Supper Partying: How To Host a Barbeque Party That Sizzles

Until two years ago, I only invited people round for sit-down meals. There was cutlery, linen napkins and dessert served in separate ramekins. No BYO. Then, out of the blue, I became enamoured with the art of yakitori after a few too many visits to Bird’s Nest. My partner gifted me a konro hibachi for my birthday and then we moved into a Queenslander with a deck overlooking a faux rainforest, perfect for al fresco hosting. We threw a hibachi housewarming and it was a hit.

Since then, I’ve found that barbequing can be a fun, low-maintenance and surprisingly chic way to feed guests. Living in Brisbane, I reckon barbeque parties are an all-year-long affair – the colder months are almost better for it since you can stay warm around the heat and there are fewer flies. It’s a versatile hosting medium: equally good for a small gathering as for a big blowout, most cuisines are barbeque-friendly and the prep is mundane but meditative.

Here’s how I do it, from the tech to the prep to the food.

Do I think hibachis are efficient, easy to use and produce the most delicious outcome? Yes. Do you need one to have a good barbeque party? Absolutely not. But if you’re looking for a sign to buy one, this is it. You can get a decent one for less than $200 and binchotan (Japanese white charcoal) is very affordable. They’re also very durable and don’t require half as much cleaning as your dad’s Weber.

For me, the charcoal flavour is hard to compromise on. That said, a gas barbeque can create a similar atmosphere, sans smokiness. If you’re after something less intimidating than a hibachi, charcoal grills are easy to come by and won’t break the bank. Just make sure you’ve researched how to heat charcoal properly. It’s easy enough, but it takes far longer than you’d expect – about half an hour.

A Supper Partying Barbeque (trademark pending) is likely a little more elevated than the sausage sizzle you’re imagining. You won’t find a snag or burger patty at my parties. My go-to proteins are a couple of different meats and seafood. I particularly enjoy skewering meat and seafood because you can do fun combinations like negima (tare-brushed chicken thigh and green onion), swordfish with zucchini and harissa lamb with green peppers.

For crustaceans and shellfish, I recommend cooking them in their original form: scallops in their shells and prawns with the head on. The presentation is more interesting and it’s more flavourful.

Proteins benefit from being left to marinate. Pop them in your marinade the night before and skewer them the next day – or ask your guests to work for their food and skewer them at the event. Remember to soak wooden skewers in cold water the night before so they don’t disintegrate on the grill, or just invest in some metal skewers. When discarding skewers, wrap them up in some aluminium foil so you don’t end up with a thousand holes in your garbage bags.

It sounds counterintuitive, but I reckon it’s not the meat that makes or breaks a barbeque. It all comes down to the quality of your sides. My MO is to do at least one fresh salad (like a cabbage slaw or fennel with citrus) and at least one carby salad, such as a spiced lentil and pumpkin, a butter bean with leek gremolata and pangrattato or my roasted potato salad – it’s a game-changer and I’ve included the recipe below. Flatbread or even sliced sourdough is good for toasting on the grill and lathering with a labneh or whipped goat’s cheese and confit tomatoes.

For my vegan friends, I like to do a cashew cream spiked with either roasted green onion and garlic or caramelised onion – it pairs beautifully with bread as well as vegetable skewers.

This might be a crazy take, but I don’t believe in starters for a barbeque. The best part of a barbeque is that you’re eating intermittently over the entire period of the party. You can have chips and dip – or cheese at a stretch – but I wouldn’t do more than that. Focus on the main act.

Speaking from experience, many hosts have a hard time relinquishing control of the grill, but you can’t have the full barbeque experience if you don’t. There’s something primal about a live fire and everyone wants in on the turning and seasoning and tong-ing. As the kids say: let them cook.

As much as I’m a stickler for the right beverage and food pairings, with a barbeque I like to encourage a BYOB situation. If your guests have good taste, you might discover something new. If they don’t, make some gentle suggestions in the name of compatibility. Grilled food usually lends itself well to light reds and fruity whites – grenache, riesling, unoaked chardonnay – any and all beer and jugs of white rum punch. If you’re feeling fancy, a sweet amaro with beer (inspired by Picon Bière) is a crowd-pleaser. Mix Montenegro and a tropical pale ale (one part Montenegro to six parts beer) in a carafe with heaps of ice and orange wheels and you’re good to go.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

1kg white baby potatoes, quartered
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt
1 red onion, finely diced
¼ cup Kewpie mayo
3 tbsp chives, finely diced
2 tbsp dill, roughly chopped
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp lemon juice
Pepper

1. Lather potatoes in olive oil in a bowl.
2. Spread out the potatoes over two baking trays. Season generously with salt and roast in 200-degree oven until golden brown. This should take about 40 to 50 minutes, depending on your oven.
3. Remove from oven and let rest for 10 to 15 minutes.
4. In a large mixing bowl, combine potatoes with all the remaining ingredients, including a large pinch of salt and a generous crack of fresh pepper.
5. Season to taste. Serve immediately.

Keep up with Becca over on @supper.partying.