Features
Fresh ideas for your barbecue
Avoid barbecue fatigue this summer by experimenting with marinades, rubs and pastes. Add variety with a selection of tasty grilled vegetables and finish the feast with caramelised fruit. We guarantee your barbecue will be the highlight of the season!
In this feature:
Marinades
Rubs and pastes
Fruit and vegetables
Fish and shellfish do not need to marinate for long - between 20 minutes and an hour is sufficient. Allow 2 – 4 hours for meat. Put the food in a shallow, sealed container in the fridge, turning at least once during the process. Allow it to come back up to room temperature and shake off excess marinade before cooking.
Most marinades are made from a combination of the following ingredients:
Oil
Under the relentless heat of the barbecue, even the juiciest of cuts can end up dry and lifeless. Oil ensures that meat, fish and vegetables remain moist during cooking as well as imparting flavour.
Vinegar, yogurt, wine and fruit juice
Acidic ingredients tenderise the meat and the variety of choices allows for fantastic flavour combinations. You can draw on the influences from around the world: think lime juice for Thai, yogurt for Middle Eastern and Indian, and sherry vinegar for Spanish flavours.
Herbs and spices
Breathe life into your marinades with a handful of chopped herbs and a teaspoon or two of freshly-pounded or ground spices. Grate fresh galangal or ginger to add a Thai or Chinese slant to your marinade.
Other ingredients
Many of the sauces you have in your store cupboard make a great addition to marinades eg. Worcestershire Sauce, oyster sauce, hoi sin sauce, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce, horseradish sauce, mustard etc.
Finely chopped or sliced onion, crushed garlic and citrus zest also make a great addition.
Combining the ingredients
Combining ingredients at random can work but focusing on the flavours used in a particular cuisine, or on traditional barbecue combinations can help you get better results.
Think about how powerful ingredients are. Avoid using strong flavours that overpower the taste of whatever you’re marinating. In general, red meats can take stronger flavours while chicken and fish benefit from subtler accompaniments. When deciding on ratios within a marinade, think about which flavours you want to predominate and how much is required to give the desired effect. If you use a lot of chillies, your food will be hot!
Recipe: Lamb with Yogurt Marinade
More combinations for you to try...
Thai marinade - 4 tbsp groundnut oil, 2 limes (zest and juice), 1 chilli (deseeded and chopped), 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 10cm ginger (peeled and grated), 3 cloves crushed garlic, 2 diced shallot, 1 bunch coriander (leaves) – use for chicken or prawns
Chinese marinade - 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp honey, 4 tbsp soy sauce, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 5cm grated ginger, ½ tsp 5 spice, 2 finely sliced spring onions - use for chicken or pork
Barbecue marinade - 1 tbsp tomato puree, 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 2 tbsp runny honey, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, ½ lemon (juice only), 1 tsp horseradish sauce, 1 clove crushed garlic, pinch cayenne, pinch smoked paprika - use for chicken
Rubs are drier than pastes and the former can be turned into the latter by simply adding a little oil. Create your own rub or paste by combining ingredients such as chopped herbs, crushed spices, grated zest, grated ginger, crushed garlic and coarse sea salt, according to the results you want.
For rubs, brush your meat, fish or vegetables with a little oil, sprinkle the rub onto a plate and press the food into the mixture on both sides before cooking.
If using a paste, massage it in just before cooking or leave a little longer to permeate. Pastes give a result closer to a marinade and are a better option if you’re looking to moisten as well as flavour your food. The spices are also less likely to dry out and burn over a high heat. Rubs are better if you want a really crisp coating.
Recipes: Moroccan Barbecue Chicken
Tuna with Lime, Coriander and Sea Salt Rub
More combinations for you to try...
Harissa or curry paste - spread these ready-made pastes over food for really quick and tasty solution. Be aware that some are extremely hot so use accordingly!
Pesto - make it or buy it, either works well, particularly on chicken and vegetables
Zesty rub - pound together - 1 lemon (zest only), 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp mixed peppercorns, small bunch thyme (leaves picked), 1 clove garlic - use for chicken or tuna steaks
Anything that you can grill will be equally suitable for your barbecue. Brush vegetables with a little olive oil and season, or even better, use a marinade. Barbecue them, turning once during cooking time. If cooking small chunks of vegetable, place them on a brochette or skewer so they are easy and turn and don't drop through the grill onto the coals.
Soft fruits are best for the barbecue, again smaller fruits or chunks of fruit can be skewered and look great served with a scoop of ice cream. Grill fruits like nectarines, peaches and plums face down. Wedges of pineapple and mango are also delicious. The natural sugars in fruit caramelise under direct heat but you can brush them with honey or macerate in vodka or liqueurs for exciting results.
Recipes: Barbecued Corn with Smoked Paprika Butter
Pineapple with Vodka and Black Pepper
More combinations for you to try...
Bacon wrapped in banana – slice a peeled banana into four chunks and wrap each in a slice of unsmoked back bacon, barbecue until the bacon is cooked.
Asparagus or figs wrapped in parma ham – snap the woody stalks off the asparagus or open up the figs by cutting a cross on the top and squeezing the sides. Cut the parma ham in half along the length, wrap it around the sides of the fig or asparagus, brush with melted butter (optional) and season with black pepper. Cook until the parma ham is crisp, turning occasionally.
Peaches or nectarines - halve the fruit and brush the cut side with honey. Cook face down for 5 – 7 minutes. Serve with honey-sweetened mascarpone or vanilla ice cream.
Marinated halloumi with finely sliced courgette and aubergine – marinate the halloumi in olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Shake off the excess marinade. Cut the courgette and aubergines into thin slices, brush with the marinade. Cook all three on the barbecue until golden.
Couscous-stuffed peppers – cook the couscous according to the packet instructions, stir through feta, pitted olives, sun-blush tomatoes, a handful of flat-leaf parsley and season to taste. Halve the peppers, brush the bottom with olive oil, stuff with the couscous and cook for around 8 minutes or until softened and slightly charred.
By Caroline Hire
Marinades
Rubs and pastes
Fruit and vegetables
1. Marinades
Exposure to direct, high heat on the barbecue can dry your food out and render it tough. Marinating tenderises and moistens, helping to counteract these effects, as well as adding flavour.Fish and shellfish do not need to marinate for long - between 20 minutes and an hour is sufficient. Allow 2 – 4 hours for meat. Put the food in a shallow, sealed container in the fridge, turning at least once during the process. Allow it to come back up to room temperature and shake off excess marinade before cooking.
Most marinades are made from a combination of the following ingredients:
Oil
Under the relentless heat of the barbecue, even the juiciest of cuts can end up dry and lifeless. Oil ensures that meat, fish and vegetables remain moist during cooking as well as imparting flavour.
Vinegar, yogurt, wine and fruit juice
Acidic ingredients tenderise the meat and the variety of choices allows for fantastic flavour combinations. You can draw on the influences from around the world: think lime juice for Thai, yogurt for Middle Eastern and Indian, and sherry vinegar for Spanish flavours.
Herbs and spices
Breathe life into your marinades with a handful of chopped herbs and a teaspoon or two of freshly-pounded or ground spices. Grate fresh galangal or ginger to add a Thai or Chinese slant to your marinade.
Other ingredients
Many of the sauces you have in your store cupboard make a great addition to marinades eg. Worcestershire Sauce, oyster sauce, hoi sin sauce, honey, soy sauce, fish sauce, sweet chilli sauce, horseradish sauce, mustard etc.
Finely chopped or sliced onion, crushed garlic and citrus zest also make a great addition.
Combining the ingredients
Combining ingredients at random can work but focusing on the flavours used in a particular cuisine, or on traditional barbecue combinations can help you get better results.
Think about how powerful ingredients are. Avoid using strong flavours that overpower the taste of whatever you’re marinating. In general, red meats can take stronger flavours while chicken and fish benefit from subtler accompaniments. When deciding on ratios within a marinade, think about which flavours you want to predominate and how much is required to give the desired effect. If you use a lot of chillies, your food will be hot!
Recipe: Lamb with Yogurt Marinade
More combinations for you to try...
Thai marinade - 4 tbsp groundnut oil, 2 limes (zest and juice), 1 chilli (deseeded and chopped), 4 tbsp sweet chilli sauce, 10cm ginger (peeled and grated), 3 cloves crushed garlic, 2 diced shallot, 1 bunch coriander (leaves) – use for chicken or prawns
Chinese marinade - 2 tbsp sesame oil, 2 tbsp honey, 4 tbsp soy sauce, 2 cloves crushed garlic, 5cm grated ginger, ½ tsp 5 spice, 2 finely sliced spring onions - use for chicken or pork
Barbecue marinade - 1 tbsp tomato puree, 2 tbsp dark brown sugar, 2 tbsp runny honey, 2 tbsp white wine vinegar, 1 tbsp Worcestershire Sauce, 1 tbsp soy sauce, ½ lemon (juice only), 1 tsp horseradish sauce, 1 clove crushed garlic, pinch cayenne, pinch smoked paprika - use for chicken
2. Rubs and pastes
For a quick flavour hit, rubs and pastes are the solution. Unlike marinades, you can apply them just before cooking. The flavour doesn’t need time to develop and tends to stay on the outside, leaving your meat or fish as nature intended, if that’s what you prefer.Rubs are drier than pastes and the former can be turned into the latter by simply adding a little oil. Create your own rub or paste by combining ingredients such as chopped herbs, crushed spices, grated zest, grated ginger, crushed garlic and coarse sea salt, according to the results you want.
For rubs, brush your meat, fish or vegetables with a little oil, sprinkle the rub onto a plate and press the food into the mixture on both sides before cooking.
If using a paste, massage it in just before cooking or leave a little longer to permeate. Pastes give a result closer to a marinade and are a better option if you’re looking to moisten as well as flavour your food. The spices are also less likely to dry out and burn over a high heat. Rubs are better if you want a really crisp coating.
Recipes: Moroccan Barbecue Chicken
Tuna with Lime, Coriander and Sea Salt Rub
More combinations for you to try...
Harissa or curry paste - spread these ready-made pastes over food for really quick and tasty solution. Be aware that some are extremely hot so use accordingly!
Pesto - make it or buy it, either works well, particularly on chicken and vegetables
Zesty rub - pound together - 1 lemon (zest only), 1/2 tsp sea salt, 1 tbsp mixed peppercorns, small bunch thyme (leaves picked), 1 clove garlic - use for chicken or tuna steaks
3. Fruit and vegetables
Although protein is often king of the barbecue, stunning results can be obtained for both fruit and vegetables.Anything that you can grill will be equally suitable for your barbecue. Brush vegetables with a little olive oil and season, or even better, use a marinade. Barbecue them, turning once during cooking time. If cooking small chunks of vegetable, place them on a brochette or skewer so they are easy and turn and don't drop through the grill onto the coals.
Soft fruits are best for the barbecue, again smaller fruits or chunks of fruit can be skewered and look great served with a scoop of ice cream. Grill fruits like nectarines, peaches and plums face down. Wedges of pineapple and mango are also delicious. The natural sugars in fruit caramelise under direct heat but you can brush them with honey or macerate in vodka or liqueurs for exciting results.
Recipes: Barbecued Corn with Smoked Paprika Butter
Pineapple with Vodka and Black Pepper
More combinations for you to try...
Bacon wrapped in banana – slice a peeled banana into four chunks and wrap each in a slice of unsmoked back bacon, barbecue until the bacon is cooked.
Asparagus or figs wrapped in parma ham – snap the woody stalks off the asparagus or open up the figs by cutting a cross on the top and squeezing the sides. Cut the parma ham in half along the length, wrap it around the sides of the fig or asparagus, brush with melted butter (optional) and season with black pepper. Cook until the parma ham is crisp, turning occasionally.
Peaches or nectarines - halve the fruit and brush the cut side with honey. Cook face down for 5 – 7 minutes. Serve with honey-sweetened mascarpone or vanilla ice cream.
Marinated halloumi with finely sliced courgette and aubergine – marinate the halloumi in olive oil, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper. Shake off the excess marinade. Cut the courgette and aubergines into thin slices, brush with the marinade. Cook all three on the barbecue until golden.
Couscous-stuffed peppers – cook the couscous according to the packet instructions, stir through feta, pitted olives, sun-blush tomatoes, a handful of flat-leaf parsley and season to taste. Halve the peppers, brush the bottom with olive oil, stuff with the couscous and cook for around 8 minutes or until softened and slightly charred.
By Caroline Hire
