4 Easy Recipes When Hosting a Barbecue

There’s no better way to christen your new home in Malta than inviting friends and family over to celebrate your milestone. And the summer heat is the best excuse to take your BBQ area for a spin! It’s probably the main reason why we look for types of properties with outdoor space, right? Now all you need are the recipes to cook up!

Picture it: you’ve moved into your dream home with a garden in Malta (or a holiday house in Gozo!) and you’ve finally got just the spot for that gas BBQ you’ve always wanted. You have the perfect BBQ area set up, so all you need now is the food. 

And we’re here to help. Here are 4 easy recipes and BBQ ideas you can whip up to impress your friends when you want them to have an unforgettable time in your new Malta home with a garden! 

Grilled BBQ Chicken

Grilled chicken legs are a barbecue staple – but they can be tricky to get just right! By slowly roasting them in plenty of BBQ flavours (marinating them up to 3 days in advance works well) ahead of time, you can ensure perfectly cooked chicken and a wonderfully stress-free grilling session.

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 chicken legs
• BBQ spice rub and sauce (pick your favourites!)
• Salt and sugar

Method:

1. Season chicken generously with salt and a pinch of sugar before coating in your favourite spice rub.
2. Place in a baking dish, top with baking paper and seal with foil. Roast in the oven for 1 hour at 160C.
3. Remove from juices and allow to cool until ready to grill.
4. Crisp up and warm the chicken over a hot grill of charcoal or a gas BBQ. Brush with BBQ sauce and grill lightly for 2 minutes for a nice sticky glaze. Serve immediately.

Grilled Mackerel with a Warm Mediterranean Vinaigrette

Mackerel is a fantastic fish to add to your garden summer menu. Its firm and slightly oily flesh stands up well to the searing heat from a BBQ and its sharp flavours pair amazingly with the smokiness. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 4 mackerel, gutted
• 100ml extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves garlic, sliced
• 2 shallots, sliced
• 150g cherry tomatoes, halved
• 50g black olives, pitted and quartered
• A small handful of mint + basil, chopped
• 2 lemons, quartered
• Salt + pepper to taste

Method:

1. For the sauce – place a small pot on the stove and add the extra virgin olive oil, sliced garlic and sliced shallots. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes to soften but not brown the garlic. 
2. Add the halved tomatoes and the olives and increase the heat to medium. Cook until everything has softened, and the oil is flavoured. Allow this to infuse while you prepare your fish. 
3. For the fish – preheat a grill over medium-high heat. 
4. Rub the fish with olive oil and salt all over. Place the fish onto the grill and cook for 3 minutes without moving until the skin has crisped and the mackerel can be removed easily. 
5. Cook for another 3 minutes on the other side and check to ensure they are cooked. 
6. Remove the fish from the grill and drizzle with lemon juice.

Add the chopped parsley and mint to your sauce before spooning generously over your grilled fish.

Balsamic-Honey-Mustard Potato Salad

Potato salad is an integral part of any summer BBQ, especially here in Malta and Gozo where we rarely shy away from a carb. In this recipe, we’ve ditched the mayonnaise for a more grownup (but even more flavourful) vinaigrette!

Serves 4-6 

Ingredients

• 1kg baby potatoes
• 30ml balsamic vinegar
• 60ml extra virgin olive oil
• 10g wholegrain mustard
• 20g honey
• Handful of parsley, chopped
• Salt & black pepper to taste

Method:

1. Cut potatoes in half, and boil in well-salted water for 10 minutes. Drain.
2. Combine the balsamic vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, wholegrain mustard, honey, salt, and pepper in a small jar. Close and shake the jar to combine.
3. Once potatoes have cooled, toss in the vinaigrette and allow to cool completely before folding in a handful of chopped parsley and adjusting to taste with salt and pepper.

Grilled Peaches & Ice Cream

Few things are sweeter than a peach in the Maltese summer. Even sweeter still is enjoying them with some ice cream in the comfort of your BBQ area in the garden of your home in Malta (or Gozo)! 

Serves 4 – 6

Ingredients

• 800g peaches, halved (ripe but firm)
• 30g light brown sugar
• Cinnamon, to taste
• 50g flaked almonds, roasted
• Your favourite vanilla ice cream

Method:

1. Preheat your grill to a medium-high heat. Lightly rub the halved peaches in olive oil.
2. Place the fruit onto the grill and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side or until nicely coloured. 
3. Once cooked, remove to a separate dish. Sprinkle lightly with sugar and cinnamon, and allow to sit for 3 minutes. 
4. Serve the pieces of fruit over some vanilla ice cream. Drizzle on any cooking juices and a sprinkle of flaked almonds to finish. 

And there you have it! Whether you’re hosting from your back garden in your Malta house or a farmhouse in Gozo, these 4 easy BBQ recipes are a surefire way to add some sizzle to your summer!