Spanish Rosemary Barbeque

Barbequing in Spain is almost a national hobby, buy a chicken from any local Spanish butcher during the summer months and you will be asked "para la brasa?" meaning is it for the barbeque? If it is then the chicken will be boned and spread out ready to throw on the grill.

Home made marinades are popular with the usual garlic, olive oil, vinegar and herb blends working their way into meat well before the barbeque is lit or even overnight, one such popular herb is rosemary which can be found in most Spanish gardens as an enourmous bush tied with string in many cases as they can get a little out of control.

Besides from removing the leaves from a sprig of rosemary and giving them a good bashing in the pestle and mortar for your marinade the remaining stalks can be used as a kebab sticks or "palillos". A novel way of cooking kebabs which offers a good degree more rosemary flavour. You will need quite mature rosemary to make your palillos but the end result is well worth it.

Easy Andalucian Kebabs:

1. Marinate your chicken or pork in your chosen mixture.

2. Cut the required amount of rosemary - use the older more woody stalks, you need stalks around 8 inches in length.

3. Remove the rosemary leaves but the leave the tips.

4. Thread mushrooms, peppers etc with the meat over the stalks, for the meat use a conventional kebab skewer to make the hole first.

5. Barbeque and enjoy.


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