Quick! Get the Barbecue back out of the shed. Top Cooking Tips.
Added: (Thu Aug 06 2009)
Pressbox (Press Release) -
If the latest Met Office forecast is to be believed, we’re in for a week of sunshine in London - so get your barbecue back out and make the most of it! But before you pick up your tongs, read these top tips you never knew, courtesy of Chef’s Compliments, London’s Personal Chef Service, for a sure-fire way to impress your guests and avoid cremating the chops.
1. Use half an onion dipped in water to clean your grill and add extra flavour to your food. Put a fork in the back and rub it on a warm grill to bring the sparkle back to your barbecue!
2. Lighter fluid can leave a bad taste in your food, so use it sparingly across all coals if you have to, or use a charcoal chimney for a chemical-free way to light up.
3. For the perfect steak, always let your meat reach room temperature before you season it and throw it on the grill.
4. Only flip your meat once to keep maximum flavour and juice inside. To check if it’s cooked, prick it with a skewer and if the juices run clear, it’s done.
5. Always let your meat rest before serving it. Wrap it loosely in foil in a warm place for about 5-10 minutes (more for large cuts of meat) and it will continue to cook inside while the juices redistribute.
6. Impress your guests with some baby octopus. Buy it from a quality fishmonger and marinate it overnight in orange juice and sweet chilli. Cook it quickly on a very hot barbecue (3-5 mins) for a tender, rich flavour.
7. Australians are renowned for the best barbies so try their classic dish of Oysters Kilpatrick. Mix together some Worcestershire, Tabasco and BBQ sauce and spoon over each oyster in its shell. Top with some cooked bacon pieces and put on a very hot grill for 5 minutes. Delicious!
8. If you really want to be a BBQ king, have a private lesson in your own garden with an expert BBQ chef. He’ll show you tricks of the trade to impress your guests and make sure you never frazzle a sausage again! Check out http://www.chefscompliments.co.uk for lesson details and gift vouchers.
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Notes to Editors:
Chef’s Compliments is a small group of experienced professional chefs who are passionate about the enrichment that cooking and healthy eating can bring to people’s daily lives. They offer:
• Personalised cooking lessons, using the client’s own kitchen and equipment (including BBQs). The chef can give even the most hesitant cook a new-found confidence, sharing tricks of the trade along the way. Each lesson is tailored according to taste and ability and the chefs are specialised in a wide variety of cuisines from British, French and Italian to Thai, Indian and Pacific Rim. A lesson in London costs £200 for 3-hours (for up to 3 people), including all ingredients and an apron. Prices outside London quoted on request.
Barbecue lessons involve learning how to set up your barbecue correctly, cooking meat, fish and vegetarian dishes and preparing delicious salads and desserts.
• Luxury dining experiences in the client’s own home. Clients can relax with friends and family while the chef prepares a delicious, restaurant-standard meal in their kitchen, without the host needing to lift a finger. Menus are tailored to the clients’ requests and dietary requirements catered for. The chef serves the food, explaining what ingredients and methods have been used, then cleans the kitchen so there are no washing up woes! A dinner party for 4 people in London costs £300 including ingredients. A dinner party for 6 people in London costs £400 including ingredients. Larger dinner parties and locations outside London quoted on request.
• ‘Pampering and dining’ and ‘Pampering and Cooking’ packages Combining a cooking lesson or a dinner party with beauty treatments carried out by a qualified beauty therapist. ‘Girly Party Packages’ start at £75 per person (up to 8 people) for 4 hours with a chef and a beauty therapist in the client’s own home. ‘Pampering and dining’ packages start at £60 for a 60 minute treatment, in addition to the cost of the dinner party.
The chefs are qualified professionals, each with at least ten years’ experience working in top level positions, and have worked in prestigious establishments such as The Dorchester Grill, The Cinnamon Club and Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons, as well as for private households.
For details and bookings, visit www.chefscompliments.co.uk or email info@chefscompliments.co.uk
For press enquiries, please contact Sarah on 07507 860682 or email sarah@chefscompliments.co.uk.
Cooking lessons testimonials:
Our BBQ lesson at home was excellent - we learnt a lot and the food was 5 star quality. I bought the lesson as a gift for my boyfriend and definitely got several brownie points for it! Sally, Maida Vale
My husband absolutely loved his lesson and Manju, our chef, was funny, friendly and very talented. He said it’s the best present I’ve ever bought him! Leigh, Southgate.