Barbecue, braai, bbq, hibachi – the very fact that most cultures and cuisines around the world have a word for it speaks volumes about the popularity of our modern version of the camp fire.
There is something deeply ancestral about gathering the family, clan or tribe around a fire, cooking something wonderful and sharing it with your fellow diners. And with the current blissful weather here in Dubai, now is the perfect time to polish up your grilling skills.
But what to grill? Forget the tired old litany of sausages and bits of burnt chicken. It’s time to stir up some tasty marinades and grill the unusual instead. Here are a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing: a three-course feast done entirely over the coals.
Starters
Sumac-scented prawns
Choose bite-sized prawns with their tails still on. Stir a spoonful of sumac into a glug of olive oil, season with salt and toss the raw prawns in this mixture. Leave to marinate for an hour in the fridge, then thread them two or three at a time onto soaked bamboo skewers. Grill quickly over a hot flame and let your guests eat with their fingers. Provide plenty of paper napkins and a finger bowl or two. The sumac gives a lovely citrus flavour and a local twist.
Scallop and chorizo skewers
Use small chorizo sausages or cut small slices off a large one to ensure that they cook as quickly as the scallops. Simply thread one or two pieces of chorizo and a scallop onto a soaked bamboo skewer, brush with melted butter and grill over medium heat until the scallops are cooked. If you skewer the chorizo and scallops sideways rather than straight through the middle, they will stay in place on the bamboo instead of spinning round it when you turn them.
Salt 'n' pepper squid
It's up to you whether you prefer large squid tubes or small whole squid, both are good. Marinate in oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper then grill over medium heat. Squid cooks quickly so don't overdo it or it becomes rubbery. Cut into bite-size chunks, season with a squeeze of lemon and serve while still hot.
Vegetables
Sweet corn on the cob
This is a classic grill favourite. If you can buy corn still in the husk, grill it whole and the corn inside will steam to perfection. Serve with salt, pepper and too much butter.
Alternatively, go Greek and dip your corn in very salty water (as salty as the seawater they use in Greece), then grill over a hot flame. The corn will caramelise and only needs a generous slick of butter for perfection.
You can also slice the kernels off the cob and use them as the basis for a roast corn salsa - stir in chopped roasted peppers, coriander, some chilli and diced mango. It's great with burgers.
Sweet potatoes and pumpkins
Cut into slices no more than 1cm thick, marinate in oil, maple syrup, salt, pepper and chilli flakes, then grill slowly on a griddle plate to give them nice bar-marks. Slow grilling allows them to cook through properly.
Aubergines
Slice thinly, grill with oil and lemon juice then roll around pieces of sharp cheese - try goat's with plenty of chopped fresh herbs.
Baba ghanouj
The best baba ghanouj is made over an open fire. Prick medium to large aubergines all over, then cook directly on the coals or over a flame. Once thoroughly charred, place on a rack to cool and drain some of the juices. When cool enough to handle, remove the stalks and charred skin and roughly chop the remaining flesh. Put this in a large dish, and stir in some finely minced garlic, thinly sliced onions, lemon juice, olive oil, a generous handful of chopped coriander and mint, salt and pepper, and stir gently together. Leave it chunky, or if you prefer, beat it a bit longer to make a smooth dip. Garnish with more herbs and fresh pomegranate seeds, a sprinkle of sumac and a swirl of peppery olive oil. Smokin!
Mains
Tuna teriyaki
Mix together equal quantities of thick soy sauce and apple juice, then marinate a tuna loin for as long as you can so it gets really dark and sticky. Grill this over a medium flame for as little time as you like - some people like just the outside charred and the centre only warmed slightly, others prefer it slightly more cooked in the middle. Both are good so it's up to you. Serve with a rocket and mango salad.
Real home-made beef burgers
Burgers are so simple you'll never want to buy a pre-pack again. Don't buy lean mince - you need a bit of fat in the mixture for flavour and the regular stuff is cheaper anyway. Place your mince in a bowl, add some very finely minced garlic (or garlic powder), lots of freshly ground pepper and then the magic ingredient, miso paste. How much you use is up to you, but it adds a taste called umami and acts a bit like salt. Experiment and see what works for you. Finish your basic burger mix with some finely chopped parsley and chives, and an egg yolk to bind. Some people like to add a handful of breadcrumbs for the same reason.
Now the clever bit. Shape your burgers by hand, not into flat rounds like the ones in the packet but more like doughnuts with a filled in centre. You want the edge to be thicker than the middle - this actually helps the burger cook properly so it's worth doing and only takes a moment. Grill over a flame or on a pan and to the degree of ‘doneness' you prefer. I like mine on the rare side of medium, but you should be aware that standard safety advice is to ensure they are fully cooked all the way through.
Serve in a toasted bun with lettuce, onion, tomato, pickles and a good splodge of Dijon mustard. Proper chips to accompany would definitely be good on the side. Hand cut and home-made of course.
Dessert
Grilled pineapple with garam masala and yoghurt
As simple as it sounds - slice a pineapple into thick rings, dust with sugar or maple syrup, then cook on a barbecue for a nice bar-marked finish. Dust with garam masala, and serve with regular yoghurt or sour cream or even ordinary cream if you want. But it definitely needs the sourness to cut through the sweetness of the pineapple. Use yoghurt ice cream if possible, which contrasts nicely with the hot pineapple.
Tips
The secret of successful grilling is preparation. Do as much as you can in a clean and tidy kitchen beforehand, leave everything in the fridge to marinate for as long as possible but remember to bring any meat to room temperature before grilling.
It is worth investing in a basting brush so you can rub a little more marinade into the cooked side of whatever is on the grill and build up even more flavour. Keep everything covered until you actually use it and always put cooked food onto clean plates or serving dishes.
Gas or coal? That's up to you but light both well in advance - you want the coals to have died down a bit so there's no flame and the coals look white on the surface, and for gas, you want to really get some heat into the grill and griddle plate first so that food doesn't stick but chars properly. Get a good set of long-handled tools and learn to leave it alone. Food cooks best if it is undisturbed!
