Dave and I lived for a number of years in a fantastic flat in Edinburgh, located in lively Leith, and, as it happens, also in the aspirationally-classified red light district. As such, our street sign could, on occasion, fall victim to some late night punnage, with our development being wittily renamed Salamander Escourt.
We were lucky to have a large balcony off the lounge of our flat. Big enough to host summer parties and to be a noticeable loss to our living space in the winter. Unfortunately, the Scottish elements coupled with my truly questionable gardening skills meant nothing much grew on the patio. Except one summer we discovered we had a glut of mint. I know now that this is not much of an achievement, but beaming with satisfaction I eagerly made plans for my bumper crop.
And what, indeed, should one do with a bumper crop of mint in the middle of Summer? Well, make mint-choc-chip ice cream, of course! But, what if you don't have an ice cream maker? Well, buy one! And then buy a book on ice cream to justify your purchase.
Bristol BBQing
Fast forward 6 years, and we're finally on the last phase of Operation First House. Having replaced the standard issue Council kitchen with a full set of cupboards, ample counter space, induction hob and double oven (with proving drawer); and then pinched some space from our spare room to create a smart new bathroom complete with bath; we have recently just finished fencing round the garden and installing a sunken patio, with a sleeper wall at the perfect height for perching.
And what should one do if one has a beautiful new patio? Why, buy a BBQ of course!
While the convenience and ease-of-use of a gas BBQ was appealing, we made the decision to go down the more challenging charcoal route. That said, I wasn't quite ready to pay over £1,000 for a Big Green Egg, even if it did look like there would be potential to become Mother of Dragons mid-grill. So we opted for a classic Webber Kettle with the "gourmet" add-on potential.
We had our first BBQ a few weeks ago, naming the event "Wetting the Patio's Head by Wetting the BBQ's Head". Of course, with such language, it being Britain, and the event being planned rather than spontaneous, we ensured an afternoon of rain. We may have been damp, but our spirits were not. Our friends heroically slipped away and purchased a gazebo, which was comically assembled to the Benny Hill theme tune.
I ambitiously opted to try both indirect and direct heat on the same day, slow cooking pork belly all morning and then finishing off the slices over direct heat when we were ready to eat (a Pitt Cue recipe). I also had a vegan friend over and found some great recipes at Vegan Miam, including the BBQ Tofu Burger with Pickled Cucumber (Taiwanese style).
Spontaneity Simplified
Essential to the BBQ set up was the Charcoal Starter Chimney that Mum & Dad had bought for us a few Christmases ago (another reason we opted for charcoal). It is so simple to use and means you can have your coals ready to go in about 15 minutes. And, if you need a charcoal top up, you can have new hot coals ready to chuck in without the heat dropping.
With set up this quick, it means you can jump on every inch of good British weather. Like tonight, for example. With temperatures touching shorts-and-t-shirts-degrees, we picked up a few things from the shops and are sitting here in the sun, sipping Sauvignon Blanc, whole sea bass sitting over hot coals, potatoes baking in the oven, corn on the cob seasoned and prepped, and squid marinating. All the latter ready to be chucked on the BBQ at the appropriate time.
With a week off coming up soon and no travel plans, I feel the BBQ and I will be spending some time getting to know each other and my charcoal starter and Pitt Cue may be getting more of an outing... weather permitting!
