By Christine Salins.
Nothing says summertime like having family or a few mates over, lighting up the barbecue and cooking up a feast. Cooking outside, whether you’re on the beach, around a campfire or in your back garden, is all about having fun and creating memories.
It’s a relaxed way of cooking and eating, and Michelin-starred chef Tom Kerridge loves it. But just because it’s laid-back, it doesn’t mean it can’t be special, he says.
Kerridge shares 80 delicious recipes in Outdoor Cooking, published by Bloomsbury ($45). One of Britain’s best-loved chefs, he takes simple ideas like burgers, grills, baked spuds and hot dogs, and ramps them up a notch.
Chapters include hearty favourites like pork and chorizo burger, starters like scallops with lime and lemongrass butter, veggie mains like zucchini and haloumi skewers and charred cauliflower, and shareable snacks like eggplant dips and flatbreads. There are desserts and drinks, tips and advice for the perfect barbecue, campfire or outdoor gathering.
The prawns here can be prepped ahead and put on the barbecue as everyone arrives. The foil locks in moisture to keep them juicy but if you don’t want to use foil, you could cook them in a sealed rigid foil container.
Whether you’re a beginner or you’ve been wielding the tongs for ever and a day, there’s inspiration for everyone in this passionate ode to fire and smoke.
Smokey prawns cooked in foil
Serves 4
600g large raw tiger prawns
100g butter
4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
5 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 long red chilli, sliced
1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
80ml dry sherry
Salt and freshly ground pepper
To finish and serve:
2 tbsp roughly chopped flat-leaf parsley
Crusty bread
First, peel the prawns, removing the heads but leaving the tail shells on. Using a sharp knife, make a small slit along the middle of the back to expose the dark intestinal vein. Prise this out with the tip of your knife and discard it.
Tear off a 45cm length of foil and place shiny side down on your work surface. Fold the foil in half, then create a pocket by sealing the sides (to do this, fold the foil edges over and over a few times, pressing firmly). Put the prawns into the foil pocket through the opening at the top.
Put the butter, olive oil, garlic, chilli, smoked paprika and sherry into a small pan. Place over a high heat and let it bubble away for 2 minutes. Take off the heat and season well with salt and pepper.
Pour the butter over the prawns in the foil pocket. Fold the foil edges together along the open side to seal the parcel completely. Place the foil parcel on your hot barbecue and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the heat. You’ll be able to tell that it’s nearly ready when the envelope begins to puff up with steam.
Remove the foil parcel from the barbecue, open it up carefully and tip the prawns and buttery juices into a serving bowl then sprinkle with chopped parsley – or just rip it open, throw in the parsley and tuck in! Make sure there’s lots of crusty bread around to dunk in the juices.
TIP: Instead of a foil parcel, you can cook the prawns in a sealed rigid foil container – for better stability.
Recipe and image from: Outdoor Cooking, by Tom Kerridge. Published by Bloomsbury, $45. Photo by Cristian Barnett.
