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Contents

Cooking on your barbecue Coriander prawns with mango salad Polynesian scallop kebabs Tandoori snapper with mint relish Tuna with wasabi butter Pan-fried swordfish steaks with Mexican salad Chicken yakitori Indian-style grilled chicken breasts Balsamic grilled chicken Glazed pork kebabs Sticky spare ribs Lamb and rosemary burgers Luxury beefburgers Fillet steak with roasted shallots and garlic Grilled summer vegetables Grilled asparagus with caramelised shallot dressing Salsa verde Bottled tomato sauce Red onion confit Grilled fruit kebabs Homemade ginger ale Mango, peach and apricot fizz Cleaning your barbecue

Cooking on your barbecue

Cooking times for different foods depend very much on the individual barbecue being used. With experience, you will be able to judge the cooking times very accurately. The key point to remember is that if you are using coals, the coals should be ash-grey and radiating heat, but no flames, before you begin to cook. This can take anything from 40 minutes to 1 hour, so you must plan ahead. There are two types of barbecues: covered and uncovered. Because they can be used as an oven with the cover closed or as a traditional barbecue with the cover open, covered barbecues are the most useful. If you use your barbecue only for thin cuts of meat or fish, a portable uncovered barbecue may be sufficient. These cooking times are approximate. They are total cooking times, so you should turn the meat or fish over halfway through.

Cooking guidelines
chicken hamburgers lamb chops leg of lamb pork chops rib of beef sausages steak whole small fish whole large fish joints 40 minutes; drumsticks 2030 minutes; wings 15 minutes 1015 minutes 1020 minutes, depending on thickness (on the bone) 30 minutes per kilogram for well done 2030 minutes, depending on size 20 minutes per kilogram for rare 1016 minutes 610 minutes for rare, 1016 minutes for medium and 1620 minutes for well done 1216 minutes 2030 minutes

seafood & fish

youll need

Coriander prawns with mango salad

16 green king prawns (about 750 g), peeled, with heads and tails intact 2 green mangoes, finely sliced 4 spring onions, sliced 2 red chillies, seeded and sliced 2 teaspoons brown sugar 1 2 cup fresh mint leaves 1 2 cup snow pea sprouts For the marinade: 1 4 cup chopped fresh coriander 1 2 cup lime juice 1 green chilli, seeded and finely chopped 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 garlic clove, crushed

now
1 Preheat the barbecue. Soak 16 small bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes, to prevent them from burning on the barbecue. 2 Thread the prawns lengthways onto the skewers. 3 For the marinade, combine the coriander, one third of the lime juice, the green chilli, sesame oil, cumin seeds and garlic in a small bowl. Brush the marinade over the prawns; cover and chill for 10 minutes. 4 Meanwhile, combine the mangoes, spring onions, red chillies, brown sugar, mint leaves, snow pea sprouts and remaining lime juice in a medium serving bowl. 5 Cook the prawns for 2 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. Serve with bowls of the salad.
PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus 10 minutes marinating COOKING TIME 4 minutes BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

Polynesian scallop kebabs

seafood & fish

youll need
1 can (225 g) pineapple pieces in natural juice 2 tablespoons cider vinegar 1 tablespoon soy sauce 212 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon grated, peeled fresh ginger 2 teaspoons cornflour 24 scallops (about 600 g) 2 large green capsicums, cut into 25 mm pieces 500 g cherry tomatoes 1 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 4 teaspoon salt

now
1 Preheat the barbecue. Soak 8 bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes, to prevent them from burning on the barbecue. 2 Drain the pineapple pieces and pour the juice into a small saucepan. Whisk in the vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and ginger, and bring to the boil. Blend 1 tablespoon of water and the cornflour until smooth and whisk into the pineapple juice mixture. When the sauce returns to the boil, cook 1 minute. Remove from heat and keep warm. 3 Alternately thread the scallops, green capsicums, tomatoes and pineapple pieces onto the skewers. Season with black pepper and salt. Cook the kebabs on the barbecue, basting frequently with sauce, about 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. 4 Carefully push the food from 2 skewers onto each plate. To keep the food from falling apart, use a meat fork and gently slide a few ingredients off the skewer at a time.

PREPARATION TIME 20 minutes COOKING TIME 10 minutes BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

PREPARATION TIME 25 minutes, plus 112 hours marinating

youll need

Tandoori snapper with mint relish

now

COOKING TIME 10 minutes BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

600 g snapper fillet 2 teaspoons sunflower oil For the marinade: 2 tablespoons Greek-style yogurt 2 tablespoons lemon juice pinch of cayenne pepper pinch of garam masala 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger 3 teaspoons paprika salt and black pepper For the relish: 4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh mint 1 2 teaspoon seeded and finely chopped green chilli 1 2 teaspoon garam masala 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon caster sugar

1 Cut the fish into four equal portions. 2 For the marinade, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, garam masala, garlic, ginger and paprika, then season to taste. Rub the marinade into the fish, cover and chill for 112 hours. 3 To make the relish, mix the mint, chilli, garam masala, lemon juice and sugar together and add salt to taste. Cover and chill until required. 4 Preheat the barbecue. 5 Remove the fish from the marinade and, using your fingers, gently wipe off the excess marinade. Cook the fish for about 10 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve hot with the mint relish.

seafood & fish

youll need

Tuna with wasabi butter

now
1 Dry roast the sesame seeds in a small frying pan until lightly coloured then put aside. 2 Finely chop the herbs, reserving a few sprigs for a garnish, then stir the chopped herbs into the sesame seeds along with the lemon juice, butter, wasabi paste, soy sauce and Tabasco. Beat until smooth. 3 Shape the butter into a sausage, wrap in foil and chill in the freezer until firm. 4 Preheat the barbecue. 5 Brush both sides of the tuna steaks with the oil and cook for 34 minutes on each side or until cooked as desired. 6 Cut the butter into rounds. Transfer the steaks to four plates, place a round of butter on each and garnish with the herb sprigs.

1 teaspoon sesame seeds a few sprigs each of basil, chives, coriander and parsley 1 teaspoon lemon juice 125 g unsalted butter, softened 1 tablespoon wasabi paste 1 tablespoon soy sauce 3 drops Tabasco 4 tuna steaks, about 185 g each 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus chilling COOKING TIME 10 minutes BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

Pan-fried swordfish steaks with Mexican salad

youll need
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 2 teaspoon ground coriander 4 swordfish steaks (about 450 g in total) 2 avocados 6 ripe roma tomatoes, chopped 1 red onion, finely chopped 1 fresh red chilli, seeded and chopped 6 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander 1 4 cup lime juice 1 can red kidney beans (about 400 g), drained salt and pepper 85 g mixed salad leaves to garnish

now
1 Mix the oil with the garlic and the ground coriander, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Brush this mixture over both sides of the swordfish steaks. 2 Preheat the barbecue. 3 To make the salad, peel, stone and chop the avocados, and mix with the tomatoes, onion, chilli, fresh coriander and lime juice. Stir in the red kidney beans and season to taste. 4 Cook the fish steaks for 35 minutes on each side, or until just cooked they should still be slightly translucent in the centre, as swordfish becomes dry if overcooked. 5 Serve the swordfish steaks with the salad and a garnish of mixed salad leaves.

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes COOKING TIME 610 minutes BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

seafood & fish

Chicken yakitori
youll need
3 tablespoons shoyu (Japanese soy sauce) 3 tablespoons sake or dry sherry 1 tablespoon sesame oil 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger 2 teaspoons clear honey 500 g skinless chicken breast fillets, cut into 2 cm cubes 1 large green capsicum, seeded and cut into 30 small cubes 4 large spring onions, cut across into 30 pieces
PREPARATION TIME 20 minutes, plus 1 hour marinating COOKING TIME 1015 minutes BBQ WITH FLAT PLATE MAKES 30

now
1 Place the shoyu, sake or sherry, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and honey in a shallow dish and stir together to mix. Add the chicken pieces and spoon the marinade over them. Cover and chill for at least 1 hour or overnight. 2 Preheat the barbecue. Soak 30 small bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes, to prevent them from burning on the barbecue. 3 Thread about 2 pieces of chicken onto the skewers, alternating with one piece of capsicum and one of spring onion, threaded widthways. Cook the kebabs for about 1015 minutes, or until cooked through, turning from time to time and brushing with the marinade.

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chicken & meat

Indian-style grilled chicken breasts

youll need
4 skinless chicken breast fillets, about 140 g each sunflower oil for brushing lemon or lime wedges to serve sprigs of fresh coriander to garnish For the yogurt marinade: 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger 112 teaspoons tomato pure 112 teaspoons garam masala 112 teaspoons ground coriander 112 teaspoons ground cumin 1 4 teaspoon turmeric pinch of cayenne pepper, or to taste 100 g plain low-fat yogurt For the raita: 340 g plain low-fat yogurt 1 cucumber (about 300 g), cut into quarters lengthways and seeded 100 g tomatoes, very finely chopped 1 2 teaspoon ground coriander 1 2 teaspoon ground cumin pinch of cayenne pepper pinch of salt

now
1 To make the marinade, put all the marinade ingredients into a large bowl and whisk together well. If you prefer, put the ingredients in a blender or food processor and process until well blended. Transfer to a bowl large enough to hold all the chicken breasts. 2 Score 2 slits on each side of the chicken breasts. Place them in the marinade, turning to coat and rubbing the marinade into the slits. Cover and chill for 30 minutes. 3 Preheat the barbecue. 4 To make the raita, place the yogurt in a bowl.

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chicken & meat

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes marinating COOKING TIME 15 minutes BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

Coarsely grate the cucumber, then squeeze to remove as much moisture as possible. Add the cucumber to the yogurt, together with the tomatoes, ground coriander, cumin, cayenne pepper and salt. Mix well. Spoon the raita into a serving bowl. 5 Cook the chicken breasts for about 1215 minutes, turning and basting with the remaining marinade, or until cooked through. 6 Transfer the chicken breasts to a serving plate. Add lemon or lime wedges and garnish with coriander sprigs. Serve with the raita on the side.

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PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes COOKING TIME 1012 minutes BBQ WITH FLAT PLATE SERVES 4

youll need
4 skinless chicken breast fillets, about 125 g each 2 teaspoons olive oil 1 garlic clove, crushed 2 teaspoons honey 3 teaspoons lemon juice 3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar sprigs of coriander to garnish salt and black pepper

Balsamic grilled chicken

now
1 Preheat the barbecue. 2 Place the chicken breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap and beat with a rolling pin to an even thickness. Brush the chicken with half of the combined oil, garlic, honey, lemon juice and vinegar. 3 Cook the chicken for about 56 minutes on each side, or until cooked through. 4 Serve the chicken breasts, drizzled with the remaining vinegar mixture, and garnish with sprigs of coriander. Season with salt and pepper.

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chicken & meat

Glazed pork kebabs

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes, plus 30 minutes marinating COOKING TIME 20 minutes

youll need

BBQ WITH FLAT PLATE SERVES 4

650 g extra-lean boneless pork now 12 dried apricots 2 small zucchini, about 1 To make the marinade, melt the marmalade in a 125 g altogether, thickly small saucepan over gentle heat for 12 minutes. sliced Stir in the remaining marinade ingredients and set 2 small red or white onions aside to cool. (about 125 g in total), cut 2 Trim any fat off the pork and cut the meat into into quarters 4 cm cubes. Place in a large bowl, pour over For the marinade: the marinade and stir well. Cover and chill for 4 tablespoons finely 30 minutes. shredded orange 3 Preheat the barbecue. Thread the meat cubes, marmalade apricots, zucchini and onions alternately onto 2 tablespoons orange juice four metal skewers. Grill the kebabs, turning or sherry and brushing with the reserved marinade, 2 tablespoons coarsefor about 1215 minutes, or until the pork is seeded mustard cooked through. 1 2 teaspoon ground ginger 1 2 teaspoon dried thyme or oregano

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Sticky spare ribs

youll need
12 meaty pork spare ribs (about 900 g in total) 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 2 teaspoons sunflower oil large strip of orange zest 150 ml orange juice 1 tablespoon tomato pure 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 21 teaspoon chilli powder, or to taste

PREPARATION TIME 30 minutes, plus 3 hours marinating COOKING TIME 45 minutes HOODED BBQ WITH FLAT PLATE MAKES 12

now
1 Trim as much fat as possible off the ribs. 2 Combine the vinegar, oil, orange zest and juice, tomato pure, brown sugar, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and chilli powder in a large shallow dish; add the ribs and toss to coat in the marinade. Cover; chill for 3 hours or overnight. 3 Drain the ribs; reserve the marinade. 4 Preheat the barbecue. 5 Place the ribs in a disposable baking dish. Cook in a hooded barbecue, turning and brushing with the reserved marinade, for about 45 minutes, or until tender.

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chicken & meat

youll need
1 tablespoon olive oil 1 leek, finely chopped 1 large green capsicum, seeded and finely diced 2 garlic cloves, crushed 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary 500 g minced lamb 1 medium egg yolk 100 g fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs salt and black pepper

now

Lamb and rosemary burgers

PREPARATION TIME 20 minutes, plus 30 minutes chilling COOKING TIME 2025 minutes BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

1 Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the leek, capsicum and garlic. Stir well and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender. Add the rosemary and remove from the heat. Allow to cool. 2 Mix the minced lamb, beaten egg yolk and breadcrumbs with salt and pepper to taste. Add the vegetables, scraping any juices from the pan and mix with the meat mixture until combined. Divide into eight equal portions. 3 Using wet hands, mould a portion of mixture into a ball before flattening it into a burger about 9 cm in diameter. Repeat with the remaining mixture to make 8 burgers. Transfer to a plate, cover and chill for 30 minutes. 4 Preheat the barbecue. 5 Cook the burgers for about 57 minutes on each side, until well browned and cooked through. Serve in bread rolls with relishes and salad leaves.

Luxury beefburgers
youll need
650 g premium beef mince 3 teaspoons caper berries or capers, drained and roughly chopped 35 g sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped; if packed in oil, drain and pat dry first 50 g canned anchovy fillets, drained, dried and roughly chopped 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 teaspoons black peppercorns 400 g canned artichoke hearts, well drained 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley 3 teaspoons lemon juice 30 g pitted black olives, chopped 1 garlic clove, sliced sprigs of fresh parsley to garnish
PREPARATION TIME 40 minutes COOKING TIME 15 minutes BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

now
1 Put the beef mince, caper berries or capers, sun-dried tomatoes, anchovy fillets and half of the oil into a large bowl and mix well. 2 Divide the mixture into four equal portions, shaping each one into a neat burger 10 cm in diameter. Crush the peppercorns with a rolling pin or in a mortar with a pestle and coat both sides of each burger with crushed pepper, pressing it gently into the meat. 3 Cut each artichoke heart into four slices lengthways. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan and add the garlic. When the oil starts to sizzle, remove the garlic and set aside. 4 Add the artichokes to the pan and cook for 23 minutes until heated through, then stir in the parsley, lemon juice, black olives and garlic. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm. 5 Preheat the barbecue. 6 Cook the burgers for 35 minutes on each side, turning carefully. 7 Serve the burgers on individual plates, spoon over the hot artichoke hearts with their dressing, and garnish with sprigs of parsley.

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chicken & meat

youll need
500 g shallots, roots and tops trimmed off 2 whole heads garlic, roots and tops trimmed off 2 tablespoons light olive oil or vegetable oil 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley salt and black pepper 4 lean fillet steaks, about 150 g each 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

now
PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes COOKING TIME 40 minutes HOODED BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

1 Preheat the barbecue. 2 Leave the shallots in their skins and place in a small bowl. Add the unpeeled garlic. Drizzle with half the oil and toss to coat. Cook the shallots and garlic in a hooded barbecue, turning occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until tender. 3 When the shallots and garlic are cool enough to handle, slip them out of their skins and place in a small mixing bowl. Dress with 2 teaspoons of the oil and the vinegar, stir in the parsley and season to taste. 4 Cut any fat off the steaks and rub with the remaining oil and the Worcestershire sauce. Season to taste. Cook steaks for about 5 minutes on each side, or until cooked as desired. Serve with the garlic and shallot dressing.

Fillet steak with roasted shallots and garlic

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vegetables
youll need
2 small fennel bulbs (about 225 g each), cleaned 1 large eggplant (about 500 g), cut lengthways into now slices 15 mm thick 4 roma tomatoes, halved 1 Preheat the barbecue. 3 large capsicums 2 To prepare the fennel, cut off the stalks with (preferably 1 green, 1 red, the fronds and set aside. Peel the bulbs and 1 yellow), cut into strips cut vertically into 15 mm slices. Coat the fennel, 15 mm wide eggplant, tomatoes and capsicums with cooking 1 2 teaspoon salt oil spray (preferably olive-oil flavoured) and 1 2 teaspoon pepper sprinkle with salt and pepper. 2 tablespoons orange juice 3 Cook the vegetables until tender and evenly browned, about 4 minutes on each side, turning 8 basil leaves, thinly sliced once. Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle 1 garlic clove, minced with the orange juice. 1 teaspoon grated 4 Finely chop 1 tablespoon of the reserved fennel orange zest

Grilled summer vegetables

PREPARATION TIME 15 minutes COOKING TIME 8 minutes BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

fronds and mix in a small bowl with the basil, garlic and orange zest. Sprinkle over the vegetables. Serve the vegetables warm or at room temperature.

vegetables
PREPARATION TIME 10 minutes, plus 23 hours marinating COOKING TIME 25 minutes BBQ WITH FLAT PLATE SERVES 4

Grilled asparagus with caramelised shallot dressing

youll need
500 g asparagus, trimmed 1 tablespoon olive oil 6 large garlic cloves 4 shallots 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar salt and black pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, sage and rosemary mixed, or all thyme

now
1 Preheat the barbecue. 2 Combine the asparagus and half the oil in a large bowl and use your fingers to rub it in so that all the spears are well coated. Cook the asparagus for 1520 minutes, depending on the thickness of the spears, until they are softened and browned slightly. 3 Peel and quarter the garlic and shallots. Drizzle with the remaining oil. Cook, turning occasionally, for about 5 minutes, or until golden brown and tender. 4 Place the asparagus, garlic and shallots on a serving platter; season with salt and pepper to taste, and sprinkle with the vinegar and herbs. Serve immediately, or set aside for a few hours to allow the flavours to mature, then serve at room temperature.

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Salsa verde
youll need
3 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley 3 cup fresh basil leaves 1 garlic clove, halved 1 4 cup capers, drained 50 g anchovies, drained 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 2 teaspoon Dijon mustard black pepper
2 2

now
1 Place the parsley, basil, garlic, capers and anchovies in the workbowl of a food processor and process until smooth. 2 Transfer the mixture to a bowl and stir in the vinegar, oil and mustard. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper. Serve at once, or refrigerate, covered, for up to 2 days. Makes about 1 cup

youll need

Bottled tomato sauce

now

red onion confit

5 kg red tomatoes, roughly chopped 2 cups malt vinegar 4 cups brown sugar 1 teaspoon ground cloves 1 2 teaspoon cayenne pepper 4 large green apples, peeled, cored and chopped 4 large onions, roughly chopped 1 tablespoon sea salt 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic 1 tablespoon ginger powder 1 tablespoon ground white pepper

1 Place all the ingredients in a non-reactive pan. Cook over a moderate heat until the tomatoes, apples and onions are very soft and pulpy. 2 Push the mixture through a sieve, or run it through a mouli. Discard the residue. 3 Return the sauce to the pan and bring to the boil; remove from the heat and pour into warm, sterilised bottles. Seal the bottles well and store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Ready to use in 4 weeks. Refrigerate once opened. Makes 78, 250 ml bottles

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something extra

salsa verde bottled tomato sauce

youll need

Red onion confit

now
1 Heat the oil in a saucepan. Add the onion slices and cook over a moderate heat for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. 2 Stir in the sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting, cover the saucepan and cook for 10 minutes. Place the saucepan on a heat diffuser if the heat is still too high. 3 Stir in the vinegar and wine. Cook, uncovered, for 2030 minutes, stirring regularly until the mixture has the same consistency as chutney. Use a mesh skimmer to remove any scum that rises to the top. 4 Remove the pan from the heat. Ladle the confit into warm, sterilised jars, cover with a cloth and leave to cool. 5 Seal the jars and store in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. Ready to serve in 4 weeks. Refrigerate once opened. Makes about 2, 250 g jars

3 tablespoons olive oil 1 kg red onions, peeled and sliced 3 4 cup caster sugar, warmed 1 teaspoon sea salt 1 2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 tablespoons sherry vinegar 1 cup red wine

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Grilled fruit kebabs

PREPARATION TIME 20 minutes COOKING TIME 67 minutes BBQ WITH GRILL PLATE SERVES 4

something extra
youll need
1

2 medium-sized ripe pineapple 2 just ripe, firm bananas 2 ripe but firm pears 4 ripe but firm fresh figs 2 ripe but firm peaches juice of 1 lemon 1 tablespoon sugar cape gooseberries to decorate (optional) For the raspberryorange coulis: 225 g raspberries grated zest and juice of 12 orange 112 tablespoons sugar, or to taste

now
1 Soak 8 bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes, to prevent them from burning on the barbecue. 2 To make the coulis, pure the raspberries with the orange zest and juice and the sugar in a blender or food processor. If you like, sieve the pure to remove the raspberry pips. Taste the coulis and add a little more sugar, if necessary. Set aside. 3 Preheat the barbecue. Prepare the pineapple, bananas, pears, figs and peaches, peeling as necessary and cutting into attractive bite-sized pieces. Thread the fruit onto the skewers, alternating them to make a colourful arrangement. 4 Sprinkle the kebabs with half of the lemon juice and sugar. Grill them for 34 minutes, or until lightly tinged with brown, then turn over, sprinkle with the remaining lemon juice and sugar and grill for a further 3 minutes, or until the second side is lightly browned and caramelised a little. 5 While the kebabs are being grilled, pull back the papery skins on the cape gooseberries to form a star-like flower round the fruit. 6 Place 2 fruit kebabs on each plate, drizzle round the coulis, decorate with cape gooseberries and serve hot.

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PREPARATION TIME 5 minutes COOKING TIME 30 minutes, plus chilling SERVES 8

youll need
3

4 cup thinly sliced unpeeled fresh ginger 1 cup sugar 3 strips (5 x 1 cm) lemon zest 45 whole black peppercorns 56 allspice berries (optional) soda water 8 mint sprigs

Homemade ginger ale

now
1 Bring 2 cups of water and the ginger to the boil in a medium saucepan over moderate heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer for 25 minutes. Reserving the liquid, strain and discard the ginger. 2 Combine the ginger liquid, sugar, lemon zest, peppercorns and allspice, if using, in the same saucepan over low heat. Bring to the boil and cook for 2 minutes. Cover the syrup and let stand until cooled to room temperature. Strain the ginger syrup and refrigerate. 3 To serve, pour 14 cup of the syrup into a tall glass. Add 34 cup cold soda water; top with ice and garnish with mint.

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something extra
youll need

Mango, peach and apricot fizz

now
1 Peel the mango and cut the flesh away from the stone. Roughly chop the flesh and put it into a blender or food processor. Alternatively, if you are using a hand blender, put the mango in a large, tall jug. 2 Cover the peach and apricots with boiling water and leave for about 30 seconds, then drain and cool under cold running water. Slip off the skins. Roughly chop the flesh, discarding the stones, and add to the mango. 3 Pour over enough of the ginger ale just to cover the fruit, then process until completely smooth. Pour in the remaining ginger ale and process again. 4 Quickly pour into tall glasses, preferably over crushed ice. Decorate with fresh mint or lemon balm leaves, if you like. Serve immediately with wide straws or swizzle sticks.

1 ripe mango 1 ripe peach 2 large ripe apricots 500 ml ginger ale fresh mint or lemon balm leaves to decorate (optional)

PREPARATION TIME 1015 minutes SERVES 4

Cleaning a barbecue

Cleaning your barbecue

Outdoor cooking has never been better, but before you fire up the barbecue, make sure its prepared for optimum performance. A clean machine makes for tastier, healthier meals.
To clean a barbecue, remove the grill grates and

1 Use a stiff wire brush to remove most of the burnton food and grease.

clean it inside and out with 2 parts hot water to 1 part grease-cutting dishwashing liquid. (With gas barbecues, if the gas parts are not removable, youll need to cover them with aluminium foil to prevent water from getting inside.) Scrub with a nylon brush to prevent scratching, follow with a hot water rinse and towel dry. Finally, apply vegetable oil, using a clean cloth, to the barbecues outside surface. Thatll keep the barbecue shining and lubricated against the elements.

scrub them with a wire brush and the hot water and dishwashing liquid combination described above. If theyre too encrusted for elbow grease alone, spray them with a proprietary grill and hotplate cleaner, an oven cleaner or coat with a mixture of 2 parts ammonia and 1 part water. Place the treated grates in a garbage bag lined with paper towels, tie the top closed and stash the bag out of reach of pets and children for a couple of hours or even overnight powerful, corrosive chemicals are at work. Take care 2 Sponge both sides of the not to let the chemical cleaner touch any aluminium grate, as fat droplets often or painted surface on the barbecue. When you congeal underneath. reopen the bag to remove the grates, point the opening away from your face to avoid inhaling the potent fumes. Thoroughly hose off the grates, wipe them down with hot water and dishwashing liquid, then rinse.
If you have a self-cleaning oven, just put the barbecue grates in the oven and let the intense heat do all the hard work for you. After cleaning, put the grates back on the barbecue and re-season with vegetable oil.

To clean grates, several methods work well. First

3 Re-season and protect the cleaned grate by spraying it with vegetable oil.

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cleaning tips
When cleaning a gas barbecue, its a good idea to take these additional cleaning and maintenance steps especially from the beginning of the barbecuing season: For starters, ensure the gas is turned off at the tank before cleaning. Inspect gas burners for cracks and corrosion and, if damaged, replace them. (Replacements are available from barbecue specialist shops.) Using a pipe cleaner or nonmetallic bottlebrush, clean the tubes, which carry gas to the burners. These tubes make an excellent hiding spot for spiders, whose nests can block the flow of gas and cause an explosion. Check for leaks in the gas bottle connectors. Brush around the connections between the gas bottle, the regulator and the hose with soapy water and turn on the gas (see right). If you smell gas or see bubbles, turn off the gas, tighten the connections and repeat the test. If the gas is still leaking, take the gas bottle and hose to a barbecue shop. To clean lava rocks, use a stiff-bristled brush, or remove the rocks and clean them with a degreasing cleaner, available from barbecue specialist shops. As you continue barbecueing through the summer, turn the lava rocks periodically to burn off the dripped grease. To cut down on the clean-up, burn off grease from the grates and rocks immediately after cooking. Leave the fire turned on for 1015 minutes with the cover closed. Let the barbecue cool and then scrape away the residue with a wire brush. This job will be even easier if you lightly coat the grates with a nonstick cooking spray just before you throw on the food.

Brush soap suds over the connections between the gas bottle and hose, turn on the gas and watch for bubbles.

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