The kebab party

What could be simpler than putting bowls of chopped veggies and marinated fish or meat cubes on the table with a bin of skewers and basting and dipping sauces, and firing up the grill? And who doesn’t love a kebab?

This is a meal whose appeal spans generations, pleases vegans and carnivores alike, and is uncommon enough to generate excitement while being simplicity itself!

It's all the fun of a fondue without the lingering oil smell.

The basics

Meats can be marinated for up to two days - the longer the marinade, the deeper the flavour and the more tender the result. Fish should marinade for no more than six hours. If you wish to baste the kebabs in the marinade, set some aside for this purpose at the beginning before you put the meat or fish into it; do not use the same liquid once meat or fish has been introduced or bacteria may be transferred to the final product.

The time-tested kebab elements include:

• Cubed meats - steak, chicken, pork, lamb, etc.
• Firm fish: tuna, salmon, sea bass, monkfish, shark, blackfish, grouper, dogfish, mahi-mahi, cohia, swordfish, marlin, tilapia,
• Shrimp
• Scallops (bacon-wrapped or not)
• Cherry or grape tomatoes (beware the fiery revenge of the freshly 'cued tomato)
• Mushrooms
• Peppers
• Onions
• Eggplant
• Garlic cloves

Make it fruity

Try fruit kebabs for dessert, or mix them in with your regular kebabs - cherries or apple with pork, peach and chicken, or go wild and use your imagination. Use firm fruit - not too ripe. For dessert kebabs, you can marinade using lemon, Cointreau, Grand Marnier, or rum, and serve with a dark chocolate sauce or vanilla yogurt.

• Pineapple,
• Cherry,
• Grapes,
• Mango,
• Strawberry,
• Banana,
• Apples,
• Star fruit,
• Papaya,
• Nectarines,
• Pears,
• Peaches,
• Orange sections,
• Kiwi,
• Plums, or
• Firm melons like cantaloupe or honeydew.

Make it slightly unusual

• Use a sprig of rosemary instead of a skewer
• Water chestnuts
• Ostrich or emu meat