How to spice up your summer barbecue, European style

Summer barbecues open up a wealth of opportunity for culinary exploration. Here are four tips for taking your barbecuing to the next level, followed by three of my recipes to try for yourself: lamb cutlets with asparagus, garlicky shrimp and the delightfully colorful Pepper Piedmontese.

Choose your charcoal wisely

Food cooked over an open fire has a different flavor altogether than food cooked on the stove or in the oven. For the best flavor, use sustainably sourced local charcoal which burns longer. You’ll use less — and it isn’t packed with chemicals like mass-produced charcoal.

Don’t rush

Make sure your meat is at room temperature before you cook it — meat cooked straight from the fridge will take a lot longer. It’s really important to allow meat to rest once it is cooked; this improves the texture and flavor.

Mix it up

All manner of things can be cooked on a barbecue — not just brats and burgers but robust summer vegetables such as eggplant and red peppers. One thing that you can try quite easily, and that is really different, is to grill little game birds. Things such as quail are fantastic, because they are naturally  tender and succulent. First, you need to spatchcock them, by taking the backbone out (or ask your butcher to do it for you). This leaves them flat and easy to cook. Season them the day before, then put them in a hot oven for about eight minutes. Finish them off by grilling on the barbecue on both sides for about two to three minutes.

Any of the small oily fish — sardines or mackerel  — are cheap and delicious when grilled. They’re also easy to handle on the barbecue and taste great served with sauces such as salsa verde or aioli to spoon over the top.

Prepare

Finally, the key to a successful barbecue with friends or family is to do as much of the prep as you can, such as marinating and seasoning, in advance. That way you won’t be dashing in and out of the kitchen — instead you’ll be free to sit back and relax with a glass of wine.

Why not try these recipes to start you off?

Garlicky shrimp with parsley, lemon and radicchio

With all the flavors of the summer, these juicy shrimp drizzled in butter and topped with fresh herbs and leaves can be an impressive centerpiece without being difficult to make. This dish can be prepared ahead, allowing you to relax and enjoy a glass of wine with your guests. Served with crusty bread that can be griddled on the barbecue for a smoky flavor, they’re a real showstopper dish for outdoor entertaining.

Serves 4

4lbs 7 oz fresh raw shrimp

3½ oz unsalted butter

1 teaspoon of dried red chili, crumbled finely

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves only, chopped

The juice of one lemon

1 tablespoon of dry sherry (Fino)

Leaves of radicchio

Crusty bread, torn or thickly sliced

1. Start by peeling the shrimp. Discard the shell but reserve the heads
2. Place a large, heavy based pan over a medium to low heat. When warm add the butter and allow to melt
3. Once the butter is melted and beginning to foam add the shrimp heads. When they are bright red squeeze the juice from the heads into the pan (the easiest way to do this is by using tongs)
4. Remove the heads and discard. You will be left with a beautiful, flavorful sauce that will really enhance the flavor of the final dish. Add the chili and garlic, reduce the heat slightly and cook for 30 seconds or so, being careful that the garlic does not burn
5. Add the shrimp and cook for one minute or until just translucent
6. Meanwhile, griddle on the barbecue or lightly toast chunks of the bread until slightly charred/browned
7. Squeeze over the lemon juice, add the sherry and parsley and stir well to combine
8. Finally add the radicchio

To serve

Enjoy al fresco, by spooning onto a warm sharing plate and serving immediately with crusty bread.

Wine pairing

You don’t need to pair with expensive wines; serve with a fresh white wine.

Tips

• If radicchio isn’t available, substitute with any fresh greens. It will be equally delicious
• Don’t skip cooking the shrimp heads as they add so much flavor to this dish
• This also makes a great pasta sauce — simply cook some pasta and once cooked add to the pan with the shrimp and toss together well to combine

Pepper Piedmontese

This colorful dish screams summer and can be prepared ahead, so it’s ideal for entertaining in the garden with friends or family. A classic Mediterranean recipe, it can be served as a starter, a light lunch or side dish, or on a bed of lentils to make a more substantial meal.

It can easily be adapted for vegetarians by leaving out the anchovies — and for vegans by leaving out the cheese.

Serves 4

8 ripe tomatoes

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper

4 red peppers

12 basil leaves

4 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced

6 good quality tinned anchovies in oil, drained and finely chopped

2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil

Lentils (optional)

Mozzarella or goat’s cheese (optional)

1. Place a large pot of salted water onto boil. Using a small paring knife, remove the core from each tomato and mark a small cross on the base. Drop the tomatoes into the boiling water. The skin will quickly curl back — at which point remove them from the water and set them aside until they are cool enough to handle
2. Pre-heat the oven to 350°F. Halve the peppers lengthways and remove the core, seeds and white pith. Lay the pepper halves skin side down in a shallow baking tray that will hold them comfortably
3. When the tomatoes are cool enough to peel, cut them in half and remove the skin and seeds. Roughly chop the flesh. Tear the basil leaves into pieces
4. Fill the pepper halves with the pieces of tomato, garlic slices, basil and anchovies. They should be generously filled. Drizzle with olive oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper and bake on the middle shelf of your pre-heated oven for 35 minutes or until the peppers are soft and slightly blackened around the edges but still holding their shape
5. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature

To make the basil oil

1 x large bunch of basil

Sea salt

3½ fl oz of extra virgin olive oil

Remove the basil leaves from their stalks and place in a food processor, add a good pinch of salt and drizzle the olive oil in through the funnel at the top. It should be sludgy, very green and aromatic.

To serve

Simply arrange the peppers on a big serving plate and spoon over the basil oil. For a heartier dish, serve the peppers on a bed of lentils.

Wine pairing

Choose a full-bodied red to complement the sweetness of the peppers and the aromas of the basil.

Tips

• These peppers are great as part of a larger meal, especially a barbecue but can also be served on their own. I often add a little mozzarella or goat’s cheese
• They are best on the day of serving and should always be served at room temperature as their flavor is much better
• Don’t be tempted to omit the anchovies even if you think you don’t like them — they add a depth of flavor that cannot be replaced — it won’t taste fishy just perfectly seasoned!

Grilled lamb cutlets with asparagus, horseradish and salsa verde

Little lamb cutlets are delicious griddled or barbecued and cooked on the barbecue they are packed with flavor. Here they’re served with asparagus that can also be griddled over the coals. All the preparation can be done ahead — then it’s just a few minutes on the barbecue to create a stunning dish.

Serves 4

12-16 little lamb cutlets

A little extra virgin olive oil

½ lemon

Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

12 asparagus spears

For the salsa verde

1 teaspoon of toasted, ground cumin seeds

A bunch of mint, leaves only

A bunch of basil, leaves only

A bunch of flat leaf parsley, leaves only

A bunch of rocket

½ tbsp of Dijon mustard

2 anchovies

½ tbsp of capers

1 clove of garlic, peeled and chopped

2 tbsp of red wine vinegar

6¾ fl oz of extra virgin olive oil

Horseradish cream

2 inches of fresh horseradish root grated

1 tbsp of red wine vinegar

A pinch of sea salt

6 fl oz of crème fraîche

To make the salsa verde

Place all the ingredients except the olive oil in a food processor. Pour in the oil slowly through the funnel in the top. You should have a sludgy, vibrant green sauce. Set aside until ready to use.

To make the horseradish cream

Place the grated horseradish into a bowl and pour over the red wine vinegar. Season with salt. Stir in the crème fraîche and place in the fridge until ready to use.

Place a large pot of well salted water on to boil. Trim the woody ends of the asparagus.

To make the lamb

1. Lay the lamb cutlets on a board. Season generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper and brush with oil.  Heat the barbecue or a griddle pan until smoking, and cook the cutlets for one to two minutes per side
2. While the cutlets are cooking blanch the asparagus by dropping it into the boiling, well salted water. Cook for 40 seconds — it should still have a nice bite. Alternatively, griddle on the barbecue alongside the meat
3. Remove the cutlets from the grill and squeeze over the lemon juice. Let rest for a few minutes to allow the meat to relax

To serve

This is a real star of a dish so invest in the prep so you can simply griddle the lamb and serve on the day.

Arrange the cutlets and asparagus on a serving plate, spoon over the salsa verde and serve the horseradish cream alongside.

Wine pairing

Choose a red that works in summer and well placed for lamb a red blend would work.

Tips

• Make sure your meat is room temperature before you cook it — meat cooked straight from the fridge will take a lot longer
• It’s really important to allow meat to rest once it is cooked — it will have a much better texture and flavor
• The horseradish cream can be made the day before, but salsa verde is best made on the day of eating as the herbs will keep their flavor a lot better
• Both horseradish cream and salsa verde are incredibly versatile and can be used to brighten and flavor vegetables, fish and meat

This article was originally published on Spectator Life.