Kitchen Essential

Barbeque Chicken

There are various bits of chicken that can be cooked over the fire varying from whole chickens to kebabs. The greatest danger with chicken is over-cooking, resulting in dry, stringy meat, or burning the outside while the meat is underdone closer to the bone. To avoid this, cook it fairly slowly over a moderate fire. Prepare a marinade for the chicken and baste it frequently while barbeque. A whole chicken cooks in roughly 45 minutes, chicken pieces in 20 minutes and kebabs in 10-15 minutes. When you suspect that the chicken is cooked, prod it with a fork or knife; if the juices that flow out are clear, your job is done. Continue Reading »

A wood fire should have no more flames, just red-hot coals. You need to know how hot your fire is as different meats need different heats (see below). The palm test has been handed down through the centuries and is still the best way to test a fire. Hold your hand the same distance above the coals as where the barbeque grid will be, roughly 10 centimeters above the coals. If you pull your hand away before you can count to three (as in one-thousand-and-one, one-thousand and-two, onethousand-and-three), you have hot coals. If you can keep it there for four to five seconds you have a moderate fire, and if you can count to six or seven you have a slow fire. Continue Reading »

Considering the sociability of the barbecues and the fact that you don’t have to clean the kitchen afterwards, it’s brilliant! It’s less fuss, more fun. We recently went for what we thought was a traditional (in the sense of a fire) barbecues at a friend’s house. When the fire was still not lit an hour after we got there and there was no sign of wood or charcoal we were getting a bit edgy, only for the hostess to nonchalantly stroll outside with the extension lead and her new electrical barbecues. Fair enough, it is easier, but lighting the fire and enjoying that delightful smell that stays in your clothes and hair for the remainder of the evening certainly adds a little je ne sais quoi to an evening under the stars. Continue Reading »

Refrigerator conversion

An old, disused upright-type refrigerator makes a useful smoker within certain limitations. It is well insulated and so will conserve heat, but, by the nature of its original function, is not designed to stand heat, so it is only suitable as a cold smoker. A hole about 10 in. square or round should be cut in the bottom of the fridge, which should be raised off the ground and supported on a square built of concrete blocks, open at the front to allow the fire to be placed within the square of blocks. Alternatively, the device can be used in conjunction with the remote fire pit and underground smoke tunnel, and as a means of draught control two or three 2-in. holes can be cut in the top of the fridge; better still, it can be fitted with a length of stovepipe, protruding from the top and preferably fitted with a damper. Continue Reading »

The mechanical smoker

While on the subject of smoking equipment, perhaps a further word will not be out of place regarding the mechanical smoker referred to earlier, should any home smoker feel inclined to invest in one of these rather elaborate pieces of equipment.

I imagine that all large commercial fish or bacon smoking concerns in Britain will by now have ceased to use traditional equipment and will employ mechanical equipment exclusively. The modern smoker which I am acquainted with is the Torry Kiln, which is marketed by Afos Limited, Anlaby, Hull, North Humberside. Some of these commercial kilns are very large, costing several thousands of pounds, but the only model with which the home smoker might need to concern himself is the Torry Mini Kiln. This kiln is based on the same principles as the large commercial smoking units, and has a maximum capacity of 56 lb (approx. 25 kilos). Continue Reading »

The traditional cold smoker

Cold smoking, at temperatures of around 80^° F, is an essential operation for the production of smoked salmon, which is eaten raw, of other smoked fish, such as kippers, finnan haddocks, cod and haddock fillets and cod roes, and fillets of beef. Cold smoking is also an essential part of the initial processing of all other products which are ultimately hot smoked.

In the commercial fish smoking industry, the traditional cold smoking kiln is simply a large chimney with ventilators placed up the shaft at intervals, so that draughts can be controlled. The fire is lit in a large hearth either at the foot of the kiln or in a fire pit a few feet away, the smoke being conducted along an underground flue to the kiln by natural draught. Continue Reading »

Sharp or squared off corners and edges on worktops

Adults can sustain bruises, grazes or scrapes and small children more serious knocks to the heads and eyes from sharp corners. Laminated work- tops can be obtained ready-made with smoothly rounded edges. Always ask for radius edges or post-formed worktops.

Unhygienic work surfaces

Hazards of food poisoning can be reduced by thoroughly scrubbing any wooden or tiled work surfaces after each use. Danger can lurk in the grouting. Likewise, joins in laminated worktops must be butted up tightly and evenly to minimise places where bacteria can accumulate.

Kitchen step stools should be well maintained and used rarely. If they are in constant use, consider rearranging cupboard contents to make things more accessible. Continue Reading »

More ambitious ideas and budgets to match are illustrated by these four kitchens where extensions were constructed and living rooms incorporated.

Family planning

Two adults, two teenagers and two young children made up this family who planned an extension to their home to contain a completely new kitchen. There was a separate utility room for the washing machine, but the existing floor-standing gas central-heating boiler had to stay where it was. They wanted to eat in the kitchen at a breakfast bar to seat up to eight people; they liked a rustic look, and were able to spend a reasonable amount to get the kitchen the way they wanted.

Three meals a day were eaten, plus home baking at least once a week, batch cooking for the freezer once a month; dinner party and other entertaining from time to time. This family had thought deeply about what their real needs were. Continue Reading »