How to have a successful BBQ (5-in-1 recipes)

Oh wow, how quickly time flies... June is the month for me to clear up some of my blog backlogs such as my Easter posts.

We decided to have a Easter Holiday Barbecue at home, whereby Hubby will be the chef of the day and I will be the sous chef assisting him in prep. It was a whole load of fun (the kids enjoyed it very much!) that we agreed to have a BBQ every year on Easter Sunday.

You will find 5 recipes in this post, which will assist you in holding a successful BBQ session. For our BBQ, we had grilled fish (pomfret), chicken wings, squid, grilled corn, Easter salad and sausages.

Black pomfret (ikan bawal hitam) is a good fish for grilling on the BBQ. You should always choose a firm-fleshed fish for the BBQ. We stuffed some daun kesum into its stomach area to get rid of any unwanted "fishy" smells and simply rub the skin with some salt and olive oil before grilling. The accompaniment to this grilled fish is our homemade chilli/lime dip - appetizingly spicy.

We first stuffed the squid with some curry leaves and spicy prawn paste and sealed the top with a skewer. Do not overcook as squid are notorious for having a rubbery texture when overcooked.

Why do I call this an Easter Salad? First of all, it's very colorful (Easter reminds me of spring time) and I have also included some cute rabbit carrots (I always associate Easter with rabbits). All the ingredients are tossed with a simple balsamic dressing.

Another BBQ favorite of ours are chicken wings, this time marinated with some balsamic vinegar and soy sauce. Since there was already quite a lot going on the BBQ, we decided to oven bake it first and then finish it off on the grill later for the chargrilled effect.

Easter Salad
1 Japanese cucumber, diced
10-12 cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 carrot, diced and several cut with a rabbit cutter
1/2 green pepper, diced

For the dressing
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp soft brown sugar
Salt, to taste

1. For the dressing, mix all the ingredients together until incorporated. Pour dressing over the salad ingredients and toss.

Squid with Spicy Prawn Paste and Curry Leaves
4 squid (sotong), cleaned
4 tsp spicy prawn paste
4 stalks curry leaves

1. Stuff 1 tsp spicy prawn paste and 1 stalk curry leaf into the cavity of each squid. Using a skewer (soaked in water beforehand for 5 minutes), seal the top of the squid to avoid the filling from coming out during cooking. Cook for 10 minutes, or until the squid is firm. Do not overcook as squid will become rubbery.

Grilled pomfret with homemade chilli/lime dip
2 black pomfret (bawal hitam), cleaned
1 tsp coarse sea salt
4 stalks daun kesum
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Clean the fish thoroughly. Stuff the daun kesum into the stomach area (this is to get rid of any "fishy" smells and tastes). 

2. Mix the sea salt and olive oil and rub over the exterior of the fish. Grill for 10 minutes (5 minutes each side), or until a skewer inserted in the thickest part goes all the way through. 

Homemade chilli/lime dip
4 shallots, diced *
1 bulb garlic, diced *
6 cili padi, diced *
2 red chilli, diced *
4-5 limau kasturi (calamansi)
2 tsp brown sugar
Salt to taste


1. Place ingredients marked with * into a mortar and ground until you get a paste. Squeeze juices of lime into bowl, add brown sugar and mix until sugar has dissolved. Mix ingredients in mortar with the lime juice. Alternatively, place all ingredients in a blender and blend until you get a paste. Season with salt, as necessary.

Oven-cooked balsamic chicken wings

8 chicken wings, cleaned and patted dry

For the marinade

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tsp soft brown sugar

1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce

1. In a small bowl, mix the ingredients for marinade until well incorporated. Marinade the chicken wings for at least 4 hours. 

2. Preheat oven to 190C. Cook the chicken wings in preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until cooked. If you like you can place on barbecue for several minutes to get a nice char on the skin.

*The recipe for grilled whole fish and homemade chilli-lime dip has appeared on Great British Chefs website on 21 August 2013.