Conjuring up global flavours can be as time-consuming or as simple as you like: while some may wish to take the “low and slow” approach to barbecue, others may be happier with simple marinades and rubs to add global flavours to their meat or veg. With this simplicity in mind, we asked Christian Sculpher of Devon-based Eat The Smoke to give us some ideas…
What can be done to jazz up shop bought burgers and sausages to give them global flavours?
Jazzing up sausages comes down to the toppings to me. I always go for the best sausages I can get, then I play with the extras. In our house we’re really into Mexican-style dogs – lots of homemade guacamole and tomato & chipotle salsa. We also go for caramelised onions and peppers with a handful of thyme thrown in. These have to be covered in lashings of ketchup and Frenches too!
With regards to burgers, again, we always go for the best handmade burgers with 100% meat, or we make our own. They are so simple (meat, crushed garlic, thyme, salt & pepper) and so tasty. And you can really jazz these up. Try making Juicy Lucys with the patty wrapped around Quadrello di Bufala cheese – they are insanely good, take 5 minutes (if that) to make, and will stand up against any gourmet burger you’ll get in a restaurant.
Are there any particular countries whose spices/herbs work particularly well as BBQ marinades or rubs?
My recipes for Eat The Smoke are based on Southern USA flavours, so I’m going to be a bit biased here. The flavours they use come from Creole, Cajun, Native American and Mexican influences though, so already there’s a bit of everything in there. Additionally, though, I tend to go for South American flavours (such as chimichurri marinade from Argentina/Brazil), West African (cumin, coriander, mint and orange peel powders) and those from the Middle East.
Recently at home I’ve been playing a lot with roasted red pepper paste, which is apparently a staple in Turkey, and is so simple yet tasty and works really well alongside other dishes.
Many people use their BBQs just for grilling meat and vegetables – what else would you recommend cooking on the BBQ?
There are a few, but I just keep going back to a Jambalaya. I love getting the pan over the coals, letting the rice cook away there, and add whatever I have to hand to the pot after grilling it off. I grill off the peppers and chillies before adding, and get some local mackerel which goes over the coals before going in, along with whatever else. It’s simple, it’s easy and it tastes great. There are also some good recipes for simple flatbreads which also get cooked over the coals and go fantastically with this.
What would you recommend to vegetarians and vegans looking to create globally-inspired BBQ dishes?
Go for tapas style dishes. Lots of little things, different tastes and textures. Red lentil & bulgur wheat patties thrown together with the aforementioned red pepper paste work really well, or try chimichurri mushrooms with a splash of tequila. Dirty (thown in a BBQ sauce) tofu and smoked, rubbed halloumi also go down really well.
If you were to create one BBQ dish inspired by the cuisine of another country this summer, what would it be and why?
I recently came across a recipe by Edward Lee, a Korean American, classically trained, BBQ restaurant-owning chef, which I’m waiting to try. I’m saving this for one of those special hot relaxed days with the family as a little treat for a brilliant round off. The recipe is for T-bone steak with lemongrass and habanero served with kimchi. There you go, a dish inspired by an East/West fusion of flavours.