Looking for BBQ inspiration? Tom Kerridge shares his top tips and recipes 

Summer is on its way and that means most of us will soon be dusting off the barbecue, throwing on some meat and gathering around it with friends and family.

“There’s nothing wrong with just getting it done and buying some burgers and some sausages - that’s great,” says TV chef Tom Kerridge, who holds three Michelin stars - but he warns that if you’re just scraping the surface of your barbecue ability, you might be missing out.

“It’s just one of the nicest, loveliest ways of cooking and it brings a flavour that you can’t get from a kitchen - that charcoal cookery, smoke.”

Plus, it’s one of the most social ways of cooking this summer. “There’s been many a time where there might be 30 people around our house, and we’re cooking stuff over flames - I love that sort of thing,” says the judge on BBC One’s Great British Menu, whose restaurants include the only pub in the UK with two Michelin stars, The Hand And Flowers.

With the release of his latest cookbook The BBQ Book, the 51-year-old wants us to branch out this summer (or, indeed, winter - he believes in year-round barbecuing).

Here are his top tips...

Buy good-quality charcoal

Many of us probably haven’t given any thought to what charcoal to use, but there’s a reason some costs more than others. “There’s a huge difference,” Kerridge says. “It is better to have bigger because they hold better, they’ll hold the temperature longer. Smaller pieces will burn out quicker.

“Investing in charcoal actually goes a long, long way. It’ll last twice as long as the cheaper stuff. It holds the temperature much better, cooks [food] more evenly, and really good charcoal goes a long way to improving your barbecue.”

Don’t worry and relax

The biggest thing is sometimes people are too scared of getting more technical with a barbecue, he explains. Yet “the one thing that I think a barbecue does give is, it’s a bit of a leveller, because there isn’t an ultimate process to it. It’s base-level cookery. It’s fire.

But do understand how the fire works

Using metal coal tongs to move the coals around will create pockets of less and more intense heat. You’ll want to have a range of temperatures on your barbecue at the same time, if you’re cooking different things on it. Higher, direct heat for meat and fish, explains Kerridge in the book, and lower for vegetables.

To increase the temperature of the whole barbecue, close the lid and keep the air vents open, oxygen circling and coals burning. To lower the temperature, close the air vents.

You’ve got to “keep feeding” the fire, says Kerridge,

Don’t move the meat around constantly

It’s tempting to keep prodding, flipping and moving your food around the grill, but it will impact the cooking. “You’ve got to be very conscious of the heat source and where it’s coming and how hot it is,” Kerridge says. “There’s nothing wrong with leaving something on there, let it get that colour, let it get that texture, let it get that flavour - that comes from letting things stand still.”

Try slow-cooking meat first

For people ready to stretch their legs with barbecuing and to make it a bit more ‘cheffy’, Kerridge suggests using your oven first, for a short rib of beef, for example. “It’s quite good to braise things and slow-cook them in the oven first, in a dry rub or marinate, then leave them to cool and reheat them on the smokiness of the barbecue - so you get the best of both worlds.

“You get the safety of the oven first - a good way for beginners - and then get the finishing flavour that comes from a barbecue. You can do that by adding some wood chippings as well - that also gives an added flavour,” Kerridge says.”

Try cooking directly onto coals

“You’ve got to ensure those coals are very, very hot. The temperature needs to be quite hot, so when [the food] goes on, it doesn’t stick too much. “Things like bavette steak works really, really nicely on coals like that. ‘Dirty cooking’ it’s called,” in the chef world, says Kerridge.

Kerridge also advises that people cooking fish should start with monkfish, “which cooks very much like meat, and you should also try making your own burgers. 

“If you can mince the beef yourself, it’s amazing,” says Kerridge.

Also, he says, think globally. Barbecuing is a form of cookery that can really bring together flavours from around the world - on the same plate.

“I think it’s one of those cooking styles that completely encapsulates global food. You don’t think twice about doing teriyaki-style chicken, followed by some kind of like Indian-inspired monkfish, followed by a Mexican-style beef,” says Kerridge.

Dry-rub Buffalo chicken wings 

The ‘ultimate crowd-pleaser’, according to the TV chef. “This is an absolute banger of a starter,” says Kerridge. “Juicy, crispy wings are coated in punchy spices that bring the heat, but I’ve got you covered: the cool, creamy ranch dressing keeps things balanced.

“These are the ultimate crowd-pleaser and you’ll likely be making them on repeat all summer long.”

Ingredients (serves 6)

• 16 large chicken wings (1.5kg in total), tips removed and jointed
• 200g table salt
• 10 black peppercorns
• 4 bay leaves
• 2tbsp light olive oil
• For the dry rub:
• 1tsp chilli powder
• 1/2tsp cayenne powder
• 1tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 2tsp garlic powder
• 1tsp onion powder
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 1tsp dried thyme leaves
• For the ranch dressing:
• 3 heaped tbsp soured cream
• 3 heaped tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 garlic clove, finely grated
• 3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
• 1tsp white wine vinegar
• 1tsp mild American mustard
• 1tbsp finely chopped dill
• 1tbsp finely chopped chives
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

To serve:

• Hot sauce
• Celery sticks

Method

1. First brine the chicken. Pour two litres water into a large bowl, add the table salt and whisk to dissolve, then add the black peppercorns and bay leaves. Immerse the chicken wings in the brine and place in the fridge for two hours.

2. Remove the chicken wings from the brine and pat them dry with kitchen paper.

3. For the dry rub, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl. Drizzle both sides of the chicken wings with the olive oil and sprinkle with the dry rub to coat the wings evenly all over.

4. Cover and leave to marinate in the fridge for at least 30 minutes, ideally two to three hours.

5. For the ranch dressing, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl, seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

6. When you’re ready to cook, place the chicken wings on a hot barbecue in a single layer, making sure you have an area with some indirect heat to move them to, as and when you need a lower heat. Cook for 10 to twelve minutes until the wings are nicely browned on each side, turning regularly.

7. Serve up the chicken wings with the ranch dressing on the side for dipping. Accompany with your favourite hot sauce and some crunchy celery sticks.

Smoky beef short ribs

Up your barbecue game with this slow cooked meat, finished off on the grill.

“These tender short ribs are seasoned to perfection and present big, bold flavours,” says Kerridge. “The secret is in the initial low, slow cooking, before they are finished on the grill: this is where they will take on that unmistakable smokiness that only a barbecue can deliver.”

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 4 beef short ribs (about 450g each)
• For the dry rub:
• 1tbsp soft light brown sugar
• 1tsp garlic powder
• 1tsp ground cumin
• 2tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1tsp onion powder
• 1/2tsp cracked black pepper
• 1tsp salt
• To cook the ribs:
• 100ml malt vinegar
• 150ml apple juice
• 2tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• 200ml good-quality smoky barbecue sauce (from a jar), or bourbon barbecue sauce

Method

1. Place beef short ribs on tray. For dry rub, mix sugar, spices and salt together in a small bowl. Sprinkle the ribs all over with the spice mixture and place in the fridge to marinate overnight.

2. The next day, preheat your oven to 170˚C/150˚C Fan/Gas 3.

3. Transfer the beef ribs to a roasting tray. In a bowl, mix the vinegar, apple juice, 200 millilitres water and the Worcestershire sauce together. Pour the mixture over the ribs and cover the roasting tray with a sheet of baking paper, then a layer of foil. Scrunch the edges of the foil and paper around the rim of the roasting tin to seal.

4. Place roasting tray on middle shelf of the oven and cook for around three hours until the ribs are meltingly tender.

5. Remove the tray from the oven and leave the ribs to cool slightly. Carefully lift the ribs out of the cooking liquor and place them on another tray.

6. When you’re ready to serve, brush the short ribs all over with the barbecue sauce. Lay the ribs on the barbecue over indirect heat (to achieve a medium heat) and cook for eight minutes or so, basting the ribs with the barbecue sauce as they cook.

7. Lift ribs off barbecue, transfer to a serving platter and brush with any remaining barbecue sauce. Serve straight away, with your favourite pickles alongside.

Halloumi and aubergine burgers

This is vegetarian barbecue food at its best.

“These burgers are so good they will impress all your guests, not just vegetarians,” says Tom Kerridge.

“Halloumi and aubergine are charred on the grill, for a great balance of textures. The toppings here are extra special: smoky garlic and herb mayo, a fiery roasted chilli butter, and peppery rocket that brings a pop of freshness to every bite.”

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 2 large aubergines
• 2 x 250g blocks of halloumi, each halved horizontally
• Salt and freshly ground pepper

For the roasted chilli butter:

• 3 long red chillies
• 100g butter, softened
• 1/2tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley

For the garlic mayonnaise:

• 1 large whole garlic bulb
• 1tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
• 2 handfuls of hickory wood chips (for the barbecue)
• 100ml mayonnaise
• Juice of 1/2 lemon

To assemble:

• 4 burger buns
• 60g rocket

Method

1. First make chilli butter. Place chillies on hot barbecue and cook for about 10 minutes, turning often, until blackened all over. Pop them into a bowl, cover with clingfilm and let steam for a few minutes.

2. For the garlic mayo, cut the top off the garlic bulb to expose the clove tips. Sit, cut-side up, in a small heavy-based frying pan, drizzle over the extra virgin olive oil and sprinkle with salt, pepper and thyme.

3. Scatter a large handful of hickory wood chips onto the barbecue coals for extra smokiness. Place the frying pan on the barbecue over indirect heat. Put the lid on the barbecue and cook the garlic for 45 minutes or until it is soft.

4. Meanwhile, peel, deseed and finely chop the chillies. Place in a bowl with the softened butter, smoked paprika and chopped parsley. Mix well and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

5. Remove the pan from the barbecue and transfer the garlic to a plate. Leave to cool. Once cooled, squeeze the soft garlic flesh out of the skins into a bowl and mash well with a fork. Add the mayo and lemon juice, season with salt and pepper to taste and mix to combine.

6. Halve the aubergines lengthways and then cut a two centimetre-thick steak from each half.

7. Cook the aubergine and halloumi steaks on the barbecue over a medium-high heat for about three to four minutes on each side until nicely browned and tender. Turn and brush them with a little chilli butter as they cook but allow the halloumi to caramelise before flipping it over.

8. Towards the end of the cooking, lightly toast the burger buns on the barbecue, cut side down, then remove and smear the cut surfaces with any leftover chilli butter.

9. To assemble, spread some garlic mayo on burger bun bases. Add an aubergine steak, a halloumi steak and a big handful of rocket. Spread more garlic mayo on the bun lids. Sandwich the burgers together and secure the lid with a wooden skewer. Tuck in!

The BBQ Book, by Tom Kerridge, is published in hardback by Bloomsbury. Photography by Cristian Barnett.