FISH ON THE FIRE – FISH INSPIRED BBQ TIPS FOR NATIONAL BBQ WEEK

23 May 2019

National BBQ Week marks the start of the Great British Summer, come rain or shine it’s time to dust off the barbeques, pull out the tongs and get grilling!  As a nation of fish lovers, it seems only fitting that one of the things we love most is fresh seafood on the BBQ.  Here the Nyetimber Dorset Seafood Festival shares BBQ champ, Simon Dyer’s top tips for cooking fish on the barbe.  You can catch Simon showing off his skills at the UK’s largest and free to attend seafood festival, the Nyetimber Dorset Seafood Festival, bringing together top names in seafood and Nyetimber’s exceptional English sparkling wine.  The Festival takes place around Weymouth’s historic harbour on the 13th  & 14thJuly 2019. 

Top Tips from BBQ expert Simon Dyer

  • Always use good quality charcoal on your BBQ, this helps to avoid any tainting of the fish.  If possible look for a sustainable option as well. 
  • Always oil your fish (not the grill) prior to grilling, this helps prevent the fish sticking to the grill.
  • A good quality temperature probe is essential to ensuring your food is properly cooked.  On a BBQ food can always look cooked when it is not. 
  • You don’t need an expensive BBQ, a drift wood fire can be just as good!
  • Shellfish and crustaceans come in their own cooking containers – cook them in their shells!
  • Steam lobster in seaweed.  Place the seaweed directly on the grill, place your lobster on top of the seaweed and cover with more seaweed.  Cook for 20mins and you should have perfectly  steamed BBQ lobster. 

 

The Nyetimber Dorset Seafood Festival plays host to some of the UK’s best chefs. This year, chef demonstrations include Mark Hix, Mitch Tonks, Pete Murt, CJ Jackson, Ben Bartlett, Simon Dyer, Matt Budden, Nigel Bloxham, Russell Brown, Duncan Lucas and many more.  The Seafish Industry Authority (Seafish), will also be at the festival reminding visitors of the importance of including fish in daily diets with its ‘My2aweek’ campaign.  Here Seafish shares a fantastic BBQ recipe in honour of BBQ Week:

BBQ Sardines with fennel salsa 

Prep time: 15mins

Cooking time: 5mins

Serves: 4

Skill level: Easy

Recipe by: Seafish 

Quick, easy and perfect for the BBQ. 

Ingredients

  • 8 fresh sardines, gutted and ready to cook
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 bulb of fennel, finely chopped and a few fronds reserved for garnish
  • 1 orange, segmented, cut into small pieces and juice reserved
  • Small bunch flatleaf parsley, finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • Olive oil for cooking the fish

The method

  1. Preheat the barbecue or grill.
  2. Combine the onion, fennel, orange, orange juice and parsley with the olive oil and seasoning.
  3. Slash the sardines a few times on each side, brush with olive oil and barbecue or grill for a few minutes on each side until cooked through.
  4. Serve with the fennel salsa spooned over the top, garnished with the fennel fronds.
SEAFEAST - The Dorset Seafood Festival raises funds for the Fishermen's Mission - the vital port of call for fishermen and their families.
Fishermen's Mission