Fire it up!

Your new go-to BBQ recipes for easy outdoor summer entertaining

Recipes ANNA GLOVER
Photographs MYLES NEW

Chilli paneer skewers with coconut raita and mango salad

Serve with fluffy flatbreads for stuffing into and wrapping up, or simply warm through shop-bought naans and sandwich in the fillings. Any left-over cooked paneer reheats well in a low oven – we served it with mango chutney, salad and extra yogurt in a doorstop sarnie.

30 MINUTES + MARINATING | SERVES 6 | EASY | V | GF

paneer 2x 200g blocks, cut into 2cm squares

red and green peppers 1 of each, cut into 2cm squares

mango chutney or mango pickle to serve (optional)

flatbreads (see recipe below or use shop-bought), naans or wild rice salad to serve

MARINADE

tomato purée 1 tbsp

coconut or natural yogurt 100g

lemon ½, juiced

kashmiri chilli powder 2-3 tsp

ground cumin 3 tsp

RAITA

cucumber ½

coconut yogurt 200g

runny honey ½ tsp

mint a handful of leaves, finely chopped

toasted coconut flakes a small handful, plus extra to serve

SALAD

mango 2, firm but ripe

red onion 1 small, finely sliced

long thin red chillies 1-2, finely sliced

lime 1, juiced

mint a handful of leaves, chopped

1 Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a bowl with some seasoning. Add the paneer, and chill for at least 1 hour to marinate, or longer if you have time.

2 Coarsely grate the cucumber with a box grater, then scrape into a sieve over a bowl. Toss with a pinch of salt, and leave to drain for 10 minutes. Squeeze out any remaining water then mix with the remaining raita ingredients.

3 Peel the mangoes with a vegetable peeler, then slice into thin cross sections, then into thin strips or use a julienne peeler. Toss into a bowl with the remaining salad ingredients, except the mint, and leave at room temperature for up to an hour before serving. Fold in the mint to serve.

4 Light a BBQ and let the flames die down about an hour before you want to cook on it, or heat a griddle to high. Thread the marinated paneer and peppers onto metal skewers. Barbecue or grill for 8-10 minutes, turning every few minutes, until the paneer is golden and charred, and the pepper is tender. Lightly oil the bars of the grill if you find the paneer is sticking and use a metal fish slice to flip them. Serve the skewers with the salad, raita and flatbreads or a rice salad alongside, if you like. Serve with more coconut and mint leaves.

Buttermilk chicken thighs with charred courgette sauce and parmesan pangrattato

Buttermilk creates the juiciest chicken on the BBQ. Simply serve these in burger buns with the usual suspects, or head to the Med for a new take on chicken on the grill with a smoky sweet tomato courgette sauce and crunchy crumbs.

40 MINUTES + MARINATING | SERVES 4-6 | EASY | LC

BUTTERMILK CHICKEN

buttermilk 300ml

vegetable oil 3 tbsp

smoked paprika 2 tsp

garlic 2 cloves, crushed

whole black peppercorns crushed to make 1 tsp

sea salt flakes 2 tsp

skinless chicken thigh fillets 6-8

SAUCE

courgettes 2 medium, halved lengthways

olive oil 2 tbsp, plus a drizzle

onion 1, finely chopped

garlic 2 cloves, sliced

beef tomatoes 4, grated or finely chopped

vegetable stock 150ml

red wine vinegar 2 tbsp

runny honey 1 tbsp

CRUMBS

sourdough 150g, whizzed to breadcrumbs

olive oil 2 tbsp

lemon ½, zested

thyme leaves picked to make 1 tsp

parmesan finely grated to make 1 tbsp

1 Put all the buttermilk chicken ingredients, except the chicken, into a bowl and stir until combined. Add the thighs, toss to coat, cover and chill for at least 4 hours or ideally overnight – but you can leave for up to 48 hours.

2 Light a BBQ and let the flames die down about an hour before you want to cook on it, or heat the grill to high. Drizzle the courgette halves with a little oil and BBQ or grill for 10 minutes on each side until really smoky and charred. Leave to cool for a few minutes then finely chop.

3 Heat the oil in a frying pan and fry the onion for 10-15 minutes or until very soft. Stir in the garlic for a few seconds then add the grated tomato with all the juice from the chopping board, a pinch of salt and sugar. Simmer for 10 minutes until the tomatoes break down, then add the stock and courgettes. Simmer for 15 minutes until reduced. Season with more salt, pepper, vinegar and honey until you get a sweet/sour/smoky tomato sauce.

4 Toss the sourdough with the oil to coat well, and season. Fry in a dry frying pan over a medium heat until crunchy and golden. Tip into a bowl, leave to cool for a few minutes then stir in the thyme, lemon zest and parmesan.

5 Remove the chicken from the marinade, letting any excess drip off, then BBQ or grill for 6-8 minutes on each side or until charred and cooked through. Serve the chicken over the courgette sauce and scatter over the crumbs to serve.

BBQ kofte with whipped feta and tahini slaw

A lighter slaw with a tahini dressing makes a great combo with a smooth and creamy whipped feta sauce and spiced kofte. Get everything ready in advance and transfer the kofte to the BBQ when you’re ready to eat.

40 MINUTES | SERVES 6 | EASY

beef or lamb mince 800g

onion 1 small, finely grated or finely chopped

dried chilli flakes a pinch

ground turmeric 1 tsp

ground cumin 2 tsp

flatbreads 6 (homemade or use shop-bought and warm on the BBQ)

mint a handful of leaves

sumac a pinch, to serve

pine nuts 3 tbsp, toasted, to serve

WHIPPED FETA

feta 150g, crumbled

full-fat greek yogurt 50g

TAHINI SLAW

carrots 2, julienned

white or red cabbage ¼, finely shredded

spring onion 3, julienned

tahini 2 tbsp

olive oil 2 tbsp

lemon a squeeze of juice

1 Combine the mince, onion, spices and some seasoning in a bowl and pound with clean hands until really well combined. Divide into 12 balls and mould onto metal skewers. Chill until ready to cook.

2 Put the feta and yogurt in a small blender and whizz until smooth and creamy. Toss the slaw veg in a large bowl, then whisk the tahini, oil, lemon, a splash of water and a pinch of salt until the consistency of single cream, and fold through the veg. Taste and add more lemon or salt, if you like.

3 Heat the BBQ and let the larger flames die down, or heat the grill to high. Grill the kofte for 8-10 minutes, turning regularly, until golden brown and cooked through.

4 Spoon the whipped feta over the warmed flatbreads and add the kofte. Serve with the slaw alongside, and sprinkle over the mint leaves, sumac and pine nuts to serve.

Griddled greens and ricotta flatbreads

These loaded flatbreads are a great way to use up any odds and ends of veg you may have lurking in your fridge. Cut into pieces and serve as a starter with drinks, or pile everything into the middle with a stack of the breads and let everyone make their own. Some crispy chorizo, pancetta or even a few slithers of smoked salmon would work well, too.

40 MINUTES | SERVES 6 | EASY | V | LC

courgettes 2 medium, trimmed and peeled into 5mm-thin strips

fresh spring peas (in pods) 150g

spring onions a bunch, trimmed

extra-virgin olive oil a drizzle

asparagus 100g, peeled into thin strips

lemon ½, zested and juiced

ricotta 200g

basil a handful, finely shredded, plus extra leaves to serve

garlic 1 small clove, crushed

parmesan (or vegetarian alternative) 25g, finely grated, plus extra to serve

fresh pesto 4-6 tbsp

flatbreads 6 (homemade or use shop-bought and warm on the BBQ)

1 Heat a BBQ about an hour before you want to cook on it, to allow the flames to die down and the coals to turn white and ashen. Don’t cook before you reach this stage otherwise you’ll get flare-ups and uneven cooking. Alternatively, heat a griddle pan over a high heat.

2 Put the courgettes, peas and spring onions in a bowl, season, and drizzle with a little oil. Toss well, then transfer to the bars of the BBQ or griddle pan, working in batches if you need to. Cook for 6-8 minutes, turning halfway, until tender and picking up char lines. Transfer back to a bowl (the spring onions will take a few more minutes than the courgettes), add the asparagus strips, another drizzle of oil and the lemon juice.

3. Mix the ricotta, chopped basil, garlic and parmesan with some seasoning. Spoon the ricotta over the warm flatbreads and scatter over the charred veg and asparagus.

4. Scatter with a few spoons of pesto (loosen with a little more oil if you need to, to get a drizzling consistency), lemon zest and more basil leaves to serve, with some extra parmesan shavings, if you like.

Flatbreads

This bread works well with the veggie flatbreads, paneer and kofte recipes, so make a double or triple batch if you’re feeding a crowd and get everyone to help themselves to toppings. Keep warm in a foil parcel wrapped in a tea towel if serving outdoors.

30 MINUTES + RISING | MAKES 6-8 | EASY | VEGAN

strong white bread flour 500g, plus a dusting

fast-action dried yeast 7g

caraway, fennel or cumin seeds 2 tsp (optional)

olive oil 4 tbsp

1 Mix the flour with the yeast, 1 tsp of fine sea salt and the seeds, if using. Make a well in the middle, and pour in the oil, along with 250ml of warm water. Knead in the bowl until it comes together, then transfer to a worksurface and knead for a few minutes until smooth. Put back in the bowl, cover and leave to rise for 1 hour.

2 Knock back the dough into the bowl, then divide into 6-8 pieces, depending on how big you want the flatbreads. Roll out on a lightly floured worksurface until about 5mm thick. Transfer to the bars of the BBQ over an indirect heat, or hot griddle pan over a medium high heat, and cook for 3-4 minutes until starting to bubble and release from the grill. Flip and cook for a few minutes more on the other side. Repeat with the remaining flatbreads.

Thyme, garlic and soy bavette ciabatta slabs with rocket and wasabi mayo

An elevated steak sandwich with mustardy heat from the wasabi mayo, umami from the marinade and juicy charred steak. We love serving these instead of burgers, if you fancy a change from the BBQ regulars. Bavette is a great cut to barbecue as it’s at its best when pink in the middle and heavily charred on the outside. Slice thinly across the grain and make the most of the resting juices in a dressing for the leaves.

20 MINUTES + MARINATING | SERVES 4 | EASY

bavette steaks 4

soy sauce 5 tbsp

thyme a small handful of sprigs

garlic 3 cloves, bashed with the side of a knife

wasabi 2-3 tsp

mayonnaise 6 tbsp

rice vinegar 1-2 tsp

vegetable oil 2 tbsp

ciabatta 4 mini or 1 large cut into 4 pieces

rocket a handful

radishes 100g, sliced or cut into matchsticks

1 Put the steaks in a sealable bag or dish, and pour over the soy, add the thyme and garlic, and mix well. Cover and leave to marinate for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Remove from the fridge just as you light the BBQ.

2 Heat the BBQ and wait until the large flames have died down. Alternatively, heat a griddle pan over a high heat. Mix together the wasabi, mayo and vinegar, adding a little more wasabi and vinegar to taste, if you like.

3 Remove the steaks from the marinade and brush with the oil. BBQ or griddle the steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side until charred but still pink in the middle. Transfer to a plate and leave to rest for 5 minutes.

4 Split the ciabatta and toast on the griddle for 30 seconds until toasted. Slice the bavette at an angle into thin strips. Toss the resting juices with a little oil and use to dress the rocket leaves. Add a spoon of mayo to the cut sides of the ciabatta, and top with the steaks, rocket and radishes.

In association with WARNER’S

3 drinks to get the party started

Rhubarb and rose G&T (Serves 1)

Pour 50ml of Warner’s Rhubarb Gin over ice in a chilled glass. Add 1 drop of rose water, and top up with tonic water (or use elderflower and rose tonic water), and serve with a mint sprig garnish.

Gin and pineapple punch (Serves 6)

Half fill a jug with ice and add 250ml of Warner’s London Dry Gin and 100ml ginger liqueur. Add 400ml of pineapple juice, and top up with lemonade or sparking water. Add a few mint leaves, fresh ginger slices and the juice of 2 limes, and give everything a stir. Serve in tumblers with a mint garnish.

Elderflower gimlet (Serves 1)

Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, and add 50ml of Warner’s Elderflower Gin and 50ml of lime cordial. Shake until the outside of the shaker feels very cold, then strain into a chilled coupe glass. Garnish with a lime wheel.

• Check out more BBQ ideas on olivemagazine.com including vibrant salads, veggie sides and jug cocktails.

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