WOULD YOU DARE BARBECUE A TURKEY?

With Covid- 19 meaning many families are choosing to celebrate outside this year, it is a good chance to try cooking traditional Christmas turkey in a non- traditional way.

Even though restrictions are set to be relaxed for five days over the festive period, a recent survey found that around half of us won’t be meeting up with relatives inside.

Because of this, interest in outdoor entertaining is at an all- time high, despite the fact temperatures in December aren’t at their most accommodating.

At Waitrose, sales of barbecue charcoal are up by 176 per cent, and the supermarket’s online barbecue hub has seen a 280 per cent increase in people searching for Christmas barbecue tips.

If you’ve never used your barbecue to cook anything more exciting than sausages, the idea of grilling a turkey might seem daunting.

However, it doesn’t have to be, says Dan Cooper, head grill master at Weber.

First, he says, it’s important to understand the difference between direct and indirect cooking.

Direct cooking is traditional barbecuing, when small cuts of meat are seared over a direct flame. However, for larger pieces of meat, such as a turkey, a different technique is required.

“Indirect cooking turns your barbecue into an outdoor oven,” he says. “It’s essential you barbecue with the lid on, and leave a gap between the charcoal or flames and the turkey, directly under where the turkey will be on the grill.”

This means the heat cooks the bird rather than direct flame. The result? Moister meat and crispier skin, says Dan. Oh, and that distinctive smokey barbecue flavour too. Make sure your turkey is cooked by using a meat thermometer to ensure it’s reached 72C before serving up.

Or try the new Weber Connect Smart Grilling Hub, which sends alerts directly to your phone telling you exactly when the bird is ready to eat.

For more tips visit weber. com and for recipes visit waitrose. com/ recipes