BBQ Weekend

I'm not really keen on BBQs. DH is good at the cooking but I have to do all the shopping and preparation. By the time I've wiped down the patio furniture, made sure there are enough tables, chairs and parasoles, made sure there is enough beer and wine in the fridge, got everything out of the freezer in good time, prepared the salads, put the bread in baskets, counted the cutlery,plates and glasses, checked that DH has everything he needs (or he'll start rampaging about looking for stuff,) made sauces and salad dressings, checked whatever we're having for dessert is either made or defrosted , remembered napkins (kitchen roll,) lit mozzie repeller flame throwers and then cleaned up the mess in the kitchen I'm ready to collapse.

DD1 dropped a huge hint about having one tomorrow but with the Wimbledon Final starting at 2pm? In your dreams, sweetie pie.

Surely, he is relieving you of a huge burden by doing the cooking mamie, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

fab ideas here, thanks folks - I did some trout on the BBQ yesterday, and will definitely have a go at Whens Mackerel, and the banana ones

I have never understood the fascination with BBQ. Why cook outside on an open flame when you have a perfectly good (and probably expensive) kitchen inside. Eat outside yes, but cooking on a fire is too primitive for my tastes. Ok Ok I'll leave now

Merlot! You are sooooooo right...why did I ever think this would be a good idea???

It seems that there's something atavistic about cooking over a fire and eating the meat either burnt or semi-raw. As a veggie, I find BBQs most unattractive events, not least because of the aroma of burnt flesh. I have been offered a part-cremated corn cob, that's been cooked on the same grid as the sausages and burgers and it's surprising how many people think the chicken is a vegetable. No thank you!

We used to do the banana thing, but with cream instead of the chocolate...

Not burnt or raw here Anno, OH is very good (and he does the butchering, the fish filleting and most of the preparation). The only problem is that if we eat a barbecue where they don't know what they are doing, he is a bit inclined to take over, which can be embarrassing.
I usually just make the salad dressing.
Last night we had the monkfish with aioli. Only problem was the farmer turned up just as he was cooking, with le baler to get the hay all tied up. We literally had to wait for the dust to settle...

Two weeks ago DH took part in a fishing match which used to end with a BBQ for contestants and families. This year they decided to have a go at the latest trend - cooking in a pit!

You take a perfectly lovely joint of home reared Gloucestershire Old Spot pork and wrap it in foil. You dig a big hole, light a BBQ type fire in the bottom, chuck the meat on top, fill up the hole with soil and pray that it doesn't go out.....It did!

Fortunately somebody checked and the joint was then taken indoors and roasted in the oven - just like normal people do on a Sunday

Mamie I will concede that there are some expert BBQ cooks - my DS1 included. In fact, if there's some community organisation holding a BBQ, he is greatly in demand. I have a photograph of him, when he was head chef in a watersports club, standing in the edge of the Mediterranean, tending the beach BBQ for his very popular Sunday lunch. I ate the salads and local Corsican cheese!

Now the neighbours are having a BBQ and the fumes from the fuel are overwhelming, making me wheeze. I've had to close all the windows. Still, I don't begrudge them their fun once in a while - they are exceptionally good neighbours.

Another Barbie - Yippee , just waiting for guests to arrive ,

Been busy a lot of this after. making nice "bits"

to you all.

On my way to the beach for a small barbeque (DD and I providing our food)?and pétanque. At least I won't have the smell of charred flesh drifting through my house!

My nephew and family are down there having beach BBQs, Ariadne. It looks perfect!

Just back, when and it was superb; the tide came in as the sun set, so we moved over the ridge to play pétanque. I feel so blessed.