Australian_House_Garden_January_2015

All recipes in

H&G

are double-tested to ensure success.

L

et me start by saying that the fuel

you use affects the flavour of your

food. In my opinion, heat beads

are great at giving off heat but they’re a

terrible tool for cooking food.

Heat beads are treated with a

propellant to help them burn, which in

turn imparts a chemical taste to the

food. When in Sri Lanka recently, I

roasted a duck on a spit using cinnamon

wood... I know which I prefer!

Barbecuing is not an exact science.

Monitoring the food is essential,

whether you’re chargrilling, roasting or

smoking. It’s not that arduous, but a

small amount of discipline when

cooking makes eating the meal all the

more rewarding.

Whichever kind of barbecue you

prefer – fire pit, kettle, grill – follow

these simple rules of thumb:

❖ Cook over the coals, not the flame.

When juices from your food drops

onto those coals, a flavoursome smoke

is released, giving food its distinctive

barbecue flavour.

❖ Don’t have your food too close to

the heat source, especially when the

coals are super hot.

❖ There is no going back once food is

overcooked, so err on the side of

caution. You can always return your

food to the grill.

COAL-ROASTED FISH & OYSTERS

Prep: 10mins. Cooking: 30mins.

Serves 6-8.

1 whole snapper (about 1.8kg),

scaled and cleaned

12 unopened oysters, well washed

1 lemon, sliced, plus wedges to serve

5 banana leaves

1 Light a fire and get a good bed of hot

coals going – enough coals for an even

heat source under the snapper and

oysters. (This can take about an hour.)

2 Score fish with 5mm cuts, season, and

place lemon slices inside cavity. Place fish

on 3 banana leaves and nestle oysters

around fish. Place more banana leaves

on top and wrap into a parcel.

3 Place parcel directly on hot coals and

cook 30mins or until cooked through.

To serve, place parcel on a platter and

unwrap. Drizzle fish with extra-virgin

olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Serve with lemon wedges.

ROASTED & SMOKED DUCK

WITH CITRUS SPICE RUB

Prep: 10mins + overnight refrigeration.

Cooking: 1hr. Serves 4.

1.8kg whole duck

1 tbsp black peppercorns

¼ tsp pink peppercorns

¼ tsp green peppercorns

4 juniper berries

1 allspice

1 dried bay leaf

3½ tbsp sea salt

Few sprigs of thyme

Finely grated lemon & lime zest

1 Place all spices, herbs and zest in a

dry frypan over very low heat until just

beginning to smoke slightly, about

5-10mins. Remove from heat. When

cool, place in a grinder or mortar and

pestle and grind mixture into a rub.

2 Place duck in a large bowl, pat dry with

paper towel, then rub all over with the

spice mix. Transfer duck to a plate or tray

and refrigerate, uncovered, overnight.

3 Preheat barbecue to moderately high.

Place duck on a roasting tray and cook

for 1hr (throw a few kipflers in the tray as

well for fab roast potatoes). Serve with a

light crunchy salad, pickles and mustard.

TIP If you prefer, cook duck in the oven

at 200 ̊C (180 ̊C fan).

CHARGRILLED VEGETABLES

Chargrilling gives fresh veg a rustic look

and a delicious, slightly smoky flavour.

Serve with pesto on the side (see recipe).

❖Always use a very hot grill with hot

coals and no flame.

❖ Before cooking, brush vegies with

vegetable oil, not olive oil as this burns

faster. Use the bare minimum – excess

will drip into the coals and smoke. A–er

cooking, drizzle with good quality

extra-virgin olive oil.

❖ Season with salt only prior to cooking;

use pepper and herbs a–erwards.

EGGPLANT No need to salt prior to

cooking. Brush with extra-virgin olive

oil from time to time during cooking.

ZUCCHINI, FENNEL, TOMATO Cut

into thick slices and don’t disturb while

on the grill.

PUMPKIN, SWEET POTATO Don’t cook

until completely so– – just tender is

perfect. Don’t be afraid of a little char.

POTATO Pay careful attention. Too pale

and you miss the roast potato flavour,

too dark and it becomes bitter.

CAPSICUM Cut cheeks from capsicum,

brush skin side with vegetable oil and

blacken on the grill. Cool on a board,

then scrape o› charred skin.

PESTO

Bunch of fresh basil, leaves picked

2 tbsp toasted pine nuts

(^1) / 2 cup olive oil
(^1) / (^3) cup freshly grated parmesan
Place basil in mortar and pestle, crush
with a touch of salt; add pine nuts and
grind gently. Add oil, a little at a time, until
you have a sloppy pesto. Add parmesan
to bind. Serve with vegies. #
156 Australian House & Garden
H&G ENTERTAINING