Barbecue by Eric Treuille and Birgit Erath

This has to be the cookbook of the summer: the bible of barbecues. It is truly luscious from its fantastic photography, which brings all the heat of the fire to its pages, to the gutsy recipes within. What a read! If your speciality is burnt offerings, this book will change things forever.

Birgit, who has co-written this book, runs the Spice Shop opposite Eric's Books for Cooks, in Notting Hill. With Birgit's knowledge of the spice world and Eric's deftness in the kitchen, they have definitely created fire. With advice on hot coals and how to tell when meat is cooked, you cannot possibly go wrong. They talk about spices and marinades and as for the recipes, there will never be another dull moment. Every one is a winner and should it start to rain, in true English fashion, and the barbecue has to be abandoned, the authors have thoughtfully given cooking instructions for grills and ovens too. The recipes are simple and you don't have to have a larder stocked full of 1001 spices. A few essentials will do.

The chapter on fish is particularly enlightening and with a bit of courage, you will soon be turning out chargrilled sea bass with fennel, lemon and olive oil or mussels in beer and garlic baked in foil. Even the good old chicken breast has been given many new reincarnations; a favourite is one with garlic, Dijon mustard, olive oil and balsamic vinegar dressed with roasted red pepper aioli. Before long, Eric and Birgit will have you barbecuing everything in sight. Think of chargrilled nectarines and grilled roast honey figs. Yes, please.

You will want to try everything in this book and that cannot be a better recommendation. Dorling Kindersley has hit on a winning formula with Eric and friends. His books on Bread with Ursula Ferrigno, Canapes with Victoria Blashford-Snell and recently published Pasta, Every Way for Every Day, are all good buys.

But in the meantime, grab your tongs and get grilling.

AD
*****

Publication Details:
168 pages. Photography by Ian O'Leary. £12.99
ISBN 0751327190. Published by Dorling Kindersley
2000

Would you like to buy this book? Click here.

Other books by Eric Treuille
Bread
Canapes
Pasta, Every Way for Every Day
Le Cordon Bleu's Complete Guide to Cooking Techniques