A Table for Nine

My camera parking spot

Given that we were in his 'hood, Billy was recently kind enough to invite us to an Easter barbecue lunch. It was not his usual Table For Two, but rather a table for nine, and a great chance to catch up with mutual friends over good food and tasty sangria.


Snapper stuffed with lemon slices

If there's one thing I admire in any home chef, it's the presence of calm. Billy has everything under control and when we present him with prawns and a snapper, he soon has the fish stuffed with slices of lemon and sprigs of parsley, and safely ensconced in foil.


Sausages and fish on the barbie

Big D and The Pom are in charge of the barbie, and I while away time casually inspecting the cooking developments out on the verandah, as well as Billy's hand-drawn table setting on the table inside, an inspired map of place settings for food and people marked out on two large sheets of butchers paper.


The hand-drawn allocated table settings


A space for everything


The laden lunch table
- the original table marking was abandoned due to the abundance of food


Satay chicken and lamb skewers

Billy's satay chicken and lamb skewers are a big hit. Moist and succulent, Billy says these were marinated in the fridge overnight. I'm particularly impressed with the lamb which is soft and tender.


Satay sauce for the skewers
served alongside cucumber and Spanish onions

There's no shortage of options: snags are cooked to a satisfying char, and a fluffy couscous salad has jewels of diced tomato, Spanish onion and parsley with the occasional plump chickpea.


Sausages


Cous cous and chickpea salad


Grilled prawns

I'd had a small hand in the prawns, cooking them in the electric frypan till fragrant and just-cooked. The moment of unwrapping a foil-wrapped fish is always filled with anticipation. We're rewarded with the aroma of lemon and a snapper cooked to a delicate flaking of flesh.


Snapper


Brussel sprouts with bacon

The Pom has a soft spot for the brussel sprouts with bacon but I'm more entranced by the chillies stuffed with fish paste, bright orange rockets that pack plenty of tongue-tingling heat.


Homegrown chillies stuffed with homemade fish paste


Apple tart

Dessert? A crisp and flaky apple tart served with Billy's homemade pistachio ice cream.


Scooping the pistachio ice cream


Apple tart with pistachio icecream

Made with ground pistachios, the ice cream is a huge crowd pleaser, even for those who don't normally like pistachio ice cream. The pistachio flavour is not overwhelming, a sweet and nutty nuance without the bitterness that one sometimes finds in ice cream or gelato shops.


Never too late for a Christmas present

And because it's never too late for a Christmas present, I received my little gift from Billy from last year: a glass paperweight photo cube with happy snaps and the cutest personalised gift tags - polaroids of our names with a Dynamo label greeting.

Thoughtful, creative and a great cook. Thanks for lunch Billy, as well as the gorgeous pressie :)

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Holiday at The Entrance: Burger with the lot
Holiday at The Entrance: Trinidad chilli chutney