To get your barbecue season off to the right start, Kikas Grill has produced a range of healthy, tender, low-fat products made from chicken and turkey thigh meat. Fire up the barbecue – some delicious, filling bite-size snacks are here with your name on them!

‘Turkey meat in light marinade’ and ‘Chicken kebab’ are this season’s hot favourites!

GET GRILLING!

The long, cold winter is behind us and it’s time to dust off the barbecue and fire it up once again. Not that I have to go to all that much trouble, thankfully, since I use mine all the time, whatever the season. But for those of you who have forgotten how it all works, let me give you a little reminder. First there’re the dos and don’ts of barbecuing; after that I’ve got an easy recipe for you that’ll go perfectly with this year’s most popular marinated product. Basically, barbecuing is about grilling things over a high, dry heat. It doesn’t matter what the source of heat is – you can set your own fire, using charcoal, or use gas or even electricity.

You can barbecue just about anything, provided it doesn’t take long to grill and doesn’t need any moisture while you’re grilling it. Most things you barbecue are well-known for their golden brown colour or the little stripes they pick up from being on the grill itself.

KIKAS’ BARBECUE PRODUCTS

It’s great to finally find another barbecue product that lives up to your expectations. The pieces are just the right size, and there’s no rind of any kind. If you place the meat on skewers, set them as close together as you can and squeeze out any excess liquid. Place them on a hot grill (if you’re using charcoal, the embers should be glowing nice and evenly), close the bottom opening half way, stick the cover on and open the opening on the cover. Give them 3 minutes of barbecuing time, turn them onto the next side and grill them for another 3 minutes undercover. Repeat the process until all four sides are done and a lovely golden brown. After 12 minutes cut into the biggest piece of meat on the skewer and check to make sure it’s cooked through (but not overdone).

WHAT TO HAVE WITH IT?

White wine is the perfect accompaniment. Personally, I like New World wines. My favourite is Argentinean producer Trivento’s Chardonnay-Torrontés, served at about 14 degrees. Rooibos ice tea is worth trying, too. Give yourself a good, strong shot of it, pour it over some ice and serve with a peppermint lead and a slice of lime.

Chicken and turkey for grilling is always well accompanied by a fresh vegetable or fruit salad. I’d recommend the following to go with our Kikas products:

Strawberry and melon salad
– Melon (600 g)
– Cherry tomatoes (6)
– Strawberries (8)
– Chopped basil (1 tablespoon)
– Chopped chives (1 tablespoon)
– Olive oil (3 tablespoons )
– Lemon juice (1 tablespoon)
– Sugar (1 tablespoon)
– Salt
– Ground black pepper

Remove the skin and seeds from the melon and cut it into bite-size cubes. Place in the salad bowl. Cut the cherry tomatoes and strawberries into quarters and mix them and the melon with the herbs. Blend the olive oil, lemon juice and sugar for the dressing and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve the dressing separately and do not add any sugar or anything salty or acidic to the salad. People can add this to taste themselves, and this way the salad will stay fresh longer.

Grilled tomato

Take an average-sized tomato. Remove the stem part with the tip of a knife and cut a cross in the other end of the tomato. Place the tomato bottom-down on the grill plate, cover and grill for 5 minutes. Remove the cover and season with salt and pepper. Add dried herbs to the charcoal, cover the tomato and grill for a further 5 minutes. Warm, smoky tomato is the perfect accompaniment to any grilled dish.

Barbecuing tips

• Whatever you’re grilling, serve it with vegetables (not starch-heavy things like potato, pasta or rice)
• The best accompaniment is often a fresh vegetable salad drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice
• Use vegetable oil to light a charcoal barbecue, and use kitchen towels to light the vegetable oil. Scrunch the kitchen paper up and place it in the middle of the charcoal. Pour a little oil over it (a tablespoon or two) and then light the paper.
• On a gas barbecue place a small stick of alder wood on the grill. This will give the meat a smoky flavour and mask any taste of propane. If the stick catches light, pour some water over it. If it chars, replace it.
• Always clean the barbecue once it has warmed up. The heat will burn off any residue from the last time you used it and make the grill easier to clean (gently) using steel wool or similar. At the same time, do not clean the grill straight after the using the barbecue, as it protects it from rust.