From grilled corn on the cob to T-bone and from portobello to rainbow trout. BBQ is here for the veggies, the vegans, the carnivores and the pescotarians. A grilled skin, skin or peel with a dash of oil and some herbs on top: that's all it takes for a true taste explosion. Why don't we light that barbecue more often?
Preparation BBQ
All the clichés are true. Even the one that says good preparation is half the battle. After all, all the more you can relax and enjoy yourself when your guests arrive and the evening is filled with music, happy voices and the clatter of cutlery. That preparation focuses on three things: choosing dishes, arranging the decorations and facilitating the execution. For example, washing a head of lettuce goes extra fast with a salad spinner. Give chicken breasts a few hefty slaps with a meat tenderizer and they become nice and tender. And even preparing a fish for the barbecue can be more convenient: use a fish scissors to effortlessly remove any fish scales and bones and divide the fish into nice, even pieces.
Meat, fish, vegetables and salads? Easy does it
Is the barbecue up to temperature? Even then there are handy tools to turn your meat, fish, vegetables and salad into culinary delights in no time. Did you know that carrots become deliciously sweet when you grill them? That's because the sugar in the carrot caramelizes. Now carrots and roasting are not good combinations. One wrong move and they disappear between the bars of the grill in the middle of the coals. The solution? Tie them together with a silicone cooking and roasting cord. Such a cord is heat-resistant (up to 260℃) and ideal for making vegetable, meat or fish parcels.
For a delicious bavette, use a meat thermometer that closely monitors the core temperature for you. And on the table, an olive oil/vinegar set comes in handy.
Drinks to go with the BBQ
On warm afternoons and balmy evenings, a refreshing drink is more than welcome. Fill a few carafes with water and add fruit, vegetables or herbs to each carafe, such as lime, cucumber, orange or mint. Going for a buffet setup? Then a drink dispenser made of glass is a godsend and also a cool eye-catcher. The faucet makes it easy to pour for young and old, and it holds a lot: up to six liters! You can fill the dispenser as desired with water, juice, lemonade or an alcoholic beverage. By the way, in this blog you will find the 5 most delicious cocktails for summer.
Until the sun sets
Every barbecue night is a mini garden party. A white decoration (think: rustic white plates, dishes, napkins and lanterns) always does well in combination with natural greenery and wooden tables and chairs. If you're more into color, combine it all together. For example, use warm red tableware with ivory cutlery, bright blue water glasses, colorful lanterns and wooden serving boards. Hang a garland of lights above or near the table, turn on Spotify and fill some more small flower vases for the table. Then it's simply a matter of good cooking, eating together and endlessly catching up until the sun goes down.