3 of the best new BBQ cookbooks to try this summer

Fire up the grill, because BBQ season is upon us, says Prudence Wade.

Few things are more satisfying than cooking up a storm on the BBQ.

Whether you’re catering for a crowd or firing up for a quick midweek dinner – as the weather starts to warm up, so do our grills.

BBQing used to have a somewhat basic reputation for chucking unseasoned steaks on the grill and calling it a day. However, there are worlds of possibilities when it comes to cooking over fire – for example, did you know you could even whip up a batch of chocolate chip cookies outside?

New BBQ cookbooks released in preparation for summer take us all over the world with their recipes, and could even convince to you to build your own grill from scratch…

(LEFT) Big Green Egg Feasts: Innovative Recipes To Cook For Friends And Family by Tim Hayward | PA Photo/Sam Folan; (RIGHT) Tim Hayward | PA Photo/Sam Folan

Big Green Egg Feast

Innovative Recipes To Cook For Friends And Family by Tim Hayward

While this book is predominantly geared towards people with Green Eggs – a specific type of ceramic BBQ – don’t be put off, because the recipes will suit anyone, with any type of BBQ.

The beauty of a Green Egg is it covers so many different types of cooking – you can slow-roast, wok-fry and cook pizzas on there – but you’ll just as easily be able to do that without one, be it on stove or in your oven, if it’s not a recipe that specifically calls for BBQing.

If you’ve got a Green Egg, food writer Tim Hayward will take you through the best ways to use it, making sure you get the most out of this (admittedly expensive) piece of kit.

But the real strength of this cookbook lies in the sheer range of recipes included from all over the world. You’ll get step-by-step guides on how to make lobster rolls from the US, Indian chicken curry, a whole rack of spiced lamb from the Maghreb region in north-west Africa and Mexican taco recipes to feed a crowd.

Dishes are vibrant, colourful and will be everything you want to make this summer – with or without a BBQ.

Quadrille, £30. Photography by Sam Folan. Available now.

(LEFT) DJ BBQ’s Backyard Baking: 50 Awesome Recipes for Baking Over Live Fire by David Wright, Chris Taylor and Christian Stevenson | PA Photo/ David Loftus; (RIGHT) Christian Stevenson AKA DJ BBQ | PA Photo/ David Loftus

DJ BBQ’s Backyard Baking

50 Awesome Recipes For Baking Over Live Fire by David Wright, Chris Taylor and Christian Stevenson

Think BBQs are just for hunks of meat? Think again. DJ BBQ’s Backyard Baking proves baking doesn’t have to be an indoor, rainy day pursuit – and can be just as delicious and as much fun over the open fire outside.

This book is a collaboration from three foodies – Christian Stevenson (better known as DJ BBQ), his regular co-author Chris Taylor and baker David Wright.

The trio argue both cooking over fire and baking are often seen as overly complicated pursuits that are easy to get wrong – but in this book, they set out to prove this misconception wrong.

The book starts with the basics – the equipment and set-ups you’ll need, with a baking focus – and then launches into a host of technicolour recipes.

Dishes range from simple crowd pleasers, such as campfire bread and chocolate chip cookies (which yes, you can bake on a BBQ, you’ll discover) to the more adventurous, including lamb kofta sausage rolls and a full Moroccan-inspired chicken dinner.

There’s even a recipe for charcoal ice cream – which isn’t black like you might see on Instagram, but is full of those beautiful, smokey flavours. With DJ BBQ’s signature brand of wit and irreverence, this book will open up the worlds of possibilities within outdoor cooking.

Quadrille, £20. Photography by David Loftus. Available now.

(LEFT) The DIY BBQ Cookbook by James Whetlor | PA Photo/Sam Folan; (RIIGHT) James Whetlor | | PA Photo/Sam Folan

The DIY BBQ Cookbook

How To Build Your Own BBQ And Cook Up A Feast by James Whetlor

This is one for the DIY enthusiasts – anyone who really wants to their hands dirty when BBQing, from start to finish. While it’s all very well and good to use a regular, shop-bought BBQ, food writer James Whetlor is a huge proponent for making your own.

Why? Because shop-bought versions are often expensive, and near-impossible to cart with you on a jaunt to the beach or a day in the park. But Whetlor predominantly highlights how fun it is to make your own BBQ. You don’t have to be a DIY wizard or a building maestro to do so – some of the simplest set-ups will be hugely effective.

You’ll need a few basic bits of kit for a DIY BBQ – including breeze blocks, pots, planks and chains – all of which Whetlor says is available at your local DIY store. He also urges safety – wearing work gloves and goggles when building.

Whetlor gives a comprehensive guide on building your own BBQ – covering all the different options, from small versions to one that can smoke a whole pig – and there’s even an ingenious step-by-step guide for building your own tandoor oven out of a flowerpot.

If you’re tentative about building your own BBQ, Whetlor’s guide is so comprehensive he’ll put any nerves at rest – and then he follows up with the best bit: what to cook on your new creation.

Dishes range from vibrant veggie options – mushroom tacos and miso-marinated aubergine steaks – to meaty dishes (coconut hot wings, tandoori quail, spicy pork ribs and more).

Quadrille, £20. Photography by Sam Folan. Available now.

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PA Photo/Sam Folan

James Whetlor’s coconut chicken wings

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 100ml coconut milk
• 2-4 fresh bird’s eye chillies (or another fresh chilli as you prefer)
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled
• 2tsp light brown sugar
• 2tsp smoked paprika
• 3tbsp olive oil
• 2 limes, 1 juiced and 1 cut into wedges
• 1kg chicken wings
• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. In a blender, whizz the coconut milk, chilli, garlic, sugar, paprika, olive oil and lime juice to a smooth sauce, adding a generous amount of salt and black pepper to taste.
2. Pat the chicken dry with paper towel and arrange in a bowl. Season lightly with salt and coat in half the marinade, then cover and refrigerate for at least two hours, preferably overnight if possible.
3. When ready to cook, preheat the BBQ to a medium heat.
4. Lay the chicken pieces on the grill over the heat in a single layer and bake for about 30 minutes or until the skin has turned crispy and the meat is cooked through. While cooking, baste the chicken with the reserved marinade two or three times.
5. Serve with lime wedges on the side.

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PA Photo/Sam Folan

Tim Hayward’s grilled artichokes with hollandaise

SERVES 4-8

INGREDIENTS

• 4 large globe artichokes
• 1 lemon, cut into 4 wedges
• 4 garlic cloves, left whole, but given a whack to slightly crush
• 1 large egg yolk
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 200g/generous 3/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
• Olive oil, for brushing
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

METHOD

1. Wrap the artichokes individually in a double layer of foil, each with two tablespoons of water, a lemon wedge, a garlic clove and a big pinch of salt.
2. Using the indirect set-up,  place the wrapped artichokes on the stainless steel grid and leave them to steam for about 45-60 minutes with the dome closed until tender.
3. Meanwhile, for the hollandaise, put the egg yolk and four teaspoons of lemon juice into a heatproof bowl with one teaspoon of water and whisk together for two to three minutes until thick. Very gradually, whisk in the melted butter (leaving the white milky solids behind) in a thin stream until thick and creamy. Season with salt, pepper and more lemon juice to taste.
4. Keep the hollandaise sauce warm over a pan of boiling water off the heat, stirring occasionally.
5. Unwrap and halve the artichokes, top to bottom/vertically, then paint the cut side with olive oil. Using the direct set-up, grid cut-side down on the bars golden brown. Sprinkle with salt to taste just before serving.

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PA Photo/Sam Folan

DJ BBQ’s chocolate chip cookies

MAKES 8-10

INGREDIENTS

• 115g softened butter
• 115g granulated sugar
• 50g soft light brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 120g plain flour, sifted
• ¼tsp salt
• ½tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 100g chocolate chips

The most important instruction for this recipe is: do not eat all the cookie dough before cooking them.

METHOD

1. Try to make sure all the ingredients are roughly the same temperature, as this will give you a smoother mix. Cream together the butter and sugars until light, pale and fluffy. Then mix in the egg and vanilla, followed by the dry ingredients. Lastly, stir through the chocolate chips. Now refrigerate the cookie dough in the bowl overnight. That’s right, you just made cookie dough and now you have to wait until TOMORROW before you can eat the cookies. I can only apologise. Forgive me. Tomorrow you’ll love me.
2. The next day, get your outdoor cooker going.
3. Roll the cookie dough into balls around 75-100g, depending on how big you like your sweet chocolate-studded frisbees. Next, cut some circles out of baking parchment – double the number of dough balls you have – ensuring they’re slightly bigger than the final size you want your cookies to be. Evenly squish each dough ball between two discs of baking parchment to create a cookie shape.
4. Place the paper-covered cookies directly on the plancha. Cook for five to 10 minutes on each side, flipping with a fish slice. If you like a chewier or crispier cookie, then cook for the shorter time, for crispy cookies cook for longer.
5. Let them cool slightly before peeling off the paper and serving with an ice-cold glass of milk and an episode of Justice League (other cartoons are available, but they’re not as cool).