FOSH ON FOOD - BARBEQUE FUN

WHEN it comes to cooking food over charcoal most of us aren't exactly adventurous and sausages, ribs, burgers, and if you're lucky, a chicken kebab, black on the outside and pink in the middle, seem to be the limit of our barbecuing ambitions. The barbeque season is in full flow at the moment and every day we offer a few specials from the barbeque at Read's for the lunchtime terrace menu. For me, nothing quite beats the smell of fresh sardines roasting over hot coals, the aroma is fantastic and if you drizzle a touch of chopped parsley and garlic with sea salt and olive oil over them it's pure heaven. o why do most people get barbequing so wrong? The biggest problem is that most people are in a hurry, trying to cook too quickly with lots of flames and not letting the coals burn enough beforehand to reach the desired temperature. So light your barbeque at least half–an–hour in advance and never start cooking until the coals are a dusty white colour with a reddish glow. Take your time and cook slowly without flames to cook your meat all the way through with a nice golden brown colour. Marinating meat and fish prior to grilling is always a good idea as this adds flavour and helps to tenderize the meat. For a Mediterranean touch you could try lamb cutlets with rosemary and preserved lemons or chicken with marjoram, olive oil and garlic. You could also spice things up with chillies “piri–piri” style or Moroccan style with “chermoula”. Summer vegetables such as aubergines, peppers and courgettes are perfect for char–grilling and for dessert you could try a fresh fruit kebab with thick slices of pineapple and banana with a simple honey and lime dressing. Here are a few recipes that that you can adapt for your grill or cook inside if the sun refuses to shine. Once you feel comfortable cooking over hot coals you can forget the oven and your microwave and cook everything “al–fresco” in the fresh air and have some fun with your barbeque.