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WHAT TYPE?
150g whole baby chestnut mushrooms
200g baby courgettes, cut into 1.5cm squares
1 red pepper, cut into 1.5cm squares
1 yellow pepper, cut into 1.5cm squares
300g whole cherry tomatoes
1 red onion, cut into small wedges
1 aubergine, cut into 1.5cm cubes
HOW MUCH?
The quantity of vegetables above will make up at least 15–20 skewers without any further additions, so they’re a generous veggie starter for a crowd.
Pick a marinade from the suggestions on the following pages, make it up in a large shallow bowl (rectangular glass Pyrex dishes are good for this), then stir through the vegetables.
Thread the veg on to the skewers, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours to overnight.
Barbecue
Once your barbecue is good and hot (see here), lay the skewers on the grill and cook for about 6–7 minutes, covered if your barbecue can be covered. Turn the skewers over and give them another 6–7 minutes or so. The vegetables should be cooked through, and nicely charred in places – flip them and give them another 3–4 minutes if in doubt.
Serve immediately, with your choice of dip (see here).
Halloumi, paneer and tofu all barbecue really well, and a good marinade will add flavour and texture from the interesting charred bits.
WHAT TYPE?
HALLOUMI: pick the nicest one you can, as it makes a real difference to the flavour and texture.
PANEER: you can buy this packaged in blocks (a bit like feta cheese) in many supermarkets – it works beautifully on the barbecue.
TOFU: you definitely want a block of firm tofu for this (silken will fall apart). My favourite brand is Tofoo – the smoked one is particularly good.
Cut your halloumi, paneer or tofu chunks into 2.5cm cubes – not too small, or they’ll be difficult to skewer.
HOW MUCH?
Allow about 80–100g of halloumi, paneer or tofu per person as a starter. You can intersperse vegetables from the veg section as well if you wish, or make them up as separate skewers.
Pick a marinade from the suggestions on the following pages, make it up in a large shallow bowl (rectangular glass Pyrex dishes are good for this), then stir through the paneer, tofu or halloumi cubes.
Thread the cubes on to the skewers, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours to overnight.
Barbecue
Once your barbecue is good and hot (see here), lay the skewers on the grill and cook for about 5 minutes, covered if your barbecue can be covered. Turn the skewers over and give them another 5 minutes or so, then turn them on to their sides to char for another 3–4 minutes. The cheese or tofu should be evenly charred on the outside.
Serve immediately, with your choice of dipping sauce (see here).
Chicken breast is a good option for skewers, as they’ll cook quickly and any of the marinades you pick will help tenderise the chicken.
WHAT TYPE?
Cut chicken breasts into 2.5cm chunks – or I quite like to use packets of mini fillets, as you can weave them on to the skewers without any further chopping.
HOW MUCH?
Allow about 100g of chicken per person as a starter. I prefer to make up chicken skewers by themselves, and serve vegetable skewers separately on the side.
Pick a marinade from the suggestions on the following pages, make it up in a large shallow bowl (rectangular glass Pyrex dishes are good for this), then stir through the chicken pieces.
Thread the chicken on to the skewers, then cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for a couple of hours to overnight.
Barbecue
Once your barbecue is good and hot (see here), lay the chicken skewers on the grill and cook for 6–7 minutes, covered if your barbecue can be covered. Turn the skewers over and give them another 6–7 minutes or so. The chicken should be well charred on the outside, and a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the flesh (don’t hit the metal skewer, or the reading will be off) should show at least 70°C.
Serve immediately, with your choice of dipping sauce (see here).
MARINADES
I first had this barbecue dressing in Vietnam, where they served freshly grilled prawns in the shell with a dipping bowl of this incredible mixture alongside; I give you my version below. It’s very simple and very effective – do use really good, freshly ground black peppercorns, or try a variation with Sichuan peppercorns. This will make enough for about 400g of meat, fish or veg.
2 tbsp black peppercorns
