🌊 Oceans Week

Method

1. Spatchcock the chicken (1.6kg whole chicken) — kitchen scissors down each side of the backbone, open out flat, press hard on the breastbone to flatten. Mix the marinade: 4 tbsp olive oil, zest and juice of 2 lemons, 4 garlic cloves crushed, 1 tbsp dried oregano, 1 tsp smoked paprika, salt and pepper. Rub all over and refrigerate overnight.
2. Take the chicken out 30 mins before cooking. Light the BBQ for indirect heat (coals to one side, or two burners off on a gas BBQ).
3. Cook chicken skin-side up over indirect heat 30 mins. Flip and cook skin-side down 15 mins more, watching for flare-ups. Internal temp at the thickest part of the thigh should be 74°C — juices run clear, no pink at the bone (pregnancy-safe).
4. Rest the chicken 10 mins loosely tented with foil.
5. Halve 500g new potatoes and boil 15 mins in salted water until tender. Drain. Crush roughly with 20g butter, salt and pepper.
6. Snap the woody ends off 250g British asparagus. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil and salt. Grill on the BBQ 3–4 mins, turning, until charred but still with a bite. Squeeze ½ lemon over to serve.

Serve with

Method

1. Halve 500g new potatoes. Boil in salted water 15–18 mins until tender. Drain, crush roughly with 30g butter, 15g chives chopped, salt and pepper.
2. Cucumber yoghurt: grate ½ cucumber, squeeze excess water out. Mix with 250g Greek yoghurt, 10g dill chopped, 1 garlic clove crushed, squeeze of lemon, salt.
3. Pat 4 salmon fillets dry. Brush with 1 tbsp olive oil, season well.
4. BBQ on an oiled grill, skin-side down first. 4 mins skin side, 2–3 mins flesh side. Salmon should be fully cooked through — no translucency in the centre (Flo pregnant).
5. Plate the potatoes, top with salmon, spoon over the cucumber yoghurt, scatter remaining 10g dill. Lemon wedges alongside.

Serve with

Method

1. Dice 1 red onion and 2 red peppers. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a wide ovenproof pan. Soften the onion and peppers 10 mins over medium heat until really soft.
2. Add 3 garlic cloves crushed, 1 tsp cumin, 1 tsp smoked paprika, ½ tsp chilli flakes. Cook 1 min.
3. Pour in 1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes (pantry). Simmer 10–12 mins until thickened. Season.
4. Make 5 wells in the sauce. Crack 5 eggs into the wells (one for Hamish later — save the runny stage by pulling his out at 5 mins). Crumble over 200g feta. Cover and simmer 5–8 mins until whites are set — for Flo, keep the yolks fully firm (cooked through).
5. Toast 4 thick slices of sourdough on the BBQ or in the toaster, rub with a halved garlic clove.
6. Scatter 10g coriander chopped over the shakshuka and serve straight from the pan with the toast.

Serve with

Method

1. Slice 500g halloumi into 1cm slabs (~12 slices). Pat dry on kitchen paper. Brush with 1 tbsp olive oil.
2. Slice 500g of the courgettes lengthways into ½cm strips. Toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. (Keep the remaining 500g for tomorrow’s pork — see Salad A note below uses none of this.)
3. BBQ courgettes 2 mins per side until grill-marked and tender. Set aside.
4. BBQ halloumi 1–2 mins per side until golden grill marks. Don’t leave it — it goes from perfect to rubbery in 30 seconds.
5. Plate halloumi over the courgettes. Drizzle with 2 tbsp olive oil, juice of ½ lemon, scatter 10g mint chopped and a pinch of chilli flakes.
6. Make Salad A while the halloumi cooks: halve 500g Isle of Wight cherry tomatoes. Crumble over 200g feta (pasteurised — fine for Flo). Add handful kalamata olives halved, 15g basil torn, ½ red onion finely sliced. Dress with 3 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp red wine vinegar. Refrigerate — use Wed / Thu / Fri.

Serve with

Method

1. Marinade (mix Wed night): 3 tbsp hoisin sauce, 2 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp sesame oil, 2cm fresh ginger grated, 2 garlic cloves crushed, juice of ½ lime. Coat the 500g pork tenderloin all over. Refrigerate overnight or at least 1 hour.
2. Take pork out 20 mins before cooking. Light the BBQ for medium-high direct heat.
3. Cook the tenderloin 4–5 mins per side (turning every couple of minutes for an even crust), 15–18 mins total depending on thickness. Brush with marinade once on each turn. Cooked through — no pink, internal temp 71°C (pregnancy-safe).
4. Rest 5 mins on a board loosely tented with foil. Slice on the diagonal into rounds.
5. Sesame slaw: thinly shred ¼ white cabbage. Grate 2 carrots. Slice 3 spring onions. Toss with 1 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or white wine vinegar), 1 tsp soy sauce, juice of ½ lime, 1 tbsp sesame seeds, 10g coriander chopped.
6. Cook 200g jasmine rice per packet (pantry rice fine).

Serve with

Method

1. Take 4 beef burger patties out of the fridge 20 mins before cooking. Season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
2. Slice 4 brioche buns and lightly toast on the BBQ 30 seconds, cut-side down.
3. Slice 2 tomatoes, a handful of lettuce, ½ red onion thinly. Lay out the cheese slices.
4. BBQ burgers over medium-high direct heat. 4 mins one side, flip, 1 cheese slice on each, 3–4 mins more. Burgers must be cooked through — no pink in the middle (Flo pregnant). Internal temp 71°C.
5. Build: bottom bun + sauce + lettuce + tomato + burger with melted cheese + red onion + top bun. Pickles and ketchup at the table.

Serve with

Salad B · Herby Grain · Make Saturday

Use: Saturday / Sunday / Monday. (Grain salads keep well — no leafy issues.)

1. Cook 250g couscous per packet (pour over boiling water/stock, cover, leave 5 mins, fluff with a fork). Cool.
2. Stir through 20g parsley chopped, 15g mint chopped, 50g currants, 50g flaked almonds (toasted in a dry pan until golden — 2 mins).
3. Add ½ red onion finely diced, juice of 1 lemon, 3 tbsp olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well.
4. Refrigerate covered. Stir before each use, refresh with a squeeze of lemon if needed.

Salad A · Isle of Wight Tomato, Feta & Basil · Make Wednesday

Use: Wednesday / Thursday / Friday. Top-quality tomatoes only — that’s the whole point.

1. Halve 500g Isle of Wight cherry tomatoes. (They’re the hero. Don’t substitute.)
2. Crumble over 200g feta. Add a handful of kalamata olives, halved, 15g basil leaves torn, ½ red onion finely sliced.
3. Dress with 3 tbsp olive oil + 1 tbsp red wine vinegar, big pinch of salt, pepper.
4. Refrigerate covered. Bring to room temp 10 mins before serving for full flavour.

Tuesday — no salad

Shakshuka is the meal. Eggs + tomato sauce + feta + sourdough. No salad needed — would crowd the plate.