Recipes that are simply brill for the grill

Psst! Don’t shout it too loud but it looks like spring is well and truly in full swing and it’s brought some sunshine with it (hooray!) so it’s time to break out the barbie and get grill-iant (sorry!). Never look a gift horse and all that… But if you’re sick and tired of boring burgers and same-old sausages, we’ve cooked up some ideas here that are sure to banish your barbecue blues. These tried and tested (and tasted) recipes are simply brill for the grill.

Spicy Malagueta chicken

Sick of the same old chicken drumsticks? Kick things up a notch with this exciting Caribbean recipe that’s oh-so-easy to make and tastes as great as it looks.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 500g boneless, skinless chicken wings (or thighs)
• 5 tbsp spicy Malagueta marinade
• 1 quantity honey mustard glaze
• 1 large red pepper
• Salt and pepper to season

For the marinade:

• 70g small red chillies (preferably Malagueta)
• 5 garlic cloves, lightly crushed
• 70ml olive oil
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 ½ tsp tomato puree
• 2 ½ tsp caster sugar
• ½ tsp dried chilli flakes
• 1 heaped tsp paprika
• 2 tsp sea salt
• Pinch of dried oregano

For the glaze:

• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp cider vinegar
• 1 tsp Dijon mustard

Method:

Trim any excess fat from the chicken wings and place them in a bowl. Add the Spicy Malagueta Marinade and toss to coat evenly. Cover with cling film and store in the fridge to marinate for 4 hours (or overnight). Deseed the pepper and cut it into chunks.

Thread the pepper and the chicken onto skewers (best to pre-soak these in warm water for a couple of minutes) and season with salt and pepper. Cook on the barbecue for 10-15 minutes, turning occasionally. Baste with the honey glaze and return to the heat for a few more minutes until golden brown.

Remove from the barbecue and leave to rest for a few minutes, then serve up – why not try them with sweet potato fries and some soured cream?

Honey glazed prawns

For an exotic dish that’s full of flavour, try these super simple honey glazed prawns. Sweet and sour and sticky, they’ll go down a treat with any seafood lovers out there.

Ingredients (serves 4-6)

• 400 grams of king prawns, raw, de-shelled (we leave the tails on for a bit of crunch)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 120ml soy sauce
• 120ml honey
• 60ml balsamic vinegar
• 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
• 2 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 lime
• Salt and pepper to season

Method:

In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, soy sauce, honey, balsamic vinegar, hoisin, and garlic. Place your prawns in a sealable food bag and add half the mixture into the bag, setting the rest aside. Give the bag a quick shake and then pop it in the fridge for one hour.

Once marinated, place the prawns onto the barbecue and cook the until they turn pink. While they cook, transfer the remaining half of your honey-garlic mixture into a saucepan and bring to the boil, simmering until it’s thickened into a glaze.

Remove the prawns from the barbecue and brush them with the remaining glaze, then serve up straight away!

Sweet potato and quinoa burgers

via GIPHY

Veggies, say good bye to potato salad! Get in on the barbecue action with these tasty sweet potato burgers. Packed with protein, they’re also a healthy alternative for any meat-eaters looking for something a little different.

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 2 large sweet potatoes
• 200g quinoa
• 1 onion, diced
• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed
• 1 tbsp fresh thyme, finely chopped
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• Salt and pepper to season

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Pierce the sweet potatoes and place on a baking tray in the oven for 45 minutes until soft. Remove the skins and mash in a large mixing bowl. Prepare the quinoa according to the package instructions. In a frying pan, sauté the onions with the oil and garlic until soft and translucent. Add the thyme and mix well. Combine the onions, quinoa and sweet potato, season, and stir well. Form the mixture into patties (we also covered them in flour as they were quite sticky). Cook on the barbecue for approximately two minutes on each side. Serve on a bread bun with sliced avocado, tomato and lettuce (you can even throw some relish in there for added flavour!).

Gourmet hot dogs with mustard onions

Not your usual frankfurter, these sophisticated gourmet dogs are maple-glazed for added sweetness and served with delicious fried onions – a must-have for any summer soiree.

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 8 pork sausages (we went with Lincolnshire)
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 4 mini baguettes or bread rolls
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 2 tsp cider vinegar
• Large pinch of brown or muscovado sugar

Method:

You might need an assistant for this one (unless you’re a master multi-tasker)! Pop your sausages on the barbecue and start to cook. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the onions and mustard seed until softened and golden. Brush the maple syrup over your sausages and continue to cook until dark, shiny and cooked through. Stir the mustard, sugar and vinegar into the onions until the sugar has melted. Cut open your bread rolls and put two sausages in each, then smother in mustard onions and serve.

Barbeque banana and chocolate

The perfect sweet treat to end the evening, and popular with kids and grown-ups alike – they may not look pretty, but they taste amazing!

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 bananas
• 1 large bag of chocolate buttons

Method:

Make a slit through the skin of each banana down one side (don’t cut all the way through!).Poke the chocolate buttons into the cut, and then wrap the bananas in tin foil, crimping the edges together to seal. Place the banana parcels into the embers of your barbecue for about 15 minutes, or until the banana skins go black. Serve with a scoop of ice cream and enjoy! Also try adding extra toppings, like gooey marshmallow, to really sweeten the deal.