Barbecued fish kebab, avocado tabbouleh and wild rocket by Renato Porceddu
INGREDIENTS
(serves eight)
For the tabbouleh
500g cracked wheat
4 vine-ripened or fresh plum tomatoes
1 cucumber
2 ripe avocados
1 bunch spring onions
Salt and pepper
2 thick-skinned Italian or Spanish lemons
For the kebab Bamboo skewers
2 cloves of garlic
1 large sweet red pepper
500g squid (cleaned weight)
1kg monkfish (filleted)
8 fresh king prawns (in shell)
8 large scallops
8 bay leaves
Salt and pepper
For both
1 bunch each of mint, parsley, basil and thyme
About 150ml extra virgin olive oil
To serve Wild rocket
METHOD
Cook cracked wheat in boiling water for 15 minutes until soft and light. Drain and cool. Quarter tomatoes and remove seeds. Slice cucumber in half lengthways and scrape out centre. Chop avocado in rough chunks. Chop tomatoes, cucumber, spring onion and half of the mint and parsley. Add to cracked wheat. Season with salt and pepper and add three tablespoons of olive oil and lemon juice to taste. Mix together.
Soak the bamboo skewers in warm water to prevent burning. Finely chop the rest of the parsley, basil, mint and thyme. Add crushed garlic and herbs to a small cup of olive oil and set aside. Clean out red pepper and cut into large chunks.
Clean the squid by cutting open the body into a flat piece. Scrape out the guts. Cut off the head but keep the tentacles in a bunch. Score inner side with diagonally crossed lines about 1cm apart and slice into large pieces. Clean the thin, sticky film off the monkfish fillets, removing all dark marks. Slice into chunks about 2cm thick. Clean prawns by splitting the shells with a sharp knife and removing the black veins. Wash in cold water, leaving the shells intact. Remove the shells if preferred, but leave the end of the tail.
Skewer the fish and shellfish alternately, including the squid tentacles, with a few chunks of red pepper and a couple of pieces of torn bay leaves. Pour a little olive oil onto a tray and season with salt and pepper. Roll the skewers in the oil again and bake in a hot oven for about eight minutes, turning occasionally until scallops and monkfish are slightly firm and springy.
Place skewers on to a heap of tabbouleh and pour a little herb and garlic oil over them. Serve with remaining lemon cut in wedges and wild rocket dressed with a little oil and lemon juice.
Renato Porceddu
