Cook your Christmas dinner in your Outdoor Kitchen
The kitchen looks so lonely out there, doesn’t it? Well, we can’t have that! Why not whip off the BBQ covers and grab the fairy lights. It’s time to host Christmas outside!
We love Christmas, don’t we? Nothing beats breaking out the decorations, singing along to Mariah Carey and catching up with family over a hearty, festive feast. However, with the house filling up with guests, and certain viruses that shall not be named causing risk, cooking Christmas dinner outside this year sounds like a marvellous idea. Today, Grillo would like to inspire you to cook your Christmas dinner using your outdoor kitchen.
‘Mise en Place’
First thing’s first, be prepared. Decorate the outdoor kitchen, chop the vegetables and prepare the turkey well in advance. That way, you allow yourself more time to socialise with friends and family and it reduces the chances of frantic frustrations. Also, consider your guests. Wouldn’t a beautifully set table outside, with soft blankets and a cosy fire pit for extra warmth be idyllic? It would maintain the festive atmosphere and allow outside to be the place where everyone wants to be.
Add some smoke
Fire up that grill and transform your Christmas menu into a rich and smoky festive banquet. Using any outdoor cooking station like your gas BBQ, ceramic grill or a fire pit with a hot plate, you can sear, roast, bake or smoke a plethora of ingredients to suit every traditional Christmas food element and every diet. Also, you don’t have to cook alone. By utilising any and every outdoor cooking option, you can invite each guest to tackle one dish. Creating memories around food and flames and getting friends and family involved is what it’s all about.
The Turkey
You don’t have to be Jamie Oliver to brave the BBQ this Christmas. There are thousands of recipes available online for you to conquer. If tradition is your preference, Great British BBQ have a phenomenal Christmas turkey recipe that uses the indirect roasting method on the gas BBQ. Combined with mouth-watering ingredients and the best tips and tricks this recipe ensures your turkey is flavourful and doesn’t dry out.
And just in case you didn’t know, indirect grilling is a BBQ cooking technique whereby the food is placed to the side of the heat source instead of directly over the flame. It creates a much more even and gentle heat, which is perfectly suited to long slow roasts like a turkey. Give it a try, the results will be epic!
Recipe Image by Martin Poole.
The Spuds
Be honest, you fight over these too, don’t you? What’s better than a roast potato that’s crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside? How about one that’s been roasted on a BBQ! In addition to the signature traits we all love, you can part-boil them then finish them off directly on the BBQ for a delicious smoky flavour that will still honour the addictive crisp coating. For an even better result, place the potatoes around the turkey, and let them baste themselves in the juices from the meat. You will never want to use the oven again.
The Sprouts
There’s no such thing as a ‘yucky Brussel sprout’. Especially when you BBQ them with the bacon to infuse the sprouts with additional flavour. But don’t forget, these veggies need quite some time to cook to lose their bitter perception and solid exterior. So, make sure you give them the time they deserve to cook well and soak in the BBQ’s rich aromas.
Image by Gimme Some Grilling.
The Pigs in Blankets
These little piggies are a popular Christmas favourite. Wrap them up warm and sizzle them on the BBQ to deliver a meaty richness. For a sweet but smokey twist, coating them toward completion with a honey and mustard glaze will result in a saporous and sociable hors d’oeuvre before the big feast.
The Stuffing
Whether you bulk up the turkey, BBQ it in a cast iron pan, or craft perfectly formed spheres, stuffing is a crucial part of any traditional Christmas dinner. And no matter which method you choose, use the BBQ to roast and smoke to perfection. The aromas of the BBQ combined with the typical sage and onion will make your stuffing a festive triumph!
The Drinks
Don’t limit yourself to turkey, veg and trimmings. When it comes to drinks prepared on BBQs, there are some serious opportunities for impressing guests. Get creative – think Christmas cocktails using grilled fruit. And obviously, nothing shouts Christmas more than a glass of steaming mulled wine. Get a decent-sized pan, and throw in your favourite ingredients, fruits, spices, cinnamon, ginger, star anise, and let it simmer to perfection. Or how about a smoky hot chocolate – in fact, make it a Bailey’s hot chocolate, but with your own home-brewed Irish Cream made from smoky Scotch whisky.
MEET GRILLO
The Grillo Vantage is a design-led outdoor kitchen, blending Iroko hardwood with beautifully finished carbon steel. With a choice of barbecues, pizza ovens and appliances, you can create the alfresco area of your dreams.
