Rack of Lamb with Rosemary, sweet potato ,peas and sweetcorn

A crowd pleaser through and through. You simply can't go wrong with meat on a stick, especially when it is as easy as this.

For the lamb, go to a butcher and get one rack per two people, they will french trim them for you if you are not keen on doing the job yourself. Look for some nice big ones, with a good covering of fat. Before you put these on the barbecue the meat really does need to be at room temperature, so make sure they have been out of the fridge for a good half hour before you start (so as you go to light the charcoal, pull the racks out of the fridge! and at the same time throw the corn cobettes into a pan of cold water for soaking)

Drizzle a small amount of olive oil over the racks and then sprinkle a good helping of rosemary all over.

Prepare enough sweet potatoes for your guests, by wrapping in tin foil, and do the same with the sweetcorn cobettes, but add a little salt and pepper, and a small amount of butter. Since they have been soaked in water they won't dry out.

Bring your barbecue up to a good heat, a shoe box size fire will be perfect and make sure it is sizzling hot before you start.

I use a cast iron skillet for the next bit, but a baking tray will be equally fine. Get the skillet very hot by placing directly over the hottest part of the fire for a short while. Place the sweet potatoes and the sweetcorn on the edge of the cooking area, so they are close to the heat. Keep the lid closed down over the fire as much as possible to help get the potatoes and the corn to cook.

When the tray is up to temperature, place the lamb fat side down in the skillet, it should sizzle aggressively and start rendering down that fat. Close the lid and leave for 5 minutes.

Check the lamb and turn over to look at the fat, it needs to be browned and getting crispy, otherwise you are not going to get the taste, instead just a mouthful of fat. When it looks right ( see the picture below), remove the skillet from the direct heat and place to the far side of the fire, fat side up. After turning the potatoes and corn place a pan of peas in enough water to just cover them on the indirect heat area and close the lid down again and leave for 20 minutes. Try not to be tempted to check too often, as every time you lift the lid, you'll lose the oven effect.

After the 20 minutes you'll need to remove the lamb from the barbecue and cover with tin foil and allow to rest for at least 10 minutes, this is vital.

While the meat is resting, check the potatoes and corn. The corn can be finished off over the coals to get that beautiful chargrilled look. The potatoes I tend to cut in half and scrape out the insides for the kids, add some salt and butter. Drain the peas, add some butter to them as well, then bring it all together to the table.

The final bit is carving the meat, use a sharp knife and cut down the middle of each rib. You hope at this stage that the meat reveals a beautiful even pink/rare lamb cutlet. Plate up, add some mint sauce and a glass of something white and chilled.

Oh, and use your hands with the meat, there is nothing better than to eat lollipop meat on a stick and you don't leave any wasted meat on the bones!

Ceder infused roasted salmon, topped with garlic , accompanied with feta salad

Okay so it sounds swanky yes, but this is very straight forward and a great meal to do for friends on the Barbie.

For the ceder, you need to get a grill plank ( now starting to be more common in shops that sell BBQ stuff ) , its basically a short plank of wood that you are going to burn, but in a slightly more cunning way - the food sits on top of the wood, so is not directly over the heat.

Soak the grill plank for a good half hour, longer if you remember in time. If you throw it in a bucket of water whilst you start your BBQ that should be about right. You don't need a big fire, about a 3/4 shoe box size will be fine.

Season the fish, add some butter or oil lightly over the top. When both fire and plank are prepped and ready place the fish pieces on the plank, and the plank directly over the hottest part of your fire. Close down the lid and leave for 20 minutes.   What is happening under the lid is basically the wood slowly catching fire and smoldering - releasing lots of ceder smoke into the oven area, the fish is going to cook due to the heat, and get infused by this smoke.

While the fish is taking care of itself, grab some lambs lettuce or your favourite greens for a salad, I love the peppery watercress and  pea leaves. Cube up some feta cheese and throw that all in a bowl together and top with a good salad dressing, mix well.

With about 10 minutes to go before the fish is done, so at half time - it's good to check progress, perhaps re-position fish to make sure even cooking and to make sure the plank has not really gone up in flames. If you are worried , move the plank away from the direct heat and let the fish cook through the last ten minutes to the side.

In a small pan or metal tray add some butter and some chopped up garlic, add a little olive oil to this as well to help stop the butter burning, place  over the edge of  the direct heat so the the garlic gets cooked in the final stages.

Plate up and pour the garlic over the fish, pour Pinot Grigio into large glasses and sit in the sun and enjoy.

Tapenade encrusted steak sarnie

Simply put, this is pure unadulterated pleasure in a sandwich!

It is a coming together of two of my most favourite foodie things, rare cooked steak and my home made tapenade, which either one on their own would be cause for some celebration. Together it's food porn.

The tapenade itself is very quick and simple to make, but we generally have a pot of it in the fridge most weeks, so when it comes to putting this sarnie together it is very quick indeed. I highly recommend the tapenade with freshly baked crusty french bread, but a word of warning... watch your bread intake increase ten fold!

For the tapenade

1 cup of green olives   ( pitted )
1 cup black olives   (pitted )
quarter cup of capers
three cloves of garlic pealed
a good glug of extra virgin olive oil
squeeze half a lemon into it too

wizz this fairly solid mixture down using a hand blender and make sure it is well and truly blended.
Transfer to a suitable storage pot - lick spoon used to do transferring clean and then reach for some bread.


For the steak

I like to switch it round with steaks and enjoy all that they have to offer, I think this probably works best with Sirloin, but hey - pick your favourite. An 8 oz steak is perfect size.

Trim the fat off till you are left with a nice lean cut of meat, don't go too thick either half inch thickness is perfect. Let the steak get to room temp along with that tapenade, then spoon enough tapenade over one side of the steak to cover it nicely.

Fire up your pan (perferably over an Open Fire) with a little dab of olive oil in and allow to get nice a hot. Place the steak in the pan, tapenade side down ( it should sizzle) and cook for two minutes. Whilst its cooking coat the upper side with tapenade just like you did with the first side.

Turn the steak very carefully and cook for another 2 minutes. During this time, butter lightly two slices of bread, and coat with a thin layer of dijon mustard .

After two minutes take off the heat and allow the steak to sit in it's own juices and continue to cook for a further minute, before taking it out of the pan, place it on a warmed plate and cover and let it be for 5 minutes at least.......  it's okay, it's your sandwich, no one else is going to run away with it, and trust me, it's worth the extra five minute wait.

Then slice up the steak into thin slices , perhaps just under a centimetre wide, being careful not to remove the lovely tapenade covering.

Place inbetween two layers of prepared bread,  remove yourself to a calm relaxed place, take a big deep breath, let the stress of the world go, and tuck into one of life's little pleasures.