At ely we love a good BBQ!

This summer we are looking to share the love and help make your BBQs at home even better.

We have picked the brains of our executive chef and sommelier about recipes and tips they feel make a great BBQ occasion.

Chef, Ryan, and sommelier, Ian, got very excited at all the BBQ talk but we managed to narrow down their choices!

Recipes

BBQ rack of Lamb (One rack will have 7/8 ribs and is perfect for 4 people.)

1 whole rack (french trimmed)

Newgrange rapeseed oil

Sea salt and pepper

 

For the lamb I prefer the french trim as it removes meat and sinew from the rib creating a handle as such, so when I eat it I can use my fingers and there is no mess, it also looks pretty.

Ask your butcher to do this for you as it can be tricky for the home cook and time consuming.

 

Firstly rub the rack with the rapeseed oil and then season generously with salt and pepper.

 

Now place the rack, bone side down first, over direct medium heat for about 5 minutes then turn and move to an area where the heat is not as direct or intense and leave for 15/20 mins, this will bring it to a medium rare which is perfect for me but if you desire more cooked leave it for longer.

 

Take it off the grill and set to one side, at this point for 5 minutes we must be very quiet as Thomas Keller would say ” sssshhh the lamb is resting “.

 

Once rested cut down every second bone and serve.

 

Charred onion shells

4 Roscoff onions

Newgrange rapeseed oil

Seasoning

 

For this you can use shallots, spanish onions, red onions, whatever is your own preference. I like the roscoff onion but it can be a little pricey.

 

Cut the onion in half vertically through the core with the skin still intact.

 

On an stainless steel tray place some oil and season the tray.

 

Place the onion halves flesh side down and cook until nicely golden.

 

Remove from the grill and place skin side down directly in the bbq on the coals but at the edge where the heat is significantly lower and allow to roast.

 

These will take on the wonderful smokey flavour and cooking in there own juice will leave them moist and sweet.

 

Test them by prodding them with the tip of a knife or a kebab skewer when there is little resistance they are ready to be popped out as shells or just remove the skin and serve whole.

BBQ Bananas

A simple and delicious way to round of the BBQ is to grill some bananas!

Simply top and tail bananas and place them on the grill for 10- 15mins and enjoy!

 

Wines with BBQ

A few tips on how best to pair wines with bbq.

1. Don’t raid the fine wine cellar! A BBQ is a casual affair and the wines should reflect this. Choose reasonably priced but drinkable wines rather than opening your finest – they would be wasted !

 

2. Chill your reds. You’ll be hearing a lot about this over the summer, and there’s no better time to start chilling your reds than BBQ times. Pick lighter, soft reds such as Pinot, Cotes du Rhone or Valpolicella, and give them 30 mins in the fridge before you open them on your unsuspecting, but incredibly grateful guests.

 

3. Think Pink. Often derided as halfway between the two but with the qualities of neither, summertime, and bbq in particular, is when Rosé really comes into its own. Choose a dry style rather than sweet, so Provence, Southern Italy or Navarra would all work well.

 

A few wine styles to try-

Cava- great all rounder sparkling at a friendlier price than Champagne, but much better with food than prosecco. Try it with some bbq prawns and a squeeze of lemon.

Chardonnay – it’s time to move on from your aversion to Chardonnay. A well made Aussie (or even Kiwi) Chardonnay will have just the right level of toast and smokiness to pair with chargrilled chicken, pork or even monkfish.

Light reds- while varieties like Zinfandel, Malbec and Pinotage have the flavour profile to pair beautifully with barbequed meat, they often have alcohol levels in the mid to high teens- not ideal for all-day drinking in the sun. Instead, look for reds from northern Italy – Valpolicella or Dolcetto, Pinots form NZ or Chile, or some easy drinking Spanish reds