BBQ season is just around the corner

We may be in lockdown, but for all those with gardens, these sunny days mean we still get to enjoy eating outside with our loved ones like normal. The BBQ is a much-loved celebration of food - just as one would consider the perfect wine to complement a meal, one should also use the best ingredients to season food on the BBQ. 

As we look forward to fresh meals outside with friends and family, we’ve collected tips from BoTree seasoning experts to help you have the best BBQ yet. 

Let’s start from the beginning

High quality charcoal or wood are both good options; wood is a favourite because of the lovely flavours and aromas it adds to food. Meat should be room temperature to start, so take it out of the fridge an hour or so before you cook it.

Now comes the fun part: seasoning food before lighting the barbecue. Black, Red, and White Kampot peppers all have a part to play depending on what is on the menu. For salt you can never go wrong with pure, creamy crystals of Fleur de Sel.

Important note: Be sure to add salt to both sides of meat as it absorbs moisture and heats up the outer side of what you’re cooking.  

Take olive oil and rub it in with hands. On both sides, grind pepper (see below for type) and sprinkle Fleur de Sel to taste.

Getting your appetite up? Have a little nosh on pita and hummus by blending canned chickpeas (rinsed), tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, and Herbs de Kampot.

Juicy meat and fish

A meaty steak and robust Black Kampot pepper were made for each other. Pork and lamb benefit from the softer Red Kampot pepper with its hint of sweetness. We love to slow-roast pork and lamb on the barbecue as flavours infuse this way and the meat becomes really tender.

After cooking, the fats will have tightened up from the heat so allow the meat to rest (depending on size, between 5-20 minutes). Have a warm dish prepared to put it in. Add foil to the top and soon the muscles will relax, enabling all the flavourful juices to emerge. You end up with well-cooked meat in its own jus – delicious!

For fish, grilled or steamed are both great options. A family favourite is steamed salmon with a fabulous marinade of lime juice, minced ginger, Red Kampot pepper and onions. Squeeze lime all over, wrap it with foil to create a bag, and put that on the barbeque. Within 20-25 minutes, you have lovely steamed fish with smoky flavours from the grill coming through.

Alternatively, sprinkling Herbs de Kampot onto every type of fish quickly adds a satisfying blend of spices, Kampot peppers, herbs, and Fleur de Sel.

Seasonal vegetables and sides

For veggie crowd-pleasers, you can’t go wrong serving sweet corn with Red Kampot pepper and high-quality butter.

For a lovely salad, try this delightful French dressing recipe: olive oil, Dijon, a little white wine vinegar, ground Red Kampot pepper, Fleur de Sel, and a little brown sugar. Shake to mix.

We also like thinly sliced courgette w/ Red and Fleur de Sel – just quickly grill both sides. Utilise spring veggies like early new potatoes and wild garlic (a flower with fresh, lovely garlic flavour) in lieu of crushed garlic.

If you’re using barbecue coals, you can’t go wrong with tasty baked potatoes. Slice the potatoes in half, grind White Kampot pepper on top with Fleur de Sel. Wrap in foil, and sit them in the heat of the BBQ.

A refreshing tipple

Our Salted Pepper Berries have endless uses (canapés, salads, snack mixes…) but the fan favourite continues to be the Gin & Tonic. There’s a science behind this coupling: to be fizzy, tonic is infused with gas which gives a slight metallic taste, and the salt around the berries neutralises it. The piperine-packed pepper berries themselves wake up the taste buds so you’re then able to taste all the botanicals at a much more elevated level.

We favour Tarsier Gin, which offers the taste of a high quality dry London gin with a subtle essence of Southeast Asia that’s perfect for the summer time. The gin is infused with flavours from the region including lemongrass, galangal, and our Black and Red Kampot peppers. Pour a glass, pop in some Salted Pepper Berries along with a garnish of ginger for heat that brings it all together.  

A celebration to remember

The BBQ is a much-loved celebration of food and the outdoors, a time to bring our best ingredients forth. As you consider the perfect wine to complement your meal, don’t forget to pair your seasonings as well. Visit our Pepper Shop and order by 23rd May to get your seasonings by the bank holiday weekend. Happy grilling!