Sticks & Spice Poolside Grilling Party

By Jeanne Benedict
Sticks & Spice Poolside Gilling Party Sticks & Spice Poolside Grilling Party

Having a few friends over for an outdoor BBQ sounds like a good idea...unless you're the one stuck behind the grill all night. However, you don't have to throw in the tongs!

Mix & Mingle Poolside

Host a Sticks and Spice Poolside Grilling Party where you can relax and feel like a guest at your own get-together. I've designed a menu that is both creative and interactive, where guests flavor their own appetizers, and cook them on tabletop grills by the pool. The "sticks" are one-bite portions of chicken, beef, and vegetables on bamboo skewers. The "spice" is a selection of dry rubs for guests to season their food before grilling.

I've included some easy recipes for marinades, as well as a Pina Colada Dipping Sauce and a Mojito Mignonette for all to swirl their skewers in. For dessert, swap out the savory for the sweet with an exotic chocolate s'more station. To see how we put it all together on tropical tabletops, check out our Sticks and Spice Poolside Grilling Party Video.

A Little Prep Goes A Long Way

There's only a little prep work involved the morning of the party. First, you'll need to cut up and skewer the ingredients, then marinate them in an herb oil mixture. You'll save time on clean up, by marinating the skewers in the container that will be used on the party table. For a cool presentation, use a square glass vase for the marinade and put the skewers in vertically, sticks up for guests to grab. You'll need 3 vases, for each type of skewer. When you're done with that, whip up the dips and set up the spices!

I've found some incredible spice blends online, and you can't beat the convenience of mail order. You can offer spice mixtures with the flavors of India, Morocco, Jamaica, Napa Valley, Mexico, and more! Pour the spices into small identical dishes. You can match the square design of the cube vases, with square Asian-style dishes, meant for soy sauce.

Now all you have to do is prepare the s'more fixings. Simply put skewers, marshmallows, graham crackers, exotic chocolate, and plain candy bars in attractive containers. Vosges Chocolates makes eclectic combinations that will really wake up your taste buds. Some of their offerings are ginger, wasabi, and black sesame seeds in dark chocolate, and Indian green cardamom, organic walnuts, and dried plums in Venezuelan chocolate.

Party Set Up Around The Pool

Sagaform Bucket Tabletop Grill, specialtyfoodamerica.com Sagaform Bucket Tabletop Grill from specialtyfoodamerica.com.

For parties around the pool, or in homes with cozy rooms, I like to set up a couple of intimate food stations as opposed to one, big buffet. This "floor plan" is ideal for party flow around a pool's perimeter or when space is limited. Splitting up the food also allows you to put the tabletop grills and food items on small side tables, between chaise lounge chairs. There are a lot of tabletop grills on the market, but the Sagaform Bucket Tabletop Grill is really affordable and has an upscale, casual feel, perfect for this party.

Keep the table decor simple with large tropical leaves, and dendrobium orchids. The spices and decorative vases of food will add splashes of color. For place settings, I'm a big fan of "eco-friendly" choices, such as Veneerware, a line of disposable bamboo plates and utensils.

After guests have had their fill of appetizers, swap out the skewers for the dessert items. This big switch is the only work you'll do at this party. There'll also be the occasional lifting of a cocktail glass to your lips as you catch up with friends, poolside.

Marinades

Pour 1-inch-high amount of canola oil into the marinating container, and stir in remaining ingredients listed in the recipes below. Place the skewers, vertically in container, with raw ingredients immersed in the marinade. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and refrigerate until party time.

Ingredients:

Chicken Marinade

  • Canola Oil
  • 1 tablespoon pure sesame oil
  • 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger root, peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 6 fresh cilantro stems

Beef Marinade

  • Canola Oil
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 6 fresh basil stems

Vegetable Marinade

  • Canola Oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, peeled, coarsely chopped
  • 6 fresh rosemary stems
  • Skewer Ingredient Prep

Preparation:

Chicken

Slice boneless chicken breasts, lengthwise into 4 strips. Cut each strip into 3 pieces, yielding 12 pieces from 1 breast. Thread each piece on to a skewer tip.

Beef

Slice beef into 1/4-inch thick strips. Cut strips into 1-inch pieces and thread on to a skewer tip.

Veggies

Cut eggplant into 1-inch cubes. Slice zucchini into 1-inch rounds. Cut baby red potatoes in half. Thread vegetable pieces on to a skewer tip.

Pina Colada Dipping Sauce

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup cream of coconut, such as Coco Lopez
  • 2 tablespoons crushed pineapple
  • 3 tablespoons sour cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon minced, peeled fresh ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon Jamaican rum
  • Pinch of salt

Preparation:

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. Cover and refrigerate until party time

Mojito Mignonette

 

"Mignonette" is a sauce made typically with vinegar, pepper, and herbs and served especially with oysters.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 cup seasoned rice wine vinegar
  • 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh mint leave
  • 2 tablespoons minced shallot
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon Jamaican rum

Preparation:

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl until combined. Cover and refrigerate until party time.

 

Note: If seasoned rice wine vinegar is not available, add 1 teaspoon of sugar to regular rice wine vinegar as a substitution -- "seasoned" rice vinegar is sweet.

 

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