Book review: Grill Smoke BBQ by Ben Tish
Ben Tish
Quadrille, £25
Remember when a green egg would have been something to worry about? Now they are in kitchens across the land, smoking meat and vegetables alongside wood-fired ovens and grills.
One of the chefs at the forefront of this barbecue scene is Ben Tish, whose restaurant Ember Yard provides evidence of just how versatile barbecuing can be. Based on dishes served in the restaurant, this book, Grill Smoke BBQ, is an eye-opening treat for anyone who appreciates food cooked over flame. The now-ubiquitous pulled pork and slow-cooked ribs are present, but they're accompanied by a huge range of vegetable-led dishes.
Having worked alongside Jason Atherton and Stephen Terry at London restaurant Coast, and at Italian restaurant Al Duca, Tish brings a lightness of touch and Mediterranean influence to barbecue.
Before taking on any of the tempting dishes, readers are given a lesson in technique, including information on kit, controlling the heat, and varieties of wood and charcoal. Though it is seemingly straightforward, as Tish advises, "it's probably the most important section in this book."
That's because the recipes that follow require a delicacy beyond searing steak or grilling courgettes. Through chapters covering breakfast, small plates, large plates, sides and desserts, Tish reveals that almost anything can be cooked over coals, even a milk chocolate and grilled apricot tart.
As Tish says: "We want to encourage you to think of barbecuing and grilling as a year-round method of cooking." With recipes to suit all seasons, this book will prove a useful reference in winter and throughout the summer.
By James Stagg
Recipe: Marinated and grilled beef bavette with smoky salad onions by Ben Tish >>
If you like this, you might enjoy these
- Pitt Cue Co - The Cookbook Tom Adams, Jamie Berger and Simon Anderson
- Hog: Proper Pork Recipes from the Snout to the Squeak Richard H Turner
- Let There Be Meat: The Ultimate Barbecue Bible James Douglas and Scott Munro
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