How to master your barbecue

10 brilliant BBQ tips that'll make you seriously impressive this summer. By Jack Shamash

Light the fire
Around an hour before you want to eat. The charcoal should be red hot before you start cooking. Our recipe for a good fire: pile up some lumpwood charcoal, put on straw (if you've got any), spray on firelighting fluid, add a match. It usually starts straight away.

 

Practice makes perfect
If you haven't done a barbecue for some time, you'll probably incinerate the sausages and leave the chops raw. If you're going to invite friends, have a practice run beforehand

 

Use a marinade
This will add real flavour. A mixture of oil, lemon juice, garlic and herbs works well. Leave the meat dipped in the marinade for at least an hour. Jerk seasoning - available from most supermarkets - is great if you like hot food. If you like a milder jerk flavour, try Levi Roots Reggae Reggae Sauce.

 

Have a drink!
All that cooking will make you thirsty. If you're having quite a crowd over, buy one of those big plastic tubs from a DIY centre. Fill it full of water from the garden hose. Throw in a few of bags of ice - you can get them from garages and supermarkets. Then put in white wine, beer cans, lemonade bottles. They'll stay nicely chilled for hours.

 

Don't stint on the meat
Get lots of chops, sausages, burgers, or steaks. Chicken is more difficult, as it's easy to leave it raw in the middle - always test chicken before serving it up to guests.

 

Try beer barbecued chicken
Open a tin of your favourite beer. Take a small chicken. Shove it over the tin. Then balance the bird upright on the hot barbecue (this step can be a bit tricky). Put a lid on the barbie. Leave it for about an hour and a half or until it's cooked. It tastes brilliant.

 

Think veggie
Courgette can be hollowed out, stuffed with cheese and wrapped in silver foil, then put on the charcoal. Or split open a butternut squash, marinade the inside with oil and herbs, cover with foil and bake. Try the same with sweet potato. Aubergines can be sliced, brushed with oil and cooked like a steak. Delicious!

 

Think sweetcorn
Sweetcorn tastes wonderful barbecued. Put it on the top of the barbie, brush with oil and make sure you turn it regularly. It will never taste better!

 

More on the side
Have lots of fresh bread to accompany the barbecued food or make some potato salad ahead of time. Boil some potatoes with the skin on until they are cooked, but still firm. Cut up into good sized chunks. Leave to cool. Then add good quality mayonaise, a dollop of Dijon mustard, spring onion and some black pepper. Make sure you've got lots of other salad too. I love Morrocan salad. Finely dice about a pound of tomatoes, a cucumber and small onion. Mix up with a large handful of finely chopped mint, some salt and the juice of half a lemon. This has a wonderfully fresh flavour.

 

Go for kebabs
Thread lumps of lamb on skewers, alternating with chunks of onion, green pepper and tomatoes. Vegetarians can use halloumi cheese instead of meat.

 

JACK SHAMASH puts meals on the family table every night of the week at his home in north London. He also writes for The Times, The Guardian and Horticulture Week (so he knows a lot about fruit and veg)

To win a barbecue and a barbie pack including wine and wraps click here

You might also like: Our chicken recipes, Vegetarian wonders, Fast meals for foodies