~Cardboard BBQ made by my son Nial and myself. He made a dish for everyone; the carnivor, pescitarian and vegetarian. For instructions to make the BBQ please visit Nial's Patch.~
Okay, perhaps, especially considering the weather at the moment, this is an optimistic post, but I'm sure we'll get some sun this year!! and being a glass-half-full kinda girl I have to believe that we will. The British BBQ isn't always great, with its slimy chicken oozing pink juices, leathery steaks and burgers so blackened you're not sure where the burnt bits end and the middle begins. But they can be truly great too. The British BBQ Society was started in 2008 to help turn things around and build up a new enthusiasm for BBQ cooking, and the Best of British BBQ has been going since 2005 to promote Britain as great BBQers. There has been a revival of British food over the last few years and the BBQ is very much part of that, and as well as that, very much part of the British summer.
For a great BBQ prepare everything in advance. Marinading is often the staple of the BBQ, but it often does not bring out the flavours and dry rubs can offer an excellent taste extravagansa. Lots of interesting side dishes are essential, as there are not many people who just like a plate of meat (or vegetarian alternatives). You can also buy smoking chips (I know that Wilkinson sells them) in a number of varieties such as apple smoke or oak smoke to add another layer of flavour. Don't forget fish, well cooked BBQ'd fish offers another texture and a delicious flavour to the mix. And then there's the pudding!! After being on a beach aged 16 and then served up BBQ'd bananas with melted chocolate inside, all wrapped in tin foil, nothing incredibly difficult, I've never done a BBQ without a sweet dish at the end again.
jACKrABBIT is in the process of creating a new range of different BBQ spices for all kinds of meat and will be adding recipes as well, including some sweet ones. There will also be some recipes for using your home grown produce on the BBQ, which is one of the best ways to cook it. You can find a good list of recipes at the Best of British BBQ website too.
