EatingBritain.com » Meat

The Goose Fat Information Service

Sarah Cabral — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 13:00:13 +0000

For a touch of Winter luxury – Just add goose fat!

Everyone knows goose fat is the key to heavenly roast tatties, but this not-so-secret chef’s favourite can do so much more! As the nights draw in goose fat, with its savoury flavour and silky texture, is ideal for transforming all manner of dishes into sumptuous, warming feasts!

Used in place of butter or oil, goose fat is brilliant for adding a touch of winter luxury to vegetable side dishes, risottos, stews, omelettes and stuffings and for roasting vegetables, poultry and game.

So don’t bin that half full jar of goose fat after the Sunday roast, once opened it can be kept in the fridge for 2-3 months which leaves lots of time to experiment with cooking with it.

For those struggling for inspiration there’s even a website and phoneline dedicated to helping people make the most of the fat. The Goose Fat Information Service, on www.goosefat.co.uk or 020 7631 3232, provides recipe ideas, hints and tips for storage, as well as nutritional information and facts on the history of goose fat.

Top chef and owner of classic French restaurant Racine, Henry Harris, features on the website and has long been a fan of the fat;

“Goose fat is widely used in cooking in the South West of France, particularly in the regions of Aquitaine, Gascony and Périgord where it adds its subtle meaty flavour to traditional dishes, such as a classic French bean stew. It is the perfect culinary ingredient and a chef’s best friend. There is no doubt it makes the ultimate roast potatoes, but at my restaurant I use it to add a luxurious silkiness to a variety of recipes that we serve all year round.”

Henry Harris has created a range of delicious, warming recipes to demonstrate the versatility of goose fat. These can be found on www.goosefat.co.uk.

Other fans of the fat include Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Rick Stein, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Paul Rankin.

Goose fat is widely available all year round in most supermarkets including Sainsbury’s, Budgens, Co-op, Morrisions, Asda, Tesco and Somerfield, as well as all good butchers, delis and farm shops.

We tried our roast potatoes with goose fat, this Sunday’s roast and they came out really nicely – really crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside – the perfect roast potato!

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Jugged Hare

Sarah Cabral — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 07:30:43 +0000

I really enjoy cooking, I find it relaxing (when things go right!) and I find feeding my loved ones and myself a very satisfying experience. There are times though when it makes a nice change to eat other people’s cooking, whether that’s in a restaurant, at dinner parties with friends or when I let Dave cook! One thing I really look forward to is eating at my parents’ house, my mum is a wonderful cook and eating her food feels like home.

Being such a foodie family means that whenever someone tries something new, we all get involved in trying out and discussing the dish. This weekend, mum made Jugged Hare, using a recipe from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall which includes bitter chocolate. This recipe was new to mum and she was very dubious about the chocolate but was curious enough to give it a go.

Sunday night mum rang, “Have you ever tried hare?” she asked me “not that I can remember…why?” I replied already knowing that she was either planning to cook one or already had! “Well, we’ve tried this HFW recipe and it is absolutely delicious! I’ve got lots left over so do you and Dave want to try it?”. This kind of conversation happens a lot in our family and the answer is always yes!

Never having eaten hare before, I wasn’t 100% sure what to expect. I knew that hare is much stronger in flavour than rabbit and much larger but that is the extent of my knowledge, so to say I was pleasantly surprised is an understatement! The meat was almost as dark as beef and was also not dissimilar in texture. It was so tender and really carried the strong flavours from the sauce so well.

The term ‘jugged’ is the process of stewing meat (usually whole animals, mainly game, or fish) for a long time in a tightly covered container, such as a casserole or an earthenware jug. Sometimes the cooking liquid includes some of the animal’s blood.

Mum experimented tasting before and after the addition of the chocolate and reported that although she couldn’t actually taste the chocolate, it did add a little something that wasn’t there in the ‘before’ tasting.

Jugged Hare

Serves 6-8

Ingredients

1 large brown hare, skinned, plus its blood (liver optional)
2 tablespoons olive oil
100g salt pork, pancetta or bacon, cut into 2cm pieces
1 large carrot, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 onion or 5-6 shallots, sliced
30g butter
1 rounded tablespoon plain flour, seasoned with salt and pepper
1 bottle of good red wine, such as Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon
100ml brandy
A bouquet garni of thyme, bay and parsley
2 squares of bitter chocolate, grated (optional but very worthwhile)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Joint the hare with a heavy knife or meat cleaver, cutting off its legs and dividing the saddle into 5 or 6 pieces (you could ask your butcher to do this). Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan, add the bacon and sweat for a few minutes. Add the carrot, garlic and onion or shallots and cook for a few minutes longer. Transfer the bacon and vegetables to a large, heavy, flameproof casserole (in which the hare will also be cooked). Put the frying pan back over a low heat and add the butter. Turn the pieces of hare in the seasoned flour, then add them to the pan and fry gently, turning occasionally, until they are nicely browned. Transfer the meat to the casserole. Pour over the wine, brandy and just enough water to barely cover the meat, then add the bouquet garni. Season with salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a very gentle simmer. Cover and cook over a gentle heat, or in a slow oven (120°C/Gas Mark 1/2), for 2-3 hours. The hare is cooked when the meat is quite tender and begins to come away from the bone.

The next stage is to make a liaison of the blood and the cooking liquid. This has to be done carefully if the sauce is not to separate, but even if it does it is only the appearance, not the flavour, that will be affected. Remove the pieces of hare from the pot and put them in a warmed dish. Strain the stock through a sieve to remove the vegetables and herbs, then return it to the pan. Boil hard to reduce by about a third, then remove from the heat.

Have the blood ready in a small mixing basin. Spoon a little of the cooking liquid into the blood to warm and thin it, then stir well. Add the grated chocolate to the pot, if using. Then ladle in the warmed blood a little at a time, stirring as you go. If you have the hare’s liver, chop it very finely – almost to a purée – and add it to the pan. When the liaison is smooth and well blended, return to the heat and bring back to the boil. Return the pieces of hare to the pot and bring back to a gentle simmer before serving.

We had the hare with a simple mashed potato, it really doesn’t need anything else.

“The season for hares is from September to the end of February. During this time, any good butcher should be able get you a hare if you give him a bit of notice. When you order it, mention that you intend to jug it, and ask the butcher to save the blood for you. The hare should be hung for four or five days – more only if you like a very gamy flavour”: advice from Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall.

Sources:

River Cottage

Wikipedia

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Lamb Hot Pot

Sarah Cabral — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 07:30:58 +0000

Autumn lamb, in my opinion, tastes much better than Spring lamb. It has a stronger flavour because the lambs have had longer to graze and grow, and you can be far bolder with the flavours you add to it, than you could with the more delicate Spring lamb.

Sadly lamb is not cheap whether Spring or Autumn, so it helps to accompany it with other less expensive ingredients. With food prices reflecting the credit crunch and the potato season in full swing its never been a better time to make the most of the humble potato. Incredibly nutritious and filling, potatoes have a wide range of uses and are packed full of goodness. They are an excellent source of low fat energy for your brain and body. They also provide a valuable amount of several important nutrients: Folic Acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin B1, Vitamin B6, and iron – packing far more nutrition than either rice or pasta.

I know there are different varieties of potatoes best suited to different treatments, e.g. King Edwards make great roasties, while Charlottes are supreme in salads but I tend to buy all-rounders, it makes life a lot simpler. I’ve recently been trying out Rooster potatoes and they’re pretty good, we’ve had them mashed and roasted, with no complaints so far. I used them in this recipe too and they held their shape to my surprise. I thought they might fall apart but instead the tops were crunchily browned while the underneath soaked up the cooking juices and became lovely and soft.

Lamb Hot Pot
Serves 4

Ingredients
2 finely diced carrots
2 finely diced celery sticks
2 finely diced onions
1 crushed garlic clove
2 sprigs of rosemary
75g butter
4 large chump chops
150ml white wine
650ml good lamb or beef stock
8 thinly sliced Rooster potatoes
salt & pepper

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180ºC / Gas Mark 4
Lightly cook the vegetables, garlic and rosemary in 50g of butter. Then remove from the pan and keep to one side.
Melt the remaining butter in the pan and brown the chops on each side. Then remove from the pan.
Add the wine. Boil and reduce until almost dry.
Add the stock and bring to a boil. Place the chops into a shallow braising dish and cover with the vegetables. Season with salt & pepper.
Lay the sliced overlapping potatoes onto the chops, pour over the hot stock, and place into oven for 1 hour. Be sure to baste the potatoes every 15 minutes.

Oh, I could eat it all over again! Such a simple dish with fantastic British ingredients, so flavourful and so satisfying, it was the perfect meal for a chilly evening.

This recipe is one of Andrew Fairlie’s from the Albert Bartlett website.

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Welsh Pork Belly and Black Pudding with Apple & Mustard Sauce

Sarah Cabral — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 17:52:38 +0000

In this short step-by-step demonstration Stephen will show you just how easy it is to create a beautiful and delicious dish using only the very best Welsh produce.

The pork is from N S James and seasoned with Anglesey Sea Salt from Halen Môn, both True Taste award winning producers.

Now in its seventh year, the True Taste awards scheme is managed by The Welsh Assembly Government and recognises quality, innovation and excellence in the Welsh food and drink industry with more than 900 products and services judged each year.

Stephen Terry is chef-proprietor of True Taste of Wales award winning pub-restaurant The Hardwick, in Abergavenny.

Welsh Pork Belly and Black Pudding with Apple & Mustard Sauce and Watercress Salad with Olive Oil

Ingredients for approx eight people

1 x small belly of pork
400g of thinly sliced (3-4mm) black pudding
100ml extra virgin olive oil for dressing
100ml rape seed oil for pan frying bread crumbed belly portions
20g Flour, 2 x beaten eggs and breadcrumbs for coating the belly pork portions
1 x jar of premium apple sauce
1 x tablespoon of strong English mustard
Halen Môn Anglesey Sea Salt and pepper for seasoning

Method

The first thing to do is cook the pork belly. Place the belly in a roasting tray and half cover with water. Place a sheet of grease proof paper directly onto the top of the belly and then place tin foil over the top of the roasting tray and fold down the edges to seal the pork in. Now repeat this so there are two sheets of tin foil over the belly.

Place the belly in an oven at 120 degrees centigrade and cook for 8 hours.

Carefully remove the belly from the cooking liquid and allow to cool slightly on a tray, fat side up. When the belly is cool enough to handle the fun starts!

Essentially you need to deconstruct the belly and reconstruct it without all the bone, fat, skin, sinew etc. What you need to remember when you are rebuilding the belly is that it needs to be half the size of the original otherwise the finished product will be too thin. When you first remove the skin from the belly, reserve the soft underbelly fat that you should use to interlayer between each layer of pork belly meat. This will help to keep the belly moist inside when you reheat it to serve.

Every completed layer of pork should by followed by a layer of sliced black pudding. There should be approximately three layers of each at the end.
When you have finished layering the pork together it needs to be wrapped tightly in cling film and allowed to set in a fridge. Allow a minimum of six hours for this.

When set, remove from the cling film and cut into equal portions. Pass each portion through flour, egg and breadcrumbs and shallow fry in rape seed oil.

Then colour each of the four sides of each portion of belly over a medium flame until golden brown (alternatively you could colour the belly pork portions in a deep fat fryer, if available, set at 180°C). Now place on a tray and put into a medium heat oven to warm completely through. This should take about 5mins.

When hot, cut each belly portion in half lengthways and place on a serving plate. Season with Halen Môn Anglesey Sea Salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Stir the tablespoon of mustard into the apple sauce and garnish the plate with a spoonful of the sauce and watercress leaves and olive oil.

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Chilli con carne

Sarah Cabral — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 07:30:40 +0000

Way back in April, when I visited the Real Food Festival, I came across Chillipepper Pete and their awesome range of dried chillis. There was such a variety, I found it difficult to choose and ended-up coming away with a huge variety pack containing 17 different types of chilli. The mix also includes the reputedly hottest in the world, the Naga jolokia, I don’t know what I’m going to do with that one yet!

I used four types of chilli in this recipe, the Mexican holy trinity of ancho, mulato and pasilla and a cayenne for a little extra heat. I’ve heard that adding a little chocolate adds depth of flavour, so I threw some of that in too.

Chilli con carne
Serves 4-6

700g lean beef mince
1 large onion, finely chopped
2/3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
Dried chillis; ancho, mulato, pasilla, cayenne; as much or as little as you like, I used half of each.
1 tin chopped tomatoes
1 tin kidney beans
2 tbspn ground coriander
2 tbspn ground cumin
1 tbspn tomato puree
1 pint beef stock
2 squares of Green & Black’s 70% dark chocolate
Olive oil
Salt & pepper

Soak the dried chillis in hot water for about 20 mins, (reserve about 100ml of the soaking water) then chop finely.

Brown the mince in some olive oil and remove from the pan.

Fry the onions and garlic, in the pan used to brown the mince, until softened.

Add the spices, chillis and tomato puree to the onions and fry together for a 2-3 minutes.

Mix in the tomatoes, beef stock and reserved chilli water, stir well and bring everything to the boil.

Cover the pan and leave to simmer gently for 1 hour.

After an hour, taste for seasoning, add the kidney beans and chocolate, mix well and leave to simmer, uncovered for 30 min. If the chilli con carne is still very liquid at this stage, simmer for longer; if it reduces and thickens too much, add some water.

When it’s reached the consistency you prefer, remove from the heat and serve with rice and a little soured cream.

The dried chillis really added their own flavours and a good amount of warmth to the dish. I didn’t use any fresh chillis but I didn’t miss them either, the smoky, deep flavour from the dried chillis was just perfect. As for the chocolate, it definitely added a little something, I’ll be using it again.

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A Trip to Heath Farm Meats

Violets — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 14:00:17 +0000

Nestled in the middle of the Shropshire countryside, Heath Farm Meats at Bagginswood is just outside Cleobury Mortimer and is a joy to visit. Clive and Clare Gittens started the shop and butchers after BSE crisis hit in 1996.

Clive tells me it all came about after necessity, as the ban of exporting cattle happened overnight and he was left with over two hundred cows which were destined for Italy. The cattle still needed to be fed and looked after, and when your business is suddenly wiped out overnight that is a large task in itself. So after waiting for weeks to see what would happen they decided to take one cow to the abattoir, cut it up and put it in the freezer.

They told a friend about the beef who then asked to buy some and word got around locally, so they took more cattle. The abattoir were really helpful and put Clive in touch with a butcher who said they could use their facilities to cut up the meat this carried on for some time.

They soon realised that they would have to open up a shop at the farm. Started by converting a small part of one of the barns and turning it into the butchers, this expanded a year later to the larger shop it is today. Clive then had to take on another butcher to help with the work – Fred has stayed with them ever since.

All the meat sold in the shop, comes from the farm’s own animals which are Cows, Pigs and sheep. The chickens are raised on a nearby farm owned by Clive’s cousin. They only sell direct from the shop itself to have complete control over the meat, this way everything is fully traceable.

I was given a tour of the whole farm, Clive started by taking me behind the counter and showing me the great big fridges where all the meat is really well hung. Fred was then demonstrating his great butchers skills by chopping up meat for a customer in front of me.

The cows are in a great big open sided barn where they have shelter if needed but cover from the elements, as I stood taking photos they were all really calm and placid and not the least bit shaken by the flash of the camera.

The pigs have to be put inside at the moment as Clive was explaining to me the sun isn’t good for them as it can give them meningitis, they have lovely clean straw in a huge space at the one end and a lovely muddy bath at the other, they came bouncing up to the end to get a look at me and what I was up to.

The sheep are happily grazing away in all the beautiful fields that surround the farm.

Clive also specialises in Mutton and I have to tell you it’s the best I’ve ever eaten, they are raised until they are between two and four years old, and you can really tell the difference it has the most delicious deep flavour.

The shop is open Wednesday to Saturday each week between the hours of 8am and 5.30 pm, Clive and Fred are more than happy to help with anything, even some of my strange requests.

They also sell locally produced milk, butter, eggs, cheeses and fruit juices.

Vegetables are sold according to what is in season as they are also supplied by local farms.

Heath farm Meats
Heath farm
Bagginswood
Cleobury Mortimer
01746 718732

Violet has a great website featuring some truly delicious recipes, so check it out!

Do you want to rave about one of your local producers? Would you like to introduce us to your favourite farm shop? Then why not tell us all about it via our contact page and we can tell everyone about it!

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Organised gangs of poachers cash in on food fads

Sarah Cabral — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:19:18 +0000

My views on hunting are fairly clear and I appreciate many people do not feel the same, however I fully respect their opinions and hope they respect mine. I do agree with hunting when it concerns resourcing food or population management but I do not agree with it as a sport. My difficulty arises when both are combined, I don’t know how I feel about that.

Dad and I were talking about the hunting season the other day, so the whole subject has been on my mind and as I wandered through the news this morning, an article from the Daily Mail online caught my attention.

According to the article criminals are turning poacher, in order to cash in on a growing demand for game, due to food fads encouraged by celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver.

“The popularity of game such as venison, partridge, pheasant and hare in the recipes of Jamie Oliver and his television colleagues is proving all too tempting to a new breed of poacher.”

Professional criminals are using less than humane methods to kill animals and sell the meat on the blackmarket. “Besides crossbows and snares, deer are being lured to their deaths on roads by poachers using jam sandwiches as bait.”

Is this really happening because a few TV chefs recommended trying venison or pheasant? I don’t think so. Ever since people first claimed rights over the wild animals & birds residing on their land, there have been poachers. It is a very old way of getting food and making money and as people are struggling more and more with their bills, it’s hardly surprising some are turning to less than legal ways of supporting themselves.

I have always put poaching and scrumping for apples in the same class, harmless really. In my romantic notion of poaching, I never really considered the lengths that the poachers today will go to in order to catch their prey. I’m quite sickened to think of a jam sandwich baited deer being mown down by a 4X4.

The police are using DNA techniques to track poached meat, by matching samples taken from the crime scene, to suspected blackmarket meat seized from butchers and restaurants. But the best way to make sure you’re eating legitimately hunted meat, is to know exactly where it came from. Ask your butcher or waiter, if the meat is all above board, they’ll have no problem in telling you all about it.

We buy our game directly from a farmer’s stall at our local farmers market. It really does pay to get to know your producers; my parents visit said stall every month, they chat, catch up and get insider knowledge on what’s best at the moment. They know exactly where the game they eat is from and because of that, they know what sort of quality they are getting.

Source
THE CRUEL POACHERS CASHING IN ON FOOD FAD
Photo: Freefoto.com

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Thai yellow curry with chicken and butternut squash

Sarah Cabral — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:37:12 +0000

I love cooking. Deciding what dish I’m going to make, choosing the ingredients, preparing from scratch, it’s all part of what I enjoy about cooking. However, we are busy beyond belief and finding the time to start dinner from scratch, every day is simply an impossibility.

We have had so many takeaways lately, it’s embarrassing! Firstly it’s not healthy in the slightest and secondly, we’re spending so much more just for the convenience. So, this week I’ve been relying on recipes that need the least possible work and time, including using ready made sauces – which I normally avoid.

I was really impressed by the new Thai curry range from Loyd Grossman, there’s Red, Yellow and Green curry sauces, and they’re all gluten-free! We tried the yellow curry sauce …

Thai Yellow Curry with Chicken and Butternut Squash
Serves 2-3

1 Tbsp Vegetable oil
2-3 skinless chicken breasts, sliced 2cm thick
1 small Butternut squash, 2cm cubed
1 small pak choi, thinly sliced
1 jar Loyd Grossman Thai Yellow Curry Sauce

Heat the oil in a wok / pan and brown the chicken. When beginning to brown, add the butternut squash and fry together for 3-4 minutes.

Stir in the jar of sauce, add 50-100ml of water to the jar, give it a good shake and add the contents to the pan. stir and bring to the boil.

Reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes until the squash is just firm; throw in the sliced pak choi and simmer for a further few minutes until everything is tender.

Sprinkle with chopped fresh coriander and/or crushed roasted peanuts if you have some and serve with rice or noodles.
The curry is delicately spiced and fragrant with coconut, the water chestnuts in the sauce add a lovely crunch.

You could add other vegetables; potatoes, carrot and use different meats or leave it out altogether and have a vegetarian curry.

A friend of mine is going to try Loyd’s Thai red curry sauce, I’m looking forward to hearing what he thinks.

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A healthier Bernard Matthews?

Sarah Cabral — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 12:19:32 +0000

When it comes to processed foods, I have to admit, I am a bit of a snob! I grew up almost entirely on a home-cooked diet including very few processed foods. It wasn’t even a choice, that’s just the way things were in my family and that lifestyle continues with me now.

As a result, I have always viewed processed food with suspicion, chemically enhanced, un-natural and un-healthy – a fairly narrow-minded view I know. However, things are changing, food processing companies are now conceding to public opinion and concerns for more healthy foods. After all, it’s simply a question of supply and demand; the public is demanding healthy, un-tainted foods and these companies risk loosing business (and money!) if they don’t supply what their consumers want.

One company that has suffered a lot from consumer disapproval is Bernard Matthews the iconic turkey processors . Following the criticism of Turkey Twizzlers in Jamie Oliver’s campaign for better school dinners and an outbreak of bird flu hit its Norfolk farms in 2007, the company has seen serious drops in sales.

As part of the company’s business recovery plan, Bernard Matthews said that it will relaunch the brand, creating a new healthier image that will be supported by a series of new product launches.

From September, the new products will be made with 100% British turkey and only natural ingredients; there will be no artificial colours and flavours, and the products will contain lower levels of saturated fats and salt.

Bernard Matthews is also extending it’s free range turkey line and introducing a new frozen product range that is billed as healthy and convenient. Called Big Green Tick, it aims to be marked green on the UK’s Guideline Daily Amounts nutritional labelling scheme.

So, it seems we can look forward to a healthier Bernard Matthews range. It is difficult to alter a bad reputation once it has been earned and I honestly don’t think I will be rushing out to buy Bernard Mathews products. But it is satisfying to know that the consumer is being listened to, especially when their concerns are 100% warranted.

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Brian Turner’s top tips for an indoor BBQ

Sarah Cabral — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 11:30:47 +0000

Saturday August 2 is expected to be the biggest barbequing day in Britain according to research, but it could well be a washout – more than three-quarters (78%) of us have had a barbeque rained off in the last year, and weather tops the list of things which stops us eating outdoors.

Astonishingly, a third (33%) of the UK population has between six and 15 BBQs a year – though many have ended a damp squib according to the new survey by leading cooking appliance brand Stoves, which has prompted an SoS – ‘Save our Summer BBQs’ campaign with celebrity chef Brian Turner.

The research into the UK’s barbequing habits has uncovered just how much the British climate is dampening the UK’s passion for cooking outdoors, with more than three-quarters of respondents (78%) revealing that it is the unpredictable British weather that will keep them away from the BBQ this summer.

The survey, which questioned 1,000 people, also discovered that just over half of respondents (51%) have up to five BBQs per year, but 80% of us would happily have more if it wasn’t for the damp British weather.

The poll asked respondents which day and month they would most likely to have a BBQ this year and Saturday August 2 came top – most likely a combination of school summer holidays, hope of good weather and, for dads in particular, ahead of the start of the football season.

Jane Rylands, Marketing Services Manager at Stoves, said: “The British public clearly love a BBQ, the only problem is our climate – last summer was a complete wash-out.

“The BBQ party that was either postponed or moved indoors because of rain is an all too familiar sight in Britain, so this year Stoves have come up with a ‘Plan B’.

“Using little more than a bit of advance preparation, some quick marinades, and a few top tips from top chef Brian Turner we can easily

cook BBQ-style food in our kitchens.”

Unsurprisingly, the survey also confirmed that the BBQ really is a male domain, with over two-thirds (67%) of males admitting to taking the head chef role. Females seem happy to take a back seat though, with nearly a quarter (23%) admitting they don’t enjoying cooking outdoors.

Burgers topped the poll of the nation’s favourite BBQ food taking a third (33%) of respondents’ votes. Steak came a close second, preferred by nearly a quarter (23%), with the Aussie BBQ favourite – shrimps

(prawns) – lagging behind with only 5% of people citing them as their favourite BBQ dish.

Meanwhile, figures from the Met Office reveal that last summer was the wettest since records began with 387.6mm of rain falling on England and Wales between May and July. What is more, Met office predications for the remainder of this summer foresee chances of more frequent cloudy and cool spells compared to recent summers prior to 2007 and a possibility of above-average rain.

The threat of an August 2 wash-out is worse from long range forecasters Positive Weather Solutions, Senior Weather Forecaster Jonathan Powell

said: “August will probably see the highest temperatures across the UK for the year – however, the first two-weeks of the month look distinctly unsettled, with showers very much in evidence, and thunderstorms a distinct possibility. Any fine conditions will be short lived, but there may well be sufficient enough drier weather, to enable some limited outdoor cooking”

Met Office figures also reveal the top three counties most likely to be worse hit this summer because of their highest rainfall:

· Westmorland

· Cumberland

· Cornwall

‘Save our Summer BBQs’ Campaign

With the UK’s obvious love for all things BBQ but the anticipated unpredictable soggy weather, this summer Stoves is helping the nation rescue the BBQ season by encouraging more people to make preparations for impromptu indoor cooking with its ‘Save Our Summer BBQs’ campaign, led by celebrity chef Brian Turner.

Brian’s top tips for an indoor BBQ this summer include:

1. Set the scene by turning the indoors outdoors – use garden furniture, big plants, scented candles, lanterns, picnic plates and bowls, plastic glasses and a big bucket filled with ice and beer, cider or Pimm’s

2. Cook your BBQ food using a griddle pan – it will create the same BBQ taste, especially with a few burnt bits

3. Think about your menu – sausages and burgers are old BBQ favourites but you can also experiment with kebabs, tasty marinades, roasted vegetables and fish or shellfish such as king prawns. For dessert, toast marshmallows on the gas hob or try fruity kebabs, apples or bananas cooked in the oven

4. Keep cutlery to a minimum – it’s a BBQ not a sit down dinner!

5. Turn up some fun upbeat/ weather themed music to keep everyone’s spirits high! A few favourites include: Summertime (Will Smith), Walking on Sunshine (Katrina and the Waves), Raining Men (Weather Girls)

Brian Turner added: “BBQs are a lot of fun but in this country more often than not they are subject to the changeable British summer weather. There is no reason why people can’t apply the principles of outdoor barbequing to the indoors.

“Sausage, burgers, steaks and kebabs can all be cooked on a griddle pan to achieve that authentic barbequed flavour. Tasty marinades can spice up chicken, fish and beef and salads and roasted vegetables make a great alternative to chips.

“With a bit of thought and imagination it is easy to create an authentic indoor BBQ this summer.”

For Brian Turner’s ‘Best Burger in the World’ recipe, indoor BBQ ideas and more information about the ‘Save Our Summer BBQs’ campaign visit www.stoves.co.uk/bbqs

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