- Henry James

Snip wing tips from quails, then cut down their backbones with a pair of kitchen scissors.  Press down hard on the breast bones to flatten.
Place the quails in a large earthenware dish, pour over the oil and add the thyme leaves, bay leaves, parlsey and black pepper.
Marinate, covered, for at least 3 hours, turning occasionally.
Light the BBQ and cook the quails, 4- 5 minutes on each side – timing will depend on heat of your BBQ.
Delicious served with a couscous salad and leafy green salad (fresh from the garden).

Tip: you can also use this marinade for lamb (cutlets, backstraps or chops) and chicken pieces.

Combine all the Tandoor paste ingredients in a small bowl and mix well to combine.  Coat the fish on both sides with the paste, cover with plastic wrap and leave in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to allow flavours to penetrate.  Remove from fridge and bring to room temperature.  Lightly spray a non-stick frying pan with olive oil and cook fish over medium heat, about 4 minutes on each side or until done – timing will depend on thickness of the fish. Keep an eye on it as it tends to blacken quickly. Serve on a bed of mesclun (mixed baby lettuce leaves).

Note: At EEST, David King uses black cod (which belongs to the groper family), but this is a protected fish in Australia. I used red miso paste in this recipe but you can also use white miso.

Serves 4 as a starter or part of a BBQ

Clean the octopus: hold the head firmly and cut through the flesh underneath the eyes. Pick up the tentacles, and with your index finger underneath, push out the beak and discard (alternatively, cut through back of head and clean inside by removing all organs).
Combine the remaining ingredients in a non-corrosive bowl. Add the octopus and leave to marinate, covered, for a 2 – 3 hours.
Thread three octopus onto each skewer – try to keep them flat. Cook over hot coals for about 5 minutes – time of cooking will depend on size.