Grate grilling

Alfresco summer dining with Sherri Singleton.

With summer finally here and the promise of some sunny days, a barbecue is a very important piece of equipment to have on hand. It’s a cook’s dream, meals can be prepared with ease and with minimal washing up to worry about. And of course you can still be at the centre of the proceedings in the party outside.

The equipment can be very basic, from disposable hibachis available at supermarkets for a few pounds, to state-of-the-art gas fired appliances costing thousands that stand like trophies in the back garden. I am quite partial to using my ancient Weber smoker-grill, bought for $25.00 in the U.S. years ago. It has the capacity to hot or cold smoke, and can be used as a wood or charcoal grill.

Whatever sort of barbecue that you choose, one of the most important things to remember is that you want to make sure that both the grill gets very hot and that it offers a large area to cook on. It is quite difficult to control heat when cooking over coals or even on a gas grill, so also make sure that you can move food away from direct heat to a higher or side area of cooler heat elsewhere on the barbecue. A larger grill gives you much more flexibility when it comes to cooking different sorts of food at the same time, such as meat that requires higher heat and fish, or vegetables that need lower temperatures. I allow about a good half-hour after lighting the fire before placing any food on the grill. Once the coals are very hot and covered with white ash, I then slap dinner on the barbie!

The following dish is great on a hot summer’s night. No pots, no pans – only a couple of serving dishes – such an easy way to enjoy the perfect summertime meal.

North Essex chef-restaurateur Sherri Singleton co-owns the Mistley Thorn dining pub/restaurant/hotel (T: 01206 392821) and the Mistley Kitchen cookery school
(T: 01206 391545). Offering authentic wood-fired pizzas, their new Italian restaurant, Lucca is on Manningtree High St. (T: 01206 390044).

Char-grilled Chicken Breast with Guacamole

This is a simple, quick and healthy dish that seems to appeal to all ages. The marinade is also very good on meaty pieces of fish such as gurnard.

INGREDIENTS
6 small boneless free-range chicken breast halves, skin removed
2 large garlic clove, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano
2 tsp ground cumin
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
Fresh juice of two juicy limes
60 ml good fruity olive oil
8 lime wedges
8 tortillas or pitta breads
Guacamole, see recipe

METHOD
Rub the chicken breasts with the garlic, oregano, cumin, salt and pepper. Combine the onion, lime juice and olive oil in a shallow dish and add the chicken. Turn the chicken in the mixture and allow to marinate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.

When the fire is ready, lift chicken from marinade and let drain briefly. Place chicken on hot grill and allow to cook for approximately 7 minutes or until the meat has good charred bar marks. Turn the chicken and grill until cooked through for another 5 minutes or so. Make sure juices run clear if pierced and then remove to a platter and serve immediately with the guacamole, lime wedges for squeezing over and warm tortillas or pitta bread.

Guacamole

I prefer the dark skinned Hass variety of avocado to the smooth skinned Fuerte. Whichever type you choose, make sure they are ripe but not too squishy-soft.

INGREDIENTS
4 ripe medium-sized avocados, peeled and stoned
1 ripe medium-sized tomato, seeded and chopped
125g minced onion (about one half of a medium onion)
A good handful of fresh coriander, washed and roughly chopped
2 tbsp fresh lime juice
Hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco, to taste
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

METHOD
In a large bowl, mash the avocados with a fork. They should be fairly chunky. Stir in the remaining ingredients and season to taste. Serve at once alongside the char-grilled chicken.