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Recipe · Direct · Easy

Costa Blanca grilled seasonal vegetables on the kamado

Eggplant, zucchini, Levante red pepper, red onion and whole skin-on garlic, grilled direct at 220°C and finished with warm sherry vinaigrette. A vegetarian plate that stands on its own, not a side.

Verduras de temporada asadas sobre llama abierta, con marcas de parrilla
Prep
20 min
Cook
35 min
Servings
6 servings
Temperature
220 °C

Ingredients

  • medium eggplants, firm and glossy2 ud
  • small zucchini (<20 cm)3 ud
  • Levante red peppers3 ud
  • medium red onions2 ud
  • purple garlic from Las Pedroñeras1 cabeza
  • Bajo Aragón extra-virgin olive oil6 cda
  • sherry vinegar (Reserva)1 cda
  • fresh thyme4 ramas
  • fresh rosemary2 ramas
  • Maldon flaky salt (at the end)1 cda

Method

  1. 01

    Equal cuts

    Wash and dry all vegetables. Cut eggplant into 2 cm batons, zucchini into oblique 1.5 cm slices, peppers into seedless quarters, onion into thick wedges. Separate the unpeeled garlic cloves.

  2. 02

    Oil rub

    In a large bowl toss the vegetables with 3 tbsp of oil, making sure every face is lightly glossy. No salt yet. The garlic goes in a foil packet of its own with 1 tbsp oil.

  3. 03

    Stabilise at 220°C

    Set the kamado for direct (no deflector) and bring it to 220°C. Wait 20 minutes for the grates to fully heat — water droplets should sizzle off instantly.

  4. 04

    Grill and flip

    Lay the vegetables directly on the grates, leaving space between pieces. Put the garlic packet in a cooler corner. Flip every 8-10 minutes until well marked and tender — about 30-35 min total.

  5. 05

    Herbs at the end

    In the last 5 minutes scatter fresh thyme and rosemary directly on the grate next to the vegetables. They will perfume without burning. Pull when a fork slides smoothly into the eggplant.

  6. 06

    Warm vinaigrette

    In a small pan warm 2 tbsp oil with 1 finely sliced garlic clove. As it starts to brown, take off heat and add the sherry vinegar. It will hiss: be careful.

  7. 07

    Plate and serve

    Arrange the vegetables on a wide platter. Squeeze the roasted garlic onto the plate, discard the skins. Pour the warm vinaigrette over, scatter Maldon salt and finish with a thread of raw oil. Serve immediately.

About this recipe

Seasonal vegetables on the kamado grill direct at 220°C for 35 minutes, turned every 8-10 minutes, and finish with a warm vinaigrette of Bajo Aragón olive oil, confit garlic and sherry vinegar. The ceramic grill concentrates heat, marking the vegetables without drying them; raw EVOO at the end balances the natural sweetness of the char. It is the vegetarian plate in the rotation that does not apologise for being vegetarian.

Produce: Levante leads

On the Costa Blanca we have access to brutal produce nearly year-round. Bright, firm eggplant, zucchini under 20 cm (bigger ones are watery), Levante red peppers that feel heavy in the hand, red onion from Cuenca, purple garlic from Las Pedroñeras. The kamado only amplifies what is already great. Shop the same day, not the night before: an eggplant that has lived a week in the fridge no longer works here.

Technique: equal sizes, salt at the end

The most important rule: cut everything to similar sizes (~2 cm thick) so it cooks at the same rate. Eggplant in batons, zucchini in oblique slices, pepper in quarters, onion in thick wedges. Brush with oil — do not marinate — and DO NOT salt before: salt pulls water out and the vegetables boil instead of grilling.

Garlic grills with the skin on, wrapped together in a cooler zone. The skin prevents burning and the inside turns confit-soft, ready to smash onto the plate. Herbs (thyme, rosemary) go on fresh, in sprigs, scattered over the grill for the last 5 minutes to perfume without scorching.

The warm vinaigrette that changes everything

Once plated, warm 3 tbsp oil, 1 sliced garlic clove and 1 tbsp sherry vinegar in a small pan. Wait 30 seconds for the perfume to lift, then pour hot over the plate. The emulsion shines, the acid wakes the caramelised sugars, and that final flavour layer is what separates correct vegetables from memorable ones.

In 30 seconds: Levante seasonal produce cut at 2 cm, direct grill 220°C 35 min, flip every 8-10 min, skin-on garlic, salt only at the end, warm sherry vinaigrette with sliced garlic, raw EVOO to finish.

Editor's tips

  • Salt only at the end. Salt earlier and the vegetables release water and boil in their own juices instead of charring.
  • Whole skin-on garlic does not burn: the skin works as insulation. Peeled, it turns black in 10 minutes.
  • Fresh thyme and rosemary, never dried. Dried turns to dust and gets bitter; fresh perfumes and stays whole.
  • As an alternative to sherry vinegar, try Pedro Ximénez reduced by half: it brings sweetness and depth.

Gear for this recipe

FAQ

  • Which vegetables should I avoid grilling on the kamado?

    Thin leafy greens (spinach, arugula, lettuce) burn instantly. Raw potatoes also fail on direct heat at 220°C: the outside chars before the inside cooks. For potatoes, use a foil pouch or par-cook them first.

  • Can I freeze the grilled vegetables for later?

    Yes, especially eggplant and pepper, which freeze well once grilled. Zucchini and onion lose texture. To thaw, fridge 6 hours and reheat 5 minutes at 180°C indirect on the kamado.

  • What if I do not have a grill grate, only a tray?

    It works, but the result drops. Without a grate you lose the marks and the dry contact with hot metal, so vegetables cook more in their own juices. If unavoidable, use a heavy cast-iron tray preheated 15 minutes in the kamado and work in small batches.

  • Should I marinate the vegetables before grilling?

    No. An acidic marinade (lemon, vinegar) or salt pre-cook softens the cell walls and the vegetables lose structure. Better to coat with oil alone and build all the flavour with the warm vinaigrette at the end. Counterintuitive, but it works.

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