coals and cook, turning every 10 minutes, until blackened all over and soft when pressed. Place in a lidded container, seal and leave to cool and steam.
Drizzle some oil on to the cut side of the garlic bulb and sprinkle with a pinch of salt, then wrap in foil and put over the coals, along with the red pepper and tomatoes. Cook the tomatoes and pepper, turning frequently, until blackened all over, then put them in the container with the onions. Once the garlic has softened – about 20 minutes – remove it from the heat. Quickly blacken the scotch bonnets over the fire, being careful not to burn them.
Once cool enough to handle, peel the onions, tomatoes and pepper and remove the seeds, then transfer to a food processor. Add the scotch bonnets, oil, vinegar, sugar and some salt to taste, then squeeze in the garlic cloves and blend until smooth. Taste and add more salt if needed. Transfer to a sterilised glass jar or bottle and store in the fridge for up to three months.
Prepare the prawns by cutting through the back of the shell with a pair of scissors from the bottom of the head to just before the beginning of the tail. Use a toothpick to remove the dark intestinal tract from the back of the prawns. Put the prawns in a bowl.
Put all the remaining ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth, then pour the mix over the prawns. Massage it into the prawns to get the marinade into the shell.
Place the prawns on the grill directly over the coals and cook for a couple of minutes, until they start to turn pink, then flip and continue cooking. Keep turning until the prawns are pink and the edges of their shells start to char. Move the prawns to the indirect-heat side once fully cooked, then when they are all ready, transfer to a serving platter.
Serve with the fire-roasted tomato and garlic pepper sauce and some lime wedges.
Courgette and mushroom skewers with lemongrass and tamarind
Prep 15 min
Pickle overnight
Marinate 20 min
Cook 35 min
Serves 4
2 large courgettes
4 spring onions
3–4 large portobello mushrooms, cut into 3cm slices
1 x quantity tamarind and lemongrass marinade (see below)
1 x quantity tamarind dressing (see below)
For the tamarind and lemongrass marinade
50g tamarind paste
1 lemongrass stalk
½ banana shallot, roughly chopped
3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped
2 spring onions
Juice of 2 limes
10g fresh ginger
1 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp cider vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar
For the tamarind dressing
50g tamarind paste
½ banana shallot, finely diced
1 small garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 tsp light soy sauce
Zest of 2 limes
For the escovitch pickle (makes 1 x medium-sized jar)
200ml white or cider vinegar
2 tsp sea salt flakes
1 tbsp golden caster sugar
1 tsp pimento (allspice) berries
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 chayote, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 carrots, peeled and cut into matchsticks
2 scotch bonnets, deseeded and thinly sliced
Make the escovitch the day before. Combine the vinegar and 200ml water in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over a medium heat. Stir in the salt and sugar and simmer until dissolved. Turn off the heat and add the pimento berries and black peppercorns.
Put the chayote, carrot and scotch bonnet into a medium-size sterilised glass jar and pour over the hot liquid. Seal and leave for 24 hours. Store in the fridge and use within three months.
Put all the marinade ingredients in a food processor and blend smooth. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing in a bowl and mix together. Check for seasoning and adjust the soy or sugar if necessary.
Top and tail the courgettes, then chop them into three equal pieces and slice those in half through the middle. Cut the spring onions into similar-sized pieces.
Using two skewers side by side per kebab, skewer the vegetables, starting with a piece of spring onion, then a piece of courgette and then a piece of mushroom. Repeat until all four skewers have been made. Lay them flat on a tray, pour over the marinade and brush over the vegetables to coat them completely. Set aside to marinate for 20 minutes.
Light the barbecue with the coals set up for 50:50 cooking with the bottom vents half open. Put the skewers on the grill directly over the coals and cook for five minutes, then turn. Be really careful because they could break if they stick, as they’re quite delicate. Cook on the other side for five minutes, then baste with the leftover marinade before turning again and finishing cooking on the other side. Repeat until the vegetables are cooked and have a lovely golden colour.
Remove from the grill and serve with the dressing in a little bowl and some escovitch pickle.
Grilled peanut, garlic and cumin lamb chops
Prep 5 min
Cook 35 min
Serves 4
8 lamb chops
2 tbsp vegetable oil
For the spice mix
½ tbsp cumin seeds
½ tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp white peppercorns
2 dried chillies
1 tsp salt
For the marinade
½ banana shallot or ¼ red onion
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
4 garlic cloves
1 tsp golden caster sugar
3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
1 tbsp neutral oil
1½ tbsp spice mix (see above)
For the peanut sauce
4 tbsp crunchy peanut butter (or smooth if that’s what you have)
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 large garlic clove, peeled and minced
2 tsp sherry vinegar
½ tsp golden caster sugar
Remaining spice mix (see above)
3–5 tbsp water
Salt, to taste
To serve (optional)
Thinly sliced spring onions
Coriander leaves
Pickled chillies
Cooked white rice
First, make the spice mix by combining all the ingredients in a spice grinder or mortar and grinding to a powder.
Next, make the marinade. Put all the ingredients into a food processor or blender and blend smooth.
Put the lamb chops on a tray, pour over the marinade and rub it into the meat. Set aside for five minutes.
For the sauce, mix all the ingredients in a bowl, adding enough of the water to loosen it but so it still stays thick. Taste and add salt if required.
Light the barbecue with the coals set up for 50:50 cooking. Put the lamb chops on the grill directly over the coals and cook for about four minutes until coloured, then flip. Cook for a further four minutes, ensuring the surface doesn’t burn (it will be more susceptible because of the sugar), before moving the lamb to the indirect-heat side and closing the barbecue lid. Cook for five to eight minutes, then use a probe thermometer to check the internal temperature of the chops – it should be 50-52C for pink and 55C for medium. Once cooked, remove from the grill and leave to rest for two minutes.
Pile the lamb chops on to a serving platter, scatter with the spring onions, coriander and pickled chillies (if using), then serve immediately with rice and a small dish of the peanut sauce.
Herby potato salad
Prep 20 min
Cook 20 min, plus cooling
Serves 4
500g jersey royal or new potatoes, bigger ones cut in half
10g flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
10g chives, roughly chopped
10g dill, roughly chopped
1 tbsp capers, chopped
2 tbsp quick pickled onions or ½ red onion, sliced
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Bring a saucepan of water to a boil and cook the potatoes for 10–15 minutes until tender; drain. Put the potatoes and herbs in a bowl and mix together.
In a separate bowl, mix together the capers, onions, olive oil and cider vinegar with a crack of black pepper. Taste and add salt as needed. Pour the dressing over the potatoes and mix well. Let it sit for 20 minutes before serving.
Halloumi and grilled aubergine salad
Prep 10 min
Cook 15 min
Serves 4
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
½ tsp ground fenugreek
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil, plus 2 tsp for the dressing
2 aubergines, cut into 5mm round slices
250g halloumi, cut into 1cm slices
2 tomatoes, cut into medium chunks
1 tsp cider vinegar
A small handful of chopped parsley
For the cucumber and garlic yoghurt
100g cucumber, grated and squeezed to remove as much liquid as possible
200g Greek yoghurt
1 garlic clove, peeled and minced
Combine the cumin, coriander, fenugreek, black pepper, salt and two tablespoons of olive oil in a bowl and mix well, then rub the mixture into the aubergine and halloumi slices.
Make the cucumber yoghurt by mixing the cucumber, yoghurt and garlic in a bowl, then set aside.
Light the barbecue with the coals set up for 50:50 cooking. Put the aubergine slices on the grill directly over the coals and grill for three to four minutes on each side until they become limp and translucent and show grill marks. Move them to the indirect-heat side once ready, then once they are all cooked, put them in a bowl with the tomatoes and mix in the remaining olive oil, vinegar and parsley.
Grill the halloumi on the grill directly over the coals, turning every two minutes until golden and cooked through, then move to the indirect side.
Arrange the aubergine and tomatoes on a plate, then add the halloumi and the yoghurt to serve.
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These recipes are an edited extract from Fired Up by Melissa Thompson, published by Carnival at £22. To order a copy for £19.80, visit guardianbookshop.com
