All you need for a successful barbecue

Be it on a sandy beach, on the grass in the park or at home in the garden: summertime is barbecue time! After all, not only does everything taste better together, it’s also more fun – we just love sampling our grilled delicacies in the company of friends and family. Emsa’s barbecue experts reveal how to make your barbecue a real success.

Equipment – the essentials

Good preparation is everything: before you start thinking about preparing the food, you should check in good time that the grill is clean, you have enough charcoal and briquettes and all the seating and tables you will need. An expert grill chef needs professional equipment, including barbecue utensils, an apron and some gloves. Make sure nothing gets broken on the table you have laid with the help of plastic tableware; for example, the Vienna bowls in Emsa’s summery colours can be used for side dishes. And as a matching accompaniment, the colourful Flow Slim Friends cooling carafes will keep fruit juices and the like pleasantly cool for hours. Paper lanterns and hurricane lanterns not only create a pleasant evening atmosphere – they also emit a warming glow at twilight and when it’s dark.

Salad, marinade, etc. – fresh, tasty and healthy
In order to ensure that everyone is satisfied, you should factor in around 200 grams of meat for each guest and marinate it eight hours before you start grilling. It should then be kept in a cool place in a completely leak-proof container, e.g. in Emsa’s 100% leak-proof and hygienic Clip & Close food storage containers. But sausages, steaks and chops aren’t all it takes to make a culinary delight: home-made sides such as salads, dips and sauces are often the things that provide the perfect finishing touch for a barbecue treat. Tasty vegetable skewers can be whipped up using peppers, courgettes and garlic, while oil, pepper, salt and a couple of fresh herbs can be transformed into a wonderfully aromatic marinade. Not only will heat-stable olive or rapeseed oil withstand high temperatures when cooking; they will also preserve the flavour of the ingredients and are healthy to boot. The Clip & Close mixing jug with extra-large mixing insert is also perfect for preparing sauces and dressings. But remember: salad dressings should only be added to crisp leaf salads just before serving. Store them in a container such as Emsa’s Superline salad bowl to keep them fresh.

Plan B – What to do when it rains?

The guests have been invited, the salads are ready and the meat is marinated – then all of a sudden it starts to rain. It’s a good idea to make sure you have the right equipment in case this happens. Parasols and awnings will protect your buffet and table settings against a brief downpour. And despite all your outdoor planning, you should also make sure there enough room inside your home to offer your guests dry refuge. Meat and the like can also be fried on the hob if absolutely necessary.

Ready to go? Here’s a brief checklist for your barbecue...

• It’s all in the preparation: is the grill clean? Do you have the tableware, seating and tables you need? Is there enough charcoal?
• Marinate and add fresh seasoning at the right time: meat should be marinated in the morning and stored in a cool place in Clip & Close food storage containers. Herbs such as basil and rosemary provide the perfect seasoning – plant and pick your own in the Fresh Herbs herb pot.
• Keep food fresh longer: salads will stay crisp and crunchy in the Superline salad bowls and can still be eaten the next day.
• Set your table in a jiffy: the summery, fresh Classic tray lets you easily set your barbecue table with tableware, cutlery, etc. in no time.

Christian Rach shares some of his great recipes for home-made ketchup and marinades at www.mission-frische.de.