Summer like it hot
It’s late on a Thursday afternoon and I hear on the radio that the weather over the weekend is going to be amazing. It seems that the mercury is finally going to rise and I am absolutely determined to make the most of it.
I immediately invite everyone over for a great summer barbecue, a bit of grown-up fun in the sun, and everyone can make it. I now have a day and a half to plan, make best friends with some delicious marinades and stock up on all the essential barbecue coal and beer. These last-minute, outdoor gatherings are great as they don’t require everything to be absolutely perfect. They’re all about relaxing in an informal setting, so the pressure’s off. It’s about good company, good food and some comfy seats. That’s really all you need – apart from those rays of summer sun, of course.
Consequently, these recipes are about sharing food in a relaxed setting: big bowls of juicy ribs and tasty salads. Some chilled beer, along with a bowl of punch and some homemade lemonade, are all you need to drink. And the result is that friends and family can have a great time eating delicious food, with their fingers if they want, while turning their faces up to catch some welcome sunshine.
The Handmade Home: Inspirational Craft, Food And Flowers, by Cherry Menlove, with photography by Keiko Oikawa (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £20).
Over a medium heat, add 1 tbsp chilli oil to a large, non-stick frying pan.
Gently fry the garlic for 3-4 mins, until it has softened. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, the rest of the chilli oil and the cubed bread to the pan. Fry for 3-5 mins, or until the bread has turned golden on all sides. Stir constantly so it doesn’t stick or burn. The bread absorbs oil quickly so add a mixture of both oils if it seems too dry.
Remove from the pan and transfer to a large bowl.
Cook the peppers and chorizo slices in the frying pan, over a low heat for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Mix the chorizo and pepper in with the bread.
Finally, mix in the sliced spring onions. Serving suggestion Tear up 180g fresh parsley and sprinkle over the salad.
For the marinade
Preheat the oven to 150C/ gas 2. For the marinade, in a medium-sized bowl, mix the soy sauces, oyster sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, spring onions, chilli and ginger and use a hand-held blender to mix it thoroughly, then set to one side.
Place the uncooked ribs in a large roasting tin and pour in the water. Seal tightly with tin foil and put in the preheated oven for an hour, or until the ribs are tender, but the meat is not falling off the bone.
Transfer the ribs into a large dish or bowl. While still warm, pour both the marinade and the sunfl ower oil over the ribs. When the ribs have cooled, cover the dish with cling film and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have the time.
Remove from the fridge just before cooking. Place the ribs on to a clean plate and allow any liquid to drain off. Cook the ribs for 15-20 mins over a very hot barbecue (the coals should glow white), turning regularly.
I immediately invite everyone over for a great summer barbecue, a bit of grown-up fun in the sun, and everyone can make it. I now have a day and a half to plan, make best friends with some delicious marinades and stock up on all the essential barbecue coal and beer. These last-minute, outdoor gatherings are great as they don’t require everything to be absolutely perfect. They’re all about relaxing in an informal setting, so the pressure’s off. It’s about good company, good food and some comfy seats. That’s really all you need – apart from those rays of summer sun, of course.
Consequently, these recipes are about sharing food in a relaxed setting: big bowls of juicy ribs and tasty salads. Some chilled beer, along with a bowl of punch and some homemade lemonade, are all you need to drink. And the result is that friends and family can have a great time eating delicious food, with their fingers if they want, while turning their faces up to catch some welcome sunshine.
The Handmade Home: Inspirational Craft, Food And Flowers, by Cherry Menlove, with photography by Keiko Oikawa (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, £20).
SUMMER RED PEPPER AND SPANISH CHORIZO SALAD
Serves 8 to 10- 2 tbsp chilli oil
- 5 medium garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 2 tbsp olive oil, plus a little extra for frying
- 800g white farmhouse loaf, cut into 2-3cm cubes
- 8 red bell peppers, cut into thin strips
- 675g Spanish chorizo, thinly sliced
- 8 spring onions, thinly sliced
Over a medium heat, add 1 tbsp chilli oil to a large, non-stick frying pan.
Gently fry the garlic for 3-4 mins, until it has softened. Add 2 tbsp olive oil, the rest of the chilli oil and the cubed bread to the pan. Fry for 3-5 mins, or until the bread has turned golden on all sides. Stir constantly so it doesn’t stick or burn. The bread absorbs oil quickly so add a mixture of both oils if it seems too dry.
Remove from the pan and transfer to a large bowl.
Cook the peppers and chorizo slices in the frying pan, over a low heat for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Mix the chorizo and pepper in with the bread.
Finally, mix in the sliced spring onions. Serving suggestion Tear up 180g fresh parsley and sprinkle over the salad.
TASTY BARBECUE RIBS
Serves 8 (3 ribs each)- 2.5kg pork spare ribs (about 24 ribs)
- 250ml water
- 150ml sunflower oil
For the marinade
- 4 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 4 tbsp light soy sauce
- 4 tbsp oyster sauce
- 4 tbsp rice wine (Mirin)
- 4 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tsp sugar
- 8 fat cloves of garlic, sliced
- 8 spring onions, washed and trimmed
- 2 red chillies, deseeded
- 5cm fresh root ginger, grated
Preheat the oven to 150C/ gas 2. For the marinade, in a medium-sized bowl, mix the soy sauces, oyster sauce, rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, garlic, spring onions, chilli and ginger and use a hand-held blender to mix it thoroughly, then set to one side.
Place the uncooked ribs in a large roasting tin and pour in the water. Seal tightly with tin foil and put in the preheated oven for an hour, or until the ribs are tender, but the meat is not falling off the bone.
Transfer the ribs into a large dish or bowl. While still warm, pour both the marinade and the sunfl ower oil over the ribs. When the ribs have cooled, cover the dish with cling film and put in the fridge for at least 2 hours, or overnight if you have the time.
Remove from the fridge just before cooking. Place the ribs on to a clean plate and allow any liquid to drain off. Cook the ribs for 15-20 mins over a very hot barbecue (the coals should glow white), turning regularly.
TOP 10 PICNIC INGREDIENTS
A recent survey revealed what Britons think makes the perfect picnic…- Chilled white wine/ champagne 19%
- Scotch egg/ sausage roll 16%
- Dips (various) and crisps 12%
- Sandwiches 11%
- Cold meats 10%
- Strawberries/ fruit salad 9%
- Cheeses, biscuits and pickles 8%
- No wasps or ants 6%
- Pork pie 4%
- Umbrella 2%
- Others 3%
15 GREAT BRITISH PICNIC SPOTS
Fancy a picnic in the great British countryside? Here are the best according to National Picnic Week…- Barafundle Beach, Pembrokeshire
- Brownsea Island, Dorset
- Avon Valley Country Park, Bristol
- Formby Beach, Merseyside
- Somerset House, London
- Devil’s Dyke, East Sussex
- St Herbert’s Island, Derwentwater, Cumbria
- North Pennines
- Bodmin Moor, Cornwall
- Corfe Castle, Dorset
- Rievaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire
- Gibside, Newcastleupon-Tyne
- Glenkiln Sculpture Park, Dumfries and Galloway
- Padley Gorge, Derbyshire
- Top Withens, Haworth, West Yorkshire