One week BBQ Challenge - Days 2, 3 and 4...

Tuesday 6 August 2013
Confession time. Day 2 of the One Week BBQ Challenge with John Lewis and we've still not read the instructions. However the cooking was a big success. Just look at the heat on that temperature gauge. And the sun is still shining so no need for the golf umbrella. All is good in the land of BBQ. No idea what I'm on about? Catch up on the back story and day one here.
On the grill for Day 2 was square sausage - a big favourite of the girl child, corn on the cob, and sausage and bacon kebabs. The kebabs were inspired by the ones widely available in the supermarkets on holiday in Italy. Mine were a poor imitation as they were only Cumberland sausage and smoked bacon. I'm not 100% sure of what all was contained in those we ate in Italy but they included rabbit and offal along with sausage, bay leaves, croutons, peppers and seafood.
Italian Kebabs
Day 3 and guess what - the instruction book remains unopened. We were getting a bit cocky that we had got the hang of it. This meal was really a reheat job rather than a proper BBQ. Ready Cooked Spare Ribs in Hoisin Sauce, Garlic Bread, Cocktail Sausages for girl and Halloumi Cheese. Not sure what we did wrong but we lost heat, tried to relight and everything turned black due to an excess of lighter fuel. However all was not lost as by the time we came to cook desert the temperature was perfect.
I had heard mention on Twitter about BBQing Tunnocks Teacakes and was keen to find out what the fuss was about. They are such an iconic Scottish brand and the favourite choice of donors at the Scottish National Blood Transfusion Service. Would it be sacrilege to BBQ them? Less than 5 minutes on the grill and they actually began to noticeably puff up. Unwrapping the tinfoil the biscuit was warm and crumbly and the topping soft and sticky. They totally live up to the hype. Scottish S'Mores.
Day 4 in the BBQ house and the instruction book has been read from cover to cover. No excuses now. We know how many coals we should be using, what to do with the air vents, when the coals are ready to cook on, how to arrange them, direct and indirect methods of cooking and much more. All the stuff it would have been useful to know at the start of the week. But of course we knew better ;-)

Inspiration from Marcus of Countrywoodsmoke blog led to Chicken, Avocado and Haloumi Kebabs. To accompany new tatties and peas fresh from the veggie patch. The grilled avocado was fab. Charred on the outside and buttery soft on the inside. Definitely the favourite meal so far of the BBQ Challenge. Quirky kebabs and homegrown veg.
Still to come in BBQ week on days 5, 6 and 7...
Pizza
Seafood Kebabs
Whole Chicken
and for desert...
Chocolate Brownie Oranges
Grilled Pineapple
Rain, Rain stay away. Lets keep that golf umbrella safely in its cellophane wrapper.

4 comments

  1. Fantastic, love this post so much, glad you liked the avocado.
    Cheers
    Marcus

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  2. Mmm think I'll try the Tunnocks Teacakes on my next camping trip... Looking forward to the Grilled Pineapple, hungry again!

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  3. Yummy yummy! I desperately want to come to your house for dinner!

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  4. All sounds and looks fantastic - will be trying the tunnocks too! Cubes of pork belly also work particularly well in Italian kebabs:) And try threading them on rosemary sticks!

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