General Discussion

As the world gathers to celebrate the 2024 Olympics, there's no better time to get outside, get your barbecues on, and bring the flavours of various Olympic host countries to your outdoor kitchen. Cooking international dishes is a delicious way to test your outdoor cooking skills, taste delicious bbq food and celebrate the Olympic games. Here are some easy dinner ideas and bbq recipes inspired by Olympic host countries that you can prepare right in your outdoor bbq kitchen, which will make your Olympic viewing parties unforgettable! 🧑‍🍳🏅

France: Ratatouille

France, the host of the 2024 Summer Olympics, is known for its great food, such as Ratatouille, which is a traditional vegetable dish. This easy Ratatouille recipe is perfect to cook up in your outdoor kitchenette. 🍅🫑

Ingredients:

• Aubergine, sliced

• Courgette, sliced

• Bell peppers, sliced

• Tomatoes, sliced

• Onion, sliced

• Garlic, minced

• Olive oil

• Herbes de Provence

• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Prepare the Vegetables: Toss the sliced vegetables with the oil, garlic and seasonings.

Grill: Preheat the barbecue grill to medium heat. Grill the vegetables until soft and lightly charred, turning occasionally.

Assemble and Serve: Layer the grilled vegetables in a serving dish, drizzle with additional olive oil if desired, and serve your French Ratatouille warm.

Japan: Yakitori

Japan, the host of the 2020 Summer Olympics, is renowned for their cuisine. Yakitori, which is grilled chicken skewers, is a popular Japanese street food. This easy, at home yakitori  barbecue recipe is a tasty bbq chicken idea to create in your outdoor cooking station. 🍗🔥

Ingredients:

• Chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

• Spring onions, cut into 1-inch pieces

• Soy sauce

• Mirin

• Sake

• Sugar

Instructions:

Marinate: Combine the soy sauce, mirin, sake, and sugar to create the bbq marinade. Let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Skewer: Put chicken pieces and spring onions on the barbecue skewers.

Grill: Preheat your smoke grill or gas bbq grill to medium-high heat. Grill the bbq skewers, turning occasionally and basting with the marinade, until the barbecue chicken is cooked through and slightly charred.

Serve: Serve hot with some sea salt.

Brazil: Picanha

Brazil, the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics, is famous for its churrasco, which refers to grilled bbq meat. In a Brazilian BBQ, picanha, a flavourful cut of beef, is a barbecue staple. Whether you’re a regular at grilling steaks in your outdoor bbq area, or are new to the world of barbecue, grilled or smoked picanha is a delicious and simple dinner idea. 🥩🤩

Ingredients:

• Picanha, trimmed

• Sea salt

Instructions:

Prepare the BBQ Meat: Score the fat cap in a crosshatch pattern. Season the meat with sea salt.

Skewer and Grill: Skewer the meat in a “C” shape and place it on the grill over high heat. Cook for about 15-20 minutes, turning occasionally to ensure it cooks completely and is crispy.

Rest and Serve: Let the meat rest for a few minutes before slicing and serve with chimichurri sauce.

Greece: Lamb Kebabs

Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics and the host of the 2004 Summer Olympics, is known for their wide range of food, and many of which, like homemade lamb kebabs, are popular meals to cook in an outdoor kitchen. 🥙✨

Ingredients:

• Lamb, cut into cubes

• Olive oil

• Lemon juice

• Garlic, minced

• Fresh rosemary, chopped

• Oregano

• Salt and pepper

• Pitta bread

Instructions:

Marinate: Combine olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt, and pepper to create a marinade. Add the lamb cubes and marinate for at least 1 hour.

Skewer and Grill: Thread the marinated lamb kebab on skewers. Grill the marinated lamb skewers over medium-high heat until the bbq lamb skewers are cooked through and charred.

Serve: Serve the bbq lamb kebabs with pitta bread, tzatziki sauce, and a fresh salad.

Australia: BBQ Prawns

Australia hosted the Summer Olympics in 2000, and are well known for their sunny weather and outdoor grilling and barbecues, so it’s only fair we include a BBQ dish inspired by them - specifically grilled prawns, or “shrimp on the barbie.” 🦐☀️

Ingredients:

• Large prawns, peeled and deveined

• Olive oil

• Lemon juice

• Garlic, minced

• Fresh parsley, chopped

• Salt and pepper

Instructions:

Marinate: Toss the raw prawns with olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper and let them marinate for 15-30 minutes.

Grill: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the marinated prawns for 2-3 minutes per side, until they are pink and opaque.

Serve: Serve the BBQ prawns hot with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. You may choose to make barbecue prawn skewers, which is a simple way to elevate this meal.

Spain: Paella

Looking for a dish inspired by the 1992 Olympic host? Chicken and prawn paella, a flavourful rice dish with seafood, chicken, and saffron, is perfect for outdoor cooking and can be easily adapted into a vegetarian paella by adjusting the ingredients, making this paella dish to be a guaranteed hit with your friends and family. 🥘🐟

Ingredients:

• Olive oil

• Chicken thighs, cut into pieces

• Prawns

• Mussels

• Squid, sliced

• Onion, chopped

• Bell peppers, chopped

• Garlic, minced

• Tomatoes, grated

• Saffron threads

• Paprika

• Paella rice, or short-grain rice

• Chicken stock

• Peas

• Lemon wedges

Instructions:

Prepare the Base: Heat olive oil in a large pan, add the chicken and cook until browned. Once the chicken is cooked, put it to the side, and add the seafood. Then remove and set aside.

Sauté Vegetables: In the same pan, sauté the onion, peppers, and garlic until soft. Add the grated tomatoes, saffron, and paprika, cooking until the mixture thickens.

Cook the Rice: Add the paella rice to the pan, stirring to coat it with the tomato mixture. Pour in the chicken stock and bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer without stirring until it is nearly cooked.

Add Ingredients: Return the ingredients to the pan, along with peas and cook until everything is heated through and fully cooked.

Serve: Serve this seafood paella whilst hot, and garnish with lemon wedges.

Germany: Bratwurst

Germany, the host of the 1972 Summer Olympics, is well known for Bratwurst, a type of German sausage. Bratwurst sausage is an ideal choice for your barbecue, due to its delicious flavours. So, whether you’re celebrating an Olympic event or simply enjoying a summer BBQ, bratwurst is sure to be a crowd-pleaser. 🌭🍻

Ingredients:

• Bratwurst sausages

• Beer (optional)

• Onions, sliced

• Mustard

• Sauerkraut

• Pretzel buns

Instructions:

Pre-Cook (Optional): To create beer bratwurst, simmer the bratwurst in beer with sliced onions for about 15 minutes to infuse flavour.

Grill: Preheat the grill to medium heat and grill the bratwurst until browned and fully cooked, making sure to turn it occasionally.

Serve: Serve the bratwurst in pretzel buns with mustard and sauerkraut.

Italy: Pizza

Italy hosted the 1960 Summer Olympics and is a universally loved cuisine. Pizza is the best bbq dish for your summer garden parties, as it is a guaranteed hit, and grilled pizza is a delightful twist that can be easily prepared in your outdoor barbecue kitchen. This recipe is specifically for a barbecue, but can be easily adjusted to be made in a pizza oven. 🍕🧀

Ingredients:

• Pizza dough

• Olive oil

• Tomato sauce

• Fresh mozzarella, sliced

• Basil leaves

• Toppings of your choice (e.g., pepperoni, mushrooms,etc.)

Instructions:

Prepare the Dough: Lightly flour your outdoor kitchen worktop and roll out the pizza dough. Brush both sides with olive oil.

Grill the Dough: Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Grill the dough until it begins bubbling and has grill marks, then flip over.

Add Toppings: Spread your sauce over the grilled side, add mozzarella and other desired toppings.

Finish Grilling: Close the grill lid and cook until the cheese is melted and the crust is golden and crisp.

Serve: Serve your pizza hot and garnish with basil.

Hosting an Olympic-themed gathering in your outdoor kitchen is a fantastic way to celebrate the event and enjoy the diverse flavours inspired by the Olympic host countries. These recipes are delicious and simple to make on your outdoor grill or outdoor oven, allowing you to spend more time enjoying the games and less time in your outdoor kitchen. 🥂😎

If you give any of these Olympic inspired BBQ dishes a go, or have any other ideas, be sure to let us know in the comments. We’d love to see what you create! 😊⭐️

Sizzle on,

Team AOS