There is something irresistable about eating al fresco. Like being at the beach always makes me hungrier, eating outside makes everything taste infinitely more delicious. Somehow, barbecues always feel like a lot less work and a lot more fun.

Perhaps I’m too busy anticipating that first too-hot bite when the flavours of sun and wind and woodsmoke battle it out for supremacy, followed by the succulent braai juices bursting out and making a bee-line for your taste buds. Really, if food manufacturers could bottle the essence of braai, msg, e-numbers and genuine-real-flavour-like additives would be a thing of the past.

So if I can just get this BBQ grid out without breaking a nail, I could clean it out and lay a new fire. BBQ Lesson Number One: Always make sure the old coals are cleared out first. Oops! Well the grid is loose but I now have the remnants of Sunday night’s BBQ all down the front of my white linen trousers. Should’ve put some jeans on I admit to myself with the 20 / 20 clarity of hindsight. I clear out the last of the old coals and lay a new fire. Strike a match and away we go. Only it won’t catch. The paper has all burned and the coals still aren’t lit. Now I know I’m no boy scout (well obviously) but I do know how to lay a fire. And I only took one or two shortcuts, like not using kindling to bridge the gap between paper and coals. Did I say so much less work? What was I thinking? Oh yes, I was thinking about the succulent juices. Now I’m going to have to empty it out and start again. Or not. Rory’s just arrived home. BBQ Lesson Number Two: never turn down a y-chromosome in a crisis. After all, man did discover fire, so I figure he has the home-court advantage.

Confident the fire is now in capable hands I concentrate on the important bit. There are an infinite number of marinades and basting sauces you could use on the barbecue, but we have managed to distil it down to two basic flavours. Something with red wine, onions garlic and some form of sugar (for that caramelised tang on red meat and chicken), or garlic and herbs with butter or a little olive oil, for everything else. The flavour du jour is garlic butter as it is so good with veggies. While the coals settle I scrub, chop, wrap, season, peel and baste.

Right, I’m ready to go. There are two main methods of cooking. Tinfoil wrapped packages go into the coals and everything else goes onto the grill. The familiar choreography of baste and turn, dodge the smoke, baste again, back around for another pass, flows smoothly from my fingertips. I am the sensei of smoke, the sifu of sizzle. I call it the braai kata. Oh dear, I can’t see! There’s smoke in my eye. Vowing to absolutely, positively borrow my daughter’s swimming goggles next time we barbecue, I manage to rescue a slightly overdone piece of butternut, despite my swimming orbs. I am, after all, utterly professional.

Catching everything else just in time, running mascara notwithstanding, I serve up supper. Butternut ‘burgers’ with sage and garlic butter, garlic brushed courgettes, baby carrots with thyme and honey butter, baked sweet potato and coal-roasted butternut stuffed with red onions and sage.

The coals are burning down and the plates are gratifyingly empty (except for one small, slightly overdone piece of butternut). The children have dashed off to play until it gets dark, that last magical time warp hour of summer evenings, and I’ve just remembered what I love most about barbecues…hardly any washing up.

Recipes

Barbecued Vegetables (or WTSIM…meatless BBQ)

Butternut

• thinly slice rounds of butternut and brush with garlic & sage butter. This is just butter whizzed up with garlic, fresh sage and seasoning. Grill on the barbecue, basting with added butter as you cook. Sprinkle with a little fresh seasoning and serve
• when you get to the bowl of the butternut, hollow out the seeds and discard.
• stuff the gourd with a mix of chopped red onions, garlic and sage
• season and top up with fresh stock.
• double wrap in tin foil, being careful to keep it the right way up, and bake in the coals
• The stock will soak into the buternut as it cooks, adding a delicious complexity of flavour

Sweet Potato

• prick a whole sweet potato with a fork and double wrap in tinfoil
• bake until soft and then serve with garlic and herb butter, or my favourite - butter with fresh garlic, chilli and ginger.

Courgettes

• slice courgettes on the diagonal (not too thin or they will just go sloppy)
• brush with garlic butter and grill until it becomes opaque
• The delicious smoky taste would be perfectly complimented with a little crumbled feta and some fresh chilli, or just eat as is.

Baby carrots

• Scrub and trim new carrots and wrap in double foil with butter, honey, thyme and seasoning.
• Place foil parcel in the coals and cook until softened.
• The honey will caramelise and make a delicate sweet herb glaze

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