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BBQ Ben | Chef at Great British Food Festival

Barbecues, barbecue sauces, catering, events and all that good stuff.

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Benjamin Bartlett

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The summer of 2022 saw Britain get some glimpses of the sun and all over the country the Great British Food Festival brought the crowds no matter what. With some fantastic demonstrations from some of the most talented chefs, bakers and cooks, tasty food and pleasant weather came together. Now winter is here the recipes and flavours shared outdoors do not have to be forgotten just because we are all tucked up indoors. Christmas is nearly upon us for one and entertaining family and friends is back on the cards. Indoor Barbecue Flavours Over the last few years, barbecue has grown in popularity. What was once the domain of dads in sandals dealing with dirty charcoal that cannot be lit is now known as a form of quality cuisine that everybody and anybody loves. It’s not just the smoky flavours or those strange tastes of burnt offerings dad you used to present at food, that now form part of barbecue, spices, flavours, and fragrances from around the globe litter our plates and whet our appetites. To achieve the authentic taste and feel of Barbecue you don’t need to cook outdoors. Simple Barbecue At this time of the year, many of us are rushing around, frantically preparing for Christmas, planning parties, wrapping gifts and being the special kind of busy that we always are in December. This means meals need to be simple, quick, and filling. Throughout the summer my BBQ presentations, beer and cheese tastings and other food demonstrations were all outdoors filling the air with the joy of the season. The common thread of every dish demonstrated was its simplicity. The dishes need to be simply because being busy at a barbecue leaves little time for enjoying the food, the outdoors and the company that comes with such a meal. Because of this, the ideas presented under the grey skies interspersed by the sunshine of the British Summer can be wonderfully recreated indoors under the grill or in the pan. Summer Smiles on a Winter Day This summer saw thousands of people smile with joy as they tasted a wide range of barbecue dishes using a wide variety of rubs and marinades. The very smell of a barbecue puts a smile on the heart of anyone and that same fragrance is delightfully easy to recreate indoors. Don’t just use your barbecue rubs and relishes for your outdoor summer parties, bring the flavour indoors for winter. Simple sausages, the best your butcher can provide, with a dash of my new Original BBQ Sauce become not just warming but amazingly tasty. With just that hint of what you learned in summer you can create new winter flavours on ordinary foods or bring back the memories of summer all over again. Beer Cheese and Barbecue Eat, Drink, and make merry is what Christmas is about. With some simple barbecue recipes converted to cook indoors, you can make an enjoyable dinner party or event. Then add to this with some craft beer and artisan cheese and you have all you need for the perfect night in with family and friends. There is nothing tastier than some good English cheese and partnered with any one of the many craft beers on the scene today palates will be treated to something amazing. Cooking in the Cold Just because it is winter, barbecue doesn’t have to be pushed to one side, and who says the barbecue has to come inside? Winter doesn’t mean your barbecue can be shut away in the shed to gather dust until the next warm weather. December has plenty of sunny dry days and these days are perfect to cook outdoors then eat indoors by the fire. Barbecue is an all-year-round experience today and as a barbecue master, I can safely say that if you have not barbecued in the rain, you have not barbecued. An umbrella or two and some good friends taking shelter with you as you barbecue will be an experience you never forget and will indeed want to repeat. Raise a glass to 2023 The Great British Food Festival was a blast in 2022, I sincerely hope those who visited had a fun time. Now, as is tradition, I look forward to next year, another year of amazing culinary adventures and raise a glass to a happy and prosperous 2023. BBQ Ben GBFF Tickets Why not buy a fantastic Christmas present – Tickets for The Great British Food Festival in 2023! Confirmed venues include Harewood House, Sudeley Castle, Trentham Gardens, Lowther Castle, Knebworth House, Hardwick Hall, Margam Park, Dalkeith Country Park and Arley Hall. Tickets exclusively available from: https://greatbritishfoodfestival.com/<blockquote>Now winter is here the recipes and flavours shared outdoors do not have to be forgotten just because we are all tucked up indoors. Christmas is nearly upon us for one and entertaining family and friends is back on the cards.</blockquote>

A Barbecue in Winter

A traditional Christmas lunch is very much a part of Christmas. Family and friends celebrating over a wonderful meal is tradition and, in many ways, the same every year. However, we live in times where people want to do things differently and one way to make things differently is to cook Christmas Turkey on the BBQ. You may well say that a Christmas Turkey is far too huge to cook on a BBQ, but you would be wrong. Cooking a turkey and the trimmings on the grill (Gas or real coals) is totally possible and totally delicious! The entire Christmas lunch In fact, the entire Christmas lunch from the to roast potatoes and even sprouts can be cooked on a BBQ. The number of UK people using their Barbecue in winter is increasing every year and growing numbers of families are using their BBQs to produce magnificent Christmas lunches. There is nothing daunting about a winter BBQ or cooking Christmas lunch in your BBQ oven or smoker, it is all about getting the temperatures and timing right. From beginning to end, cooking Christmas lunch on the BBQ should take around 3-5 hours depending on the size of your turkey. Preparing the turkey for a slow cook on your grill is part of the trick to getting things just right. Basting the turkey and wrapping some bacon over the bird will ensure the meat is moist and you should work on about 20 to 25 minutes per pound when working out the cooking time. I stuff the cavity with apples to help keep it moist! Preparation makes it easy Preparation all round makes a makes the whole Christmas lunch on a BBQ a walk in the park. Remember everything is “oven baked” when cooking your lunch on your fire, no boiling but some sneaky parboiling of the vegetables can help with the cooking process. Roast potatoes on the BBQ taste amazing, if using charcoal and wood the food comes out with a nice smoky flavour that makes the entire lunch taste amazing and different. Yes, with some oil, onions and herbs sprouts can be BBQed too. Much of the chef’s job when cooking Christmas turkey on the BBQ is to sit and wait. The turkey needs longer than the vegetables that typically take around an hour and thus it is a very relaxed way to make a Christmas lunch. If you have a second BBQ or grill you can cook some pre-lunch snacks or starters. Maybe some pork chipolatas in some mini rolls served as mini hotdogs or some small chicken kebabs just to whet the appetite. Alternatively, some marinated pork ribs make excellent nibbles before the main course. BBQ Christmas Dessert If you are having Christmas pudding for dessert you can easily warm the pudding through on the BBQ while you are eating. However, there are plenty of desserts you can make on the grill just to show off your BBQ skills. Grilled pineapple rings served with ice cream is a quick and easy favourite to add something tropical to your traditional Christmas lunch. Grilled or baked bananas with chocolate chips and marshmallows are a big favourite with the kids or doused in Irish Liqueur Cream for the adults and so easy to make and off course make the chef look like a pro. &nbsp;<blockquote>Overall, cooking the complete Christmas lunch on the BBQ is entirely possible so why not give it a try! Happy Christmas from BBQ Ben and see you at a Great British Food Festival in 2023!</blockquote>

Christmas Turkey and the Trimmings on the BBQ

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