February 3, 2021

BBQ ideas for large groups

Summer hasn’t arrived in NZ until you’ve cracked open the BBQ and had a long lunch with family and friends, to celebrate what is arguably the best time of year.

So, last weekend we did just that and the star of the show was an incredible side of Regal Malborough King Salmon. Wrapped in foil and BBQ’d with lemon zest, basil, lots of seasoning and a dash of olive oil, it came out cooked to perfection and tasted amazing.

Below is the recipe we used for the salmon (Jamie Oliver inspired), as well as the recipe for a cucumber & yoghurt salad with fresh mint and chilli – the perfect, refreshing compliment to the rich flavours of the salmon. Both really useful recipes as they feed large groups, are straight forward and prep is minimal.

To finish off the lunch spread, we set out fresh ciabatta bread, boiled baby potatoes and beans with olive oil, parsley and salt, and a tomato, basil and bocconcini salad drizzled with balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

INGREDIENTS & METHOD – BBQ REGAL MALBOROUGH KING SALMON SIDE (serves 8-10)

1.8kg Fresh Regal Marlborough King Salmon Fillet, skin on, bones out
1 big lemon, zest and juice
1 bunch fresh basil, leaves picked and finely chopped
olive oil, rock salt, freshly ground black pepper

Remove the Regal Salmon fillet from the fridge and allow to rest at room temperature for 10 minutes, before rinsing under fresh water.
Place a piece of baking paper on a big piece of aluminium foil that has been folded in half. Place the salmon fillet on top of the baking paper skin side down.
Using a sharp knife, slash it evenly all over its flesh, making the incisions about 1cm deep. Sprinkle the lemon zest and most of the chopped basil over the salmon, then push these flavourings deep into the incisions you’ve made.
Squeeze some lemon juice over the salmon, pour a dash of olive oil on top then season with lots of salt and pepper.
Place another piece of aluminium foil on top of the salmon and wrap it up so that it looks like a big parcel – the aim is to have no gaps in the parcel so that the juices don’t leak out and onto the BBQ. If they do, be careful – fat from the fish plus flames from the BBQ can result in quite the fiery situation (I may or may not have experienced this myself).
To barbecue the salmon, heat a large barbecue grill plate until medium hot. Transfer your salmon parcel onto the grill plate.
Place the cover down on a large barbecue, or cover the salmon with another roasting dish or layer of tin foil. Cook for 25-30 minutes, until the flesh has just turned opaque. Keep an eye on it, as BBQ strengths differ and you don’t want your salmon to burn.
Using tongs so you don’t burn yourself, transfer the salmon to a serving platter and accompany with the cucumber salad below.

INGREDIENTS & METHOD – CUCUMBER YOGHURT SIDE-SALAD

2 cucumbers, peeled lengthways at intervals
500 ml natural, plain greek yoghurt (make sure no sugar is added)
2 fresh red chillis, de-seeded and chopped
1 lemon, juice
1 big bunch of fresh mint, leaves picked and chopped

Cut the cucumbers in half lengthways, run a spoon down the centre of each cucumber side to remove and discard the seeds, then chop them up into 0.5cm slices and put them in a big bowl with the yoghurt.
Drizzle over the cucumber about half the lemon juice, half the chilli (depending on how spicy you like things) and half the chopped mint. Give it all a good mix and season to taste with salt and pepper. If you want the mix a bit more tangy, add some more lemon juice.