More tasty barbecue recipes

Here are a couple more simple yet delicious recipes perfect for barbecuing, or adapting to cook in your kitchen.

barbecued salmon - serves 4

marinade
100 ml vegetable oil
100 ml dry white wine
1 tbsp black treacle
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 garlic clove, chopped
pinch of mixed spice
salt and pepper

salmon
4 salmon steaks, 200 g each

wedges of lemon, to garnish
crisp green salad leaves, to serve

Put the oil, wine, black treacle, sugar, soy sauce, garlic and mixed spice into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Season with salt and pepper.

Rinse the salmon steaks under cold running water, then pat dry with kitchen paper. Add them to the wine mixture and turn them until they are well coated. Cover with clingfilm and place in the refigerator to marinate for at least 2 hours or ovenight.

When the steaks are thoroughly marinated, lift them out and barbecue them over hot coals for about 10 minutes on each side, or until cooked right through, turning them frequently and basting with the remaining marinade. About halfway through the cooking time, add the lemon wedges and barbecue for about 4-5 minutes, turning once. Arrange the steaks on a bed of fresh green salad leaves, garnish with the lemon wedges and serve.

classic burger in a bun - serves 6

1 kg lean steak, minced

55 g fresh breadcrumbs

1 egg, lightly beaten
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

to serve

6 burger buns

lettuce leaves
red onion slices

tomato slices

dill pickle slices

tomato ketchup,

relishes

mustard of choice

Put the minced steak, breadcrumbs, egg and thyme in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.

Mix thoroughly, using your hands.

Divide the mixture into 6 portions and shape each into a round. Place on a plate, cover and chill for 30 minutes to firm up. Cook the burgers over a medium barbecue for 3-5 minutes on each side, depending on how well done you like them.

Turn them carefully as they will not be as firm as shop-bought burgers. Split the burger buns and toast them, cut side down, until golden.

Place a burger in each bun and serve with a selection of fillings and accompaniments (well away from the barbecue fire).

Alfresia is a supplier of garden furniture and barbecues.

Corona Cast Iron BBQ Chimenea

Corona Cast Iron BBQ Chimenea, a photo by alfresia.co.uk on Flickr.

Florida Wooden Bistro Set

Florida Wooden Bistro Set, a photo by alfresia.co.uk on Flickr.

Delicious Barbecue Recipes

We understand that it can be difficult to choose what to cook on your barbecue, and even to know how to cook 'it' when you have decided, so allow Alfresia to suggest a couple of easy, yet tasty, recipes just for you and your barbecue.

chicken satay skewers with lime - serves 4

marinade
100ml soy sauce
100ml lime juice
2tbsp smooth peanut butter
2tbsp garam masala
1tbsp brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
1 small red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
pepper

skewers
6 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cubed

to garnish
fresh coriander leaves, shredded wedges of lime

to serve
freshly steamed or boiled rice/crisp green salad leaves

Put the soy sauce, lime juice, peanut butter, garam masala, sugar, garlic and chilli into a large bowl and mix until well combined. Season with plenty of pepper.

Thread the chicken cubes onto skewers (leave a small space at either end!). Transfer them to the bowl and turn them in the peanut butter mixture until they are well coated. Cover with clingfilm and place in the refrigerator to marinate for at least 2 1/2 hours.

When the skewers are thoroughly marinated, lift them out and barbecue them over hot coals for 15 minutes, or until cooked right through, turning them frequently and basting with the remaining marinade. Arrange the skewers on a bed of freshly cooked rice or crisp green salad leaves, garnish with coriander leaves and lime wedges and serve.

italian marinated pork chops - serves 4

4 pork rib chops
4 fresh sage leaves
2 tbsp salted capers
2 gherkins, chopped

marinade

4 tbsp dry white wine

1 tbsp muscovado sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp Dijon mustard

small salad, to garnish
garlic bread (optional), to serve

Trim any visible fat from the chops and place them in a large, shallow dish. Top each with a sage leaf.  Rub the salt off the capers with your fingers and sprinkle them over the chops, together with the gherkins.

Mix the wine, sugar, oil and mustard together in a small bowl and pour the mixture over the chops. Cover with clingfilm and marinate in a cool place for about 2 hours.

Drain the chops, reserving the marinade. Grill the chops on a hot barbecue for 5 minutes on each side, then grill over more medium coals or on a higher rack, turning and brushing occasionally with the reserved marinade , for about 10 minutes more on each side, or until cooked through and tender. Serve immediately with a small salad and garlic bread if you like.

Afresia is an online retailer of garden furniture and barbecues.

Gas Barbecue vs Charcoal Barbecue?

Gas

Gas barbecues can be lit easily and heated up quickly, due to the nature of their fuel and burners. For speedy and convinient outdoor cooking, gas BBQs are definitely the way forward. 

Their heat supply is both consistent and controllable, because you can shut off the supply at any minute, but until you do it will keep providing fuel. A feature you will find on many of our gas barbecues is an inbuilt temperature gauge, allowing you to check the heat - something you won't find on charcoal barbecues.

Furthermore, the heat supply is provided by simply opening the valve of the gas cylinder and clicking the ignition system - this is far easier than lighting up charcoal. All of our gas barbecues come with a hose and propane regulator too, so you don't have to mess around looking for one that will fit.

Gas barbecues come in a number of different sizes - the smallest tend to have 2 primary burners, the largest, 6. If you are going to be using your BBQ relatively regularly to cook for a decent number of people, then consider investing in a larger model: don't worry about wasting gas - each burner will be independently controlled and switched on.

Most gas BBQs have side shelves, which provide additional cooking space: this is a feature you won't find on many (if any) charcoal BBQs. Larger models also often have side burners, which allow you to fry food and cook sauces outside and keep your cooked food warm. This is opposed to the 'grab it while it's hot' style of charcoal BBQing.

A modern feature many high-end gas barbecues feature is an infrared burner. A ceramic plate, with thousands of tiny holes in it, has a flame focussed on it. The heat of the flame is turned into infrared energy,and the heat produced is much higher and consistent than standard grill produces.
 
Alfresia stocks a range of gas bottles, both propane and butane, in a variety of sizes.

Charcoal

When searching for a traditional barbecuing experience, then a charcoal barbecue is definitely the way forward. They tend to be significantly cheaper than a gas BBQ, so suit any budget.

When you are using a charcoal barbecue, ensure that you are attentive with flavours because only charcoal cooking can give food an authentic char-grilled taste and flame-grilled appearance. You must make sure that the charcoal is lit up to 45 minutes before cooking (instant-light can be reading in 15 however).

Another advantage to charcoal barbecues is that many are can be folded up, making them easy to pack up and take camping or to the beach. Some even feature folding side tables, which provide instant additional space when needed.

One type of charcoal barbecue is a 'kettle'. These feature a funnel, cooking grid and a lid which are all enamelled with porcelain. This treatment makes cleaning very easy. When the lid covers the barbecue, hot air circulates the area and can be regulated like a conventional oven. This means that it is ideal for cooking large pieces of meat. The circulating warm air is channelled into the kettle by the funnel, stopping the food from being burnt to a crisp. Most of the drippings vaporize, and this gives the food the typical bbq flavour.

In addition, most of the drippings vaporize and give the food the typical barbecue flavour. 

On Alfreisa we stock a huge selection of barbecues, both gas and charcoal, and accessories, like fuels and covers. Alfresia is also a supplier of garden furniture, check out all our ranges today!

Garden Glimpses: Rosie's Lawn

Garden Glimpses: Rosie's Lawn, a photo by alfresia.co.uk on Flickr.

Floor Standing Rattan Lamp

Floor Standing Rattan Lamp, a photo by alfresia.co.uk on Flickr.

How to design a Narrow Walled Garden

It is in the walled urban garden that one can most safely be bold in design, for what is within the walls need relate to little else. Any garden pattern within the uncompromising lines of surrounding brick walls has to be strong and heavily planted to create a balance between greenery and the structure of the garden. This is especially true if your garden is dominated by a large overhanging tree - small scale planting is now doubly inappropriate.

This design (left) is one of contrast. Create crisp, hard lines with a brick-paved terrace and then separate this area with an asymmetrical pool, running the width of the garden. Beyond this, create a sense of mystery with a woodland style path and fuzzy planting to soften the effects of the surrounding walls while underlining the seclusion the boundary offers. Perhaps feature an arbour at the end of the garden. This adds style and intimacy, and the number of options available means you have a great deal of choice in the matter.

The second design is more abstract in style. When seen from the house, it features a very strong pattern. This proposal comprises of interlocking planting and gravel areas, separated by brick-on-edge. The simple planting scheme consists only of fern, for these are ideal for a shaded, town situation (this ofcourse assumes that the garden

is shaded). Spring bulbs and lilies can be added for colour, and a pool at the top of the garden adds an interesting formal feature.

Which ever design you choose, we hope these have offered some ideas on how to style your narrow, walled garden. Both feature a patio ideal for entertaining, an Alfresia offers great patio furniture and heating at a marvellous price.

Alfresia is an online retailer supplying garden furniture.

Images taken from 'The Complete Gardener' by John Brookes.

Storage Structures in your Garden

Finding a place to put garden tools, alfresia garden furniture in winter, bicycles, toys and the many other items that are used periodically in the garden can be a common problem; storage for these items can be often overlooked in modern garden design. As a family matures, the problem increases with discarded toys and leisure equipment accumulating. Apart from the obvious bulky items, like a lawnmower, gardeners often collect a hoard of fertilisers and pesticides. Many of these are highly poisonous and should be kept in a waterproof place at a height beyond the reach of children. Then there are composts; mixes for seeds, mixes for cuttings and, perhaps, mixes for for houseplants. Add your gardening boots to the list and you have got yourself quite a storage problem.

Where possible, make a virtue out of necessity and use an out-building or consider building a new one that fits your garden plan.
If these seem like too much investment, or effort, or if planning permission fails then you might also consider a storage shed. You must also check by-laws relating to this, but they tend to be more lenient for sheds than they are for actual buildings. You should choose a simple structure that fits to your plan and you will be surprised by how easily the utilitarian building can blend into your garden. We have already posted advice on how to choose a shed for your garden, but do be aware of the differences between a garden shed and a storage shed on our website.

Alfresia sells a range of garden sheds, like this construction designed purely for storage and this shed ideal for potting and keeping garden tools.

  

Alfresia UK is an online retailer of garden furniture and other products for your garden and conservatory.

Garden Glimpses: Gail's Boy

Garden Glimpses: Gail's Boy, a photo by alfresia.co.uk on Flickr.

How to design an Urban Garden

When we think of the words 'urban garden', two words spring to mind - small and grey. Whilst it is true that most urban gardens are small, by virtue of the space available in urbanised areas, they do not have to be grey and dull and depressing. Rather, we present some tips for making the most of your space.

Planting the entire garden in grasses provides a striking effect in summer and autumn when they are all in flower. Their foliage has a very wide range of form and colour. Grasses must be cut down throughout winter but, being hardy, they are ideally suited to our climate and even to being covered with snow.

An alterative to this design, if your garden has dry soil, is to use plants that are less colourful but very green and full. Emphasis should be on shape, and using evergreen planting. Bulbs and lilies will provide summer interest.

The key with a small urban garden is to get the best use out of the space. Make your garden an inner city haven with a planting style like the ones above, but don't go overboard. Functionality is key. Make sure that you can wander up the garden and that, if you have them, the children have somewhere to play.

Whilst you do need to capitalise on the garden space as much as possible, a patio is a perfect way to enjoy your garden. All you need do is lay down some paving stones, or slightly raised decking. Adding a few chairs and a table, or other such garden furniture, will give you a relaxing area in the garden and perhaps the inclusion of a patio heater will add the final level of comfort.

Alfreisa  is an online retailer of garden furniture.

Garden Glimpses: Lucy's Garden in Derbyshire

Lucy's Garden, a photo by alfresia.co.uk on Flickr.

There is only one week left to enter our great garden glimpses competition - get yourself over to Facebook now to upload your entries, or email them to us directly.

How to design conservatories and garden rooms

Conservatories and garden rooms are often confused for one another but their function is quite different. a garden room is an attachment to the house, while a conservatory, although attached to the house, is part of the garden.

The emphasis in a traditional conservatory is on growing decoratve plants underglass. Its furnishing and flooring will therefore have to sustain frequent watering and general plant husbandry. Where as, in a garden room, the room will be furnished as part of the house and is merely decorated with plants.

There is an increasing range of conservatories on the market, with styles ranging from gothic to modern. Many are constructed from softwoods and then painted white, but this treatment requires regular maintenance and repainting. Plants my be sited in pots on the ground, in beds, or on raised shelving. Considerable care and maintenace of plants is required however, so investing in an automatic watering device might be smart. Whilst it might seem like a great deal of effort, a conservatory will be a great space for entertaining in the summer and provides a haven of green in winter.

A garden room can be used as a summer sitting-room, but since large areas of glass are essential, but they must be double glazed or else it will become too hot in summer or cold in winter. Unless well-controlled, the uses to which a garden room can be put are limited by temperature. Nevertheless it makes an excellent work space or games room for children.

When using you garden room/conservatory as a living space, we supply an excellent range of garden room furniture and conservatory furniture, in a range of materials such as cane and aluminium.

Alfresia is an online retailer of garden furniture and other supplies for your conservatories, patios and gardens.