Fish for the barbecue

Fish is very easy to cook on the barbecue. Keep it simple. Prawns on skewers, trout in foil, and salmon fillets all work very well on the barbecue grill. They are quick and clean dishes to prepare and cook. Here are just three recipes for you to try on your new barbecue.

Mediterranean Sardines

These tasty sardines will bring back memories of Mediterranean holidays. We are lucky in that we can obtain fresh sardines every day in the supermarkets. Serve them with crusty brown bread as a perfect starter.

I N G R E D I E N T S
8-12 fresh sardines
8-12 sprigs of fresh thyme
3 tbsp lemon juice
4 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper

TO G A R N I S H
lemon wedges
tomato slices
fresh herbs

Clean and gut the fish if this has not already been done by the fishmonger. Remove the scales from the sardines by rubbing the back of a knife from tail to head along the body. Wash the sardines and pat dry with absorbent kitchen paper.

Tuck a sprig of fresh thyme into the body of each sardine. Transfer the sardines to a large, non-
metallic dish and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Beat together the lemon juice and oil in a bowl and pour the mixture over the sardines. Leave in the refrigerator to marinate for about 30 minutes. Remove the sardines from the marinade and place them in a hinged fish basket, if you have one, or on a rack. Barbecue the sardines over hot coals for 3-4 minutes on each side, basting frequently with any remaining marinade. Serve the cooked sardines garnished with lemon wedges, tomato slices and fresh herbs.

Lemon Herring

Cooking these fish in foil parcels gives them a wonderfully moist texture. They make a perfect dinner party starter. Depending upon where you are in the world, you may not be able to obtain herring. Just use any similar variety of fish you prefer.

I N G R E D I E N T S
4 herrings, gutted and scaled
4 bay leaves
salt
1 lemon, sliced
4 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
fresh crusty bread, to serve

Season the prepared herrings inside and out with freshly ground salt to taste. Place a bay leaf inside the cavity of each fish. Place 4 squares of foil on the work surface and divide the lemon slices evenly among them. Place a fish on top of the lemon slices on each of the foil squares.

Beat the butter until softened, then mix in the parsley and lemon pepper. Dot the flavoured butter liberally all over the fish. Wrap the fish tightly in the kitchen foil and barbecue over medium-hot coals for 15-20 minutes or until the fish is cooked through – the flesh should be white in colour and firm to the touch ([unwrap the foil to check, then re-wrap).

Transfer the wrapped fish parcels to individual, warm sewing plates. Unwrap the foil parcels just before serving and serve the fish with fresh, crusty bread to mop up the deliciously flavoured cooking juices.

Prawn Skewers with Salsa

Prawns of all sizes are popular fare in the Mediterranean, where they are often cooked very simply by barbecue grilling — the key is not to overcook them.

I N G R E D I E N T S
32 large tiger prawns
olive oil, for brushing
aioli to serve

M A R I N A D E
125 ml/4 fl oz extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp finely chopped red chilli
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
Pepper

TOMATO SALSA
2 large sun-ripened tomatoes, skinned, cored, deseeded and chopped
4 spring onions, white parts only, very finely chopped
1 red pepper, skinned, deseeded and chopped
1 orange or yellow pepper, skinned, deseeded and chopped
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
4 sprigs fresh basil

To make the marinade, place all the ingredients in a non-metalic bowl and whisk together. Set aside. To prepare the prawns, break off the heads. Peel off the shells, leaving the tails intact. Using a small knife, make a slit along the back and remove the thin black vein. Add the prawns to the marinade and stir until well coated. Cover and chill for 15 minutes.

Make the salsa. Put all the ingredients, except the basil, in a non-metaIic bowl, toss together and season. Thread 4 prawns on to each of 8 metal skewers, bending each prawn in half. Brush with marinade. Brush a grill rack with oil. Place the skewers on the barbecue rack and cook over hot coals, about 7.5 cm/3 inches from the heat source, for l minute. Turn the skewers over, brush with marinade again and continue cooking for 1-1 ½ minutes until the prawns turn pink and opaque. Tear the basil leaves and toss with the salsa. Arrange each skewer on a plate with some salsa and garnish with parsley. Serve with aioli dip.

Bill & Sheila’s Barbecue

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