THE GREAT BLOKE'S BBQ COOKBOOK
Kim Terakes - Penguin Books - $45

This is a book (a new edition of the original 2007 title) for blokes especially those who want to graduate beyond cooking sausages on their barbie. It provides the opportunity for a bloke to present food that tastes great, makes him look good and doesn't take hours to prepare or require numerous trips to the supermarket. These recipes are uncomplicated and unfussy.

The Bookman tried one and sure enough it went down well and looked great too.

Grilled tuna with niçoise salad

The purists find it hard to agree what really should go into a classic nicoise (it certainly has canned tuna). Sidestep the issue by re-inventing the nicoise for the BBQ, using fresh grilled tuna and adding some capers to sharpen up the dressing.

8 small new potatoes

4 eggs

24 fresh green beans

4 × 150–200 g tuna fillets

olive oil, for brushing

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

4 very ripe medium-sized tomatoes, cut into six or eight pieces

about 12 cos lettuce leaves, cut across in 4 cm-wide strips
about 20 small black olives
about 8 basil leaves, torn
8 anchovy fillets in oil, drained

Dressing
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
sea salt and black pepper, to taste
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 heaped teaspoon very finely chopped red shallot
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 heaped teaspoon capers, rinsed and finely chopped

Steam or boil the potatoes until just cooked, then cut in half and reserve. Hardboil the eggs and allow to cool, then peel and cut into quarters. Steam or boil the green beans and refresh in cold (preferably iced) water to maintain their colour and stop them cooking further.

Brush both sides of the tuna fillets with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper. Place on a preheated chargrill, turning just once until cooked to medium–rare. Remove from the grill and set aside to rest,
loosely covered with foil, for 5 minutes while you make the dressing.

Mix all the dressing ingredients together in a small bowl.
Divide the potatoes, eggs, beans, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, basil and anchovies evenly between four plates. Place a tuna fillet on top and then spoon over the dressing before serving.
Serves 4
Extract taken with permission from The Great Bloke’s BBQ Cookbook by Kim Terakes. RRP $45.00, Penguin Books.
Text © Kim Terakes, 2007, Photographs © Rob Palmer, 2007