Melissa Thompson’s recipes for a better barbecue

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Cooking a big meal on a barbecue can be the most rewarding, romantic way to feed people. The crackle of fire, fat sizzling as it drips on to hot coals and the allure of orange embers hypnotises guests and draws them in. It is my favourite way to cook, and I am never happier than when snapping a pair of tongs in anticipation.

Cooking for many can be intimidating but, with preparation and realistic expectations, it is straightforward.

When cooking for a gathering I often light the barbecue twice, once the day before to cook things that can be done in advance, and again on the day for everything else. And I leave some things uncooked. The simplicity of a delicious tomato carpaccio in summer makes me so happy.

I like to keep things relatively simple meat- or fish-wise, having just one or two proteins that will take two hours to cook, max. This isn’t the time for barbecue hobbyists to attempt to smoke a brisket in time for lunch at noon.

These pork belly slices cook relatively quickly and are delicious, while the squid cooks in minutes and isn’t something you often see in the UK, which is a shame.

I put extra effort into the sides and sauces, because they demonstrate the care and thought you’ve put into the food more than anything else.

Melissa Thompson is the author of “Motherland: A Jamaican Cookbook” (Bloomsbury)

Pork belly with green sauce

If you don’t have a lidded barbecue, you can cook these entirely over direct heat. However, you will have to watch them and keep turning so they don’t burn or overcook on one side. Or you could transfer them to an oven at 200C (180C fan) for the final 20 minutes.

For the marinade

For the green sauce

1. Mix together all the marinade ingredients apart from the vinegar. Reserve one-third of the marinade, and pour the rest over the pork slices, ensuring they’re completely covered. Leave for at least four hours, preferably overnight.

2. Blitz all the sauce ingredients in a blender. Transfer to a sealed jar and refrigerate until needed.

3. Light your barbecue with the coals to one side. Once the coals are ready, lay the slices on the grill above the coals. Keep them turning so they don’t catch. If the fire flares up because of the dripping fat, move the slices to the side without coals until the fire calms.

4. Once they are a nice golden brown, move to the side without coals and cook for 20 minutes, lid on, until the colour has deepened and a knife goes into them easily. Mix the remaining marinade with the vinegar and brush it over the upturned side of the belly slice. Turn the slices and place back over the fire, and then brush the other side with the leftover marinade. Flip them back over, cook for a final five minutes until the fat is soft and the slices a deep golden brown. Remove to a tray and rest for 10 minutes before serving with the sauce.

Squid with tomato, shallots and lemon

1. Lay a squid on its side and use a sharp knife to cut through the length of it and open it out. Lay flat on the chopping board and gently score the outside in a criss-cross shape. Repeat until all the squid are prepared.

2. Mix the shallot, tomato, oil, lemon juice, zest and salt in a small bowl and set aside.

3. On a lit barbecue, lay the squid flat directly over the flames. Add the tentacles, being careful they don’t fall through the gaps. Cook for two to three minutes on each side until the squid turns white and opaque. Lay on a serving tray, and spoon the sauce all over them. Serve immediately.

Roasted aubergine with miso and tahini

If you don’t have a barbecue with a lid, char the aubergines on the grill, then finish them in the oven.

For the miso

For the tahini

To serve

1. Pierce the aubergines with the tip of a sharp knife. Light the barbecue, with coals on one side only, and place the aubergines directly over the coals. Put the barbecue lid on and open the vents fully.

2. While the aubergines are cooking, mix the miso, sugar, mirin and garlic. In a separate bowl mix the tahini, sugar, garlic and water, adding gradually until it becomes loose enough to pour.

3. After 10 minutes turn each aubergine to cook on the other side, and then keep turning every five minutes until the aubergines are fully cooked — you can tell by pressing all along its length: there should be no firm areas. It will take between 15 and 25 minutes depending on the size of the aubergines. Don’t worry if any bits of skin look burnt, this adds a lovely smoky flavour to the flesh.

4. Remove the aubergines to a lidded container and steam for 10 minutes then remove, split open but do not separate the two halves. Tip the aubergines out to drain any juice and add these juices to the tahini, straining if necessary to remove any bits of burnt skin. Mix well.

5. Lay the split aubergines on a tray and spoon the miso mixture onto the aubergine flesh with the back of a dessert spoon. Add more coals to the barbecue if necessary and return the tray to the lidded barbecue on the side without fire. Bake for 15 minutes. Remove, drizzle with the tahini mixture. Scatter the chives over the top and serve with the lime wedges, ensuring to squeeze the juice all over before eating.

Grilled courgette with ricotta and lemon

1. In a bowl, drizzle the courgette slices with oil to coat and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Lay flat on the bars of a lit barbecue, cooking for a couple of minutes on each side before turning without the lid on. Move the slices around so those on the outside get closer to the hottest part of the fire and those that are cooking quicker can slow down. Remove any cooked slices from the grill into a bowl and continue until all slices are cooked.

2. Add the ricotta to the middle of a serving platter and lay the cooked courgette slices around it. Drizzle with olive oil, grind black pepper over the top and sprinkle the salt lemon zest all over (it’s easiest to zest the lemon directly over the dish). Serve immediately with the lemon wedges.

Tomato carpaccio

1. Lay the sliced tomatoes on a large serving platter, overlapped. Scatter the shallot rings and capers over the top. Mix the vinegar and oil together and drizzle over the top. Sprinkle with sea salt just before serving.

Baked cherry custard

If you don’t have a barbecue with a lid, or are limited for space, bake the custard in the oven at 180C for 45-60 minutes until set but still wobbly in the centre.

1. Beat the eggs and sugar together until pale and creamy.

2. In a separate bowl, take a small amount of milk and mix with the flour to form a paste. Add the remaining milk gradually, stirring as it goes in to avoid lumps, until it is all combined.

3. Heat the milk in a pan until it starts to steam and then slowly pour into the egg and sugar mixture, beating fast to fully combine before adding more milk. Once it is all fully incorporated stir in the cream and vanilla extract.

4. In a cast or spun iron 20cm pan equally space the cherries and pour the custard mixture over the top.

5. If cooking on the barbecue, have two piles of lit coals on either side, with a clear channel running through the middle. Put the pan in the middle — away from direct heat — and close the lid. Fully open the top vents and close the bottom ones by a quarter to regulate the temperature. Aim for a temperature of 180C. Turn through 90 degrees after 25 minutes.

6. Bake until the custard has set but still has a wobble to it, about 40 minutes to an hour, depending on temperature.

7. Rest for five minutes before serving.

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