Charred green salad with burrata
This was one of the biggest surprises for me during recipe testing for my book. As the germ of an idea, I thought it probably wouldn’t be as much fun as it sounded, but it’s actually far better. The natural sweetness of the sugar snaps and broccoli contrasts so well with their bitter charred edges, and the gem lettuce catches all the dressing within its various frills and gills. The salad really doesn’t need the cheese, to be honest. But people sure do love burrata, though.
Prep 5 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 2
1 heaped tbsp pumpkin seeds
200g Tenderstem broccoli
150g sugar snap peas
2 baby gem lettuce, quartered lengthways
Neutral oil (eg, sunflower or vegetable)
1 small handful basil leaves (optional)
1 burrata (optional)
For the dressing
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp honey
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed or finely grated
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt and black pepper
Prepare a barbecue for direct cooking over medium heat. Combine the dressing ingredients and some salt and pepper in a clean lidded jar or bowl and shake or whisk to combine.
Lightly toast the pumpkin seeds in a dry frying pan over a medium heat moving them around in the pan to make sure they don’t burn, then set aside.
Toss the broccoli, sugar snaps and little gems in a little neutral oil and season with salt. Thread the sugar snaps on to a skewer, then grill all the vegetables over direct heat until nicely charred. Don’t be afraid to get some really charred bits on that broccoli – it comes alive in the dressing. (To cook indoors, heat a cast-iron griddle pan over a high heat for at least five minutes, then use it to char the vegetables.)
Combine all the warm, grilled vegetables with the dressing and arrange on a plate. Mix through the pumpkin seeds and the basil, if using. Top with the burrata, if you like, and serve.
Sweetheart cabbage with brown shrimp butter
Also known by its far trendier moniker, hispi, the sweetheart cabbage was made for grilling. The frilly leaves burn a little, while the centre softens and steams. I love it with a lemon-laced butter and lots of tiny brown shrimp, which are themselves soft and buttery.
Prep 5 min
Cook 20 min
Serves 2 as a main, 4 with other dishes
2 sweetheart cabbages, flappy outer leaves pulled off and discarded, the rest cut into quarters
Sea salt and black or white pepper
60g butter
100g brown shrimp
1 tbsp lemon juice
Prepare a barbecue for direct cooking over medium heat. Cook the cabbage quarters in a pan of boiling salted water for two minutes, then drain. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Once the cabbage quarters are drained, brush them with a little of the melted butter.
Grill the cabbage over direct heat for six to eight minutes on each side, until charred. (To cook indoors, heat a cast-iron griddle pan on a high heat for at least five minute, then grill the blanched cabbage quarters on a high heat until well charred and cooked through.)
Put the brown shrimp, lemon juice and some salt and pepper in the butter pan and cook to warm the shrimp through.
Arrange the cabbage quarters cut side up on a plate, pour the shrimp butter over the top and serve.
Spring coleslaw with sugar snaps, almonds and miso
Coleslaw may be the greatest barbecue side dish of all time and should therefore get the attention it deserves. This spring iteration is light, fresh and crunchy, with enough savoury intensity in the dressing to keep you coming back for another spoonful or three.
Prep 10 min
Cook 5 min
Serves 4
30g blanched almonds
1 tsp white miso
150ml buttermilk
¼ tsp ground white pepper
150g sugar snap peas, thinly sliced lengthways
3 spring onions, thinly sliced lengthways
1 kohlrabi (about 350g), peeled and thinly sliced (use a mandoline, if you have one)
Sea salt (optional)
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
Lightly toast the almonds in a dry pan over a medium heat, moving them around regularly, until they are golden in places (this will take five minutes or so). Remove from the heat and roughly chop.
Put the white miso, buttermilk and white pepper in a bowl and whisk to combine.
Mix the sugar snaps, spring onions and kohlrabi in a bowl. Pour over the buttermilk dressing, toss well, then check for seasoning – you may want to add a small pinch of salt, although the miso is already salty. Once you’re happy, add the toasted almonds and dill, and serve.
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Recipes extracted from Live Fire: Seasonal Barbecue Recipes and Stories of Live Fire Traditions Old and New, by Helen Graves, published by Hardie Grant at £26. To order a copy for £22.62, go to guardianbookshop.com
