Last month, we challenged chef Nila Ross-Patel to come up with some fantastic outdoor recipes using a box of secret foodie goodies from the Heart Smoke and Soal shelves.
Nila came to cook at one of our open days last year, and we’ve been delighted to be working in close collaboration with her ever since. Self-taught, Nila takes inspiration from her mother, who has been her culinary mentor since she was a small girl. Previously Indian Cookery Tutor at Exeter Cookery School before it sadly closed down due to COVID, Nila now holds her signature Fire and Spice BBQ cooking lessons at the UK BBQ School at Cullompton.
First up in week one was Ross & Ross’ BBQ Jam Trio. Nila began with the Smoky Chipotle and paired it with some salmon steaks, which she cooked on a cedar plank from Hot Smoke Dorset. To take it to another level, Nila coated the fish in a gorgeous, tasty Tandoori mix lovingly made by Spice Kitchen. The combination of tandoori spices with the sticky, sweet, smoky chilli jam the flavour was just gorgeous. Many thanks to the crew @gibsons_plaice_fishmongers who cut the salmon to size.
Challenge Nila: “Who would have thought that a wooden plank could take salmon to another level?”
Next for the grill was the Habanero and Pineapple Jam which Nila paired with a lovely cauliflower dish using the simplest of ingredients. She tossed cauliflower florets, new potatoes and tomatoes together, seasoned it with chilli powder and turmeric before roasting it over the coals. This was then served a good dollop of the jam. Finally, it was the turn of the Sweet Chili and Lime variety, the ideal accompaniment to Nila’s Indian style lamb burgers.
Week two, and it was the turn of Judge Casey's Feisty Habanero Ketchup .Nila layered the flavours for some chicken kebabs with a mix of fresh ginger, garlic and turmeric, which were then BBQ’d until nearly cooked. To finish off the cooking process, Nila glazed them using the habanero ketchup mixed with a little maple syrup for a sweet chilli kick; The kebabs were perfectly served with a mixed salad, and a refreshing dip made by simply using Judge Casey’s Curry Twist Ketchup mixed with Greek yoghurt and mayonnaise.
Challenge Nila: “Did you know that Heart, Smoke & Soal are currently the only UK stockist of Judge Casey’s products?”
From ketchups to rubs, Nila’s box of treats was the gift that kept on giving. Nila opted for her very first one pot meal on the BBQ as the next challenge. Using a combination of two rubs from Angus & Oink combined together – Rub Me Garlic Butter and Feather Duster. Picking up on the orange juice within the Feather Duster, Nila made a butter mix of roughly two parts Feather Duster to one part Garlic Butter. Adding the zest of a fresh orange Nila rubbed the butter under the chicken skin and when cooked, finish off with a little freshly squeezed orange juice.
With quite a few products left to try, next out of the box was Sicilian Lemon Salt lovingly handcrafted by Sea Crack. It was only natural to try this with fish and Nila used pollack, making a crunchy crumb with panko breadcrumbs, the lemon salt, parsley and sliced red chillies, finished off with freshly squeezed lemon juice and a little more lemon salt – all that was needed was some crusty bread and butter to mop up the juices.
Challenge Nila: “The salt from Sea Crack really does have an amazing flavour. It’s quite intense so use sparingly. Just wait until you open the jar, the smell is heavenly!
Everyone loves pizza, so we were excited to find out what Nila would do with DeliVita’s vegan pizza balls. Using Sauce Shop’s Mother Tomato Cook-In Sauce as the base layer for a mozzarella, stilton and basil pizza, the dough proved to be easy to use and the sauce not too sweet – one jar goes a long way! Next up was a simple garlic pizza bread, drizzled it with Laconiko olive oil infused with garlic. Finally, Nila prepared a delicious vegan pizza stacked it with a range of roasted veg and made extra special by adding added a few spoons of the gorgeous original chimichurri made by CHIMILOVE.
Challenge Nila: “I loved working with the pizza dough, and I can see the garlic pizza bread, sprinkled with a little salt, being a perfect accompaniment to some of my Indian dishes. Clearly made with love, the chimichurri added a piquancy to the pizza and lasts for up to one month in the fridge once opened (that’s if you haven’t eaten it by then)!“
Challenge Nila's Box of Goodies
Sea Crack - Sicilian Lemon, Black Lava Salt
CHIMILOVE Chimichurri Mayo, Chimichurri Original
Judge Casey's Original Ketchup, Curry Ketchup, Habanero Ketchup