Smoking hot

Time to fire up the barbecue — it’s finally summer. Rachel Allen has some sizzling recipes, perfect for those long, balmy evenings

‘C olour equals flavour” is one of my favourite mottos to cook by in the kitchen (as well as “best before doesn’t mean bad after”) . If you think of the flavour of a steamed chicken breast compared to that of one cooked on the barbecue, it’s a taste test that you can hardly even begin to compare. The dark-golden hues that food picks up from cooking over fire has flavours ranging from caramelised sweetness to deep, earthy smokiness, and everything in between.

Cooking over fire can somehow encourage us to overcook food, so general tips will go a long way to giving you the best result — such as lighting the barbecue fire well in advance; letting the flames subside before starting to barbecue; and taking the food off the grill once it’s cooked.

Prawns work well on the barbecue. Imported peeled tiger prawns are firm enough not to break up into a million pieces, but my favourites are big, fat, Irish Dublin Bay-type prawns. The ones I used in the photograph, right, were landed in Ballycotton Bay and were juicy, flavoursome and completely divine. Keep them in their shells to prevent them turning to mush on the grill, or butterfly them. Make sure to suck all the flavour from the shells too, for extra lip-smacking goodness.

For an Irish twist on a classic Greek salad, which I love with a barbie, I like to use a cheese that’s made here, such as St Tola Greek-style cheese, Macroom Greek-style salad cheese, or Knockalara Farmhouse cheese. All have the salty tang and crumbly texture that works so well with the juicy, crunchy vegetables. And while you’re using your hands to pick away at the prawns, caveman-style, you might as well chew on some smoked paprika or cumin-infused barbecued sweet corn, too. Just remember to provide loads of napkins.

“Dark-golden hues food picks up from cooking over fire has flavours ranging from caramelised sweetness to deep earthy smokiness”