Cooking over fire never fails to impress. It shows care, planning and patience as one lovingly tends to their meal; prodding, basting and turning. Yes, there is often stress. A moment of panic that the meat won’t be cooked in time, won’t be rested enough, or has cooked too quickly. But the magic of cooking outside lies in tradition and gathering. People are drawn to the fire, the opportunity to step outside, breathe deeply and create simple, delicious meals as the heat of the day dwindles and slowly transitions into evening. Barbecue cooking doesn’t need to be complicated, nor does it need to be predictable. One joint of meat, cooked well and served with a salad and a pile of freshly grilled flatbreads can be an instant showstopper. We’re sharing three low-effort, high-impact meals that will impress your guests and give you some delicious leftovers as well (one of the added bonuses of cooking by fire). 

These are recipes to feed a crowd, each serves at approx 6 adults.

 

BBQ Caesar Salad

 

A well-made caesar salad is a thing of beauty. There is no excuse for the overly chilled iceberg lettuce, bland chicken and unidentifiable, wet dressing you sometimes see in restaurants. Here, a whole chicken is grilled to perfection in a garlicky, herby marinade, a speedy dressing is whizzed up and promises a zesty punch, and golden ciabatta offers a welcome crunch.

 

For the chicken:

1 large chicken, spatchcocked 

6 cloves of garlic

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp chopped rosemary

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

Pinch chilli flakes

 

Caesar Dressing:

2 egg yolks

1/2 cup olive oil or Cotswold Gold rapeseed oil

2 tbsp grated parmesan

1 tbsp natural yogurt

1 garlic clove

1 tsp dijon mustard

Juice 1/2 lemon

Freshly ground black pepper

Optional - 2 anchovy fillets or 1 tsp anchovy paste

 

Salad:

2 lemons

Ciabatta

2 heads romaine or little gem lettuce

1 clove garlic

Parmesan

1. Place spatchcocked chicken in a tray, ensuring the breastbone has been flattened. In a small food processor, whizz up the rest of the ingredients along with salt and pepper. Rub chicken all over and leave to marinade for at least 2 hours.

2. To make the dressing, add all ingredients except dressing into a jug and blend using an immersion blender until smooth, then drizzle in the oil. Taste and adjust accordingly. 

3. 90 mins before serving, remove the chicken from the fridge and prepare the barbecue. You want a steady heat, so load the charcoal on one side and cook the chicken on the other (known as indirect cooking), or if you’re using a gas barbecue then light the outer burners and cook in the centre.

4. When charcoal has turned white, add the chicken skin side down and place on the grill with the lid down. Cook for 20 mins and then carefully turn over. Cook for 15 mins and then turn it back over onto direct heat for 10 mins with the lid open to crisp up the skin. It is near impossible to give exact timings but use your instinct and keep checking the temperature. It will take about 45 mins total, depending on the size of the chicken.

5. Allow the chicken to rest while you prepare the salad. Cut two lemons and place them flesh-side down on the grill until blackened and caramelised. Slice ciabatta horizontally, and rub the cut side with a peeled clove of garlic, and then brush generously with olive oil. Place on the grill until golden and lightly charred.

6. Tear lettuce into a large bowl and add half the dressing, tossing to coat. Transfer to a platter for serving. I like to pile the salad onto one side and the chicken onto the other. Cut or tear ciabatta into chunks and scatter over the salad. Use a veg peeler to peel little ribbons of parmesan, season the whole lot with black pepper and transfer the rest of the dressing to a jug.

7. Carve the chicken by removing the legs and wings (separate the thighs and drumsticks if you like) and then cutting the breasts horizontally into three so you end up with lovely chunks of golden brown chicken. Add the charred lemons to the plate and squeeze over as you serve. Allow people to help themselves while you enjoy a crisp glass of white wine.

3-ingredient Low & Slow Pork Shoulder

This takes time and preparation, but very little in the way of active cooking. It is an instant showstopper with endless possibilities. Serve it with slaw and rolls and let people make their own pulled pork burgers, or with sharp pink pickled onions piled into soft tacos. 

1 Tubby Toms Tubby Dust tin (60g) all-purpose seasoning

1 bottle Tubby Toms Texas Drip (275ml) barbecue sauce

1 pork shoulder approx 2.5kg

Disposable barbecue tray

A note on charcoal - Use the best quality British lumpwood charcoal you can find (briquettes will burn very quickly), ensuring you have 2 full bags so you can top up as needed. It’s worth having some wood chips on hand to enhance that smoky flavour, I use hickory wood chips. 

1. Set your alarm early. This takes about 6 hours to cook, with extra time to prepare the barbecue and rest the meat. If you’re serving at 3pm, you need to light the barbecue at 7.30am. Prepare the barbecue for indirect cooking, loading charcoal into one side of the barbecue and lighting.

2. Use a small, sharp knife to cut the hard skin off the pork shoulder, leaving a layer of fat. Rub the pork all over with about 40g of Tubby Dust (you could also do this the night before) and place into a disposable barbecue tray.

3. When the barbecue is ready, place the tray on the side of the barbecue which is unlit and close lid. Keep an eye on the temperature and top up the charcoal when needed. A probe thermometer is a really useful tool here as you can set the timer to alert you when the meat is at temperature. It is ready when it reaches 90 degrees, which will take about 6 hours. Don’t be alarmed if it seems to stall around 70 degrees, be patient and it will get there. 

4. Allow the pork to rest, loosely covered with tin foil, for at least 30 minutes, ideally an hour. Shred the pork and all its wonderful juices, pouring over the barbecue sauce. Serve and await the compliments.

Surf and Turf Tacos

This is an absolute winner and so much fun to eat. There is nothing better than a meal served where everyone can help themselves, bowls are scattered around the table offering sharp pickles, creamy sauces and crunchy toppings. Kids will love the bright colours and DIY style, and adults will appreciate the wow-factor. There’s a bit of prep involved but so worth it. 

For the tacos:

4 sirloin steaks

1kg raw king prawns (shell-on ideally as I always think they’re better, but shell-off for an easier life)

20 small tortillas (although corn tortillas are traditional, I think flour work better here)

2 limes

Optional additional toppings:

Guacamole:

4 avocados

2 limes

1/2 red onion, finely diced

1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

Mash avocado in a bowl using a fork, squeeze in fresh lime juice, red onion, salt and pepper and stir. 

Tomato salsa:

4 beefsteak tomatoes

1/2 onion, finely diced

1 lime

1 tbsp fresh coriander, finely chopped

Fresh red chilli, if desired

Cut tomatoes in half and remove seeds and water so you are left with outer flesh. Dice and add to the bowl, along with juice of fresh lime, finely chopped deseeded chilli (if using) and salt and pepper. Mix well.

Pickled red onions:

2 red onions

1/2 cup white or apple cider vinegar

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp sugar

Chop onions in half and slice into fine half moons. Add to jar. In a small saucepan, heat water, vinegar and sugar gently until sugar has dissolved. Pour hot mixture over onions. Allow it to come to room temperature and pop in the fridge, ideally for at least 2 hours. This will last a couple of weeks, so make ahead of time.

1. Remove steak from the fridge an hour before cooking. Prepare the barbecue for direct cooking. Whilst waiting for the charcoal to turn white, use a small, sharp knife to shell and devein prawns. Ideally enlist a helper. Keep a couple intact to serve on top. (You can keep the prawn shells and heads to make a delicious bisque, fry with some butter and tomato puree, add water and cook for an hour before straining). Thread the prawns onto skewers so they are easier to cook.

2. On the hottest part of the grill, sear the steaks for about 3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Like them rare? They should be about the softness of your cheek. Medium rare? Feel your chin. And for well-done, your forehead. Allow to rest, loosely covered, for at least 10 minutes while you cook the prawns.

3. Over direct heat, cook the prawns on their skewers until thoroughly pink, then remove them onto a platter. At the same time, warm the tortillas on the cooler side of the grill and wrap them in a tea towel to keep warm. Once rested, slice the steak and add to the platter. Serve to happy guests.