The Penni Black Diaries ~ May 2008
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Top tips for Summer Barbecue Events
- The buffet table must be full of summer colour and vibrance. The food must be colourful. Use roasted peppers, sun blushed tomatoes, beetroot, bright fresh salad leaves, lots of fresh herbs. Brightly coloured microleaves are the new in thing this summer and a popular garnish for the salads.
- Brighten up the buffet table with vibrant flowers, or perhaps scatter some tiny daisy heads or rose petals over the table cloths
- Always marinate the meats and fish, the day before cooking on the barbecue, to ensure the maximum flavour.
- I always par cook chicken and sausages in the oven before putting them on the barbecue, to ensure they are cooked through.
- For large events, hire chafing dishes for the buffet table, to keep the barbecued food hot. It means you don’t need to be standing at the barbecue all evening and gives you more opportunity to chat to your guests.
- If you are using bamboo skewers, leave them soaking in water overnight, this stops them burning on the barbecue.
- Perhaps serve your barbecue food on a large lightly oiled banana leaf, with a Thai Orchid to garnish,for a colourful, Carribbean effect.
- I love to reduce balsamic oil over a low heat until it is a syrupy consistency. It tastes delicious and looks great drizzled over meats or salads.
- When planning your barbecue party, think about hiring garden lights, heat lamps or perhaps a mini gazebo in the case of bad weather.
- I love to garnish my desserts with summer berries, sprigs of fresh mint, and a drizzle of home made raspberry coulis, and fresh passion fruit is wonderful over a fruit salad.
- Wrap bananas and chocolate buttons in foil and cook on the barbecue, or pineapple slices with butter and sugar in foil on the barbecue – delicious barbecue treats.
My favourite marinades
- Yoghurt, garlic, fresh mint, fresh coriander and fresh lime (lovely with lamb)
- Honey, Soy, Cajun Spice (Great with Chicken or Salmon)
- Coconut, Ginger, Lemongrass, Lime, Coriander and Sweet Basil (wonderful with swordfish)
- Sweet Chilli Sauce, Ginger, Honey, Coriander, lime (delicious with large Prawns or Salmon)
- Coca Cola, Mustard, Balsamic (Fillet steak)
- Coriander, Apricot Jam, Cumin, Tomato Puree, Curry Powder, garlic (A Morroccan influence on perhaps lamb or chicken)
- Olive Oil, Fresh Garlic, Fresh Basil (wonderful with haloumi)
Drinks
Think about what drinks you want at your party. Perhaps you may want to serve a cocktail. Tall vases on the bar full of limes, lemons and apples look great. Always have a large plastic container full of ice and water to put the drinks in behind the bar for chilling if you don’t have the fridge space.
- Mojitos are popular cocktails this year (white rum, gomme (sugar syrup) lots of fresh mint and lime, served in a tall glass with crushed ice) The virgin version without the rum is popular and can perhaps be substituted with some ginger ale.
- I love to garnish my virgin cocktails with vibrant coloured edible flowers.
- If you really want to splash out, mini bottles of champagne served on trays with a straw are great.
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