Donal Skehan’s summer celebration – pork and fennel burgers, Vietnamese rolls and a BBQ steak platter

Planning ahead is key and most of my meals start with a pen and a paper. Create a menu that can be prepared in advance. This allows you to spend more time with your guests and less time in the kitchen.

Keep your menu simple and focus on recipes that highlight fresh, seasonal ingredients. Summer produce like tomatoes, peas, berries and herbs are at their peak and need minimal prep to shine. A drizzle of your best extra-virgin olive oil and seasoning is often all summer veggies need.

The grill is your best friend during the summer. Not only does it keep the heat out of the kitchen, but it also infuses delicious smoky flavours to your food. Marinate meats, vegetables, and even fruits in advance to make grilling quick and easy.

On salad plate sides, offer a variety of cold dishes that can be made ahead of time. Crunchy salads, vegetable platters, breads and butter mountains can be prepped hours or even a day before, which makes for an easy serving moment.

Then, of course, you need some killer recipes, so save these three.

As a cheaper alternative to the beef burger, give these pork sausage and fennel patties a go. Spiked with fennel and topped with roasted peppers, they are particularly delicious cooked over a hot barbecue. Add a pinch of dried red pepper flakes if you like them spicy, but the addition of a slice of scamorza cheese is essential for that stringy melted cheese moment as you take your first bite.

I cook the bavette steak here on a griddle pan, but this cut of beef is ideal for a barbecue, just cooked for a few minutes on both sides, leaving it charred on the outside but juicy and pink on the inside. Serve this up platter-style alongside some other great sides and you’ll have yourself a feast.

Vietnamese rolls are perfect for summer celebrations. Filled with prawns, fresh vegetables, herbs and vermicelli noodles, they are easy to assemble and can be served with flavourful dipping sauces like hoisin-peanut or nuoc cham.

Pork Sausage & Fennel Burgers

Serves: 4

Time: 1 hour 10 mins

For the burgers:

• 1 tsp fennel seeds
• 1 tsp ground black peppercorns
• 1 tsp chilli flakes
• Olive oil
• 1 clove of garlic
• 550g fennel pork sausages, removed from casing
• 15g parsley, finely chopped
• Zest of ½ a lemon

For the baby potatoes:

• 500g waxy baby potatoes
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 50g parmesan

For the lemon and parmesan mayonnaise:

• 100g mayonnaise
• Zest of ½ a lemon
• 25g parmesan, finely grated

To serve:

• 100g smoked scamorza cheese, sliced
• 4 x ciabatta buns, toasted
• 100g jarred roasted peppers, drained and thinly sliced
• 50g rocket leaves
• A few basil leaves, to garnish

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 190C/170C fan/375F/Gas Mark 5.

2. Place a small pan over a medium-high heat and add the fennel seeds, black peppercorns and chilli flakes. Dry-toast them for about 30-60 seconds until fragrant, then add the olive oil and garlic to the hot pan and cook for a further minute.

3. Pour the mixture into a medium-sized bowl and allow to cool slightly.

4. Once cool, add in sausage meat, parsley and lemon zest and mix everything together really well — doing this with your hands makes it much easier.

5. When thoroughly mixed, shape into 10cm patties and set aside in the fridge for 30 minutes.

6. For the potatoes, place into a large pan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes, then remove from the heat, drain, and set aside to steam for 10 minutes.

7. Place the potatoes on a large baking tray and mix with the olive oil and oregano. Season well and roast for 25 minutes.

8. Place a large, heavy-based frying pan over a medium heat and add a drizzle of oil. Once hot, add the sausage patties and cook for 5 minutes each side, until cooked through and golden brown. Add a slice of the smoked scamorza cheese and allow to melt, cooking for a further minute or two.

9. To assemble, mix the mayonnaise with the lemon zest and parmesan and spread on the top and bottom of each toasted bun. Top each bottom half with a cheese-covered sausage patty, then garnish with the sliced peppers, rocket and basil leaves.

10. Remove the potatoes from the oven and toss with the parmesan, then serve with the sausage burgers.

Steak Platter with BBQ Basil Corn

Serves: 4

Time: 35 mins

Ingredients

• 2 x 300g (or 4 x 150g) bavette steaks
• 1 tbsp chipotle paste
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 4 corn on the cob, shaved
• 30g unsalted butter
• 1 green chilli, finely chopped
• 1 bunch spring onions, finely sliced
• Sea salt & freshly ground pepper
• 3 Baby Gem lettuce, leaves separated
• Large bunch basil, leaves picked
• Juice of a lime
• 1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

Method

1. Put the bavette steaks in a dish with the chipotle paste and half the olive oil and set aside for 15 minutes.

2. Heat the rest of the oil in a heavy pan and add the sweetcorn and cook for 4-5 minutes until charred, then toss in the butter, chilli and spring onions and fry for a couple more minutes. Season with salt and pepper and take off the heat.

3. Heat a griddle pan over a high heat, season the steaks with salt and pepper and sear for 3-4 minutes each side until charred and still nice and pink inside. Rest for 5 minutes, then slice, adding any juices to the corn pan.

4. Arrange the Baby Gem lettuce on a platter, top with the steak. Toss the basil leaves through the warm corn, then spoon onto the steak. Squeeze over the lime juice and drizzle with the extra-virgin olive oil and serve.

Vietnamese Summer Roll Platter

Makes: 20 rolls

Time: 40 mins

Ingredients

• ½ tin coconut milk
• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 2 lemongrass stalks, white bit finely chopped
• 1cm piece ginger, finely diced
• 1 red chilli, finely diced
• 250g raw king prawns
• Pinch salt

For the dipping sauce:

• 2 garlic cloves, finely diced
• 2 Thai red chillies, finely sliced
• 1cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
• 2 tbsp light-brown or palm sugar
• 6 tbsp fish sauce
• Juice of 1 lime

For the satay sauce:

• Sesame oil
• 1 garlic clove
• 1cm piece ginger
• Pinch chilli flakes
• ½ tin coconut milk
• 75g peanut butter
• 3 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• Juice of 1 lime

To assemble:

• 150g vermicelli rice noodles, cooked according to packet instructions
• ½ head iceberg lettuce, finely shredded
• 1 carrot, julienned
• 3 mini cucumbers, peeled into strips
• 100g bean sprouts
• Large handful of coriander, leaves picked
• Large handful of mint, leaves picked
• 20 rice paper wrappers
• 100g peanuts, pounded in a pestle and mortar

Method

1. For the dipping sauce, mix all the ingredients in a bowl until the sugar dissolves, then set aside.

2. For the satay sauce, add a little sesame oil to a small saucepan over a medium heat and fry the garlic, ginger and chilli for a few minutes until fragrant. Add the coconut milk and heat together for a few minutes, then remove from the heat and stir through the remaining ingredients. Leave to cool slightly and then blend until smooth with a hand blender. Set aside.

3. Place the coconut milk for the prawns along with all the aromatics into a small pot and bring to a simmer. Add the prawns and a pinch of salt, then cook for 3-4 minutes until the prawns are cooked through and pink. Leave to cool, then slice the prawns in half lengthways and set aside.

4. When ready to assemble, mix the vermicelli, iceberg lettuce, carrot, cucumber, beansprouts, most of the herbs and a drizzle of sesame oil in a bowl until combined.

5. Place the rice paper in water until softened. Then, on a dry surface, add the prawns, facing outwards for presentation, followed by a few reserved herb leaves and a little of the salad. Fold the side of the wrapper in and then roll up into a spring roll shape. Repeat until all the ingredients are used up.

6. Alternatively, serve the fillings to the table and allow everyone to build their own.

7. Serve the sauces on the side for dipping along with any extra salad and herbs and the crushed peanuts.