HIBER-NATION:
Q: WHAT’S the difference between barbecuing in summer and winter? A: A coat.
“The idea that barbecuing is only for warmer weather is a well-worn trope but one that’s utterly inaccurate,” says Fast Ed Halmagyi. “I can’t think of anywhere better to be when it’s cold than standing over a roaring charcoal fire or a gas version thereof, that’s my idea of heaven.”
The Better Homes and Gardens favourite and Mitsubishi Electric ambassador says the backyard barbecue is as useful a weapon in dealing with dinner during the cooler months.
But in order to get the best out of your barbie in winter, the chef warns that the cooler temperatures need to be factored into your preparation and cooking routine.
“When you’re grilling in winter, particularly if it’s somewhere genuinely cold, keep in mind that this does, in fact, affect the intensity of the barbecue’s heat, and also the cooking times.
“This is especially true if you’re roasting with the lid down, as the large surface area of the barbecue’s hood can cause the internal temperature to drop,” he says.
Halmagyi says cooking a Sunday roast favourite, like pork, on the barbecue can often give a better result than when using the kitchen oven due to the high heat it can generate — which is essential for the perfect crackling.
When cooking a rolled boneless pork shoulder, he suggests placing the seasoned joint on a wire rack over a roasting tray that’s filled with water.
“That way the fat drips down and doesn’t burn on the bottom or catch fire, just floats on the water,” he says. Start at a hot temperature — 240C for half an hour, drop the temp to 150C for a couple of hours and finish at a high heat for the final 20 minutes.
“You get incredible crackling, crispy and delicious,” he says.
“This is the easiest thing you can ever make,” the chef promises of his highspeed cheesebread.
Take equal weights of self-raising flour and Greek yoghurt. Mix it together in a bowl with a pinch of salt, then add handfuls of tasty cheddar cheese. Stir until it just comes together. Form into discs about 2cm thick.
Heat the hotplate on medium-low, and cover with a non-stick barbecue liner. Get your baubles of dough, cook for 6 minutes one side and
6 on the other.
“They are golden and crisp on outside, soft and delicate on inside. Some freshly cooked bread for guests to snack on, fresh off the grill.”
The chef’s favourite fish to cook at the moment is mackerel, which he says is in its prime in winter.
“It’s such an oily, rich and delicious piece seafood,” he says.
Big flavoured and meaty, he suggests teaming the fish with smoky barbecue sauce and promises “the kids will lap it up”.
Smother the fillets with sauce, add some finely sliced fennel and pop into little parcels made from baking paper and foil. Place on the resting rack of the barbecue and cook through with the hood down.
“That little bit of sweetness from the sauce hides some of the fishiness you get from the mackerel, while the smoky flavours and the little bit of vinegary sourness, cuts through for a perfect balance.”
Halmagyi says the barbie can even be used to bake a cake.
His simple chocolate cake takes 700g lamb mince
1 white onion, finely diced 4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp dried mint
1 tbsp baharat
2 egg yolks
2 tsp honey
Sea salt flakes and freshly-ground black pepper
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Rice, peas and tomatoes, to serve
Combine the mince, onion, garlic, mint and baharat in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Add the yolks and honey, then knead for 5 minutes until very sticky. Season with salt and pepper. Divide into eight pieces, then form each around a skewer.
Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil, then grill over a moderate heat for 7-8 minutes, turning regularly, until cooked through. Serve with rice, peas and tomatoes. equal weights of chocolate, butter, caster sugar, eggs and almond meal. For a 20cm cake tin you’ll need 150g of each.
Melt the choc and butter together, then stir everything else in. Put into a greased and lined cake tin, which is then placed into a larger tray with about 2.5cm water. Cover the whole thing in baking paper and foil. Cook over a moderate heat on your BBQ with the hood down for 40 minutes, checking sporadically under the foil to make sure there’s enough water there.
After 40 minutes, the cake should be cooked on top. Simply remove the paper and foil and let cook in the BBQ until the water has evaporated away. That will mean it cooks from top down, then bottom up.
“It’s the perfect choc cake cooked on the barbecue,” Halmagyi says.