There’s this thing about the number known in Bingo parlance as legs 11 in our family. Well, apart from my late father who was born somewhere around the summer solstice which means he was a wizard.
But for my self, mother, sister, and stepfather all our birthdays fall on the 11th of December, September, June and July respectively.
And by freaky coincidence this Blog’s 4th birthday is on July 11th.(And I must remember to send a gift back to England)
To celebrate I’ve managed to secure 10 Vietnamese tabletop BBQs to giveaway to ten lucky readers and I’m happy to pay for two of them to go interstate in Australia (not overseas I’m afraid). I got them from Martyn Thomas of FrankVizeum who somehow has a shipping container of nearly 3,000 to sell and also owns the local licence for the Nuffnang blog advertising network. That’s media strategists for you – the used car dealers of the advertising world, trading media space and, um, BBQs.
All you have to do is by the 15th July post a great BBQ recipe either on your blog, in comments or on Twitter and the ten most interesting will be deemed winners.
These BBQs aren’t big or shiny, or even terribly expensive. But they are pretty cool. You can stick them on a tabletop – outside preferably – and cook for up to four people.
Personally, I’m looking for a decent recipe for Cha Ca , which I remember vividly from my trip to Hanoi.
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Happy 4th birthday to your blog. Strange coincidences always intrigue me. So much 11th happening here, that I forgot my son’s birthday is also on the 11th (June)!! Wish I lived in Australia. Well, nevertheless…good luck to the lucky 10 who stand to win this interesting BBQ!! It’s very cool!!
I suppose there’s only one way to discover legs 11 own chemical make-up. In the summer solstace, 1252 McKay Ave.
Barbequed Bacon Wrapped Prawns
Ingredients:
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3/4 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 1/2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon white vinegar
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
• Dash of cayenne pepper
• 24 large/jumbo prawns, shelled and deveined
• 12 bacon slices, cut in halves
Method
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan. Add the onion and saute until soft and transparent. Stir in the ketchup, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, vinegar, tomato paste, dry mustard and pepper. Stirring continuously, simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately stir the prawns into the sauce, covering them completely. Let them stand for 15 minutes. Heat the grill and grease the rack. Remove the prawns from the sauce. Wrap each prawn in a piece of bacon and secure with a wooden pick, or thread 4 bacon-wrapped prawns onto a skewer. Place on the greased rack, on high heat, and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn them and cook the remaining side until the bacon is crisp. Reheat the sauce and serve separately as a dipping sauce.
This recipe makes 6 main-dish servings or 12 appetiser servings.
Happy Birthday for the blog! And what a wonderful way to celebrate, I’m going to have to think of a recipe to do now.
Happy Blog’day!
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BBQ Tandoori Mushrooms (serves 4 as a snack, or 2-3 hungry people)
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Ingredients:
1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
2 whole cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup plain or greek yogurt
8 large field mushrooms, or king mushrooms (sliced in half, lengthways)
Enough skewers for 1 per mushroom or mushroom slice
Method:
Soak wooden skewers in hot water for at least 1 hour prior to starting the tandoori paste.
Add tomato paste and yoghurt to blender or food processor, followed by spices, garlic, salt, and onion. Blend these until smooth.
Thread mushrooms onto wooden skewers, and set aside.
Empty the mix out into a mixing bowl, and use a combination of spoon and pastry brush to make sure the tandoori paste coats the mushrooms well, including the gills.
Lightly brush down the BBQ grill with some oil on paper towel or newspaper while the gas/flames are low. Transfer the skewers to the hot grill and grill until browned, then turn and allow the other side of the mushroom to reach the same point. Baste while grilling, using the remaining paste. Squeeze a little lemon juice over each mushroom right before eating!
This is a simple Vietnamese (French influenced) recipe that I grew up on! My mom, who spent a good part of her life in Vietnam, used to make this all the time.
Marinated Beef Skewers
1. Cube beef tenderloin
2. Marinate the beef in a lot of white pepper, lots of garlic, some maggi, steak spice, and olive oil for a few hours.
3. Throw the beef on skewers and BBQ.
I’m trying to win this for my husband who lives in Australia.
Apologies if this appears as a double post, but I posted it two days ago and it hasn’t appeared…
Happy Blog’day!!
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Tandoori Mushrooms
1 large onion, sliced
1 tsp ginger, sliced
2 cloves garlic
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garam masala
2 whole cloves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup plain or greek yogurt
8 large field mushrooms, or king mushrooms (sliced in half, lengthways)
Enough skewers for 1 per mushroom or mushroom slice
Soak wooden skewers in hot water for at least 1 hour prior to starting the tandoori paste.
Add tomato paste and yoghurt to blender or food processor, followed by spices, garlic, salt, and onion. Blend these until smooth.
Thread mushrooms onto wooden skewers, and set aside.
Empty the mix out into a mixing bowl, and use a combination of spoon and pastry brush to make sure the tandoori paste coats the mushrooms well, including the gills.
Lightly brush down the BBQ grill with some oil on paper towel or newspaper while the gas/flames are low. Transfer the skewers to the hot grill and grill until browned, then turn and allow the other side of the mushroom to reach the same point. Baste while grilling, using the remaining paste.
Great, thanks everyone. Some great ideas. Keep ‘em coming.
Lemongrass Beef Rice Paper Wraps
Ingredients for the lemongrass beef marinade
1 tablespoon sesame seeds
2 lemongrass stalks, tender heart section only, finely chopped
3 shallots, minced
3 cloves garlic
1 small red chili pepper, seeded
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
Fry sesame seeds until fragrant and golden. Place the seeds in a blender and add the lemongrass, shallots, garlic, chili pepper and sugar. Process to a smooth paste. Place into a bowl and add in the fish sauce, black pepper, sesame oil and peanut or vegetable oil. Mix
Slice thinly some beef chuck, rump or sirloin, place in the marinade and coat. Marinate for an hour in room temperature or refrigerate for up to 4 hours.
To cook, simply grill or bbq the beef strips until cooked
Ingredients for the wraps
Vermicelli rice noodles
1/2 cup beansprouts, trimmed
1/3 cup fresh mint leaves
1/2 cup fresh coriander leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped carrot
1/2 cup finely chopped cucumber
Lettuce leaves
12 x 22cm rice paper rounds
Soak the rice paper in boiled water for a few seconds to soften.
Place on a plate and place and add the fillings including the cooked beef. Roll it up and enjoy with some dipping sauce.
How about BBQ prawns? Asian style.
Get yourself some decent sized prawns, eg. king, green, etc.
Cut in half lengthways and devein. Important to keep all the stuff in the heads as intact as possible (unless you’re squeamish).
The rest is to taste so add as much or as little as you want.
Corriander, leaves, stems roots and all (~1 handfull)
Ginger (~ 1 inch square knob)
Fresh chilli (at least 1)
Garlic (3 cloves)
Kaffir lime leaf (1-2)
Lemon/lime zest (zest of 1)
Thyme/oregano (but not too much) (1 level tablespoon)
Olive oil (~1 cup)
Just mortar and pestle everything except for oil, then add oil at the end. Pour over prawns and marinate for about 1 hour in fridge.
When ready, just grill over bbq for about 1-2 minutes shell side down, then flip over and grill for another 30 seconds. I do this because I like the stuff in the head. This way, it gets cooked a bit before you turn it over. If you do it the other way first, it tends to leak out.
Should get nice fresh vibrancy from asian herbs and subtle umami from oregano/thyme.
sorry, I guess I should point out that you don’t need to peel the prawns. Keep shells (and delicious heady goodness) intact.
I would have given you my mum’s recipe for Cha Ca (can you tell I’m vietnamese?) if you had one. My gf’s malaysian (actually from Muar where this dish originated from) and introduced me to Otak Otak which I suggest you try if you like the smell of grilled fish.
Love the 11-ness! I’m an 11 baby (April) as is my partner (August).
Happy blog b’day, I don’t have a recipe, but am so looking forward to Cha Ca when I go to Hanoi. I’ve never enjoyed it before, with a partner who is allergic to peanuts, and I am only just starting to enjoy dill.
Happy 4th birthday! Unfortunately my blog post backup is already mega long and I doubt I’ll get a BBQ themed one out in time. Well – at least I’ve got Cabramatta as a backup…
Joy, Son
Two more great recipes thanks.
Lili, Wow! This 11 thing is getting freaky. Enjoy Cha Ca when you go to Vietnam. Being mid winter right now I’m tempted to hop over there myself for some.
Forager, thanks. I know what you meanabout the backlogs. cheers
rosemary lamb kebabs
500g fatty minced lamb
1 onion, finely chopped
rosemary thyme salt *
1/2 tsp cumin
12 fresh rosemary stalks (leaves removed – leave some on the tip)
* a small handful of rosemary removed from the stalks, couple of sprigs of thyme, 1 teaspoon of dried garlic, 1 cup of sea salt – put all into a mortar and pestal and pound till combined and fine like a salt rub
1. process all ingredients and 1 tsp each of the rosemary thyme salt and freshly ground blakc pepper in a food processor until a course paste forms
2. put in bowl and leave to marinade/ sit for 1/2 hour in fridge
3. using wet hands, form 1/4 cupfuls of mixture into 15cm sausages, then press rosemary stalks lengthways into sausages, pressing meat mixture around stalks to secure well
4. char grill kebabs over a charcoal bbq
5. serve with a burghul pilaf and blanched green beans on the side
chargrilled pork belly
1/2kg pork belly
3 tbsp gochujang chille paste
5 tbsp doenjang soybean paste
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp sesame oil
1. freeze the pork belly for 30 minutes to make it easier to slice very thinly – 1/8 inch think
2. for the marinade, blend chilli paste, doenjang soybean paste, garlic and sesame oil in a bowl
3. add pork slices and marinade for at least 1 hour
4. heat bbq and cook pork until the surface of the pork is crisp and golden brown
5. serve with some lettuce and a dip made with sesame oil, salt and black pepper
ikan panggang (grilled fish malaysian style)
2 medium-sized stingray wings, about 200g, rinsed and patted dry
salt
2 banana leaves, about 30cm square
1 fresh lime, halved
1 tsp curry powder
For the chili sambal
3-4 fresh red chilies, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 shallots, chopped
1/2 tsp shrimp paste
1/2 tbsp palm sugar
1 tbsp tamarind juice
juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
1. First make the chili sambal. Using a mortar and pestle or food processor, grind the chilies with the garlic to form a paste.
2. Beat in the shrimp paste, chopped shallots and sugar. Add the lime and tamarind juice and bind with the oil.
3. Prepare the charcoal grill. Rub each stingray wing with a little of the curry powder and salt and place them on the rack. Cook for about 3-4 minutes on each side, until tender.
4. Serve on banana leaves with the remaining chili sambal and the lime halves
Hi Ed
Congratulations on your 4th birthday. Had my first last month, but busy on the Thermomix forum and so forgot about it until reading this.
Some recipes for your winners to try with their charcoal burners:
Charcoal Grilled Pork Chops
Ingredients:
10 – 12 pork chops (about 1cm thick)
Marinade:
2 Tbsp fish sauce
2 Tbsp sugar (palm if possible)
2 spring onions, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp salt
Place the marinade ingredients into a food processor (Thermomix if you have one) and chop finely.
Marinade the pork chops for one hour in the mixture at room temperature.
Grill over medium heat with a charcoal grill until golden brown.
Serve with plain rice or rice noodles, sliced cucumber, salad and Vietnamese pickles (carrot, baby leeks, etc).
La Lot – Grilled Beef Wrapped in Wild Betel Leaves
Ingredients:
500g coarsely ground beef
100g pork back fat, ground
¼ cup shallots, chopped
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, seeded and finely chopped
1 Tbsp finely chopped lemongrass
4 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 Tbsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
30 large “la lot (pepper leaves) or red perilla or grape leaves
Wooden skewers soaked in cold water
Method:
Combine all the ingredients except the leaves and skewers. Knead well.
Place betel leaves dark side down on a work surface and place about 1 tablespoon of filling in the middle of the leaf and roll up into a tiny cylinder, making sure that the meat is all covered by the leaf. Thread onto a skewer so that about 6 – 8 cylinders are lined up, side-by side. Place the skewers in rows along side each other onto greased metal griddles.
Prepare the charcoal grill and cook the parcels, turning twice, until cooked through, about 8 – 10 minutes. Watch carefully as they tend to char if the heat is too high.
Serve with greens, rice paper rolls and dipping sauce.
Charcoal Grilled Pork (or Chicken) Balls with Minted Peanut Sauce
This recipe is equally delicious made with chicken breast meat. It is designed for the Thermomix, but your readers will be smart enough to be able to convert it. The balls can be steamed in tha steamer (Varoma) or made into mini patties and cooked on the charcoal burner.
Both the pork balls and the sauce can be made ahead of time. Set the balls aside on a tray until you are ready to cook them if cooking on the BBQ.
Ingredients
400g pork, trimmed and diced
2cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled
1 garlic clove, crushed
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or medium-dry sherry
1 tbsp soy
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
a pinch of white pepper
1 egg white
1 Iceberg lettuce, to serve
For the sauce
90 g roasted peanuts (or 4 tbsp smooth peanut butter)
400 ml coconut milk
juice of 1 lime
1 red chilli, seeded
1 garlic clove
2 tbsp fresh mint
2 tbsp fresh coriander (cilantro)
1 tbsp fish sauce (optional)
Method:
To make the pork balls, place the ginger and garlic in TM bowl and grate for 15 seconds on speed 7.
Add the diced pork, sesame oil, sherry, soy sauce and sugar, salt and white pepper and blend for 40 seconds on speed 6 . Add the egg white and mix through for 15 seconds on Reverse and speed 4.
Using wet hands, shape the pork mixture into thumb-size balls for steaming, or into larger patties for barbecuing.
To make the sauce, put the chilli and garlic into the TM bowl. Mince for 15 seconds on speed 7. If using peanuts, add these now and blend for 30 seconds on speed 7. (If using peanut butter add now).
Add the remaining ingredients to the mixture in the TM bowl, blend for 30 seconds gradually increasing to speed 6 for 20 seconds. Remove to a serving bowl and set aside. Roughly clean the TM bowl.
If steaming the balls, place the pork balls onto silicon paper in the Varoma. Add 600 g water to the TM bowl and position the Varoma. Steam for 10 -12 minutes at Varoma temperature on speed 2.
If grilling, place the pork (or chicken) balls between the layers of a greased metal grill and place over a charcoal burner and cook until golden brown.
Arrange the lettuce leaves on a large serving platter. Place the pork balls on the leaves and serve with the dipping sauce in small bowls for guests to help themselves.
Another designed for the Thermomix, but there are plenty of non-Thermomix recipes out there – just the idea of something Vietnamese to put on the charcoal burner
Sugar Cane Prawns
Ingredients
1 stem sugar cane, peeled
3 garlic cloves
2cm piece of fresh ginger
1/2 small bunch coriander, including roots and stalks, washed and roughly chopped
1 red chilli, seeded and roughly chopped
30g palm sugar
60g pork back fat, chilled and chopped into 1cm cubes
1/2 teaspoon salt
500g peeled, deveined green prawns
1 egg white
10g cornflour
2 teaspoons fish sauce
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
Dipping sauce
1 clove garlic (from above)
1/2 teaspoon chilli, seeded and roughly chopped
1 tablespoon sugar
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
Juice of 1 lime
pinch salt
Method
Cut sugar cane into 10 cm lengths, and then cut into sixths lengthways. Place in water to soak while preparing mixture.
Place garlic cloves into TM bowl and then peel the cloves for 5 seconds on Reverse + Speed 4. Remove the papery coating from the bowl and remove one clove and keep aside for the dipping sauce. Add the ginger and chilli and chop for 10 seconds on Speed 7 (remember to take it off Reverse). Next add the palm sugar, pork fat and salt to the TM bowl and process for 15 – 20 seconds on Speed 6, until nearly smooth.
Finally, add the prawns, egg white, cornflour, fish sauce and pepper and mix for 30 seconds on Speed 6. The mixture should be sticky.
Remove sugar cane sticks from the water and dry well. They must be very dry on the outside to hold the mixture. With oiled hands, wrap mix around sugar cane. For ease of eating outdoors, place the mixture at one end of the stick. If you are going to remove the prawn mixture and wrap in lettuce leaves or roll in rice paper, then place midways along the sticks.
Place some oiled baking paper with holes cut in, to allow better steam penetration, into the Varoma tray. Place the prawn skewers into the tray. Put 600ml water into the TM bowl and position the Varoma tray on top. Set the TM to cook for 10 – 12 minutes at Varoma temperature on Speed 1, until the prawn mixture has changed to be opaque and firm to the touch.
They may be served as they are in rice paper or lettuce leaves, or for a more authentic flavour, place between Vietnamese metal grill and grill over charcoal until charred on the outside.
Serve the sugar cane prawns surrounding a small bowl with dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
Place garlic clove and chilli into TM bowl with sugar and chop for 10 seconds on Speed 7. Add remaining ingredients and mix all together for 5 seconds on Speed 4.
I will get around to sorting out my blog with pics.
Again – Happy Fourth
Hi again, Sorry forgot the Cha ca recipe. It is based on a recipe from the kitchens of the Spice Garden restaurant at the Metropole Sofitel in Hanoi. It is marinated and then chargrilled before frying. Good luck.
Cha Ca La Vong
Ingredients:
3 Tbsp ground turmeric
2cm piece of galangal or ginger, peeled
1-2 fresh long red chilis, seeded
2 Tbsp fish sauce
60 ml water
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1 Tbsp sugar (or more to taste)
500g firm white fish (catfish, if possible), cut into bite sized pieces
150g pack of dried rice vermicelli
60ml vegetable oil
1 bunch dill, cut into lengths
4 spring onions, roughly chopped
1/2 cup shallots (French style), thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1/3 cup chopped peanuts, lightly toasted and chopped
Lettuce, such as Iceberg
Herbs such as Vietnamese mint, mint, basil
Nuoc Cham dipping sauce – see Sugar Cane Prawn Recipe.
Method:
Blend the turmeric, galangal and chilis in a food processor until smooth, then add the remaining ingredients and mix until the sugar is dissolved. Pour into a bowl and add fish pieces. Toss to coat and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.
Place the noodles in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for 10 – 15 minutes before draining and keep aside.
Transfer fish to a plate and scrape off the marinade and reserve. Pat the fish dry with paper towel. To give a smoky flavour it can first be grilled over a charcoal burner before being fried, but this is not essential. If grilling, place pieces of fish between layers of a greased metal grill and lace over the charcoal burner for 3 – 4 minutes until opaque.
Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium frypan until shimmering and carefully add fish pieces in small batches being sure not to break them up. Cook until flaky to the touch but NOT crisp, about 1 – 3 minutes. Using a spider, transfer to a platter and repeat until all the fish is cooked.
Quickly stir-fry the dill and spring onions until just wilted. Place these on top of the fish pieces. Then quickly stir-fry the shallots and garlic slices in the same pan with any remaining marinade. Place this on the fish and sprinkle with the crushed peanuts.
Place some of the noodles on a lettuce leaf, add some greens/herbs and a spoonful of the fish pieces. Fold the lettuce into a parcel and dip into nuoc cham dipping sauce. Eat it with your fingers and then lick them and dream of being back in Hanoi.
I know, it’s late, only by 8 hours tho, it was my birthday!!!
Simple yet delicious BBQ Pears, Honeyed Walnuts and Blue Cheese
4 pears, quatered and cores discarded
4 thick slices of bread for toasting, I like a fruit and nut bread for something different
50g walnuts
2 tbls honey
125g of your favourite blue cheese
Preheat hotplate over med-high heat.
Cut pears quaters into wedges, dust with sugar and cook on hotplate for about 2 minutes on each side. set aside.
Toast each side of bread on the hotplate and place on plate, ready for serving.
Warm walnuts and honey in saucepan over heat.
Arrange pears on toast, crumble cheese over the top and spoon over walnuts and honey.
4 tsp caster sugar for dusting
Just in case people don’t go to the http://tabletopbbq.com/ website looking for recipes. Another simple but tasty use for these little bbqs:
Boil some large (preferably waxy) potatoes in the usual way with skins on.
Leave to cool ( even overnight in the fridge). Remove skins and cut into slices or chunks/cubes that aren’t going to fall through the holes in the grill. Place over the charcoal and cook on all sides to brown.
Season AFTER grilling with either salt and pepper or prickly ash.
Great smoky flavour, reminiscent of Ben Shewry’s potatoes cooked in the earth.
Charcoal grilled Fish Otak
Ingredients:
1. Galanga (about 2cm)
2. 2 tbsp belacan (you can make fresh belacan from onions, red chillis, dried shrimps, squeeze of fresh lime)
3. 2 stalks of lemongrass
4. 2 tsp of grounded coriander (toast it first and then pound to get maximium flavour)
5. 1 tsp grounded white pepper
6. 3 fresh chillies (1 or 2 if you prefer it mild)
7. 3 cloves of garlic
8. 2 medium shallots
9. 3 spring onion ends (white part)
10. 6 – 8 macadamia nuts (candlenuts will be better if you can find it)
11. 3 kafir lime leaves (destem and you can replace this with lemon zest)
12. 1 small bunch of Vietnamese mint leaves
13. 1 tsp of tumeric
14. 1 tbsp cornflour
15. 1 egg
16. 200ml cocoonut milk (Thai coconut milk if you can find it)
17. Fish sauce
18. 700g of Trevally fillets
Method:
1. Prepare the fillet first. You can get the fishmonger to skin the fillets for you or like me, use a soup spoon and scrap the flesh from the skin. I wanted my version to be quite chunky so I ‘cleavered’ it slightly
2. Use ingredients from 1 to 15 and blend it
3. Pour the coconut milk into the mixture and blend it further
4. Taste and season with fish sauce accordingly. And add more pepper if required
5. Add the spicy paste with the chunky fish and mix it well
6. Cut the banana leaf into smaller pieces. Scald it with a flame over the stove and oil it
7. Place the mixture onto the banana leaf. Wrap it in lengthwise and hold it together by using toothpicks on both ends. Remember to soak the toothpicks in water overnight
8. Grill the fish otak about 3-4 mins on each side
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