“Badly barbecued chicken is always in the line of fire when Brits start recommissioning their Webers for summer season. So, let's talk about how to barbecue chicken well…

“Preparing well means choosing the right cuts and giving them a fair chance of being tender, juicy and flavourful. The right cuts are fully spatchcocked, halved or deboned birds, drumsticks and thighs. Each of these items can basically sit more or less flat on the barbecue, aiding even cooking, and are forgiving pieces of meat. To give them a fair chance, lightly cure with a salty, dry rub of spices, an aromatic brine, or a sticky, sharp and sweet marinade – one that you can keep painting on because it'll drip and char. Think citrus fruits, herbs, soy sauce, honey, maple, yoghurt etc. 

“Start and continue slowly and gently. That means cooking either over indirect heat, or high above raging flames, to carefully cook the meat through before applying colour. Imagine you're cooking thighs and drumsticks in a frying pan or an oven – you wouldn't blast them for 10 minutes until they're burnt. Instead, you cook at around 160-180°C to the point that they become succulent and tender. Apply the same approach on the barbecue. Or you could even consider baking those thighs, legs or drumsticks in an oven for 25 minutes at 160°C fan in advance, chilling in the fridge if you need, then giving them a blast for 10 minutes when ready to eat. This'll prove very useful for barbecue space if you plan to cook vegetables and other meats too. 

“For that final blast of high heat, move the coals or the height of the grill as appropriate and give it some flame. It's at this point that you should be ever present, watching things colour and tending to your meat. You'll also have long tongs at the ready, plus a clean platter or roasting tin to transfer your food to without panicking.”

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“The lighting of the barbecue gives the perfect opportunity to have a drink and a snack while the coals get up to heat. Either a negroni or a beer, with a top-quality, super-salty crisp does the trick.

“I prefer to use lump wood charcoal as it has a natural, authentic wood-smoked flavour and burns hotter than briquettes – ideal for searing steaks – and produces less ash. We will always have burgers and sausages due to the demands of our two young girls, but will also usually have a steak in some form, côte de boeuf being the absolute favourite. Its greater fat content is the dream on the barbecue, making it self-basting while giving it unparalleled moisture and flavour.

“We will always have at least two salads with the barbecue, utilising what is in season. Normally, one will be a lighter leafy salad, such as a caesar or tomato and rocket; the other would be more of what I would call a condiment side, such as a punchy slaw or jersey royal salad.

“We have a Big Green Egg at home, which allows for much greater usage of the fire, rather than wasting the residual heat at the end of the barbecue. For example, you can cook a brisket overnight and serve it for lunch or dinner the next day. Season the brisket well with salt, black pepper, garlic powder and smoked paprika. Place the brisket fat side down while you eat what you have cooked. Once a nice bark has developed and the internal temperature has hit 75°C, wrap the brisket in butcher's paper and turn the barbecue off.

“The ceramic design will retain enough heat over the next 8-12 hours to cook the brisket perfectly. You can do this with other cuts such as pork belly or lamb shoulder, as well as some veg such as jacket potatoes or whole swede.”

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“The most common mistake people make when barbecuing at home is being impatient. You need to let the coals reach peak temperature. There’s limited air flow on most domestic-sized barbecues, so getting a sense of temperature comes with practice. I recommend investing in an infrared thermometer; and if you want to add smokiness, add pine branches to the white hot coals and place a lid or a mixing bowl on top to lock it in. 

“While the barbecue is heating up, allow your meat or fish to come to room temperature. When you are cooking over direct heat, you also need to turn your meat and fish often to achieve a consistent cooking degree.

“My favourite thing to barbecue is monkfish. I like to lightly sear it in a pan with foaming butter, garam masala, a pinch of salt and lemon juice, before finishing it over the coals. With seafood, you want a hot temperature to achieve a good char, but you want it off the grill quickly as seafood is either a jewel of the sea or, when overcooked, a tyre. I like to lather everything in smoked butter anyway, so maybe that's the trick. If you’re cooking whole fish like turbot or brill, use a fish clamp.

“Because of the direct heat, it's good to cook harder vegetables slowly in a tinfoil parcel with good olive oil and salt. Then give them a hard char once cooked. One of my favourite side dishes is a cauliflower and broccoli salad with a simple dressing of smoked olive oil, rice wine vinegar, lemon, lots of fresh mint and coriander, flaked almonds and raisins. Serve it with barbecued harissa lamb and flatbreads.”

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“When it comes to burgers, simple is best. I only ever use plain beef mince for the patties. No other ingredients, except salt and black pepper. Source the very best beef you can, with 20% fat content. When the beef is exceptional, you don't need to add other ingredients. Roll them into 90g balls and smash them down onto a hot skillet, so they get nice and crispy on the outside. Top with American cheese and serve in a soft potato roll or milk bun (ditch those brioche buns) with a little raw onion and gherkins. Add mustard, mayo and ketchup as you wish. Simple.

“Chicken, sausages and burgers are also failsafe options, but don’t be afraid to think outside the box. I love barbecued pork belly – Tamworth and Middle White are great breeds, and you can dry-age them at home. The skin becomes so hard you need to score it with a Stanley knife, meaning it’ll have insanely good crackling. I make a simple rub of Maldon salt, lemon zest, sage and fennel seed, then work it into the scored skin. I like to grill it over very hot charcoal and smouldering wood (preferably oak, apple or almond), turning regularly for the first 10-15 minutes, before putting it on a higher shelf to continue cooking slowly until it reaches 92°C. Let it rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting into thick slices. It’s delicious with a Mexican salsa verde of charred green tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic, cumin, lime and coriander.

“As a rule of thumb, the low and slow method is made for big joints like brisket (18+ hours), pork back ribs (4-5 hours) and pork butt (10+ hours). Grilling is much quicker and works best for kebabs, chops, fish and veg – anything that takes 45 minutes or less. Most of the smoke flavour happens in the first hour of cooking. After that, you’re good to start applying sauces and bastes. A decent barbecue should also have a built-in thermometer and airflow controls. While the thermometer isn’t the most accurate, it will give some indication of what temperature you’re set to. Try to work between 107°C and 121°C. To prevent it sticking to the grill, rub the meat with a little fat, like oil or butter. It’s always worth using a meat thermometer, so invest in a decent one to up your game.” 

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