Summer Feasting from the Fire
by Valerie Aikman-Smith
Published by Ryland Peters & Small (£25)
Photography by Erin Kunkel © Ryland Peters & Small
Three Summer Recipes to Cook Over Fire
Enjoy summer in style with these effortless dishes cooked over fire
From delicious seafood to meat feasts, sides and salads, find more than 90 recipes in the new book from Valerie Aikman-Smith. Here she shares three of her favourites.
Paella On The Grill
Paella is a lovely dish to cook over an open fire. Gorgeous dark red tomatoes along with perfumed saffron, mixed with rice and topped with prawns, all bubble together. Use good rice (such as Bomba), or any rice from Valencia in Spain. Serve with a fine Rioja.
Serves
6-8
Ingredients
- 60ml extra virgin olive oil
- 1 dry-cured Spanish chorizo sausage (about 225g), sliced
- 4 shallots, finely chopped
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 1⁄2 tsp Spanish smoked paprika
- 2 tsp chilli flakes
- 6 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
- 375ml fish stock
- 240ml white wine
- 1⁄2 tsp saffron, soaked in 3 tbsp warm water
- 330g paella rice
- 20 large shrimp/prawns, shells intact
- 20 mussels
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
- bunch of flat-leaf parsley, chopped, to garnish
- lemon wedges, to serve
Method
Heat the grill or barbecue to medium-high.
Place a paella pan or large frying pan on the grill and add two tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the chorizo to the pan and cook for about two to three minutes until the sausage is brown and crispy. Remove from the pan to a plate and set aside.
Add the remaining olive oil, the shallots, and garlic and cook for two minutes until golden, then add the paprika and chilli flakes and stir to combine. Tip in the tomatoes and, stirring occasionally, cook for about five minutes until they have broken down into a sauce. Season with salt and pepper.
Pour the stock, wine, and saffron into a pan and place on the grill. Bring to the boil, then move to a cooler part of the grill to keep at a simmer.
Stir the rice into the tomato mixture and cook for two minutes. Pour the stock mixture over the rice and stir. Bring to the boil, then move to a cooler part of the grill and simmer for eight to 10 minutes without stirring.
Add the shrimp/prawns, mussels, and chorizo and gently push down into the rice. Cover the pan with foil and cook for another 10–15 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through and the mussels have opened up (discard any that have not opened).
Remove the pan from the grill and rest for five minutes, then remove the foil. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve with lemon wedges.
Lamb Smash Burgers
Smash burgers are – as the name implies – smashed burgers! The key to success is to cook them in a searing-hot, cast-iron pan and press the meat down into a flat patty, cooking until they have a crisp crust, then flip them over to cook the other side.
Serves
4
Ingredients
- 680g freshly minced lamb
- 1tbsp dried mint
- 1tbsp dried oregano
- 1tsp pressed garlic
- 4 brioche burger buns or bread of your choice
- 4 thick tomato slices
- sea salt and cracked black pepper
- crumbled feta cheese, to serve
- oil, for brushing the grate
- For the aioli
- 2 egg yolks
- 1 garlic clove
- 1⁄2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 240ml extra virgin olive oil
- 225g pitted Kalamata
- olives, finely chopped
Method
Place the lamb, mint, oregano, and garlic in a large bowl, season with salt and pepper, then stir to combine.
Divide the mixture into four and form into loose balls. Don’t squeeze too hard as you want the mixture to be loose to smash down easily during cooking. Cover and set aside.
To make the aïoli, combine the egg yolks, garlic, mustard, and lemon juice in a food processor and process until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add in the olive oil, a few drops at a time. As the mixture thickens, continue to add the oil in a slow, steady stream until it is all combined. Transfer the aïoli into a bowl and stir in the chopped Kalamata olives.
Heat the grill or barbecue to medium–high and brush the grate with oil.
Place a cast-iron pan or flat-top griddle on top and heat until smoking. Place the patties in the hot pan and firmly smash down with a flat spatula until they are half an inch (one centimetre) thick.
Cook for about two minutes until a crisp crust forms. Flip them over and continue to cook for another minute for medium-rare, or longer for well done.
Slice the buns and toast them on the grill, then spread the top and bottom with a thick layer of aïoli. Place a patty on each bun base, then top with a tomato slice and sprinkle with feta cheese.
Prosciutto & Fig Grilled Flatbreads
Flatbreads are such a fun way to start a party. They are quick to cook on the grill and guests can nibble on them while the rest of the meal comes together. The combination of figs and prosciutto is a wonderful marriage of sweet and salty flavours. Pick up some flatbreads from your local store if you want to reduce the prep time.
Makes
6
Ingredients
- 220g plain flour
- 1 1⁄2 tsp fast-action dried yeast
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 160ml warm water
- 2 balls of burrata cheese, torn into small pieces
- 12 slices of prosciutto
- 6 figs, quartered
- 4 red Serrano chillies, sliced
- extra virgin olive oil, for oiling the bowl
- plain flour, for dusting
- oil, for brushing the grate
- truffle honey, for drizzling
Method
Oil a large bowl and set aside.
Place the flour, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. With the motor running, add the warm water to the flour mixture in a steady stream until all the liquid is incorporated and the dough forms a ball—this will take about three minutes.
Place the dough on a floured worktop and knead to form a ball. Place in the oiled bowl and cover with a kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm place for about three hours to double in size.
Heat the grill/barbecue to medium–high. Brush the grate with oil.
Remove the dough from the bowl and cut into six pieces. Roll each piece out into a circle.
Place the dough on the hot grill and cook for about three to five minutes until golden and charred. Using a pair of tongs, turn the flatbreads over. Top each crust with some burrata, two slices of prosciutto, and four pieces of fig. Sprinkle with the Serrano chillies.
Close the lid and cook for five minutes until the cheese has melted, the prosciutto is crispy, and the flatbreads are charred and crusty.
To serve, remove from the grill to a wooden board and drizzle with a little truffle honey.
