Caramelised peaches & mozzarella on BBQ toast
Caramelised peaches & mozzarella on BBQ toast
In volume six of Stories, we introduced you to a Somerset-based chef who we’ve known, loved and worked with for many years – Sam Wylde. The six mini festive recipes he ‘cooked up’ went down a treat with our readers, so for summer, he’s back with a handful of dishes (find the others, grilled sardines with chimichurri and Mojo de Ajo marinated chicken on our journal too) for a fresh and wholesome summer barbecue.
The thinking behind the dishes, by Sam Wylde
I went to write, ‘who doesn’t love a barbecue?’, but then I thought, I actually know a number of people who don’t. And I think the reason for that is because if you want to do more than classic burgers, hot dogs and vegetable skewers, it can be a bit confusing to know where to start.
But that’s a great opportunity. British barbecue cooking has steadily become more adventurous over the last decade. Flavours from all over the world translate to the barbecue, from sweet and smoky hickory aromas of the Deep South, to Portuguese and Latin marinades like the Mojo de Ajo I use in the chicken recipe.
Overall though, I’ve come at each of these barbecue recipes with the same approach as I do with everything – simple ingredients that go together brilliantly, are easy to cook, and taste great. There’s a good balance between depth of flavour, fresh aromas, lightness when eating (so you can eat as much as possible!) and a fresh aftertaste. They’re what I cook when I’m chief barbecuer at home with my friends and family.
They work really well all together, but you can just add in one or two to sit amongst burgers in buns and coleslaw if you’d rather.
The recipe
Makes enough for six–eight
What you’ll need:
50g parmesan (or a vegan alternative), finely grated
4 peaches, firm but ripe
2 balls of mozzarella, buffalo if possible
1 loaf of ciabatta, fresh
1 tsp lemon juice
A small bunch of fresh basil, finely chopped
A drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
A sprinkling of sea salt flakes and cracked black pepper
What to do
- Slice your peaches in half from top to bottom, removing the stones.
- Drizzle them with a little olive oil, salt and pepper.
- Grill the peaches on the hot barbecue for two minutes on each side until toasted and slightly sticky. Then set them to one side.
- Slice the ciabatta and lightly toast on the barbecue.
- Place onto a plate and arrange the grilled peaches on top.
- Tear the mozzarella so each ball is roughly in half and put one half on the top of each peach half.
- Sprinkle each one with parmesan, chopped basil, and salt and pepper. You can also dot a touch of olive oil over them and onto the dish for a bit more colour.
You can find out more about Sam on his website and by following him on Instagram.
