First BBQ of The Year
Hurrah! The Colours!
Sunny Sunday recently. We always have a Sunday roast, but as the weather was so beautiful we took all the ingredients outside and slung it all on the BBQ instead. I did a nice close-up of the food on my lovely new garden table so that you don’t have to see our broken fence, wonky patio and the “scenic” view of the local allotments!
Chicken. Spatchcock it so it cooks more easily and then marinade. I have no idea where the work spatchcock comes from. Anyway, to do it - place the chicken on a cutting board, breast-side down, with the neck facing you. Using kitchen scissors or a sharp knife, cut along both sides of the backbone, from the neck to the tail. Remove the backbone and throw away - or if you’re more virtuous, save it for making stock later. Now flatten the chicken - flip it over and press down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. You will hear a pleasing crack as the bone breaks, and you may well imagine that this is your sworn enemy being crushed into submission under the weight of your palm. Or that might just be me.
Marinade for a bit to add some flavour - this one I did with some olive oil and some Middle Eastern inspired flavours, but whatever you like basically. For dead simple, just do olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic and some salt and pepper. For a lovely green number blitz parsley and coriander with olive oil and garlic.
Sweetcorn. Par boil first if you like, or just griddle on the BBQ. Serve with plenty of butter and salt, or you can make a stunning butter by adding dried seaweed flakes - the umami is out of this world. Sainsbury’s have also just launched a fabulous range of flavoured butters that might be worth a try.
Griddled purple sprouting. Griddled for a few minutes on each side. Drizzled with some light soy sauce and a good few flakes of Furikake seasoning (Kui Doraku Futaba) which if you haven’t discovered it yet is the best seasoning ever. My brother Pat introduced me to it on sticky white rice, but I’ve started using it for all sorts and it’s so delicious that I quite often just tip a load into my hand and eat it solo. I have also been known on occasion to squeeze primula from the tube straight into my mouth. Don’t tell my mum about either of these abominations.
Soused Cucumber. Finely slice cucumber using a mandolin. Pop in a dish and cover with rice wine vinegar for ten minutes before eating. Doesn’t keep well, so just do as much as you’re going to eat in one sitting.
And now for the two real stars of the show. Maman Blanc’s tomato salad, and Moro’s Moroccan spiced potato salad - both of which are well worth a close up.
Tomato Salad. Raymond Blanc (and his lovely mum) at their very finest, with slight adaptations by me. Finely chop some salty Moroccan black olives. Place on a baking tray in a very low oven for ages until they are dry. Leave to cool Very finely slice a red onion. Marinade in olive oil and red wine vinegar (roughly equal quantities) with a clove of crushed garlic for about half an hour. Meantime slice a variety of delicious tomatoes and arrange on a plate- different coloured and sized tomatoes and different chopping (slices, quarters etc) makes a surprisingly big visual difference. Add blobs of mozzarella and some torn fresh basil leaves. Drizzle liberally with the dressing and scatter with the dried olives. Leave for ten mins for the flavours to meld together nicely, then serve. For Ray’s original, get yourself a copy of “Simply Raymond” which is one of the finest accessible yet brilliant cookery books you’ll ever own.
Moroccan Potato Salad. For the official recipe head to “Moro East” by Sam and Sam Clark - another fine cook book. My abridged version…Boil some waxy new potatoes (skin on) until just cooked. Leave to cool a bit. Make a dressing by combining olive oil with harissa paste, finely sliced red onion (or spring onion), crushed garlic, some cumin seeds and fresh lemon juice. Add the dressing to the slightly warm potatoes and finish with oodles of chopped fresh coriander. Stunning.
Help yourself in abundance and serve with a glass of something nice and chilled, whilst imagining that you’re on the rooftop terrace of a Riad in Marrakech rather than overlooking the white wash on the line in your extremely ordinary and poky suburban garden. Here’s to the Summer!