Hannah Williams is bored of barbecues with their bland burgers and gristly grilled cheese. Hungry for more than a blackened banger, she threw down the grilling gauntlet to discover where the barbecue limits lay.
There’s something mystical about a barbecue, even though it’s essentially just a rack over heat. A barbecue uses fire and fire cooks anything. So why stop short at some chicken on a stick?
Eggs over easy
In for a penny in for a pound, where better to start than the most fragile of foodstuffs: the egg. You can go to work on an egg, but can you barbecue one? Apparently yes; with the help of some foil.
I folded my tin foil into a small lipped square then drizzled a little oil on the base to stop it sticking. After letting the foil heat for a few minutes, I cracked my egg straight onto the square and within four minutes I had a perfect fried egg.
The way of the Breville
Eager to toast my barbecue skills some more, I decided to try pimping my pack up and see what’d happen if I threw a sandwich on to sizzle. After rustling up a quick mozzarella, tomato and basil butty, I placed the lot on the hot coals. Alas, only a fool forgets the way of the Breville. Like all self-respecting former students I know my way around a toasted sandwich maker, and am fully aware you need to butter both sides. Within seconds my toast was burnt to a crisp, while my Mediterranean middle was still stone cold. After buttering up a second butty, I went again and this time created an oozing masterpiece.
Plans are foiled
For the final finale I fancied something flash, so I rooted through the 4Food recipes to find this gnocchi classic that stipulated you finished it off under the grill. Perhaps it’d work as well on the barbie, creating a delicious doughy fritter? With hindsight I should have mashed the mix together a little, or perhaps bound the batch with a little egg. Unfortunately, I merely spooned my mix on to the barbecue and watched it fall apart in a sloppy mess. To be fair it tasted fine, but no better than from the pan – so it wasn’t worth the hassle.
It seems the barbecue has its limits, but they lay a little wider than you’d expect. Most things are feasible with foil and, as long as it’s sturdy, it should work straight over the coals. My favourite find was the barbecued egg; firm without those greasy, frazzled edges, and perfect on a barbecued burger.
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Comments
I never knw u cud cuk a egg on a bbq bt nw that i av read it i wil certanly be given it a try ths summer . And it is unusal to av a fried bbq egg !
You don’t need to spread butter on the bread… Your grid is just too close to the coals. Any 3 year old South African kid will be able to tell you that the bread needs to be 30cm above the coals and to be turned every 30 seconds. Try putting onion, tomato and cheese on the sandwich. Or add a bit of chutney if you want it a bit sweeter.
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