BBQ with a twist

Every year I am going to Tuscany with the same group of friends! During the rest of the year we meet regularly, explore news restaurant or get invited to each others home for dinner. This month we got invited for BBQ and it could not have been more perfect for this kind of sweltering heat.

This BBQ turned out to be something special. I love BBQ in all its forms, and this one was truly remarkable. Therefore I have decided to give it its own post.

We started with a tomato and leek quiche, a gift for our hostess Claudia from one of the guests which everyone sampled.

Then it was time for the hostess to dazzle us with her creations and she did. We were told that the theme of the BBQ was Thai! As you all know by now, I love Thai food and was intrigued by this announcement. We started with a soup, a fragrant, spicy broth with shrimps, scallops and some vegetables. Delicious, I had to take seconds.

The main course consisted of three kinds of meat: beef satay with a home-made peanut sauce, spare ribs, ground chicken kebab on lemongrass skewers and a salad with lettuce, cucumber and coriander. The flavors and colors of all dishes were so well-balanced, it was a feast for the palate and the eyes!

Claudia was supported at the grill by her man (BBQ chef and my brother) Andy.

To top the feast off we had a Pavlova with berries for dessert! What a treat!

We stayed until after midnight, really long for a weeknight when everybody has to work the next day. It was just one of these evening where everything clicked: company, food, weather.

Our hostess Claudia with yours truly.

I have been invited to a couple BBQs already this summer and all of them were good! The Thai BBQ stands out because it was so unexpected different and so well executed in all its little culinary details. You know what I use as a measure if something was really outstanding or not? It’s when I am hungry the next day and I still think about the food from the day before. When I start to fantasize about the leftovers and berate myself why I didn’t have this one piece more. I admit, I am a glutton!
Yours, Pollybert