From coconut hot wings to fish kebabs & grilled peaches, celebrate National Barbecue Week with these tasty recipes

GRILL seekers unite – today is the perfect time to fire up the barbie.

To celebrate the return of National BBQ Week – which begins on this sunny Bank Holiday Monday – former River Cottage chef James Whetlor, has shared some sizzling recipes from his DIY Barbecue Cookbook.

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Here are a few dishes with a wow factor – for when a sausage in a bap just won’t cut it.

• The DIY BBQ Cookbook by James Whetlor (£20, Quadrille) is out now.

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BEEF TAGLIATA

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes

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YOU NEED:

• 800g of your favourite steak, cut into 4cm-thick slices
• For the salad
• 2 courgettes, peeled into long thin ribbons
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• Drizzle balsamic vinegar, or juice of ½ lemon
• 200g new potatoes, boiled until tender
• 50g rocket, washed and dried
• 60g pecorino, coarsely grated

METHOD: Take the steak out of the fridge about two hours before you want to cook it, so it comes up to room temperature. Pat dry with a paper towel and season with sea salt and black pepper.

Preheat the barbecue to a high heat. Cook the steak for about two minutes on each side until nicely browned, then continue to grill for eight to ten minutes, turning every minute, for medium rare.

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Allow the steak to rest somewhere warm for ten minutes while you prepare the salad.

Place the courgette ribbons in a large bowl and drizzle over the olive oil. Toss with the vinegar or lemon juice and salt and pepper.

Slice the potatoes in half and add to the bowl with the rocket. Toss again to combine and check for seasoning.

Then slice the steaks and serve on top of the salad with a fresh shaving of pecorino.

GRILLED PEACHES WITH TOMATO, FETA AND BASIL

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 8 minutes

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YOU NEED:

• 75ml extra-virgin olive oil
• 30ml red wine, white wine or cider vinegar
• ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 4 ripe peaches, cut into quarters
• 500g tomatoes, a mix of colours and sizes, cut into bite-sized pieces
• Small bunch fresh basil, leaves picked
• 200g feta or buffalo mozzarella, cut or crumbled into small pieces

METHOD: Preheat the barbecue to a medium heat.

To make a quick onion pickle, mix half the oil and all the vinegar together in a bowl.

Stir in the red onion and add salt and pepper to taste, then set aside to macerate.

In another bowl, gently toss the peaches in the remaining oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper.

Place the peaches on the grill, cut-side down, and cook for two to four minutes on each side until lightly browned.

Spread the tomatoes out over a wide serving platter and season lightly with salt and pepper, then top with the grilled peaches.

Stir half the basil through the dressing and spoon over the salad. Top with the cheese, scatter with the remaining basil leaves and serve immediately.

SWEET POTATO STUFFED WITH BLACK BEANS

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

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YOU NEED:

• 8 small sweet potatoes
• 2 tbsp olive or vegetable oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1-2 tbsp chipotle powder (or mix of smoked paprika and chilli)
• 1 bay leaf
• 400g can black beans, drained
• 200g feta, crumbled
• To serve
• 40g pumpkin seeds
• 200g sour cream
• Bunch spring onions, thinly sliced
• Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
• 2 sliced fresh chillies (optional)
• Hot sauce (optional)

METHOD: If you are cooking on an indirect heat, preheat the barbecue to a medium heat and have a rack at the ready.

To cook the potatoes as an afterburner (in the embers), prick them all over with a fork, wrap in foil and nestle in the embers for 30 to 40 minutes, until cooked through.

While the sweet potatoes are baking, heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed pan and cook the onion and garlic for five to ten minutes until softened.

Add the cumin, chipotle and bay leaf and cook for a further minute until aromatic.

Then add the beans and 250ml water and season to taste.

Cook for ten to 15 minutes or until the water is absorbed, adding a dash of water if the beans dry out too much.

Split the tops of the sweet potatoes and prise them open, then fill each one with the beans and then crumble feta over the top.

Arrange the potatoes in a frying pan or metal baking dish and place over the fire to heat through and crisp the bottoms a bit.

Serve in the hot pan or tray, topped with the pumpkin seeds, sour cream, spring onion, coriander and the fresh chillies (if using).

Finish with a drizzle of hot sauce, if you like.

COCONUT HOT WINGS

Serves 4

Prep time: 5 minutes, plus 2 hours chilling
Cooking time: 30 minutes

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YOU NEED:

• 100ml coconut milk
• 2-4 fresh bird eye chillies
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 tsp light brown sugar
• 2 tsp smoked paprika
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
• 1kg chicken wings

METHOD: In a blender, whizz the coconut milk, chilli, garlic, sugar, paprika, olive oil and lime juice to a smooth sauce, adding a generous amount of salt and black pepper to taste.

Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and arrange in a bowl.

Season lightly with salt and coat in half the marinade, then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight if possible.

When ready to cook, preheat the barbecue to a medium heat.

Lay the chicken pieces on the grill over the heat in a single layer and cook for about 30 minutes or until the skin has turned crispy and the meat is cooked through.

While cooking, baste the chicken with the reserved marinade two or three times.

Serve with lime wedges on the side.

FISH KEBABS

Serves 4

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes

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YOU NEED:

• 100g mayonnaise or sour cream
• 2 unwaxed limes
• 4 tsp ancho chilli powder
• 1 tsp ground cumin
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 500g fish fillet (any firm white fish), cut into 10x3cm strips
• 1 red onion, very thinly sliced
• 150g white cabbage, very thinly sliced or shredded
• 8 corn or wheat tortillas, warmed
• Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped
• Fresh or pickled chillies or chilli sauce, to taste

METHOD: Preheat the barbecue to a medium heat. In a bowl, whisk the mayonnaise or sour cream with the juice and finely grated zest of one lime and add salt and pepper to taste.

In a large bowl, stir the ancho chilli powder and cumin into the oil with half a teaspoon of black pepper and half a teaspoon of salt.

Add the fish and coat. Coat the sliced onion for one minute, then squeeze over the juice of half a lime.

Season the cabbage with the juice of the other lime and salt and pepper to taste.

Thread the fish on to skewers and grill in batches, basting as you go, for about two minutes per side until golden.

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Serve the fish in tortillas with the lime dressing, cabbage and red onion. Spoon over the mayo/sour cream dressing.

Top with the coriander, adding fresh chilli or chilli sauce to taste.

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