BBQs in Lockdown

For National BBQ Week, which starts in extraordinary circumstances this coming Bank Holiday (25 – 31 May), we keep it safe and simple.

Chicken breast or boneless thigh meat works equally well here, cut into roughly 3cm squares. Put the cubes in a bowl with that wonderful combination of fennel, cumin and caraway seeds ground together in a pestle & mortar.

Sprinkle a good pinch or three of this over the chicken with our fruity Mango & Orange Dressing, the juice and zest of at least one lime, an inch of fresh ginger grated for good measure and a long drizzle of olive oil. Coat the chicken with the mixture, using a glass of white wine to loosen the marinade if you wish.

Let the chicken soak up these flavours for half an hour or so, then skewer and grill them, indoors or out (if you can do so safely).

Meanwhile, make a tomato salsa with chopped tomatoes, 1 tbsp of our Chilli Jam and 2 or 3 tbsp of our Burger Relish providing its rich, slightly sweet tasting red pepper, tomato and onion salsa with a subtle note of chilli.

This is a mini kebab idea that makes great finger food or part of a pitta pocket filling.

Cube about 400 g of pork fillet and soak them for an hour or so in a marinade of 150 ml of white wine, a splash of cider vinegar, grated ginger and 4 tbsp of one of our BBQ Sauces:

Hot & Spicy gives a chilli contrast to the sweet pineapple; Sweet & Sticky complements the fruit; and Stokes Original BBQ Sauce is authentically smoky – and – now squeezable.

Shake off the marinade and thread the meat and pineapple chunks (fresh or tinned) on cocktail sticks, then grill.

We tend to follow the norm by grilling sausages whole on the BBQ or grill, but this is different – and fun.

Use 3 different types of butcher’s sausages and cut them into mouth-size pieces.

Dip one type in a bowl of Stokes Chipotle Ketchup, another in our Original BBQ Sauce and the third in our Award-Winning Tomato Ketchup.

Now thread your skewers with Chipotle sausage, BBQ sausage and Ketchup sausage, separated by pepper and onion and grill on a gentle heat to keep the sausages sweet and juicy and the flavours intact.

It’s really very, very good.

Lamb loves mint, especially the sweet garden mint and gentle white wine vinegar of Stokes Mint Sauce.

Take mint sauce as a marinade a step further with olive oil (5 or 6 tbsp), our Orange & Mango Dressing (4 tbsp) and our Mint Sauce ( 2 tsp + more to taste).

The taste combination flavours the oil, which in turn takes it all into the cubes of lamb. Thread the skewers with peppers, onion or both – courgette discs work well too.

Grill, enjoy, stay safe.

Whether a supermarket, farm shop or home delivery – please shop safely. The guidelines are straight forward:

1. Only if you need to;

2. Keep your distance;

3. WASH YOUR HANDS.

Delivered safely to your door – HERE.