‘Brilling’ at the Green Community

The first barby of the season and what excitement it created from what to prepare ,what to wear to what to expect!!(Psst camels)  There’s no better place to kick start it than 542 Chamomile lane. What with the top of the range Webber and a fantastic Pit master  in full form with efficient aides , platters and platters of marinated cuts to be brilled (not sure if  grilled or barbecued is the correct term) it was truly a night to remember. Hunger pangs of course started early on and it was fun to see the debate going on about what to start throwing on to the Barby.

The array was amazing, Pink Salmon with a fennel blanket, Tangy Chicken Carpaccio, Sweet potato surprises, Juicy herbed Lamb Chops, Chicory salad with blue cheese dressing, Soft Paneer skewers, Interesting and Interactive Hobo Pies, followed  by Kamlus surprise dish and finally crowned by  the  yummy  cookie pizza as dessert.

The Chicken was laid out first, bordered by the foiled sweet potato .BBQ lesson number 1 for moi, it’s better to par boil the sweet potatoes before Brilling. The aroma wafting in the slightly nippy evening really brings those hunger pangs (greedy pangs) to the forefront.  

The crisp chicory salad set the tone for the evening crunchy  and fresh & perfect with the  Tangy Chicken Carpaccio ..(and the salmon that was to follow) . The marinade was basically an orange based one. Here’s a quick look at what went into it.  

·         Fresh Orange juice and Rind 

·         Dried Chilli  and Smoked paprika

·         Mustard and Honey

·         Ketchup

·         Olive Oil

·         Sea salt 

I think this would work well even with Chicken wings and legs too.

Lakshmi’s scrumptious Lamb chops in the Oregano yoghurt marinade was juicy and tender and kudos also  to the Pit Masters who timed it to perfection. The paneer and capsicum skewers brought in the spiciness that enhanced the experience of the chops.

Barbeques are perfect for long evening meals as one is forced to wait for the next lot to be ready and thus not get overly full. No danger of that happening though!!  The Pit Master ensured that there was a constant flow of something or the other on to our plates. Sweet potato surprises kept everyone guessing as there were 3 different marinades, Sumac and Zaatar, Olive oil and Oregano and Chili flakes and Sea salt Olive oil combo…

The Interactive dish of the evening was a huge hit as we could choose what went into each of our little bags. There were chorizos , potatoes , peppers ,onion ,tomatoes and a whole range of herbs and spices that we could mix and match . Too greedy to put any kind of creative thought into  it , most of us just grabbed some chorizos and onions and reached out to the nearest bottles of spice and herbs  except for Manoj who took his time in getting the right mix of spices and herbs.  Of course we had to sample his hobo pie as well and then without a doubt  copy and taste!   

The succulent fennel blanketed Salmon was devoured in no time and the crispy skin, my favorite part of grilled Salmon ,yummyyy!! 

It was at this point, that we took a break and sat back to enjoy the fantastic ambiance.. the greenery around, the sound of the bubbling stream(poetic license here), the conversation and laughter…

The cookie pizza that was brought out was warm and cookie doughish (I loved)  and with a scoop of vanilla  ice cream… it was divine ..totally  capped a wonderful evening with terrific friends !!

 When’s  the next one guys?