Step 1: How to plan the perfect BBQ, from shopping lists to timelines and recipe ideas

If planning a BBQ has you breaking out in a cold sweat, we’re here to help. Here’s our timeline that helps you know exactly when to do what. If you are unsure about when to bring the meat to room temperature or when to prep the salads, this timeline provides all the answers. 

Passionate epicureans know: the most important thing is the ingredients. This also applies to what goes onto the grill. Take your time, put a menu together and be sure to double check your store cupboards before you write your shopping list.

Do you experiment with ingredients when you’re grilling vegetables, like cauliflower with a fresh tomato salsa, or radicchio with honey? Or artichokes, tofu or grilled baby lettuce salad? There’s no trick to it – just use your imagination! We recommend grilling vegetables in a packet made with aluminum foil. This is the perfect way to cook chopped vegetables, whose juices will form a delicious gravy whilst cooking. After grilling, we’ll add some fresh herbs and aged mountain cheese for flavor.

Our shopping list for two:

• 1 romano pepper
• 1 small eggplant
• 1 red onion
• 1 small zucchini
• garlic
• mixed herbs
• mature mountain cheese

To dress the vegetables, you need a bit of olive oil and rock salt. In terms of herbs we recommend things like parsley, chervil, dill and basil.

Marinades are an important part of your planning and pre-prep, since they add flavor to your dishes. Meat can be marinated the night before so that the flavors can be well absorbed. Add the marinade to your veggies just before grilling. The base of a marinade is good olive oil, salt, pepper and fresh herbs. Everything else is a matter of taste. If you are unfamiliar with juggling ingredients in the kitchen, try a slow approach. Choose just a few ingredients; too many different flavors can quickly clash with each other. Play around with ideas and see what you like. If you want to save a bit of time, avoid marinades and just season your food before grilling it.

Ingredients:
Garlic, wholegrain mustard, olive oil, cane sugar, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage and lavender flowers

Preparation:
Peel and finely chop the garlic, wash and finely chop the herbs, add the remaining ingredients and season with some freshly ground pepper before marinating your steaks.

Ingredients:
Olive oil, thyme, fresh chilis, sea salt and coarse pepper, maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:
Cut the chilis lengthwise, remove the seeds and cut into very thin strips. Remove the thyme leaves from the stalks. Add the chili, thyme, sea salt and pepper to the olive oil, mix well and brush the spare ribs with the marinade. Just before grilling, mix the maple syrup and Worcestershire sauce, to make a glaze which will then be brushed on to the spare ribs.

Ingredients:
Lime juice and zest, kaffir lime leaves, cane sugar, wholegrain mustard, thyme, chili, pink pepper

Preparation:
Zest the lime into fine strips, squeeze the lime and mix the juice well with the zest. Finely chop the kaffir lime leaves and the thyme. Remove the seeds from the chilies and cut into very fine strips, add the remaining ingredients, mix and let stand briefly. Add some fleur de sel before covering the fish with the marinade.

Side salads or sauces can make or break a meal, but it doesn’t have to be complicated to succeed. Butter leaf lettuce with a simple oil and vinegar marinade or colorful salads with small fruit pearls – pretty much anything goes. A splash of citrus here and there, fresh herbs, flower blossom syrups or even edible blossoms provide deliciously stylish surprises. Unusual toppings or sauces can help take your grilled meat or fish to the next level.

材料：
橄欖油、意大利白醋、芥末、蜜糖、生薑、胡椒、芝麻、火箭菜葉、芒果

準備：
用平底鍋烘芝麻，無需加油。將生薑切碎。攪拌橄欖油、香醋、芥末、蜜糖、胡椒至幼滑狀，然後加薑，放置一會兒。洗淨火箭菜，用抹手紙輕拍，然後放在沙律碗中。去皮、去核後將芒果肉切成小粒。混合火箭菜，添加調味料並拌勻，上菜前灑上烤芝麻作裝飾。可完美配搭肉類料理。

時間安排：
燒烤前一小時準備沙律：上菜前再次攪拌調味料，然後添加至沙律中，並以芝麻作裝飾。

材料：
墨西哥辣椒、藍紋芝士、忌廉芝士、梨、鹽、胡椒

準備：
將墨西哥辣椒打橫切半，小心地去籽、去膜。將 1/4 梨去皮，切成小粒。搗碎 2/3 藍紋芝士，然後混合 1/3 忌廉芝士，加入梨粒後拌勻。加鹽和胡椒調味。在墨西哥辣椒塗滿忌廉芝士，不使用名火，間接烤約 15 分鐘。可完美配搭各種肉類料理。

時間安排：
可預先準備，並在用餐前 15 分鐘放在烤爐。

材料：
青檸、茴香籽、鮮辣椒（按口味）

準備：
將青檸去皮。用平底鍋乾烘茴香籽，不斷攪拌，飄出香味後立即調低溫度。將辣椒切成幼絲，加少許橄欖油在平底鍋中稍微拌炒。適合用作魚類料理的伴碟裝飾。

時間安排：
上菜前才準備青檸皮、辣椒、茴香籽，烤好魚後用作伴碟裝飾。