Mary Berry’s Easy Summer BBQ Recipes

I've got six legs. That's the thigh and the drumstick all together. It makes a really substantial meal. Just knocked together in no time. Here goes. First for the sticky part. Ketchup. Everybody's got tomato sauce in the cupboard. I'm going to judge it. So six tablespoons. One, two, three. Give or take that six tablespoons. Three tablespoons of Worcester sauce. That gives it a little bit of oomph. Then a couple of tablespoons full of mustard. I like the grainy mustard. And it's pretty tasty so far. Next, some runny honey. Two tablespoons. I've often got a jar that's solid at the bottom. Just warm it and it will be runny again. Almost there. Just two tablespoons of tomato puree and a clove of garlic and you're done. Very sticky already. Now all it needs is the chicken. Just make four slits in total. That means all the flavour of the sticky topping gets right down inside and it's wonderful. Right, it all goes in. Like some of my best recipes, there are no hard and fast rules for this marinade. I've been tweaking it over the years, adding a little bit more of this and that but it's got to be sticky and sweet. Once the chicken's well and truly coated, pop in the fridge and wait for that sticky marinade to work its wonders. When you and your chicken legs are ready to cook, hunt out your largest roasting tin. I've put a bit of non-stick paper in the bottom there because it makes it easier to clean later. And spread them out in one layer. If you pile it up, they won't get crispy on top. Smells pretty good. That's it. Into the oven at 200 degrees fan for about 35 to 40 minutes. I think that looks amazing. This gorgeous deep colour. I'm just going to test whether it's absolutely done. Just go into the thickest part and make quite sure the juices there are as clear as a bell. If they've got a little bit of pink, pop it back in the oven for a bit longer. That's perfect. Right, we'll pile those in. I think they look really, really special. The charred finish and the smell. So spicy and good. My Sticky Honey Chicken is great for entertaining children. It's not too expensive and it looks so good and tastes even better. There's nothing nicer than a homemade beef burger. You know exactly what goes into it and it just melts in the mouth when you eat it. I've got first quality minced beef here, so 500 grams into the bowl. Breadcrumbs are essential in a burger but add too many and they'll be stodgy. I've just got 50 grams here. A medium onion that I've chopped really, really finely. If you're not good at chopping onion, you could always grate it. That's the basics. Now for some delicious extras, starting with three tablespoons of chopped fresh parsley, two teaspoons of Dijon mustard. Now that really does bring out the flavour. And more punch from a tablespoon of rich sun-dried tomato paste and some chopped marjoram. This bright green adds to the colour of my beef burger. To bind it all together, I'm going to have an egg yolk. There it is, going in. Lastly, some salt and pepper then just dive in. I really like getting my hands in here. You know, you can feel when it gets together and you know, if you've got a young family and they really love beef burgers, let them make their own. They'll love it, especially if they're allowed to get their hands in. So work that into a shape and divide it into six. It's a good tip to wet your hands before you shake them because it makes it that much easier. But gosh, it's not too difficult, is it? I mean, what I do is roll it into a ball and then flatten it out. And if some are a little bit bigger than others, people have different sized appetites. That's what I say when I make a mistake because that one is a little bit bigger, isn't it? Now it's time to heat up my griddle pan and cook those beef burgers. Rather than putting the oil in the pan, I'm going to actually put the oil on the beef burgers. This way, the burgers won't stick and the oil won't burn. So lift each one with a fish slice into the pan and over. They're going to take two minutes each side when they're that thickness. A little bit longer if you want them really well done. But the big mistake with beef burgers is to overcook them. Don't forget to oil the other side before you flip them over. They've had their time. So just turn those out. Oh, they look good, don't they? And I've got plans for those gorgeous juices left in the pan. All the flavour from the beef burgers is there. That will go onto my bap. It'll be delicious. Just slide them along. Make sure all that gubbins is coming with the extra special brioche baps. It's browning nicely. It should take about a minute for your buns to take on the stripes of the griddle pan. And now it's an assembly job. It's all about the layers. First mayo, some lovely crisp lettuce, a juicy slice of tomato. We're getting there. Gosh, it's quite a mountain, isn't it? Last on is a slice of sweet pickled cucumber and top the whole lot off with a jaunty bun. Listen, they're crispy too. They look so tempting. So there are my beef burgers in all their glory. A real family classic. Just look at this selection of tomatoes. The colours are spectacular. It's amazing how in many vegetables we're turning to different colours. If you're preparing it ahead, don't put salt on the tomatoes because if you do, it'll draw out all the moisture and you'll be left with a pool of liquid underneath. I think I rather like the look of these. A simple dish like this makes the ingredients the star of the show, so you can't really go wrong. But I'll just toss them in so they're all quite haphazard. Spring onions go beautifully with tomatoes and these will add a bit of crunch. That's it. Sprinkle that over the top, all over. So I've left a little hole in the middle because I'm going to put a little bowl there of my goat's cheese and I'm going to make it into a little sort of mousse. I think a great change from mozzarella. After all, we're changing the colour of the tomatoes. Why don't we change the type of cheese? This mousse is definitely foolproof. Just whip 100ml of double cream with 150g of soft goat's cheese. Mixing the goat's cheese with the cream makes it a lighter texture and a little bit richer. What could be easier? So that goes into the centre. We're getting there. To bring it all together, blend fresh basil, garlic and olive oil for the dressing. Delicious. Don't put this on till the very last minute. Finish with some beautiful Parma ham and the last sprig of basil. I think this is perfect for a summer celebration. It really is sunshine coming through the windows. Absolutely stunning. This idea captures the essence of a British summer. To make a cordial syrup is not difficult. I'm starting off by making just a little bit of lemon syrup to add to my elderflower cordial. Add the juice of two lemons to the rind. Pour in 100ml of water and 75g of sugar. I'm just going to heat that up slowly to dissolve the sugar and infuse the lemon zest. It's the outside, the bright yellow, that gives a lovely flavour to it. Soak 20g of gelatin leaves in cold water until soft. Remove the lemon zest and after a few minutes add the gelatin. Now that's how it should be. Can you see it's quite squidgy and just squeeze that out and then just drop that in and it will dissolve in this hot liquid. And finally add 400ml of water and 250ml of elderflower cordial. Sharp smell of lemons and a hint of elderflower. So there it is ready. I like to serve this in individual glasses. In the back of a cupboard you might have one of your mothers like that. I don't know, I'm sure they came free with a packet of something but even so when they're filled they look good. Let those cool and then into the fridge for around six hours or overnight to set. I'm going to finish them off with another summer favourite of mine. Fresh strawberries tossed in icing sugar. Gives them a lovely shine too. And add those to the top with a dollop of whipped cream. Blissful.