A COLD-WEATHER BARBECUE

For DJ BBQ, aka Christian Stevenson, who cooks at music festivals, autumn is the best time to cook outside. “Who wants to be standing around hot coals in summer?” he says.

If it’s dry enough outside, he’ll cook chicken, lamb or even Thanksgiving turkey on his classic Weber barbecue. “If you cook over indirect heat and use the lid, you have turned your outdoor grill into an oven,” he says. “I always prefer to do big cook-ups outside – the flavour is better and everyone loves being out in the fresh air.”

Vegetables also thrive in live fire, he continues. “I cook Brussels sprouts and cabbages on the grill, and cauliflower heads rubbed in harissa.”

His autumn barbecues aren’t grand affairs: when you’re standing around a fire you don’t need to worry about decorations, he says. “It’s all about the theatre of the barbecue,” he adds. “Just make sure everyone has a cold craft lager in their hand or a glass of Argentine Malbec – and let them enjoy the catertainment.”

For dessert, Stevenson, right, looks no further than the barbecue: “You can’t beat grilled peaches or pineapple with vanilla ice cream or bananas with melted chocolate.”

How do you stop your food turning black on the grill? He suggests pushing the coals to one side to create a “safe zone” where food can be cooked away from direct heat.

‘I prefer cook-ups outside – the flavour is better’