Barbecue business Cue Point is only in its fifth year and already it has shifted from pub kitchen to catering events with a trailer and sending out meal kits around the UK – featuring a menu that Observer restaurant critic Jay Rayner “rampaged through”. More recently, it opened London’s first drive-through barbecue at Chiswick’s Pavilion, since joined by a dine-in service. Drawing on co-founder Mursal Saiq’s Afghan and head chef Joshua Moroney’s Guyanese-British heritage, there are briskets, smoked for 14 hours and then sliced and folded into brioche buns, or piled on platters with chicken wings, slaw, fries and sweetcorn. There are fried chicken and veggie buns, and smoked racks of ribs – beef or lamb – with herby Afghan-inspired condiments .
The couple met 10 years ago, when they both worked at a street-food market in east London. Saiq’s background was as a manager in small businesses, Moroney was the head chef at barbecue outfit Smokestak when it was a food trailer. They loved the bustle of the street-food scene, but became disillusioned as growing popularity meant growing prices, a cover charge to enter some venues, and increasing barriers to who could enjoy the food. Saiq remembers trying to get her family and friends to come along, then realising how little, as Muslims or vegetarians, they could actually eat.
She and Moroney wanted to create something with the same kind of energy, but make the food accessible. Moroney explains that behind the scenes of the restaurants he worked in, the staff were predominantly Muslim, yet he never saw fasting or food restrictions taken into account. “We’re all here together,” he says, “so we all should be able to sit down at the same table, to share meals and have conversations.”
Taking pork off the menu to replace it with lamb was a simple yet radical step towards barbecue inclusivity. “At the Pavilion, we serve women in burqas, with the biggest halal bloggers breaking their fast, and west London rugby boys – and that’s what we want,” says Saiq. When it came to the home-delivery kits, they drew on Saiq’s family recipes for the vegan options – the grilled then stewed aubergine dish is a standout (and adapted here).
There’s no seafood on the menu, but prawn nacos are something they love to eat and, like all the recipes here, reflect how Saiq and Moroney cook at home – whether with a simple smoking set-up, a grill outside or an oven if the weather is bad. Nacos, Saiq explains, are really just Afghan naan, but a tiny version – their own branding invention. “A naco is a taco and a naan, his South American heritage and my Afghan heritage,” she says. “We’ve taken these two foods and reappropriated them into an item that we recognise and can say: ‘This is what we are; this makes sense for us.’”
While kitchens are recognised as melting pots of culture, it’s not always reflected in management. With that in mind, Cue Point are fundraising for their training programme which they hope will help support refugees by improving their English, as well as life skills, and provide them with the tools to enter the hospitality industry and to move up the ladder.
With new enterprises, a relatively new site, and summer looming, Cue Point is heading into a busy barbecuing time. When they get a break? They’ll still be barbecuing. “It’s all we do on our days off,” laughs Saiq. Downtime is valuable for recipe innovation. She has cardamom on her mind, and wants to try it in a hot sauce. Moroney has a more low-key approach to relaxation and plans to keep things simple by cooking steaks. His one essential barbecue accompaniment? “Cocktails, always.”
Cue Point’s tips for better BBQs
1 Being ready – and safe – is key. Have all the equipment you need with you and laid out, ready to grab – including oven gloves or tea towels, because things get hot.
2 As Moroney says: “If you’re looking, it ain’t cooking.” Don’t open your barbecue or smoker to take a photo, or wander off while it’s open to get a basting brush (see tip above). Don’t keep turning things. Without temperature retention, you’ll ruin the whole process.
3 Speaking of heat, buy a thermometer or two – a meat probe, and maybe an internal thermometer for your smoker. A probe isn’t necessarily going to tell you when your meat is ready, but it helps you be more consistent. Meat isn’t cheap, so give yourself every chance to get it right and not overcook it.
4 Fat is important. Whether grilling steaks or cooking a large piece of meat slowly, a quarter-inch of fat goes a long way in helping to keep things juicy.
5 Experiment with brines to impart flavour and for tenderness. Salt is the most important element (Moroney uses a 5-7% solution for long soaks and 10% for quicker ones), but try out different juices to help tenderise meat, and try to find a good balance for spices, sugar and salt. While Cue Point uses wet brine for lamb and chicken, for beef it simply uses a dry rub of salt, pepper and sugar.
To heat the barbecue
Although we use a 4-metre smoker, a kettle-style barbecue with a tight-fitting lid will work well for these dishes. Always create a decent set-up for your charcoal (or oak and kindling if you’re using a more sophisticated, smoker-style barbecue.) A “castle” is the best thing for even heat distribution and fire longevity. Place charcoal briquettes in a criss-cross formation to create a small tower; this is the base to your fire and means the charcoal heats up evenly – and will evenly heat any more charcoal you add.
When searing any meat on a barbecue grill, high heat is important. Make your castle, light it, and then close the lid of the barbecue (not the whole way as the fire must breathe). After 30-45 minutes you should have roaring charcoal and even some embers, not sad dying coals.
To make herb salt
Blitz 100g of edible rock salt with the leaves from 10g of rosemary and 10g of thyme. Regular salt can be used if you don’t have herb salt.
BBQ-style borani banjan
“When we were younger, my siblings and I would fight over the juicy end bit of the aubergine in this dish,” says Mursal Saiq. “It was typically reserved for the head of the household. Don’t waste it – make sure you include the whole aubergine and then suck the juices from the end.”
Serves 4-6
aubergines 2 whole
herb salt 2 tbsp
paprika 1 tbsp
za’atar 1 tsp
vegetable oil about 3-4 tbsp
white onion 1 small , diced
garlic 2 cloves, crushed
cayenne pepper ¼ tsp
ground cumin ½ tsp
tomato puree 1 tsp
tomatoes 5, chopped
ground turmeric ¼ tsp
garam masala ½ tsp
sumac ¼ tsp
For the yoghurt
vegan yoghurt 150-200ml (or Greek yoghurt)
garlic 1 clove, grated
herb salt ½ tsp
dried mint a sprinkling
Cut the aubergine into rounds 2½cm thick – including the stalk end – season them well with half of the herb salt, half of the paprika and a little za’atar. This is best if you’re able to do it the night before you’re going to cook.
To cook on the barbecue
Preheat the barbecue according to the instructions above . You will need a high heat for caramelising the aubergine slices. Use a pastry brush to lightly brush the slices with oil. Place them directly on the grill to colour. Keep a close eye on them – 1-2 minutes each side should be enough, you are not trying to cook them, just give them a good caramelisation. After each slice has been turned, pop the lid closed for 15 minutes to infuse with a smoky flavour.
To cook on the stove
Heat the oil in a large pan over a medium heat, then add the aubergine slices in batches, and fry until they are golden-brown in colour. Do not over-fry them otherwise the slices will get soggy; you want them to be slightly firm in the centre. Pat them with kitchen roll to remove excess oil, then repeat the process with the remaining slices.
Meanwhile, prepare your sauce on the hob. In a large pan on high heat, add 2-3 teaspoons of oil, the onions and garlic, stirring frequently. Season with pinches of the herb salt, paprika, cayenne and cumin. Sauté till the onions become light golden-brown – about 3 minutes – then turn down the heat to medium. Add the tomato puree and the tomatoes, and half of the rest of the spices – turmeric, garam masala and sumac, as well as the herb salt, paprika, cayenne and cumin – and cook until the tomatoey mixture become soft and mushy. This will take around 7 minutes.
Then, retrieve your smoked or pan-fried aubergine slices and pop them into this mixture with about 100ml of water and the rest of the spices. Cover the dish with a lid and cook on a low simmer for around 10 minutes.
Put the yoghurt in a bowl and whisk in the garlic, then a little herb salt to taste. Whisk it all well so the consistency becomes looser than traditional yoghurt.
To serve, spread some garlicky yoghurt on a dish, then place your aubergine and rich reduced tomato sauce on top. Finally, pour over more yoghurt and garnish with dried mint, as is traditional.
Cue Point’s ghormeh sabzi
This is Josh’s barbecue twist to a classic Afghan comfort dish, a combination of aromatic, flavourful spinach paired with low-and-slow-cooked lamb. If you are able to marinate the lamb the night before and leave it in the fridge, you’ll get better results. To maintain the heat, you will need to top up your charcoal at least once during this recipe. To do this, place the new charcoal directly on top of the old charcoal – check your fire occasionally and try to do this before the old charcoal is embering too much, so the new stuff catches well.
Serves 4-6
lamb shanks 2 (1kg, total weight, bone in)
herb salt
ground black pepper 1 tsp
cayenne pepper ¼ tsp
garlic 5 cloves; 2 crushed, 3 whole
lemon juice of ½
new potatoes 400g, chopped into small chunks
white onions 2 medium, sliced
fresh spinach 2 bunches
dried fenugreek leaves 1 tbsp
ground turmeric 1 tbsp
ground cumin 1 tsp
olive oil 1 tbsp
For the corn
sweet corn 3 cobs, husk stripped, cobs in half
butter 1 tbsp
za’atar a sprinkling
finely chopped coriander to garnish
Season your lamb shanks with a tablespoon of herb salt. Do this first to bring moisture out of the meat. Then season with the black pepper, cayenne, crushed garlic cloves and a little lemon juice.
To cook on the barbecue
Preheat the barbecue. Place the lamb shanks directly on the grill, as close to the heat as possible. Don’t move them too much – at least until you have given them a minute or 2 to brown on each side. The colour should be a dark golden-brown: imagine burnt sugar, not black, not greyish brown. Make sure all sides are seared well.
In a large cast-iron barbecue dish, layer up the potatoes, onions and garlic cloves. Cover with half the spinach leaves, season with the fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, a pinch of herb salt and a drizzle of oil, then place your seared lamb shanks on top.
Close the lid of your barbecue and let the lamb and vegetables cook for up to 1-1½ hours. (Make sure your fire is going strong as the total cooking time will be up to 3 hours.) Keep an eye on your meat by checking it every 30-45 minutes. Do so quickly, not letting out too much smoke or reducing the temperature.
After 1-1½ hours, place the rest of the spinach over the top of the dish, cover it all with tin foil, and place back on the barbecue. Cook for a further 1½-2 hours. When it’s done, the lamb should easily come apart, and the onions, potatoes and spinach should be soft. You can remove the bone at this point and let everyone dig straight into the dish with tongs.
About 15 minutes before you’re ready to eat, bring a large pot of water to the boil. Boil your sweet corn for 5-10 minutes, then place the cobs on the grill (or in an oven, if that’s how you’re cooking the shanks) to give it some colour. Dress with butter, and garnish with za’atar and a little coriander.
To cook in the oven
Preheat the oven to 170C fan/gas mark 5. Place a cast-iron pan on a hob on a fairly high heat, add a drizzle of oil and brown the seasoned shanks on all sides. Make sure they get a decent browning and caramelisation.
In a cast-iron dish that comfortably fits in your oven, layer the potatoes, onions and whole garlic cloves. Finally, cover with half the spinach leaves, season with the fenugreek, turmeric, cumin, herb salt and a drizzle of oil, then place your seared lamb shanks on top.
Cook in the oven for 1-1½ hours, then place the rest of the spinach over the lamb, cover the dish with tin foil, and place back in the oven and cook for a further 1½ hours at 145C fan/gas mark 3. Serve with the corn (method above).
Afghan brunch
There is nothing like an aromatic, yolky brunch, and this one contrasts strong and rich flavours with fresh and citrussy ones. This beautiful vegetarian dish is reminiscent of traditional Afghan brunches and, for a moment on Sunday mornings, takes me home.
Serves 4-6
olive oil 3 tbsp
potatoes 3, diced into 2cm cubes
white onion 1 large, diced
herb salt about 1 tbsp
garlic 2 cloves, crushed
fresh plum tomatoes 6-10, chopped
eggs 6
fresh parsley a handful, chopped
fresh coriander a handful, chopped
green chilli 1, chopped thinly
lime 1, sliced into 6 wedges
For the seasoning
paprika 1 tbsp
za’atar 1 tbsp
herb salt 1 tbsp
ground black pepper 1 tsp
ground cumin ½ tsp
To cook on the barbecue
Prepare your barbecue according to the previous instructions.
Pour 2 tablespoons of oil into a large cast-iron pan (make sure it has a lid, you will need it). Season your potatoes with half of the seasoning and pop them in the pan. Place the pan on the grill and leave for about 10-12 minutes, until cooked and crisp, moving the potatoes around every few minutes. When the potatoes are cooked, remove them from the pan. Please, remember to use an oven glove when touching the pan!
To caramelise your onion, use the same cast-iron pan as your potatoes. Add the last tablespoon of oil, the diced onion and a pinch of the herb salt and cook until golden brown. Then add the garlic, let it caramelise for half a minute, add the other half of the seasoning. Return the potatoes to the pan, then stir in the tomatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Make 6 wells for your eggs, break an egg into each well, and stick the lid on for about 8 minutes, depending on how you like your eggs. Add herb salt to taste, then serve garnished with the fresh herbs, chillies and lime.
To cook in the oven
Preheat to 180C fan/gas mark 6. Put the potatoes in a roasting tray and season with half of your seasoning, then add 2 tablespoons oil and toss to combine. Roast for 10-15 minutes or until cooked and crisp, moving them around every 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a large oven-safe pan, heat the last tablespoon of oil and add the onions, a pinch of herb salt and cook until golden brown. Add the garlic and let it all caramelise for a minute, then add the rest of the seasoning. Now, add your crispy potatoes from the oven to the onion mixture, then add the tomatoes and cook for a few minutes, mixing and turning frequently. Make 6 wells for your eggs, and break an egg into each well. Place your dish back in the preheated oven, and bake for about 4 minutes, or until set to your liking . (No need to use a lid on this occasion.) Remove from the oven, add more herb salt to taste, garnish with the fresh herbs, chillies and slices of lime, and serve immediately.
Grilled chilli, coriander and lime king prawn ‘nacos’
This dish is a real homage to both Josh’s Guyanese heritage and my Afghan roots. It might look a bit complicated, but we promise you it’s worth it.
Serves 4-6
king prawns 12, shell and heads on
fresh red chilli 1
herb salt 5 tbsp
paprika ¼ tsp
cayenne ¼ tsp
olive oil 100ml
lime juice of 1
Afghan naan or pitta 8 (see recipe below)
lettuce of your choice ½, shredded
For the Afghan chutney
green chillies 2, sliced
coriander 1 bunch,roughly chopped
garlic 3 cloves, chopped
limes juice of 2
caster sugar ½ tbsp
herb salt or normal salt ¾ tsp
distilled white vinegar 110ml
For the pickled red onions
red onions 2, diced
limes juice of 2
herb salt or salt 1 tsp
If cooking on a barbecue, now is the time to get it going.
To clean your prawns, place each prawn on a chopping board, with the curvature facing you, stretch the prawn out and with a small, sharp knife, make a very small slit down the centre of the prawn where the waste tract is, then use the knife to gently remove the tract so as to not ruin the structure of the prawn.
Slice the chilli quite thinly and combine in a bowl with the prawns. Throw in the herb salt, spices and olive oil, then add the lime juice. Completely oat the prawns with the salty, oily mix. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
Now make your Afghan chutney. Mix up the chillies, coriander, garlic and lime juice in a bowl. Add the remaining ingredients and combine in a food processor – you’re looking for a semi-liquid paste-like consistency. Turn into a bowl, mix thoroughly, cover and refrigerate till needed (this can marinate at the same time as the prawns). Put the red onion in a bowl, add the lime juice and salt, mix together and let this percolate in the fridge alongside the prawns and chutney.
When you’re almost ready to eat, grill your prawns over hot coals or pan-fry in a cast-iron dish on the hob. Cook them for about 3 minutes on a high heat – about 1½ minutes on each side. You don’t want to over-cook them, but simultaneously you want to achieve grill marks and that beautiful caramelised Maillard reaction.
Serve the grilled prawns on the naan, pouring all those gorgeous excess juices over the prawns. Top with lettuce, the chutney and the pickled onions.
Afghan naan
Makes 10
warm water 350ml
dry yeast 7g
caster sugar 1 tbsp
plain flour 1kg
salt 1 tbsp
corn oil 60ml
egg yolk 1 mixed with 1 tbsp water
nigella seeds a sprinkling
To make the dough, mix the warm water, yeast and sugar in a jug, and let it sit for 10 minutes. When you see a froth, add ½ tablespoon of flour, then let it sit for 5 more minutes. Put the rest of the flour in a large mixing bowl and sprinkle the salt over it. Make a well in the middle of the flour and add the oil, then the egg water mix, then slowly add small amounts of the water, yeast and sugar mixture until you have produced a soft, moist dough that can be handled. Knead well for 5 minutes. Put the dough ball back in the bowl, cover with a towel, and let it rise. After 1½ hours, punch down the risen dough, divide into 8 equal parts and roll each into a ball. Roll each ball into an oval shape 15-17cm long and 1-1.5cm thick. Use a fork to draw 3 lines along the length of each naan for design. Sprinkle each naan with the nigella seeds.
To cook on the barbecue
Preheat the barbecue. When cooking the naans, we want some actual fire – not smoking or grilling – so add more charcoal or logs. You will be using the grill, so make sure the rack is clean, as your naans will go straight onto it.
Place each naan on the grill, and cook over the fire and charcoal on each side for a few minutes; as they get darker, turn them so they cook evenly. Each naan should take 5-7 minutes in total.
The naan can also be grilled in a suitable frying or cast-iron pan over a hot barbecue grill, in 1 teaspoon of oil.
To cook in the oven
Preheat the oven to 190-200C fan/gas mark 7-8. Place the naan on a baking tray, or put them straight on the oven rack, and bake for 8-10 minutes or until golden brown.
Chapli kabab
Chapli kababs (or “slipper” burgers) are the street food of Kabul, where you’ll find merchants with mobile fryers walking around the streets preparing burgers to go. We’ve adjusted the recipe to include fattier elements.
Serves 4-6
pitta 2, crushed (you can use naan)
beef mince 500g
gram flour 3 tbsp
ground turmeric 1 tbsp
ground allspice 1 tbsp
paprika 1 tsp
herb salt 1 tbsp
cayenne 1 tsp
tomatoes 2, finely chopped
white onions 2, finely chopped
jalapeños 3, finely chopped
garlic 3 cloves, crushed
coriander leaves ¼ bunch, finely chopped
egg yolk 1
unsalted butter or ghee 2 tbsp, melted
olive oil 120ml (you may not need all 120ml for the barbecue method)
To serve
Afghan naan or pitta 8 (see recipe above)
tomatoes 2 large, thinly sliced
red onion 1, thinly sliced
sauces Afghan chutney (see recipe above), hummus, sour cream
Preheat the oven to 180C fan/gas mark 6. Toast the pitta on a tray in the oven – don’t burn it but make sure it is crisp to the touch. Place your bread in a food processor or blender and make sure it is well processed.
In a large bowl mix together the mince, gram flour, turmeric, allspice, paprika, herb salt and cayenne. Then add the tomatoes, onion, jalapeños, garlic and coriander, and mix in. Add your breadcrumbs to the mince mixture, then the egg yolk and butter. Mix it all together very well.
To form the mince into large, flat patties, take about 1¼ tbsp of the mixture in your hand, and create a small ball, then flatten this ball with the palm of your hand.
To cook on the barbecue
Preheat the barbecue according to the previous instructions. Brush some oil on each side of the patty and place them on the grill. You want to achieve a golden-brown colour on both sides. A burger scraper helps, as these can get sticky. Once there is decent heat and caramelisation occurring, cover with the barbecue lid for 20-30 minutes. These patties are thin, so it’s easy to decide if they are cooked by the colour of the meat – you can serve them medium or medium-well if you want.
To cook on the stove
Put a large frying pan on a high-medium heat and heat the oil. Lightly fry each side of the chapli kabab each until golden-brown.
Serve your patties in Afghan naan or pitta with tomatoes, onions and your sauces of choice
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