Summer is the time of year when people are most likely to spend time together outdoors, and there’s no better way to do it than with a great BBQ. The summertime entertaining vibe is all about relaxed food, which is why we all love grilling. Nothing beats the smell of char-grilled meat and vegetables, or the taste of sweet corn on the cob as you dig into the juicy kernels. Combining fresh flavours with exciting grilling techniques including cooking on a fire pit grill, salt block cooking, and cedar-plank smoking,

Valerie Aikman-Smith presents her recipes for perfect summer food. From delicious seafood including Baja Fish Tacos with Blistered Jalapeños, Grilled Snapper in Banana Leaves, and Mezcal Lime Shrimp on Salt Block, to feasts for meat-lovers such as Jerk Pork with Mango Chutney and Grilled Honey Plantains, Portuguese Piri Piri Poussin and an All-American Burger.

Valerie includes fabulous vegetable dishes from Grilled Zucchini Flowers with Shiso Lemon Salt to Roasted Cauliflower with Walnut Romesco. Desserts designed to round off an alfresco feast include Matcha Ice Cream with Black Sesame Praline or a classic Grilled Banana Split with Dark Chocolate Sauce. Finally, if all the heat has made you thirsty, try a Basil Aperol Spritz with Flowering Herbs, Sicilian Slush Cocktail, or a Watermelon Margarita.

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Classic Cheeseburger with Homemade Pickles

SERVES 4

A weekend barbecue is not complete without a classic hamburger. Use high-quality beef that has a good amount of fat in it—that way you will end up with a juicy mouthwatering burger. Homemade pickles add a nice tart crunch. Serve with a large platter piled high with lettuce, tomatoes, and onions and your guests can build their own burger.

1½ lb./680 g freshly ground/minced beef, 20% fat

4 slices Cheddar cheese

4 hamburger buns

kosher salt and cracked black pepper

oil, for brushing the grate

HOMEMADE PICKLES

6 Persian cucumbers, sliced into rounds

2 bay leaves

2 cups/500 ml white wine vinegar

½ cup/110 g white sugar

2 tablespoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons mustard seeds

TO SERVE

sliced lettuce, sliced onions,

sliced tomatoes, ketchup, and mayo

Make the pickles ahead of time as they will need to marinate for at least an hour.

Pack the cucumbers and bay leaves into a sterilized glass jar. Bring the vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard seeds, and 1⁄4 cup/60 ml water to the boil in a saucepan over medium–high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the hot mixture over the cucumbers and bay leaves, cap with a tight-fitting lid, and set aside. These will keep for up to 6 months in the fridge.

Place the beef in a bowl, season with salt and pepper, and mix to combine. Gently shape the meat into four patties about 1 inch/2.5 cm thick. Using your thumb, gently make a small indentation in the center of each patty. This ensures they will keep their shape when cooking.

Heat a grill/barbecue to medium–high. Brush the grate with oil. Place the patties on the grill and cook for 5 minutes. Flip them over and continue to cook for another 5 minutes for medium rare, or longer for well done. For the last 2 minutes of cooking, place a slice of cheese on top of each patty to melt.

Slice the hamburger buns, toast them on the grill, then add the patties and pickles, and serve with lettuce, onions, tomatoes, ketchup, and mayo.

Recipe reprinted with permission from Firefly Books.