Come Baqr Eid and the aroma of barbecue fill the air as everyone seems to be having a barbecue party. You don’t have to be an expert chef to have your own barbecue but still some tips are always handy to avoid any last minute problems.
• Start early; don’t wait for the guests to arrive to start your work. To make sure that everything runs smoothly make a list of tasks handy.
• Check the grill for any residues that were left from the previous barbecue. To be sure the grill is clean, squirt a mild abrasive cleaner onto the grill, leave it for a while to soften the burnt-on food, and rinse with damp towel.
• Keep a stock of supplies like coal needed for the grill handy.
• Fix up gadgets: metal skewers, grill pans, a few sheets of paper (to stoke the fire for the charcoals to blow), long-handled tongs, spatula, long-handled brush for applying oil glaze, forks, knives, paper towels and aluminium foil to cover cooked food after removing from grill. Decide crockery and choose vibrant tablecloths to brighten up the eating space.
• Set up a menu, depending on the number of guests. Give a few extra twists to the usual tikka, boti and kebab by adding appetisers like fresh fruits or veggies on wooden skewers, pita bread halves, mashed or baked potatoes, cheddar cheese slices, an array of dips, coleslaw, barbecue sauce, fresh veggies and pasta salad, fresh lemons, etc. Chilled pitchers of lemonade, soda and orange juice with a regular supply of ice and some cream cakes, ice cream, cupcakes or brownies for fancy windup go down very well.