Electric Barbecue Recipes

Chicken Kebabs

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an entree.

These kebabs have a great kick to them, a combination of the smokey paprika, sharp lemon and chilli power. Absolutely delicious served with baked potatoes and a green salad. Anyone will think you’d gone to some effort. Ahh... don’t you love the marinade? Do all the work beforehand and relax all the way to the dinner table!

You will need:

Ingredients

• 450g chicken breast
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 finely sliced shallot
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• Juice of a lemon
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• ¼ teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• Salt and pepper

Method

Slice the chicken into long strips. Thread the chicken strips onto skewers. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (but preferably overnight). Preheat the barbecue. Grill the kebabs for approximately 16 minutes, turning once.

For an outstanding alternative, substitute the chicken with a dozen large green prawns (shelled but leaving tail intact) and serve with lemon wedges as an hors d’oeuvres.

Meatballs

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an entree.

The only way to make meatballs is to get your hands dirty. Ignore the phone, the kids and all but the most urgent calls for help and enjoy the 10 minutes of rolling the meatballs between your hands, crafting each one down to near regulation size.

Rather than great chunks of meat which take forever to cook, set yourself the challenge of getting an ever greater number of balls from the same amount of mixture. 60... 70... 80?.

You will need:

Ingredients

• 500g lean minced beef
• 500g minced pork
• 2 eggs
• 2 cups bread crumbs
• 1 very finely chopped onion
• Salt and pepper

Method

Using your hands, squish the ingredients together in a large bowl until well combined. Roll small meatballs between your hands, no larger than 2 cm (3/4”) in diameter. Place them on a tray and layer with cling wrap. If you have the time, refrigerate the meatballs for 30 minutes to help them retain their shape as they cook. Preheat the barbecue. Grill the meatballs in 2 batches, for approximately 15-20 minutes.

The possibilities for these are endless: Meatballs are delicious as a finger food, with ketchup or your favourite chutney. Or, fry a clove of garlic with a little olive oil in a large saucepan and add 500ml tomato passata. Add meatballs and simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with spaghetti and shaved parmesan.

Or, add some meatballs to a beef broth with a finely sliced carrot (and/or other vegetables) and a handful of broken up spaghetti, for a hearty winter soup.

And, finally, substitute lamb for the pork and serve the meatballs in pitta bread with rocket and tabouleh, or yoghurt combined with a finely chopped cucumber.
(Shown upper right).

Sate Chicken

Serves 2 as a main course or 4 as an entree.

These fine morsels of savoury tastiness are the a great example of a classic recipe, honed over generations to a fail safe guarantee of popularity. You will need:

Ingredients

• 500g chicken breast (or thigh fillets)
• 1 cup hot chicken stock
• ½ cup crunchy peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons hoa shing wing (or sherry)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• Juice of half a lemon
• 1 very finely sliced onion
• 2cm fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon garam marsala
• 1 tablespoon curry powder

Method

Slice the chicken into long strips. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over the chicken. Refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours (but preferably overnight). Preheat the barbecue. Thread the chicken strips onto skewers. Grill the kebabs for approximately 16 minutes, turning once.

Simmer the remaining marinade for 20 minutes and serve as an accompanying sauce. Garnish with coriander leaves and finely sliced red capsicum and serve on a bed of steamed jasmine rice. Delicious!