I’m deep into my first summer BBQ season since being diagnosed with coeliac disease – I’m a finding it a bit uncomfortable to be honest. Why should getting invited to a casual BBQ cause flutters of anxiety? I used to love these social occasions, bringing along a dish & sharing recipes with friends. But now it feels different. I don’t want to be “that” person that constantly mentions what they can & can’t eat. Or have to explain why I’m not trying all of the dishes on offer, even though they look amazing! I certainly don’t want to appear rude & interrogate the host as to whether they’ve take MY condition into account when preparing everything. Don’t get me wrong, my nearest & dearest friends will bend over backwards to accommodate – but there’s still an element of doubt that something may have been contaminated, or may contain the forever feared G.
Those delicious looking salads, have they been prepared on a chopping board where the gluten filled bread has been sliced? What does the dressing have in it?
Those tasty looking gormet sausages, do they contain wheat & have they squirted gluten loaded fat juice on the GF friendly sausages whilst sizzling away?
Has someone double dipped the mayo with a knife that’s been used to spread butter on one of those gluten packed rolls? We need to be vigilant around condiments, especially if they are not the squizzy bottle ones. That opened top jar is an open invitation for cross contamination for the un-educated to innocently add a easily disguised gluten crumb.
The last thing you want to do is start rifling through the kitchen bins to read labels on discarded packaging – been there done that! Awkward!
Being prepared for attending a BBQ with Coeliac Disease
This is a condition where we have to be organised & be prepared. We can’t expect everyone to understand the intricate details. We shouldn’t feel the necessity to have to discuss it or explain the disease to everyone. We should be able to enjoy the time with our friends & NOT talk about food allergies. Coeliacs think about this often enough – sometimes we need a break!
I like potlucks or bring your own, so at least I can take something along to ensure I won’t starve & the host doesn’t feel too pressured into not poisoning me. I’ve been researching a lot as to how coeliacs deal with this so here’s a few bullet points I’ve found on how we can make it easier on ourselves:
- Do your own cooking. There’s many places where cross contamination can easily occur. From the grill itself, utensils, marinades, aprons, chopping boards, people not washing hands after handing gluten-containing foods.
- Using a BBQ – use tin foil or BBQ mat to keep your food seperate.
- Freshly wash utensils before you use them (take your own utensils if you’re unsure).
- Get in first – elbows out of required – second dibs could potentially increase the risks of cross contamination. Don’t be shy – fill your plate!
- Put out the dishes you’ve brought along last – but get in there first!
- If you’re taking bread, slice & butter before you go.
- Take a stash of your favourite nibbles just in case you feel you can’t eat anything.
Although the majority of coeliacs can’t 100% relax around food we’ve not prepared oursleves, we shouldn’t feel awkward or go hungry. BBQ’s are social occasions & should be enjoyable. It’s our condition & we should take the necessary steps to make sure we are safe . We can’t expect everyone to understand it 100% of the time. Make it more about hanging out wth people rather than what we can & can’t eat. If in doubt, you could eat before hand & just snack whilst you’re there.
A delicious suggestion of what to take to a BBQ – Steak with beurre de paris, a broccoli salad & some boiled spuds.
What you’ll need:
1 x piece of steak (or more if you’re not flying solo).
500g of baby potatoes
1 tbsp chopped chives
1 x crown of raw broccoli
1 -2 heaped tbsp of mayo or aioli
2 x rashers of streaky bacon
1/2 x pomegranate arils (only when is season, change with a handful of dried cranberries or raisins).
1 -2 cms of beurre de paris (see recipe below).
Preperation can be done in advance & stored in the fridge until you are ready to go.
Potatoes – Pop on a pan of water to boil, add a spinkle of salt. Boil the potatoes whole for about 20mins or until cooked. Set aside in a bowl & sprinkle with the chives.
Broccoli Salad – Chop the bacon in to little pieces & fry in a little oil. Don’t be afraid to get it nice & crispy. Meanwhile chop the broccoli into small pieces, this will ensure you get a piece of all of the salad yumminess not just a mouth full of raw brocolli. I use the stalk also, but trim off the hard extrior & discard. Put these into a large bowl. Add the arils of pomegranate – (How to cut & prepare a pomegranate is a handy link). They are messy & will stain! Add these & the bacon to the bowl with the broccoli & then mix in the mayo/aioli.
Beurre de paris. – This little addition is a show stopper & should be added to your steak as soon as you’ve taken it off the BBQ. It’ll melt & provide an instant sauce, which will go well with your potatoes. Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of ingredients – its totally worth it!!
Butter ingredients:
500g unsalted butter, softened
3 tbsp gf ketchup
3 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp capers, rinsed
2 shallots, finely diced
1 tbsp flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp chives, snipped
1 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp dill, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped thyme leaves
1/2 tsp tarragon leaves
1/2 tsp rosemary leaves, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
8 anchovy fillets, rinsed and finely chopped
1 tbsp brandy
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp Cayenne powder
juice of one lemon
zest of 1/2 lemon
zest of 1/2 Orange
2 tbsp of orange juice
2 tsp sea salt
Making the butter:
In a large bowl, beat & soften the butter by hand (or use an electric mixer set to slow speed) until it has a slightly creamy texture.
In a separate bowl, combine all the other ingredients & mix thoroughly. Add this mixture to the butter & beat again until all the ingredients are completely combined.
Place about 30cms of cling film (glad wrap) on a flat surface & place half the butter in the middle & gently roll up to form a long sausage shape — use your hands like a rolling pin to get a neat shape & eliminate any air pockets. Twist the ends to seal. Repeat again with the remaining butter. Place in the fridge/freezer to chill before use.
Make in advance & stores well for weeks in the fridge in an air tight container, or months in the freezer. Slice off a chunk when required. Also goes well with chicken & it’s great if you can’t be bothered making a sauce.
I have adapted this from a Food Republic recipe to make it coeliac friendly. The technique of making it remains the same.
Enjoy!
I'm Not Awkward I'm a Coeliac 