Healthy Barbecue Menu from Guest Chef, Peter Howard

Peter Howard has worked in the hospitality industry for over thirty years and has been involved in all facets of the food media, from writing for Australian Gourmet Traveller to regular appearances on Sydney radio and a weekly segment on Channel Nine's Today Show. In addition, Peter has been President of the Australian Food Media Club, is closely involved with the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW and is currently a regular speaker at hospitality and food industry events. His live chef's 'performances' are legendary within the food industry and he is a regular at the Royal Easter Show.

Peter's laws of the barbecue

1. Always start with a clean barbecue plate. After you finish cooking, clean it for next time.

2. Heat your barbecue to the required temperature well before use.

3. Use spray olive oil as opposed to brushing with liquid oil as you have better control over where the oil goes.

4. Always practice good hygiene: don't leave raw ingredients sitting in the sunshine, never let raw meat come into contact with cooked meat and never use leftover marinade as a sauce without cooking it first.

5. Don't mask the natural flavours of your ingredients with too many additions – let their flavours shine through.

6. Concentrate on your cooking so that you never end up with a cremated mess.

7. Have the appropriate tools on hand – tongs or whatever implement suits your needs.

8. Ensure that the gas tank is filled – this saves you the ultimate embarrassment of running out of 'puff' before the meal is cooked.

9. As the barbecue is a centre for family entertainment, be aware of any children around when you are cooking.

10. The last law is to enjoy yourself. A barbecue seems to attract good humour and great friends, so with careful preparation, there is nothing left for you to do but cook and enjoy.

Peter's healthy barbecue menu

Read Peter's description of the recipes here and link to the recipes for easy printing.

	Scallops with anchovy sauce To retain their sensual succulence, scallops must be cooked very quickly on a barbecue because they toughen and dry out if overcooked.
	Lamb cutlets with soy and honey eggplant Lamb cutlets have always been a natural on the barbecue. Served in racks of several cutlets, they become fashionable in restaurants in the '80s. However, in this recipe they are cooked quickly over high heat so they remain succulent and pink in the centre.
	Green pawpaw salad I first saw this salad in Bangkok on a street stall. It delivers all those marvellous Thai flavours that surprise the palate yet leave it beautifully refreshed.
Skewers of seasonal fruit with orange syrup We are surely blessed in Australia with the variety and quality of our seasonal fruits. For this recipe, choose seasonal fruits that are firm enough to push onto skewers. In summer, it might be seeded and cubed stone fruit; in winter, apples and pears; in autumn, halved figs. The choice is entirely yours.

These recipes, photographs and descriptions have been reprinted with permission from Peter Howard's book Barbecued! Published by New Holland Publishers Australia.

Last updated: January 14th, 2003