Barbecue recipes for mid-summer

Barbecue chicken wings with spicy tomato sauce

Serves 4 to 8 as part of a shared Asian banquet

16 chicken wings, tips removed, each wing cut in half

2 tbsp chopped coriander, to serve

2 tbsp chopped mint, to serve

Marinade:

4 cloves garlic, minced

3cm piece ginger, peeled and minced

1 tsp ground coriander

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp smoked paprika

1 tsp dried chilli flakes

4 tbsp honey

3 tbsp soy sauce

4 tbsp peanut oil

juice of 1 lemon

sea salt, to taste

Spicy tomato sauce:

4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

sea salt, to taste

11/2 tsp dried chilli flakes

5 roma tomatoes, cored and sliced into 1cm thick slices

To make sauce, add oil to a deep frypan and heat over a medium heat. Add garlic, sea salt and chilli flakes and cook for five minutes. Add tomatoes and cook for about 20 minutes, tossing from time to time until they break down and form a sauce.

Bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add chicken wings and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat. Drain, pat dry, and allow to cool for an hour.

Mix marinade ingredients together in a large bowl, then toss the chicken wings through. Leave to marinate for an hour.

Heat a barbecue grill to hot. Remove wings from the marinade and set aside. Pour marinade into a large frying pan and bring to the boil. Reduce marinade on a gentle simmer until it starts to thicken.

Place chicken wings on hot barbecue grill and cook for about two minutes each side, until they caramelise and char. Brush the charred wings with the reduced marinade.

Pile wings onto a platter, sprinkle with the coriander and mint, and serve with tomato sauce.

- Neil Perry

Mushroom burgers with haloumi

Serves 4

125g unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp finely chopped herbs (parsley, thyme, basil, oregano)

1 anchovy fillet (optional)

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

2 tsp curry powder

1 lemon

4 large portobello mushrooms

Sea salt and black pepper

1 cup good-quality mayonnaise

1 tbsp chipotle in adobo sauce

4 slices haloumi

plain flour for dusting

fennel pickles, to serve

4 large crunchy burger buns, toasted on cut sides

Mix butter with herbs, anchovy, garlic, curry powder and a squeeze of lemon juice to make a spreadable consistency.

Heat a grill pan or barbecue until hot, brush mushrooms with herb butter, season and grill for five minutes on each side, or until well cooked. Brush liberally with herb butter while cooking.

Meanwhile, mix mayonnaise with chipotle sauce and set aside. Dust haloumi with flour, cook on grill on both sides until golden and place on top of mushroom. Squeeze over some lemon juice and dollop with spicy mayonnaise. Add pickles and serve on toasted buns immediately.

*Chipotle in adobo are spicy Mexican-style chillis sold in tins at selected supermarkets and specialty stores.

**Fennel pickles are sold at selected food stores, or substitute any pickles.

Tip: Leftover herb butter can be kept refrigerated or frozen until next time.

- Caroline Velik

Barbecued honey pineapple

6 slices pineapple, 2cm thick, peeled

1/2 cup warm honey, plus extra

2-3 tbsp melted butter

Cut slices in half and place in a single layer in a shallow dish. Pour honey over pineapple, turn to coat. Heat barbecue to medium, brush with butter and cook pineapple slices for about two minutes each side until golden brown.

Drizzle with a little extra honey to serve. Delicious with icecream.

- Lynne Mullins