What to bring to a barbecue that isn't a boring potato salad

One of the best things about summer gatherings is how happily everyone contributes to the table - a salad here, some barbecue meat there, or the show-stopping summer pudding that disappears in seconds every time.

Most of us have a few go-to dishes that get rolled out as soon as the invites start coming. A signature dish is always a winner, but every now and then, it’s fun to try something new.

We sought fresh inspiration for this summer by chatting with some chefs and restaurateurs from other parts of the world who now live in New Zealand.

As a Brazilian, Regi Gallina - South American caterer, ex chef tutor at NZMA and chef at Maungakiekie Golf Club - lives for barbecue anytime of the year. "In Brazil, it’s our favourite way to eat,” he says.

“Back home, it sometimes takes all day, and everyone chats and catches up while everything is being prepared and cooked. Churrasco is our traditional method of cooking, using an open flame from charcoal or wood - it’s the only way to cook!”

Gallina’s favourite cut, which is very popular in Brazil, is Picanha (rump cap), and he highly recommends it for a barbecue if your butcher has it.

“We usually just use salt as a marinade, but to make it a bit more exciting, we sometimes serve it with a punchy sauce or salsa. My favourites from back home are tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and garlic, all smoked on charcoal, then blended with fresh herbs and a hint of chilli - or a really fresh, green, herby sauce. I like to blitz fresh parsley, basil, oregano, garlic, olive oil and lemon zest - and juice - and it’s perfect with a good picanha.”

Hong Kong-born Jessica Tang is the owner of Dragons, a Wellington yum cha institution in Wellington for nearly two decades. She says a classic cucumber salad is the perfect thing to bring.

“In Hong Kong, we always had smashed cucumber as an appetiser, especially during that hot, humid summer weather. You could hear the ‘thwack, thwack, thwack’ sound from the kitchen, which meant Mum’s delicious salad was coming - and we’d always end up fighting over the last piece,” she says.

Tang’s favourite recipe involves placing the cucumber on a cutting board and using the flat side of a heavy cleaver or a rolling pin to gently, but firmly, ‘smack’ it along its length until it cracks and splits open, allowing you to break it into irregular chunks.

“We place the pieces in a colander, toss with a teaspoon of salt and let it sit for 10 minutes over a bowl or in the sink to draw out excess water.”

While it’s sitting she makes the dressing from a combination of three cloves of garlic and a teaspoon of chilli flakes (or a chopped up bird's eye chilli if you prefer) in one bowl, and two tablespoons light soy sauce, one tablespoon of Chinkiang vinegar, one teaspoon of sesame oil, one teaspoon of sugar and one tablespoon of neutral oil whisked together thoroughly in another.

"After 10 minutes, you rinse the cucumber and pat it dry, then mix the contents of your two bowls of dressing ingredients together, pour it over the cucumber and toss it before serving. We always garnish with plenty of toasted sesame seeds and thinly sliced spring onion.”

Caitlin Holloway and Jonas Jessen Hansen own ADJØ in Dunedin, which specialises in Nordic-inspired food (Jonas is originally from Denmark). This popular cafe serves up traditional favourites with modern twists.

Holloway says Danish hot dogs (called Pølsebrød) are great for feeding a crowd at a barbecue.

“They're more traditionally a street food - at food trucks or kiosks, but they're a really beloved dish for Danes and perfect for feeding large groups.”

Pølsebrød are made from grillpølse, which is a long, thin sausage, made specifically for hot dogs, but the couple say you could definitely use bratwurst.

"The hotdog bun is light and fluffy and traditionally made with white and rye flour, but any homemade, supermarket or bakery rolls will work. You top it with ketchup, mustard, pickled cucumbers, fried shallots and remoulade [a bright yellow sauce made from mayonnaise, pickles, seasonal vegetables and curry powder like this one].

“We've made these as a special in the cafe loads in the past, and they're particularly good if you make your own freshly battered and fried onions to put on top.”

Koji Kiminami is group executive chef of the Tanoshi Restaurant Group, which started with one restaurant in Cow Lane in Queenstown 10 years ago, and has expanded through Queenstown, Wanaka and Christchurch. When he thinks of summer barbecues back home in Osaka, he immediately thinks of Yakiniku- Japanese-style grilled meat.

“It's such a social and popular dish. You grill bite-sized raw meat and vegetables over charcoal or gas at the table and eat it with dipping sauces,” says Kiminami.

While this is often done on small grills at restaurant tables, he says it would translate easily to a classic Kiwi barbecue too.

“Choose a lean beef cut like ribeye or loin, chop into one or two-inch cubes, then place onto wooden skewers with a mix of vegetables like bell pepper and mushrooms. Create a Japanese marinade by mixing soy sauce, sake, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, sesame oil and black pepper and pour on top of your skewers in the container that you are taking with you to the dinner - the Yakiniku will continue to marinade until your dish hits the grill, and it will be so delicious.”

Emily Tsaliagkou-Montes, co-owner of Emily’s Greek Kitchen cooking school in Browns Bay, Auckland, (as well as the two branches of Meditaste European food stores she owns with her husband Donald) says Greek food is made for summer barbecues.

“As most people know, we love our mezze platters with things like olives, dolmades, sardines, stuffed peppers and cheese. We really believe in the joy of sharing - we rarely have a single plate but lots of small dishes so we can pass them around and enjoy them together.”

A big part of that is always fresh pita bread and good dips.

“We make them fresh at both Meditaste shops, and they sell so fast, but some are also easy quite easy to make at home,” says Tsaliagkou-Montes.

“A good Tzaziki just needs grated and peeled cucumber - always squeeze it to remove excess water - extra virgin olive oil - of course, we recommend Greek, because we think it’s the best in the world - and red wine vinegar, crushed garlic and fresh chopped dill all mixed into thick Greek yoghurt. And another one that will always impress your friends if you bring it to a summer dinner is Htipiti which we make by mixing feta, Greek yoghurt, red roasted pepper, chilli peppers, garlic and extra virgin olive oil. It’s so good.”