Tuck in to tacos at your al fresco feast

Enjoy this late summer sun and take your al fresco feasts to the next level with these recipes, ideal for serving outdoors and guaranteed to please your friends and family.

BBQ spicy king prawns with garlic and Grana Padano Riserva dip

Light bites are always a winner when eating as a group, and these flavour-packed prawns are perfect. The delicious dip makes the ultimate accompaniment, and you’ll want to use it with everything.

Photo: Grand Padano

Serves 4

Ingredients  

For the prawns:

• 20 king prawns (3 to 5 per person)
• 150g sandwich bread, crust removed
• 30g parsley
• 30g fresh basil
• 15g chives
• 15g chervil
• 5g tarragon
• 5g fresh chilli, finely sliced
• ½ tsp of green Tabasco
• 75g Grana Padano Riserva, grated
• 35ml extra virgin olive oil
• 1 Amalfi lemon, sliced in half
• Salt and pepper

For the dip:

• 10g parsley
• 200ml natural yoghurt
• 1 clove of garlic, grated
• 25g Grana Padano Riserva, grated
• 5g fresh chilli, finely sliced

Method:

1. Remove the shell from the prawns leaving just the tail on
2. Wash all the herbs with cold water and let them completely dry on a kitchen cloth
3. In a food processor add the bread, 75g of the grated Grana Padano Riserva, half of the required chilli, green Tabasco and the herbs
4. Start blending the ingredients and add the juice of half of the Amalfi lemon and the extra virgin olive oil slowly, until the herbs are finely chopped and the bread has turned a bright green colour
5. Pre-heat the top grill of the oven to 200 °C. You can use a charcoal grill as an alternative if you have one
6. For the yoghurt dip, combine the yoghurt, fresh grated garlic and the remaining Grana Padano Riserva in a bowl. Blend until smooth, adjust with salt and pepper to taste. Then add the remaining chopped parsley and chilli. Set aside for later
7. Start grilling the other half of the lemon. On a separate baking tray, coat the prawns with the herb-infused bread mixture and grill for a few minutes on each side
8. Serve with the yoghurt dip and the grilled lemon on the side

Recipe and imagery taken from Grana Padano.

Roasted rainbow vegetable salad

On warmer days, sometimes a healthy, light salad is exactly what you need. We love this colourful offering which can be changed up depending on what you have in your fridge and cupboards at the time.

Photo: Hotel Chocolat

Ingredients:

• 2 sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 2cm cubes
• 3 large beetroots, peeled and sliced into 5mm-thick circles
• 6 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 200g puy lentils
• 1 tablespoon vegetable bouillon powder
• 3 spring onions, trimmed, peeled and sliced finely at an angle
• Small bunch of parsley, finely chopped
• 20g shelled walnuts
• 20g roasted cacao nibs
• 100g goats’ cheese log, cut into 5mm slices
• 2 large handfuls of watercress
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/Gas Mark 4
2. Toss the cubed sweet potatoes and beetroot rounds with 3 tablespoons of olive oil, the garlic clove and a pinch of salt and pepper. Tip into a roasting tray and cook in the oven for 35—40 minutes or until tender but still retaining their texture. Squeeze the roasted garlic flesh from its skin and combine with the vegetables.
3. Meanwhile, cook the lentils. Place them in a pan and fill with enough water to cover the lentils by 2cm. Place the pan over a high heat, cover and bring to a boil. Add the vegetable bouillon powder then reduce the heat and simmer, loosely covered with a lid, for 15—20 minutes or until the lentils are tender (do not overcook). Drain thoroughly, transfer to a large mixing bowl and mix with 1 tablespoon of olive oil, the spring onions and the parsley. Stir through the roasted vegetables, season, then cool to room temperature.
4. Gently crush the walnuts and cacao nibs in a pestle and mortar. Combine with a pinch of salt then tip on to a large plate. Roll each slice of goats’ cheese into a small ball. Carefully roll the balls over the walnut and nib mixture, pressing the mixture into each one until they are covered entirely.
5. Spread out the watercress on a large serving plate and spoon over the roasted vegetable and lentil mix. Place the goats’ cheese on top and drizzle with the remaining olive oil.

Recipe and imagery taken from Hotel Chocolat

Sausage frittata

Exactly what you need to tuck in to for the changing season, this delicious frittata is ideal for an al fresco feast. It’s full of flavour and easy to make, so you can concentrate on spending time with your guests.

Photo: Wild and Game

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

• 1 pack Wild and Game grouse and wild boar sausages
• 12 large eggs
• 1 whole capsicum pepper or 2 halves of different colour peppers, diced
• 10 cherry tomatoes, halved
• A big handful of parsley, chopped
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 2 tsp sea salt
• A generous amount of freshly ground black pepper
• Olive oil

Method

1. Pre-heat your grill on a medium heat.
2. Pour a drizzle of olive oil into a frying pan and fry the sausages until cooked – about 10-12 minutes. Let cool, then slice.
3. Find a large, shallow pan that can also withstand being put under the grill and pour in enough olive oil to cover the bottom. Fry the onion low and slow, stirring, for about 8-10 minutes so that it’s softened, reduced in size and darkened but not burnt.
4. Add the peppers, turn the heat up a bit and cook for a minute then add the cherry tomatoes and cook for a minute more. Add the garlic and cook for about another minute. Don’t let anything burn – add more oil if needed.
5. Beat the eggs with the salt, pepper and parsley.
6. Add a little more oil if required to make sure the bottom of the pan is coated and tip the sliced sausage into the pan, followed by the egg. Before it starts to set, give it a quick stir if necessary, to make sure everything is evenly distributed.
7. Cook on a medium-low heat for 8-10 minutes until you feel the lower layer is set, then transfer the pan under the grill and cook until the whole frittata is set and browned – about another 4 minutes.
8. Serve with fresh bread, a salad and maybe some spicy sauce.

Recipe and imagery taken from Wild and Game.

Filo parcels of comté, courgettes, spinach & leeks

Just like the BBQ spicy king prawns, these filo parcels are ideal for small plate sharing dinners for an alfresco feast. While it might seem like a bit of effort to make them yourself from scratch, your effort is certain to be noticed when these taste 100x better than anything shop bought.

Photo: Comté cheese by chef Laura Pope

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 120ml light olive oil
• 1 large lemon, zest and juice
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 2 Hispi cabbages (the small, pale green pointy ones with the smooth leaves), outer leaves removed and cut into eighths lengthways
• Fresh thyme, leaves from a few sprigs
• 50g mature Comté (18 to 24-month), finely shaved

Method

1. Preheat oven to 240℃ (220℃ fan).
2. Mix together the olive oil, lemon zest (not the juice yet!), garlic, ¼ teaspoon fine salt, a few grinds of black pepper and the thyme leaves. Set aside 2 tablespoons and pour the rest over the cabbage in a large bowl, then gently toss well to coat.
3. Arrange the cabbage on two large, lined baking trays and roast in the centre of the oven for 20 to 25 minutes until the edges are crisp and golden – after 10 minutes, you’ll need to swap the baking trays around so that the cabbage wedges cook evenly.
4. Gently arrange the cabbage on a large serving plate and let it cool for 10 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, add the lemon juice to the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil mix and drizzle it evenly over the cabbage. When you’re ready to serve, scatter over the shavings of Comté.

Recipe and imagery extracted from Comté cheese

Vegan Jersey Royal black bean tacos

Light and tasty, these vegan tacos are as good to eat as they are to look at. They serve as a wonderful side dish and the stunning al fresco feast presentation is guaranteed to wow.

Photo: Jersey Royal

Serves 4

Ingredients

For the filling;

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, diced
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 300g Jersey Royal potatoes, diced
• 300g tomatoes, roughly chopped
• 1 tsp chipotle paste, add more to taste
• 120g black beans, drained and rinsed 

To serve;

• Little gem lettuce leaves
• 2 avocados, peeled and sliced
• Edible flowers (we used violas) and tiger pink lemons to serve

For the pickles;

• 75ml red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 6 radishes (recommend breakfast and watermelon), thinly sliced

1. Warm the vinegar with the sugar and salt and stir until dissolved. Bring up to the boil then pour over the onions and radishes. Leave to steep and cool for at least 15 minutes.
2. To make the filling, heat the oil in a pan, add the shallot and cook gently for 5 minutes until completely softened. Stir in the garlic and cook for another minute, then add the Jersey Royal potatoes, tomatoes, and chipotle paste with 100ml water. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer gently for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Stir in the beans and cook uncovered for another 5 minutes. Cool slightly.
3. To serve: spoon the potato mixture into the lettuce leaves, top with avocado slices, a few pickles and a lemon wedge for squeezing over. Garnish with edible flowers and extra lemon wedges.

Recipe and imagery taken from Jersey Royals

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• Al fresco living in the late summer sun