KEY POINTS:
The sun is shining, the madness of Christmas and New Year is over, so that must mean it's barbie time.
Today we start a four-week special on what food to throw on the barbecue and how to prepare and cook it in order to enjoy scrumptious fare outside, while enjoying lazy days at the beach, in the backyard
or on the balcony.
Each week we'll tackle a different main ingredient - chicken, vegetables, fish and steak. So let's start with chicken - the meat that
seems to freak out the most people when it comes to barbecuing.
Most of the fears come from food-poisoning horror stories from undercooked meat or chicken left too long out of the fridge on hot
summer days. But fear not. As long as a few simple rules are followed
barbecued chicken is perfectly safe - and can be so delicious when it's all crispy, juicy and ever-so-slightly charred.
The most important rule is to have scrupulously clean surfaces when
preparing the raw meat and to make sure any boards, knives or other utensils that have touched the raw chicken are cleaned thoroughly in hot water and detergent. That includes any tea towels or cloths you've wiped your hands on too.
So now the simple hygiene is taken care of, the next thing to get the best meal possible, is to buy the freshest, and preferably organic, free-range chicken you can find. And yes, you will be able to taste the
difference.
Don't fall into the trap of thinking you need to partially cook the chook before it goes on the barbie to avoid those undercooking fears. It's not necessary and what you'll most likely end up with is a
dry, chewy, tasteless chook.
The key thing is to learn how to control the temperature on the
barbecue - it doesn't have to be blazing hot.
Oil the food and lightly oil the grill or hotplate before preheating.
Remember to slash the thickest part of the meat so the heat can penetrate evenly.
Once the meat is on the grill leave it to colour on one side (I know certain types are desperate to push and prod but leave it alone), then season well, turn the meat over and repeat.
Brush lovingly with good quality oil if necessary or Vietnamese paste, which will also work well with meat and fish. You're away laughing - delicious, perfectly safe, no-fuss barbecued chicken.