| When the weather is fine, there is nothing quite like | | | | exciting and varied. Almost anything can be cooked |
| having a barbecue and eating al fresco, everything | | | | outdoors and in true andalucian style family and friends |
| seems to taste better and cooking outdoors is a real | | | | get together to prepare a variety of dishes rich in |
| pleasure. | | | | colour and flavour to create a perfect atmosphere |
| Unlike the UK however, Andalucia basks in over 3,000 | | | | every time. |
| hours of sunshine a year which means that cooking on | | | | This doesn’t mean however, that you need to |
| the barbecue, whether just for yourself or for family | | | | splash out on expensive ingredients, quite the contrary |
| and friends, is almost an everyday occurrence. | | | | in fact. People here are experts at creating delicious |
| In fact during the summer months, many people rarely | | | | dishes using fresh local produce at very little cost. |
| cook indoors and extensive outdoor summer kitchens | | | | Barbecued chicken is a favourite and it is much more |
| are a feature of many gardens and patios. | | | | economical to buy a whole chicken and get your |
| Even in December, we regularly eat outdoors at | | | | butcher to joint it for you which is what the locals here |
| lunchtime, you need a jumper or two but the warm | | | | usually do. A typical way to barbecue chicken here is |
| winter sun and clear bright blue skies are just so | | | | once you have all the separate cuts, marinade the |
| inviting. | | | | pieces in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and thyme for a |
| Barbecue cooking in Andalucia is very different to the | | | | couple of hours. The marinade, as well as producing a |
| typical Bank Holiday affair in the UK with Dads serving | | | | lovely flavour, helps keep the meat moist during |
| up burnt black sausages which are a little too pink in | | | | cooking and if you keep the cuts small it takes hardly |
| the middle. There are no gas barbecues and we | | | | any time which avoids burnt outsides and raw centres. |
| never, ever put things in the oven to keep warm….. | | | | Other popular marinades for meat are honey and |
| The design of barbecues you can see varies hugely, a | | | | lemon or mustard and orange. However, nothing beats |
| few people buy theirs but most people prefer to have | | | | a pork or lamb chop or sausages and burgers simply |
| them built or they build their own and these are the | | | | cooked on the barbecue. Chops are generally cut |
| most interesting. They range from simple functional | | | | really thin in Andalucia which means quick cooking and |
| ones built out of brick, rustic style ones like ours made | | | | things don’t get burnt. A favourite way to barbecue |
| out of stone, which we just made up as we went | | | | sausages is to roll them up and then skewer straight |
| along. There are lovely smooth sculpted ones with high | | | | through with a sprig of rosemary or thyme for natural |
| chimneys that seem to blend in to the surrounding | | | | sausage skewers. |
| area. Of course there are the more professional ones | | | | Being close to the coast, fish is obviously a favourite |
| with different levelled grills and two compartments | | | | barbecue dish and everything from quick seared |
| either back to back so wind direction doesn’t | | | | sardines or prawns to fresh tuna steaks are cooked |
| matter, or side by side. Both of these ‘double’ | | | | on the barbecue. Tuna stuffed with mint, wrapped in |
| style barbecues allow you to cook different things at | | | | foil is a lovely treat but my favourites by far have to |
| once such as meat on one side and vegetables on the | | | | be gambas al pil-pil and the Spanish paella, either the |
| other, or you can transfer the hot coals from one side | | | | seafood or rabbit and chicken varieties which can all |
| to the other as they become ready so that you | | | | be cooked on the barbecue. |
| always have a constant supply of the perfect | | | | But the barbecue doesn’t have to mean meat or |
| ‘brasa.’ Whichever style you see they are | | | | fish with a side salad, many vegetable dishes can be |
| always big enough to take a large paella pan which is | | | | prepared the same way as meat dishes. Baked |
| very important. | | | | potatoes are lovely cooked in the hot embers of your |
| The key to a perfect barbecue is of course, the brasa | | | | barbecue and if you put some olive oil, thyme and |
| or hot coals. To get it just right the fuel of choice is | | | | garlic in before cooking they are simply delicious. |
| wood, a mixture of pine and olive or almond. Charcoal | | | | Vegetable kebabs are an obvious favourite too and if |
| is almost never used. The use of natural wood means | | | | you have some good cazuelas you can do garlic |
| you get lovely chunks of hot glowing red coals which | | | | mushrooms in olive oil which are prepared in a similar |
| give off just the right amount of heat. The added | | | | way to gambas al pil-pil. A typical vegetable dish eaten |
| advantage to using olive or almond wood is that the | | | | especially in the summer is ‘escalibada’ which is |
| food produced is slightly smoky in flavour with earthy | | | | tomatoes, red peppers and onions which are cooked |
| hints and if you add some rosemary or thyme to the | | | | on the barbecue grill until soft in the middle. It |
| wood the smell and taste is naturally herby and | | | | doesn’t matter if the skins are a bit black as it all |
| delicate. | | | | adds to the flavour and the skin is discarded anyway. |
| It can sometimes take up to two hours to get the | | | | Once cooked and peeled, chop them up, mix them |
| brasa just right but that gives you enough time to have | | | | together, add some salt and a drizzle of olive oil and |
| an aperitif or a few tapas with friends while you wait. | | | | that’s it. The beauty of this dish is that it can be |
| Sometimes barbecue cooking conjures up images of | | | | eaten hot or cold so you can prepare it in advance if |
| burgers and sausages which are black on the outside | | | | you wish. |
| and raw in the middle but that needn’t be the case | | | | During the summer, the best time to have your |
| at all. Here in Andalucia, the people have a passion for | | | | barbecue is in the evening – often it is just too hot |
| outdoor life, healthy eating and social occasions so the | | | | at lunch time anyway. The best thing about evening |
| typical food of andalucian barbecues is always fresh, | | | | barbecues is the atmosphere. |