With spring here andsummer around the corner, we begin to enjoy the pleasu
res that come with enjoying more of our outdoor spaces for the season. Whether quietly enjoying breakfast with a view, soaking up some sun over lunch, or hosting friends and family evening apps, outdoor entertaining is made simpler and more creative by exploring how to use our grill for beyond the main course!
Internationally acclaimed chef Andreas Rummel’s recent book Finger Food From The BBQ and Grill is the place to start! Published in collaboration with Napoleon Grills, and with chapter titles such as With Your Hands, On a Stick, On a Spoon, In a Roll, and With Your Fingers, you can start to guess how diverse the recipes in this book are. These amazingly creative finger food recipes take their inspiration from the vibrant street food scene and present ideas for rolls, wraps, waffles, gyros, quesadilla, hotdogs, ribs, kebabs, gyozas, tataki, wings, pancakes, pulled meats, toasted sandwiches and bruschetta, as well as salads, sauces and dips to accompany these dishes.
The recipes can make ideal starters, small snacks or form part of a multi-course menu. Each one shows how long it takes to prepare and there is a star system indicating the level of difficulty. Many recipes are easy, some are more sophisticated, but with the help of numerous tips and a little practice you will turn out success every time.
Chef Rummel, a celebrity speaker and guest chef at the 2018 Hearth, Patio & Barbecue Expo in Nashville Tennessee, graciously provided two recipes, as a preview of those available in his book.
Coppa Baskets with Melon
Makes 12
Cooking Time: 30 Minutes
Difficulty: 1 of 3 stars
Ingredients
- 12 thin slices coppa
- 1 cantaloupe melon
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 8 mint leaves
Preparation
Make 12 balls out of aluminum foil with a diameter of about 4 cm. Cover with a coppa to create the shape of a small bowl. Place the balls with the coppa in the barbecue and cook indirectly for 45 minutes at about 150°C (preferably on the warming rack). This will dry out the coppa and make it crispy. In the meantime, peel and de-seed the mellon. Use a vegetable peeler to shave the flesh into fine strips. Mix the honey with the lemon juice and marinate the melon in mixture for 20 minutes. Cut the mint leaves into fine strips. Take the coppa out of the barbecue and leave it to cool. Arrange uniform amounts of melon strips inside the coppa bowls and sprinkle with the mint.
Mozzarella Sticks
Makes 8-12
Cooking Time: 20 Minutes
Difficulty: 1 of 3 stars
Ingredients
- 4 slices toasting bread
- 1-2 mozzarella cylinders, very cold
- ½ tsp cayenne pepper (or Thai Seven Spice seasoning)
- 4 bacon slices
- 100ml barbecue sauce
Preparation
Cut the crust off the bread and roll the bread slices out flat with a rolling pin. Cut the cheese into four strips, lightly season with the cayenne pepper and roll tightly inside the bread. Gently flatten the bacon strips on a chopping board and wind one tightly around each of the bread and cheese rolls. Cook the sticks indirectly on the barbecue with medium heat, turning several times, until the bacon is crispy. Finally, glaze the bacon with the sauce and cook for another 5 minutes with the lid open. Cut the mozzarella sticks into bite-sized pieces and serve.
