insideKENT Magazine Issue 65 - August 2017 | Page 100

FOOD+DRINK
THE ULTIMATE Summer
BBQ cont.
TIPS AND TRICKS FROM THE EXPERTS…
WHILE WE’RE IN NO WAY DOUBTING YOUR BBQ EXPERTISE, IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO KNOW HOW
THE EXPERTS DO IT, SO WE’VE PICKED THE BRAINS OF A FEW CELEBRITY CHEFS (AND A WELL-
KNOWN PET FOOD BRAND…) TO GIVE YOU A HELPING HAND.
CHEF AND GREAT BRITISH BAKE OFF STAR,
Selasi Gbormittah
(www.swearbyit.com)
CHEF, Gizzi
Erskine
(www.groovyfood.co.uk)
INDIAN FOOD WRITER AND CHEF,
Anjum Anand
(www.thespicetailor.com)
1. Marinate over night. There are couple of
tricks when it comes to preparing meat for
the barbecue. Firstly, and perhaps the most
important, involves marinating the meat
overnight in the fridge before bringing it back
up to room temperature before cooking. For
an extra juicy and tender dish, slash or pierce
the chicken, pork or beef with a fork to allow
the marinade to sink deep into the flesh.
2. Use a ‘natural tenderiser’ when cooking
with red meat. Essential to any standout
barbecue is well-prepared and tender meat.
When choosing your ingredients, try using a
natural tenderiser, such as an acidic citrus
juice, which helps to break down muscle fibres
and soften the meat. A favourite of mine is
grated raw green papaya, which makes the
world of difference and the meat juicer and
more succulent.
3. It’s not all about the meat! For those who
are a little more experimental on the barbecue,
why not try cooking with fish. For the best
results, score the fish four times on each side
and drizzle over some lemon juice and a
sprinkling of light salt, before thickly laying
on a marinade. Remember to taste this before
adding it to the fish – a perfect marinade
should be salty and tangy. Overal l the result
should be a smoky, light and spicy flavour
that’s difficult to resist.
100
“The Groovy Food Company’s Organic
Coconut Sugar has a delicious rich toffee
caramel taste. It’s great in condiments and
sauces, which I cook from scratch. It delivers
a real depth of flavour to any homemade
chutney, delicious served alongside cold meat
and a cheeseboard. It’s also ideal for creating
a rich teriyaki marinade for salmon or chicken.
A tablespoon of the coconut sugar also adds
a sweet, caramel glaze to stir-fried meat dishes,
I use it in my Vietnamese caramelised roast
pork and it’s the best substitute for palm sugar
in South-East Asian curries.”
1. Always marinade the night before to ensure
your dishes have added flavour.
2. Speed things up by popping vegetables in
the oven for 15 minutes before, then finish
them up on the barbecue – perfect for a last-
minute get together when the sun decides to
shine!
3. Rotate, rotate, rotate! Keep turning your meat
and vegetables constantly as you barbecue.
4. For added flavour and to ensure your food
doesn’t get stuck to the grill, brush with Vita
Coco Coconut Oil as you cook.
5. Get those tunes going! Music is essential
when you are barbecuing!
DON’T FORGET YOUR FOUR-LEGGED FRIENDS!
TIPS FROM James
Wellbeloved (www.wellbeloved.com)
1. Give them space. Lots of people in a small
space can be overwhelming for our pets.
Allocate an area in your garden for your
dog before people arrive. It will prevent any
falls or trips and will ensure your dog avoids
those extra pieces of food from generous
party guests.
2. Create a special menu. It may seem
natural to throw your dog a bone, but
cooked bones found in ribs and chicken
wings can splinter and become lodged in
their digestive tract. Ensuring your dog is
full before the BBQ kicks off will mean you
don’t need to share your plate with your
four-legged friends.
3. Keep them hydrated. We all love our pets
to run around and play, interacting with our
family and friends, but it’s important to make
sure they stay hydrated with regular refills
of their water bowl. Frozen watermelon
pieces can be a lovely rehydrating treat in
between water bowl refills.
4. Bin it. We all know how good pets are at
sniffing out leftovers, so make sure rubbish
is out of reach. If covered in grease or
leftovers – aluminium foil, plastic wrap and
kebab skewers can be very dangerous, so
keep a bin in reach of your BBQ and above
floor level.
5. Fun and games. Set out some toys or
pet-friendly games that your dog and guests
can all get involved in – this will ensure
your dog gets some attention in between
the next round of food!