Al fresco: All fired up
We must be due a long hot summer, surely? Even if we don’t get months of glorious sunshine, there’s bound to be a few days when we can head to the garden, fire up the BBQ and enjoy the enticing smell of steaks, sausages and something involving halloumi for the vegetarians.
Despite cooking over a flame being one of the most difficult cooking methods to get right, the man of the house will preside over the barbecue even if his culinary experience starts and ends with picking up a takeaway. It’s just a rule.
Anyway, we’ve rounded up a few tips to help you avoid cremating your culinary creations.
If you’re choosing a new BBQ, then you should start by working out how many people you typically need to feed in one go. If there’s a crowd and you’re cooking half a dozen sausages a time, this can be a little frustrating for your guests. If you want a traditional smoky flavour, your best bet is a lumpwood charcoal BBQ, though this will take longer to heat up, so make sure to get things going a couple of hours before your guests arrive. You can add some pre-soaked aromatic wood chips to your fuel to add more depth of flavour. However, adding lighter fluid to get things moving is always a very bad idea, just plan ahead and be patient.
Gas BBQs are good for a crowd, quicker and sometimes easier to clean, though you do need to keep safety in mind and make sure you have enough gas in your bottle. Electric BBQs are relatively new, but as with gas, you don’t really get the smokiness that’s essential to a real BBQ experience. They do, however, have the advantage of being temperature controlled, which takes the guesswork out of cooking and perhaps reduces the chance of serving your guests with undercooked or overcooked burgers.
Check what people would prefer to eat in advance. There’s little point serving fish, for example, if people just want burgers. This also gives you the chance to curb your tendency to over-cater so you don’t spend the next fortnight eating leftovers. Many butchers like JK Fine Foods or Chattan Quality Meats offer special BBQ packs which saves time and offers variety.
Invest in some decent sauces or marinades or make your own. Anything that adds flavour is a bonus when you’re running the risk of carbonising everything you cook.
Keep a separate spot on your grill, or ideally have a second grill, for vegetarian and vegan options. This section should also have its own tools and tongs. Try corn on the cob, halloumi and veg kebabs and veggie or plant-based burgers.
Give some thought to how people will eat, as well as what. Flatbreads and rolls are great because they make it easy to handle and eat hot food and reduce the chances of getting ketchup on your favourite shirt.
Keep salads and side dishes simple but flavourful. That’s about two-thirds of what people eat at a BBQ anyway. Grazing boards let everyone choose their favourites and look attractive. Potato salad, pasta salad and chopped salads like tabbouleh work well because they are pre-cut and easy to scoop up with a fork even if you’re using disposable plates and standing because there are not enough tables and chairs.
A cooler’s a great addition to your outdoor entertaining set up. Keep it simple with a plastic storage box or tin bath filled with ice, or you could invest in an electric cooler if you entertain a lot.
All you need now is a quick prayer to the weather gods.
