Juicy and flavoursome with only 3 ingredients.
Yesterday, we had a bit of a dilemma: what to have for a barbecue dinner? I felt like fish, but not everyone likes it “that much”. Someone else loves beef, but I didn’t really feel like red meat. There was also division between the little people on what to have, fish or lamb.
To complicate things further, we also had a guest. Although he didn’t really participate in the debate, he did get a chance to tell me earlier about his food dislikes: Brussel sprouts and eggplant. I like both, but since I wasn’t catering for a party of vegetarians, their non-inclusion on the evening’s menu was fine by me.
After hours of careful consideration which by 3pm gave me a migraine, and aiming to appeal to everyone’s tastes, it was decided – by me, that we would have chicken, beef, and fish.
Why didn’t I think of it earlier! It is obviously not a coincidence that one of Sydney’s more popular eateries is called Bird Cow Fish. The name and most of its menus are built on the idea of using the freshest produce, which I passionately share, and the main ingredients’ universal appeal! Bingo!
Rather than overcomplicating things, I went with 3 plain and simple ingredients for each of the skewers:
- Fish: sea perch + pepper + ginger
- Chicken: chicken thighs + ketjap manis + sugar
- Beef : beef fillet + pepper + mushrooms // onion
They were a great hit with everyone, regardless of their earlier preferences for one type of meat or another. That’s what’s so great about skewers – no one is confined to only one choice.
While I may not have felt like having red meat that morning, I definitely enjoyed a jucy pepper and mushroom steak on a stick at dinner time. The fish was delicate and “the ginger dressing [is] delicious”. And the chicken yakitori? Well, it was gone first.
The skewers are gluten, egg and dairy free.
Each recipe makes approximately 6 skewers
Tip: Soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes before threading the meat on to prevent them from burning while grilling.
Ginger fish skewers
- 400g sea perch fillets, cubed
- 1cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and diced finely
- freshly ground black pepper
- pinch of sea salt flakes
- (optional: 1 tsp plain flour for light dusting, omit if allergic to gluten)
Place fish, pepper and ginger in a bowl, mix well and cover with plastic foil. Leave in the fridge for about 1 hour to marinade.
Thread fish onto skewers, sprinkle lightly with sea salt flakes (and flour). Grill on a flat hot plate for about 2 minutes on each side.
Serve with leafy salad, rice and tartare sauce or garlic aioli.
Chicken yakitori skewers
- 4 chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/4 cup gluten free ketjap manis (Indonesian sweet soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
Mix sugar and ketjap manis together. Pour over cubed chicken thighs. Place in the fridge and allow to marinade, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour.
Thread chicken onto skewers and grill on a hot barbecue for about 4 minutes on each side. Allow to rest on a warming rack for a minute before serving.
Serve with rice and steamed greens.
Pepper beef skewers
- 250g beef fillet (or fillet steaks), cubed
- 12 small mushrooms // quarter Spanish onion, cut in half
- freshly ground black pepper
Spread beef cubes on a large plate sprinkle with freshly ground black pepper. Allow to ‘air-dry’ uncovered in the fridge for about 1 hour.
Thread beef cubes onto skewers, alternating with mushrooms or onion and grill on a hot barbecue for about 4 minutes on each side. Allow to rest on a warming rack for a minute before serving.
Serve with rice and a green leafy salad or steamed vegetables.
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gonna send this to my mom