Showstopping BBQ main dishes for a hot grill summer

BBQ season is almost upon us, which means it's time to fire up the grill, whip up your marinades and get skewering. With these showstopper main dishes from Maldon Salt, you’ll never put on a boring BBQ again.

For the chicken lovers, pack it full of flavour over a griddle, and serve with charred veggies, rosemary and lemon.

Tender lamb chops are a great addition to a dinner party, paired with the flavours of parsley and garlic to give an underlying depth of spice to the dish.

Lastly, the charred BBQ sweetcorn with smoked salt, harissa and coriander butter is perfect for vegetarians and meat-eaters alike.

This chargrilled chicken recipe which is cooked over a griddle or BBQ is packed full of flavour. The marinating process helps pack in flavour and moisture to the meat. Smoked Maldon Salt is the perfect seasoning for this delicious dish.

Ingredients:

2 chicken legs, skin on

4 chicken thighs, skin and bone on

2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for grilling

2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp smoked paprika

½ tsp ground cinnamon

½ tsp sumac

1 lemon, zested and then cut into halves

2 baby courgettes, cut into strips lengthways

200g baby peppers

2 red onions, peeled and cut into wedges

Rosemary, a few sprigs

A pinch of Smoked Maldon Salt

To serve:

Toasted pitta breads

Method:

1. In a bowl mix together the olive oil, garlic, cumin, paprika, cinnamon, sumac and lemon zest. Season well with Maldon Salt and cracked black pepper. Add the chicken legs and thighs to the bowl and mix well, massaging the marinade into the meat to ensure it is evenly coated. Leave to marinade for 2 hours or can be done ahead of this (the day before for example).

2. When you are ready to cook the chicken, heat the BBQ or a griddle pan. When hot, add the chicken, skin side down, and cook for 5 minutes on each side – you want to achieve nice, charred caramelisation to the meat. Once the meat is cooked, remove from the heat and leave covered to rest. Toss the vegetables in a little more oil and then add to the pan. The courgette only needs a couple of minutes each side, but the onions and peppers need a little more – 3 minutes each side, until soft, tender and deliciously golden. Remove and set aside.

3. Finally add the lemon halves to the griddle pan and allow them to char slightly on the hot pan. Garnish the chicken and vegetables with rosemary, squeeze over the warm charred lemon and season with a final pinch of Maldon Salt and some cracked black pepper. Serve alongside warm, toasted pitta bread.

The tender lamb chop is a great addition to a dinner party, paired with the flavours of parsley and garlic to give an underlying depth of spice to the dish. Sprinkle with Maldon Salt to really enhance the succulent taste of the lamb.

Ingredients:

24 small ribs of lamb

3 tbsp Maldon Salt

3 tbsp parsley, chopped

2 garlic cloves

3-4 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Method:

1. Remove the lamb chops from the fridge, cover them lightly with oil and leave them to rest at room temperature.

2. Wash, dry and peel the parsley, chop it a finely before placing it on the mortar. Crush it together with Maldon Salt and garlic until it forms a paste. Cover and set aside.

3. Heat the grill, greasing the griddle with olive oil. Lightly grease the chops with extra virgin olive oil once the barbecue is hot. Cook them for 4 minutes on each side at 180C. Season them with Maldon Salt when they have just cooked and serve them hot with the parsley aioli you made.

Ingredients:

200g unsalted butter, softened

2 tbsp harissa

Small handful of coriander finely chopped

Pinch Maldon smoked salt

5 corn on the cob

Method:

1. In a small bowl prepare the flavoured butter by mixing together the softened butter, harissa, chopped coriander and smoked Maldon salt.

2. Heat up the BBQ or alternatively you can use a griddle pan. Use a pastry brush to cover the corn with the butter and then place them onto the BBQ and cook for 4-5 minutes on each side until the corn is bright yellow and cooked, with charred areas.

3. Once the corn is cooked, brush with a little extra of the butter and a final sprinkling of Maldon smoked salt – serve straight away.

Recipes from maldonsalt.com