NEW WAYS FOR SUNDAYS
Light the coals and take dinner outside with this sunny menu for six, including a fresh pineapple dessert
Fire up the barbecue with Melissa Thompson’s grilled chicken menu for six
There’s something freeing about cooking outside, being at the mercy of the fire and enjoying foods that have been licked with flame. These recipes are delicious and fun to cook, whether you’re a barbecue beginner or an old hand. The marinade for my spiced yogurt chicken (p86) also works with chicken pieces, though I much prefer to use a spatchcock chicken. It becomes a spread fit for summer alongside a herby tomato salad and chargrilled cabbage (p86), especially with bright rum-glazed pineapple to finish (p87). If you’re just starting out with barbecuing, find an in-depth guide to setting yours up and buying charcoal on page 134.
Spiced yogurt barbecue chicken
SERVES 4 6 PREP 15 mins plus at least 1 hr marinating
COOK 1 hr 30 mins MORE EFFORT
1 whole chicken (about 1.2kg)
160g natural yogurt
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground fenugreek
2 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp tomato purée
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 lemons, 1 zested and juiced,
2 cut into wedges
2 tsp honey
2 tsp cider vinegar
1 Lay the chicken breast-side down on a board and use scissors to cut down either side of the backbone to remove it (you can use this to make stock). Flip the chicken over and press down firmly on the breastbone using your palms to flatten it.
2 Mix the yogurt with the spices, tomato purée, garlic, lemon zest and juice, the honey, vinegar, 2 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper. Rub this all over the chicken, pushing it into any gaps and under the skin. Put the chicken in an airtight container and chill for 1-2 hrs or up to 24 hrs.
3 Arrange the coals on one side of the barbecue and light (or see tip, right, for cooking indoors). When the flames have died down and the coals are ashen, lay the chicken on the opposite side and close the lid with the vents open. Cook for 40 mins, rotating now and then using tongs but keeping the chicken breast-side up over the coals so it cooks from underneath. Close the lid for another 15 mins, checking to make sure it doesn’t catch, then flip the chicken over to char, keeping a close eye on it to prevent burning. When it’s just charred, flip it back over. It’s ready when a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat reaches 70C, or the juices from the thigh run clear. Remove the chicken from the barbecue, loosely cover with baking parchment and rest for 15 mins. Carve and serve with lemon wedges.
GOOD TO KNOW vit c • gluten free
PER SERVING 291 kcals • fat 15g • saturates 4g • carbs 6g • sugars 5g • ibre 02g • protein 32g • salt 1.9g
Tomato, onion & parsley salad
SERVES 4 6 PREP 10 mins NO COOK EASY V
4 large or 6 small ripe tomatoes,
roughly chopped large bunch of parsley, thick stalks
removed, inely chopped
1 red onion, inely sliced
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp olive or rapeseed oil
1 Put the tomatoes, parsley and onion in a bowl and set aside.
2 In a separate bowl, mix the vinegar with the lemon juice, oil and some black pepper. Pour the dressing over the salad and mix well to combine. Season with a large pinch of salt just before serving.
GOOD TO KNOW vegan • healthy • low fat • vit c
• 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free
PER SERVING 44 kcals • fat 2g • saturates 0.3g • carbs 4g • sugars 4g • ibre 2g • protein 1g • salt 0.02g
Chargrilled butter cabbage
SERVES 4 6 PREP 8 mins COOK 30 mins EASY V
1 large white cabbage
100g salted butter
2 tbsp rapeseed oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼-1 chilli (scotch bonnet works well),
deseeded and inely chopped
2 limes, zested and juiced
½ tsp ground white pepper
1 Cut the cabbage into wedges, keeping the stalk intact so the leaves stay together during cooking. Put in a bowl of water – you want the cabbage to be immersed so some water gets trapped between the leaves, which will help cook it.
2 While the chicken is cooking on the barbecue, lay the cabbage wedges on the grill furthest away from the coals and cook for 20 mins (or see tip below for cooking indoors). Melt the butter in a small pan over a low heat. Remove from the heat, then stir in the oil, garlic, chilli, lime zest and juice, the white pepper and a pinch of salt.
3 After 20 mins, brush the spiced butter mixture over one side of each cabbage wedge. Close the lid for another 15 mins. Turn the cabbage wedges over and brush the other side with the spiced butter. Once the cabbage has started to soften, move it directly over the coals using tongs, brushing it with more of the spiced butter until it is fully soft and has char marks. Remove from the barbecue and serve straightaway.
GOOD TO KNOW folate • vit c • 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free
PER SERVING 183 kcals • fat 18g • saturates 9g • carbs 4g • sugars 4g • ibre 3g • protein 1g • salt 0.3g
Rum-glazed grilled pineapple with lime crème fraîche
SERVES 4 6 PREP 10 mins COOK 15 mins EASY V
100ml dark rum
2 tbsp light brown soft sugar
¼ tsp ground nutmeg
¼ tsp ground allspice
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
200ml crème fraîche
2 limes, zested and juiced
1 pineapple, peeled and cut into 8 wedges
½ scotch bonnet chilli, deseeded and inely chopped (optional)
1 Heat the rum in a small pan over a low heat with 50ml water and stir in the sugar until it dissolves. Turn the heat up to medium and bring to the boil. Boil for 2-3 mins until the mixture thickens slightly. Remove from the heat. Stir in the spices. Mix the crème fraîche with the lime zest and juice in a separate bowl.
2 Arrange the coals on one side of the barbecue and light (or see tip below for cooking indoors). When the flames have died down and the coals are ashen, lay the pineapple wedges over the coals. Cook for 2-3 mins until char marks appear, then turn over.
3 Brush the pineapple wedges with the rum syrup and cook for 10 mins more, moving them around the grill using tongs so they don’t burn. When ready, they will be golden and soft. Remove from the barbecue, sprinkle with the chilli, if using, and serve with the lime crème fraîche.
GOOD TO KNOW vit c • 1 of 5-a-day • gluten free PER SERVING 252 kcals • fat 14g • saturates 9g • carbs 21g • sugars 18g • ibre 2g • protein 1g
• salt 0.03g