How to turn spent coffee grounds into barbecue sauce

My cooking rests on three pillars — pleasure, people and planet — and I try to balance all three to create meals that are both delicious and nourishing. That idea gives the title to my book Eating for Pleasure, People & Planet. Today’s recipe comes from one of the tastiest in the book: Venezuelan corn cake arepas with “pulled” oyster mushrooms, a sweet, umami-rich barbecue sauce and a kohlrabi and mango salsa.

In this version I add spent espresso grounds to the original sauce to cut waste and bring extra depth and complexity. It pairs with the usual meaty suspects, from chicken wings to ribs, but also works as a marinade for grilled vegetables or a straightforward condiment.

Makes about 500g, or 1 large jar. Heat 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil and slowly sweat 2 finely diced onions and 4 roughly chopped garlic cloves over medium-low for about 15 minutes until caramelised.

Venezuela

coffee grounds, espresso grounds, barbecue sauce, arepas, oyster mushrooms, kohlrabi, mango salsa, grilled vegetables, marinade, caramelised onions