A sunny bank holiday weekend before the kids go back to school can only mean one thing... a barbecue.
This week's recipes will show you how to spice up your food and impress guests with a barbecue with a difference. I personally love to use spices and herbs and it is great in the cookery school to see customers react to how easy it is to make your own pastes from scratch.
These recipes for a Middle Eastern Mixed Grill and Grilled Potatoes with Spiced Butter will add a little bit of heat to your weekend dinner.
The spice mix, made of cumin, cinnamon, chilli and salt, will add an abundance of flavour to your meal; the amount of chilli used in this recipe can also be adapted to taste depending on your tolerance for heat.
My advice would be to add a little at a time, trying not to overdo it.
For more information, or to book an experience at the Waterman Cookery School, visit www.cookinbelfast.co.uk.
Middle Eastern Mixed Grill
(4 people)
2 thick pork chops
2 lamb chops
4 boneless chicken thighs
1 knob of butter melted for basting
Lamb and pork brine:
45g sugar
45g salt
500ml hot water
1 litre cold water
Chicken brine:
50g fine salt
500ml hot water
500ml cold water
Method:
Mix the sugar and salt for the brines together and add to the hot water until fully dissolved before adding cold water.
When the liquid is cool, split the pork and lamb brine into two containers and add the pork to one and lamb to the second. Add the chicken to its brine.
Leave in a cool place covered for up to 6 hours, drain and pat dry and leave in fridge until ready to cook.
Place the meat on the grill of a charcoal barbecue, turning it to making sure it is evenly cooked.
Baste with the melted butter and move to the cooler side on the barbecue.
Once cooked, rest and place on plate. After 5 minutes, add more butter and you can dust with the potato spice mix.
Serve with chermoula and potatoes.
Grilled Potatoes with Spiced Butter
(Serves 4)
4 large potatoes
4 tablespoons fine salt
For the spice mix:
10g cumin
10g cinnamon
10g chilli flakes
10g fine salt
Butter to garnish
Method:
Put the potatoes and salt into a pot and place on hob. Bring to the boil and then simmer for 25 minutes until the outer skin is soft and you can prick.
Remove from pot and place on the barbecue, cooking until charred.
Combine all the spices and salt for the spice mix and leave to the side.
Remove potatoes from the barbecue, slice down the middle and squash.
Fill with butter and spice mix and keep warm until meat is cooked.
Serve with middle eastern grill.
