16 January 2012
One For The Barbecue - Manawatu Standard Saturday 14th January 2012.
Recently we have experienced great changes in the weather. The wind last week which screamed down from the hills behind Shannon, made my garden feel very unhappy. Branches of trees were torn off and shrubs looked as though they were going to be uprooted from the ground. The noise of the wind was similar to an angry sea and the wind swirled around like a vicious whirlpool. In the middle of this mayhem I was out there sadly cutting back the precious new growth of the roses. The electricity in the house came and went and a few hours later everything became peaceful. There was just a rather large mess. Following this we had a couple of days of changeable sunshine, but it has been very muggy and energy levels tend to drop.
In this kind of weather cooking on the barbeque is ideal for two reasons. One, is that you are all able to be outside and the second important reason is that members of the family tend to think they are better at barbequing than you are. Disillusionment is not the answer here. Relax and enjoy the fact that there is family participation. A nonstick silicon baking sheet is great for putting on the solid barbeque plate to prevent food sticking or burning.
These chicken satays can be made with either breast or thigh meat. Thigh meat takes longer to cook, but the thigh meat is moister than the breast meat. Cut the chicken breast across the grain and thread strips onto the satay sticks or if using thigh meat, cube the chicken. The chicken has more flavour if left to marinate for several hours before threading onto the skewers.
Chicken Satays
Ingredients
1 ½ kg chicken boneless thigh or breast meat
6 tbsp safflower oil
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
Grated rind 1 lemon
1 tbsp soy sauce
½ tsp ground chilli
½ teaspoon salt
1 tsp grated green ginger
1 clove garlic, crushed
Method
Cut the chicken meat as described in the introduction. Combine the remaining ingredients, and pour them over the chicken, tossing to coat the meat thoroughly. Let marinate for several hours at least in the refrigerator. Thread the chunks on to bamboo sticks, which have been soaked in water, and grill over medium hot barbeque. Make sure chicken is cooked through before serving.
I buy large green (uncooked) peeled prawn cutlets. Which require the minimum of attention.
Prawn Satays
Ingredients
125g macadamia or Brazil nuts
2 cloves garlic
½ tsp ground chilli
1 tsp fish sauce
½ tsp paprika
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp water
New Zealand sea salt, to taste
1kg green prawns in the shell
Method
Place the nuts, garlic, chilli, fish sauce, paprika, lemon juice, oil, water and a little salt in a processor and blend until smooth. Devein the prawns if necessary, add the nut mixture, toss to coat the prawns, and let them marinate for several hours at least. Thread 3 – 4 prawns on to bamboo sticks, which have been soaked in water, and grill over a medium flame.
Beef Satays
Ingredients
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves garlic, peeled
2 tsp laos
2 tsp ground coriander
1 stalk lemon grass
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp fish sauce
½ tsp New Zealand sea salt
1 tbsp lemon juice
125ml coconut milk
500g good lean beef
Method
Place all ingredients except the beef in a processor, and blend until smooth. Cut the beef into small chinks, stir in the marinade, and place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours. Thread the meat on to bamboo sticks and grill over high heat.
The following salad is easy to put together and the individual components can be prepared in advance. Use whatever ingredients are in season. Group the vegetables on a large platter with a bowl of peanut sauce in the middle and let your quests help themselves. I have used this concept with poached sliced chicken breast, sliced rockmelon and fresh beans.
Gado Gado
Ingredients
100g green beans
125g pumpkin
4 baby potatoes
¼ cabbage, finely shredded
2 carrots, grated
1 cup bean shoots
½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and finely sliced
2 hardboiled eggs, shelled and quartered
Fried onion rings
Krupuk or prawn wafers
Method
String the beans and cut them into bite-size lengths. Peel the pumpkin and cut into batons. Cut the unpeeled potatoes into slices about ½ cm thick, steam the cabbage, green beans, pumpkin and potatoes separately, and let them cool. Place them in a large serving platter with carrots, bean shoots and cucumber. Put a bowl of peanut sauce in the middle of the platter and garnish with the quarters of egg, fried onion rings and prawn wafers if available. Serve with the remaining sauce.
Peanut sauce:
6 tbsp peanut butter (Smooth or crunchy)
1 cup water
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
½ tsp shrimp paste (optional)
Lemon juice to taste
Coconut milk or water for thinning
Put peanut butter and water in a saucepan and stir over gentle heat until mixed. Remove from heat and add all other ingredients. Add coconut milk or water to thin the sauce to a pouring consistency. Check seasoning and add more salt and lemon juice if required.
Not all the ingredients are readily available in our supermarkets, however use what fruits are available and the lychees give an exotic touch.
Tropical Fruit Salad
Ingredients
1 ripe pineapple
1 rockmelon
¼ watermelon
½ pawpaw
2 mangoes
2 Granny Smith apples
1 can lychees, drained
Juice of 1 lime
Sugar to taste
Method
Peel and dice the pineapple. Scoop out the balls with a melon baller from the cantaloup and watermelon. Peel the pawpaw, remove the seeds and dice the flesh. Peel the pawpaw, remove the seeds and dice the flesh. Peel the mangoes and slice them. Core the unpeeled apples and dice them. Place all fruits in a large bowl, add the lime juice and sugar to taste.
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