Ingredient: Vegetables

For this recipe we want courgettes to char and not release their water, so it is important not to salt the courgettes in advance. The strong seasoning (that courgettes love) comes in a vinegar and herb dressing. Don’t skimp on the Maldon salt here, courgettes need to be seasoned properly because of their high water content. Also, if you dress the courgettes while they are still hot or warm, they will absorb the aromatic sweet, sour, and salty dressing and will be delicious eaten straight away or even the next day. You can use any good-quality vinegar you like, and pretty much any combination of soft herbs works. I have tons of oregano, marjoram and chives growing in my garden, so that’s what I use, but a mixture of tarragon, dill and basil also works beautifully. If you do happen to come across nasturtium leaves and flowers, they will add a beautiful peppery taste to the dish.

If your courgettes are small, slice them in two lengthways. Slightly fatter small courgettes can be cut lengthways into quarters, and if your courgettes are massive, cut them in half across and then into quarters lengthways.

Put the cut courgettes into large bowl and drizzle over the oil, then give them a good toss, making sure they are slicked in oil. Do not be tempted to season with salt here! Remember the dressing will season them once they are charred.

I use a plancha set over some glowing embers in my fire pit. But you can use a griddle pan or even a frying pan – either over your barbecue or over the hob. Make sure the plancha is hot and then put the courgettes in cut side down. Don’t be tempted to turn them too quickly. You want the beautiful char to come through. Turn them on the other side and cook some more, until all the sides are well-charred and courgettes feel softer.

Meanwhile, pick the leaves off your herbs. Cut the garlic roughly and put it into a pestle and mortar and add the 1/2 tbsp of Maldon. Remember you are seasoning 700g of courgettes, so this amount of salt is not too much. Now start bashing the garlic with the salt, the flakes will help crush that garlic into a paste in no time. Now add the herbs and bash some more. It’s ok for the herbs to be simply bruised rather than pulverised. Add the vinegar and the honey and give it all a good mix and a taste. At this point you can work with your taste buds and add more vinegar, honey or salt. Keep in mind that the dressing should taste strong, almost on the verge of being over seasoned. Courgettes will release their water and will dilute the dressing, so don’t be shy with the seasoning.

Scrape the dressing into the bowl where you had the oiled courgettes. Then when the courgettes are sufficiently charred and soft, drop them into the bowl with the dressing. Give them a good stir to cover and taste. If it needs more seasoning, do add some more.

Pile the courgettes on to a serving plate and sprinkle over the flowers and leaves of nasturtium, borage or any other pretty edible leaves or flowers.

This dish is fantastic piled into a pita bread and some grilled halloumi or serve alongside some grilled fish or chicken.

We’ve teamed up with the talented Olia Hercules to create a refreshing and zingy salad, perfect for light lunch or as a side dish to a hearty meal like spatchcock chicken.

The salad contains all the flavours that Olia enjoys! Beetroot is paired with vibrant chicory wedges and bursts of orange segments to bring a gentle sweetness to the dish. The dish is inspired by an amazing recipe from Georgia called charkhali. The original dish is fantastic, and involves boiled beetroot tossed in a spicy sour plum puree, flavoured with pennyroyal mint, garlic, dill and Georgian spices. Olia goes a step further by charring the beetroot and cooking the plum sauce over fire, adding an amazing smokiness to the whole dish!

Here is how to boil beetroot…

Young beetroot with leaves work best here, if yours are large, simply boil them for much longer, until you can pierce them with a tip of a knife.

To boil the beetroot, simply put them into a pan, whole, with the skins still on. If you have beetroots with decent leaves and stalks, do not throw those away! What Olia likes to do is bring a large pan over the flame of the hob and lower the beetroot roots inside and cover those with water, leaving the leaves to hang over the side of the pan. Leave the beetroot boils whilst the leaves hang out.
Bring to a simmer and cook for about 40 minutes, dropping the leaves into the pot for the last 2 minutes of cooking. The beetroot is ready when you can pierce a knife through them quite easily. You want the beetroots to be al dente, but pierceable. Drop the leave into the pot for the last 2 minutes of cooking.
Drain them when ready and run under a cold tap to cool them down. Then slice lengthways. This can be well in advance of your barbecuing, even a day or two before (just keep them in the fridge until ready).

How to make the plum sauce…

The early addition of Maldon Salt will help the plums to release their juices quickly, speeding up the sauce-making process. You can use other dark fruits too, including blackberries, sour cherries and blackcurrants. Just make sure to balance the sweetness according to how sweet the fruit is (i.e. if your blackberries are pretty sweet, omit the honey). You can use chilli flakes instead of fresh chilli too. As long as you have, sweet, sour, salty, slightly spicy flavours – your beetroot will sing and will turn the biggest beetroot hater into a beetroot lover!

If your plums are not the ripest and tastiest, it is not the end of the world. Just chop them up into smaller pieces to help them cook quicker. If your plums are ripe and separate easily when twisted, simply do that – split them in half and take out the stones.
Put the chopped plums into a cast iron pot (or another flame-proof pot) and pop it on the plancha or a barbecue. The embers should be barely glowing. Add 1 tbsp of Maldon Salt. This will help to draw out the juice out of the plums, speeding up the cooking process.
Add the garlic and chillies to the plums as well as the dill, give it all a good stir and bring to the boil. The plums should break down and start bubbling beautifully fairly soon.
Taste the sauce once it breaks down, add some honey or a touch of brown sugar if you feel like you want a little sweetness there. The original Georgian sauce is pretty sour so it’s all down to individual taste.
The sauce needs about 20 minutes of cooking or until the plums break down properly.

Cooking the beetroot…

While the sauce is cooking nicely, put the beetroots into a bowl and drizzle over the oil, toss well to coat.
Put the beetroots and their stalks and leaves on the hot plancha or griddle pan or cast-iron pan set over the coals of a barbecue and cook them until gently charred.

Adding the chicory…

Most other bitter leaves, especially radicchio, will do beautifully here, but Olia likes to use chicory for both a hearty crunch and a slightly sweeter taste.

Cut the chicory lengthways into elegant wedges and put them into the bowl where you oiled your beetroots.
When the beetroot is nicely charred, add them to the chicory – don’t worry about the heat, it’s ok for the chicory to get that little bit of residual heat.
If the plum sauce isn’t quite reduced enough yet, Olia likes to skim some of its juice off the top and pour it into the bowl with the chicory and the beets. Put as many as 5 tbsp in. You want the vegetables to be nicely coated in the spicy pink juices!
Taste the beetroot or chicory and add more Maldon Salt if you feel it needs it.

Assembling the salad…

Layer the beets and their leaves and the chicory on a beautiful platter or a large serving plate and sprinkle over the tarragon and mint or any other soft herbs that you really love or have at hand. Coriander, dill and basil make a beautiful trio.
Drizzle over some more oil to make the salad glisten and serve alongside a barbecue feast.

How long does this recipe keep?

This salad keeps very well, especially if covered with more of the plum dressing (which will almost pickle it all!). Just cover the leftovers with more of the plum tkemali, put it into an air-tight container and keep for a up to 5 days.

What can you do with the leftover plum tkemali?

You can blitz the rest of the plum tkemali into a puree and keep in a small sterilised jar in the fridge for up to a week or even longer. It is good served as a condiment – with roast duck, pork, roasted vegetables and even fish. It also freezes beautifully.

Arancini are a traditional Sicilian dish, comprising of balls of cooked risotto rice that have been stuffed, coated with breadcrumbs and then gently fried in oil until deliciously golden and crispy. In Sicily, arancini are a common street food dish which is served all year round!

The most common types of arancini is an al ragu, which is filled with meat, and an al burro, which is filled with ham and cheese within a béchamel sauce.

We’ve put a twist on the classic and included the wholesome butternut squash and fontina cheese. The squash will give a soft, nutty and slightly sweet taste, whilst the fontina cheese will give a gentle butteriness to the dish.

We also pair our arancini balls with a delicious homemade salsa verde. This is made through a combination of chopped herbs, capers, cornichons, and of course a sprinkle of Maldon Salt for elevation!

You can wash these down with our delectable Italian Negroni Spagliato, a cocktail in which is both vibrant in taste and looks! It is made from using prosecco instead of gin, with Campari and vermouth.

Preheat the oven to 180C.
Place the diced butternut squash onto a baking tray and drizzle with 1 tbsp of olive oil. Place the tray into the preheated oven and roast for 20 minutes until the squash is tender and golden.
In a large sauté pan, heat 1 tbsp olive oil and 30g butter until they are melted and foaming. Add the finely chopped onion and a generous pinch of Maldon Salt. Gently fry the onion over a low heat until they turn translucent and soft, without catching or going golden. Next add the crushed garlic and chopped sage and fry this for an additional 3 minutes.
Next add the arborio rice and stir into the onions and garlic so the grains are well coated. Fry for a couple of minutes before adding the white wine. Allow the white wine to bubble and be absorbed by the rice. Once the wine is absorbed begin adding the hot vegetable stock a ladle at a time, allowing each addition to be absorbed by the rice before adding the next. The rice should be tender but still with a little bite.
Take half the roasted butternut squash and place into a blender or food processor and blitz until smooth. Add the pureed butternut squash to the risotto and heat through until smooth and creamy. Now add the roasted butternut cubes and stir them through. It is important to season the risotto well, adding a good pinch of Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper – taste to check.
Finally, take the risotto off the heat and add the 10g butter, stirring through to give a glossy finish. Set aside and allow to cool completely before placing in the fridge for at least 1 hour (it is best to do this the day before and leave in the fridge overnight).
Once the risotto has been in the fridge, it is time to shape and roll the arancini balls. Take some risotto and flatten in the palm of your hand, then place a small chunk of fontina cheese in the middle before closing your palm and shaping the risotto around the cheese. Press firmly and roll the risotto into a ball just slightly smaller than a golf ball. Place this on to a baking tray and repeat with the remaining risotto and cheese.
Take 3 bowls. In one bowl add the plain flour and then season it with Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper, mixing in well. In the second bowl add the egg and beat it. In the third bowl add the panko breadcrumbs. You want to coat the arancini balls in this order, starting with the flour and tapping off any excess, then the beaten egg and finally the panko – making sure to press the breadcrumbs in well. Repeat until all the balls are coated and then place them in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the salsa Verde. In a food processor add the olive oil and herbs and pulse together until they are roughly chopped but not completely smooth. Tip this into a bowl and add the chopped capers, cornichons, mustard, red wine vinegar and some Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper. Stir until combined and set aside.
Place some oil into a large high sided pan so it is at least 3 inches deep. Heat it until it reaches 160C and then you are ready to fry. Fry the arancini for 2 – 3 minutes until they are golden brown and crisp on the outside, you may need to do this in small batches. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon or spider and place onto a tray or plate with some kitchen paper so it can absorb any excess oil.
When all the arancini are fried serve them warm on a platter with the salsa Verde to dip. These are perfect alongside a sparkling bitter-citrus Negroni Spagliato.

Can this be made vegan?

This recipe can easily be adapted to become vegan-friendly! Instead of the fontina cheese, you can use a mixture of both nutritional yeast and soy cream to create a cheese-like flavour to the arancini balls.

Make sure to use vegan white wine instead of your usual, as most white wines usually contain animal-derived fining agents within the ingredients. Most supermarkets will carry this alternative for you. Look out for the label ‘Certified Vegan’ as the registered trademark.

What can you serve with arancini balls?

Arancini balls can be served with a multitude of things!

You can include arancini within your cheese platters, which is a popular choice amongst many! You can accompany this with a delicious fig jam amongst a bed of freshly baked focaccia.

If you want to serve your arancini balls with something warmer, we recommend pairing the balls with our delicious Squash Soup with Crispy Mushrooms, made by the talented Xanthe Gladstone. Not only is this great for warming yourself up during the cold days, but the pairing of both squashes in the arancini and soup go beautifully together!

Lastly, if you are looking for something lighter, why not try our delicious Stir Fried Kale with Chilli and Fried Garlic. This makes a perfect mid-week side dish, where the arancini balls can be gently added to give depth to the recipe.

Can you make these ahead of time?

If you have time, it’s best to make the risotto up the day before and allow it to cool in the fridge overnight – it makes shaping them into balls and coating them in breadcrumbs much easier.

Drizzle some garlic oil and coat the leeks well and season generously with Maldon salt and pepper and char them nicely on both sides on the BBQ until soft in centre and no longer rigid.

In a small bowl combine the harissa with ½ the lime zest and the juice and the yogurt and season well with Maldon salt. Spread the yogurt onto a large plate, right the way to the edges and place the charred leeks on top. Drizzle over with honey and sprinkle with pine nuts, pul biber, the remaining lime zest and a little more Maldon salt.

Fire up the barbecue ready for direct cooking, adding a little smoking wood to the fire.
Toast the pine nuts in a small frying pan set over the fire. Transfer to a pestle and mortar and grind coarsely. Add most of the chopped basil (saving a sprinkle to garnish), the Parmesan and garlic and pound to a rough paste. Stir in the olive oil and vinegar and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Drizzle the mushrooms with olive oil, season well with salt and pepper, then rest them on the grill bars directly over the fire, gill-side down. The salt will draw a little moisture out of the mushrooms, which in turn will help the smoke to be sucked deep inside. Shut the lid and cook for 10 minutes, or until softening. Transfer, gill-side up, to a fireproof roasting tin and use a small sharp knife to ease out the cooked stems. Chop the stems and scatter into the hollows of the mushrooms.
Spoon the beans equally into the hollows of the mushrooms. Top each mushroom with 1–2 teaspoons of pesto and a slice of mozzarella. Sprinkle over the breadcrumbs and finish with a drizzle of olive oil, then slide the tin back over the fire. Shut the lid and cook for a further 10–15 minutes until the cheese is melting and the breadcrumbs are crisping up.
Serve hot and bubbling from the grill, sprinkled with the remaining basil, with crusty bread to mop up the juices, if you like.

Place whole aubergines onto BBQ and blister on both sides until they collapse. Allow to cool, scoop out flesh, drain in a sieve and add into a mixing bowl. Add the garlic, herbs, pomegranate seeds, yogurt and a generous amount of pepper and Maldon salt and mix very well. Decant onto a large platter and spread to edges. Sprinkle with remaining pomegranate seeds, herbs, a drizzle of olive oil and the pomegranate molasses and serve with warm flatbread.

Preheat the grill to high setting.

First start by preparing the caramelized red onions. In a pan heat up 2 tbsp olive oil and add the sliced red onions along with a good pinch of Maldon salt. Turn the heat down low and allow the onions to slowly cook down for 10 minutes until soft.

While the onions are cooking, place the two portobello mushrooms onto a foil lined baking tray. Remove the stem and then stuff the mushroom with the crumbled stilton cheese. Season with some cracked black pepper and then place them under the grill for 5 minutes -until the mushroom is tender and the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Going back to the onions, after they have softened for 10 minutes add the balsamic vinegar and caster sugar and cook gently for another 5 minutes until sticky and caramelized. Remove from the heat.

Now you can assemble your burgers. Start with the toasted brioche bun base, spread a thin layer of Dijon mustard on, if desired. Next top with the stilton filled portobello mushroom, season with some Maldon salt and then pile on some of the caramelized onions. Finally top with the wild rocket and the brioche burger lid. Serve with some more Dijon mustard, if you’d like.

Our BBQ sweetcorn dish brings together the natural sweetness of corn on the cob with the deliciously smoky flavours of harissa and Maldon Smoked Salt.

Sweetcorn on the barbecue or grill provides much more flavour then boiling in a pot, as the open flames will allow the cob to get gently charred, allowing a delectable taste of sweet-and-savoury as you take your first bite.

We have coated the sweetcorn with a tasty, flavoured butter recipe that includes chopped coriander, a touch of harissa and a pinch of Maldon Smoked Salt to add a dynamic taste experience, making each mouthful exciting and memorable.

Here is how to make the harissa and coriander butter…

In a small bowl, prepare the flavoured butter by mixing together the softened butter, harissa, chopped coriander and Maldon Smoked Salt.
Place a piece of cling film to cover over the bowl and let is rest in a cool, dark place, ideally a fridge.

Now let’s begin cooking the sweetcorn…

Heat up the barbecue or alternatively you can use a griddle pan.
Use a pastry brush to brush the butter onto your sweetcorn, and then place them onto the barbecue and cook for 4 – 5 minutes on each side until the corn is bright yellow and cooked, with charred areas.
Once the corn is cooked, brush it with a little bit of the butter and a final sprinkling of Maldon Smoked Salt.
Your BBQ sweetcorn is now ready to be served. We recommend serving this dish with our Smokey Chargrilled Chicken recipe, which is perfect for a late summer’s evening supper!

Do you need to boil sweetcorn before barbecuing it?

There is no need to boil or steam sweetcorn before grilling or barbecuing it. This is because if you go straight to grilling, you gain a sweeter, perfect smoky taste to your corn with the pleasantries of charred edges, adding texture and depth to the dish. Boiling will only reduce the sweetness of the corn.

Grilling corn with husks…

A husk or hull, is the external, leafy shell that covers and protects the corn whilst it grows. Many people grill their sweetcorn with the husk still on because although it requires a bit of hard work and effort reaps with flavourful rewards.

Firstly, you need to make sure you remove the silk of the corn, which is the long stands that grow underneath the husk.
Now soak the cobs for 15-20 minutes. This will prevent the husks from catching on fire from the BBQ or pan griddle.
Once soaked, begin grilling the sweetcorn for 20-25 minutes, turning them evenly to get a blackened coating on the outside of the husk.

You now have deliciously moist, juicy BBQ sweetcorn corn with a hint of charr to it to give a gentle nuttiness.

Another popular method if grilling sweetcorn in foil, which also allows the sweetcorn to become beautifully moist, but it last the smoky grill flavour.

PREPRATION:

Wash the potatoes in cold water and wrap each potato tightly in tinfoil.
Peel and wrap the onions in foil, add a little butter, crushed garlic, and a dash of balsamic vinegar before wrapping them up.
Add the wrapped potatoes and onions directly on the coals, towards the edge of the fire, and then position the odd coal around and on top of them. After 30 minutes, move the onions away from the heat and keep warm on the edge. The potatoes should be done after approximately 50 minutes. You will know when they are done as you’ll be able to easily pierce them with a knife.
Once the potatoes and onions are cooked, remove from the fire and shake off any ash.
Cut a cross into the top of each potato through the tinfoil using a large knife. Use your thumbs and forefingers to press open each potato from all four sides so that the potato opens like a flower.
Unwrap the onions and the potatoes, sprinkle with Maldon Salt, and spoon over the mushroom sauce.

MUSHROOM SAUCE PREP:

Fry the chopped mushrooms in the oil until soft.
In a pot, add the cream, season generously with Weber Flame Grilled Vegetable Spice, and bring to the boil.
Beat the egg and then add about half a cup of the warm cream-and-mushroom mix to the egg, stirring continuously.
Add the egg mixture into the rest of the mushroom cream in the pot.
Stir in the cream cheese until everything is combined, heat until it simmers.

In a large bowl add the padron peppers and then drizzle over the olive oil. Toss the peppers so they are well coated in the oil.

Heat up a frying or griddle pan to a medium high heat. Once hot, fry the peppers for a few minutes on each side until they get black char marks and soften.

Once cooked place the padron peppers onto a serving plate and sprinkle generously with Maldon salt before serving.