Everything you need to read, watch and listen to this month
READ
Everything you need to know about barbecuing
For the pescatarian
SCORCHED: THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO BARBECUING FISH by Genevieve Taylor
If the UK has begun to develop a feel for outdoor cooking with live fire, that’s partly because of resident experts like Taylor, whose books and media appearances tend to ignite that instinct. After covering the meaty bases in previous volumes, she now turns her attention to the texturally tricky prospect of cooking fish over coals. Giving due attention to lighting techniques, she goes on to guide the reader/user through 85 recipes that include whole plaice with green butter and serrano grilled hake.
For the outdoor barbecuer
THE MEATEATER OUTDOOR COOKBOOK by Steven Rinella
Podcaster, TV chef and bestselling cookbook author Steven Rinella made his name by “domesticating” wild game – sharing kitchen-based tactics for butchering, curing and cooking less familiar meats such as venison. This new book turns his skills back toward the wilderness, giving the hunter or fisherman – or even the back garden grill master – advice on the best ways to cook in the fresh air. Beautifully presented with the help of Krista Ruane, his recipes cover everything from lobster to beaver to coal-roasted banana.
For fans of year-round barbecues
BBQ DAYS, BBQ NIGHTS: BARBECUE RECIPES FOR YEAR-ROUND FEASTING by Helen Graves
Graves knows her live fire well enough to have a previous book with that title, but she also knows what a pain it can be to prep a serious barbecue for hours in advance. This new volume is more about making life easy in terms of home grilling, with a range of recipes that require only minimal labour and don’t necessarily depend on clement weather either. Chapters are arranged by season and includes ideas for drinks, dips and sides with each dish.
WATCH
Barbecue Showdown
Nine pitmasters converge on a farm in North Georgia – deep in barbecue country – to compete in a series of smoking and grilling challenges that will net the winner $50,000. Over three seasons, this Netflix hit has become essential viewing even for the most casual foodie, in part because host Michelle Buteau is funnier than these programmes usually allow for and main judges Melissa Cookston and Kevin Bludso are so articulate on their specialist subject.
LISTEN
Pit life BBQ
There are many barbecue podcasts out there and some of them can go deeper than necessary for the listener who is not planning to build their own pit from scratch. Pit Life BBQ strikes a nice balance between the academic and accessible, with likeable host Johnnie Mags inviting various chefs and restaurateurs along to chat about their own varied approaches to rubs, marinades, turkey-trussing and so on.
