Chicken Paillards

Chicken breasts get bad rap for being bland and dry. The fact is, they are usually served well overcooked; when barbequed until just done, they are juicy and delicious. Use a meat mallet or cast iron pan to flatten the chicken breasts (a piece of cling film either side will save a lot of mess). The thinner you make them, the quicker they will cook; 5 – 10mm is good. Season well – quick-seared, juicy chicken breasts can handle a lot of flavour. To check for doneness make multiple small incisions to assess the colour of the meat.

‘It’s-amazing-it-hasn’t-burnt’ sweetcorn

Use a double or triple layer of foil to protect the sweetcorn from the heat of the embers. It will usually take around 10 minutes to cook. When in season you can buy whole cobs with the husk still in place – these can be placed in the fire as they are, and will take about 15 minutes to cook. The outer layer of the husk will be completely charred, but the sweetcorn will be perfectly steamed with a slight grassy flavour and will exhibit no charring or burnt flavour. Whether this is an advantage or disadvantage is up to you! Either way, it makes for very easy prep, ie. no prep at all.