PRODUCT REVIEW
Magnificent Seven
When he is not playing Premiership rugby for Northampton
Saints, JAMIE GIBSON loves to cook outdoors. Here he
picks some of his favourite BBQ products
1
TRAEGER GRILL: An amazing
piece of kit if you want something
simple, lots of control and the
benefit of a subtle wood smoke, with
some models Wi-Fi controllable. You can
pick which wood pellets you use and all it
takes to get started is to plug it in, add
the pellets and choose your temperature.
You’ll struggle to grill or sear on it, but it’s
perfect for roasting a single rib of beef to
51°C before throwing directly onto
charcoal for a quick ‘dirty’ sear. The grate
is a perfect size for a full side of salmon.
Think hot smoked with a maple glaze in
the summer or cold smoke with a brandy
cure perfect for festive canapés. Get
yourself a cold smoke generator too.
2
THUROS T1: Small, portable and
with a high quality build from
stainless steel. Our grill has sat
outside in all elements for four years and
with a wipe down you wouldn’t know it
wasn’t new. Loads of accessories, from a
skewer set to rotisserie, water bath and
smoking attachment. Finish joints of meat
roasted or smoked in the Traeger, or just
bank up the coals to white hot and throw
your steak straight on for a fiery flavour.
3
THERMAPEN: You’ll
revolutionise the way you cook
when you start cooking to
temperature and not time. This is one of
my first recommendations when I get
asked what you need to get into
cooking. The Thermapen reads to 0.1
degree within three seconds, is
waterproof and the screen lights up so
you can use it in the dark. You’ll realise
how useful that is when you start
barbecuing regularly during the winter.
Takes all the stress out of cooking for
friends when you know your roast
chicken is genuinely cooked or your beef
wellington hasn’t gone dry.
4
I.O. SHEN MASTERGRADE
KNIVES: A proper knife will
transform your enjoyment of the
whole cooking process, whether it’s
speeding up the prep or showing off
your carving. I.O. Shen knives combine a
Japanese blade with a western grip; I
love how they balance in the hand, and
no matter how hard you use them, they’ll
never give up on you. The Maoui Deba is
my favourite all-round knife, but the
Suraisu is a truly extraordinary blade.
Brandy-cured salmon canapés
5
KAMADO JOE: Fire is a hard
taskmaster, but learning how to
control it is one of the most
rewarding things you can do. The Kamado
Joe gives you the best opportunity to
learn. The two-inch thick ceramics hold
heat and contain moisture brilliantly, while
the divide and conquer system brings
flexibility. Smoke at 80°C for two days or
crank up the coals to white hot for a quick
sear. If you’re looking for something that
genuinely can do everything then this is it.
6
LOOFTLIGHTER: There is
nothing more frustrating than
struggling to light up your
barbecue. The looftlighter requires an
electricity source, but so long as one’s at
hand, you’ll have a fire burning within 90
seconds and white hot charcoal within five
minutes, stress free. Even better – if you’re
struggling to get a proper crackling on
your roast pork, run the looftlighter across
the skin once you’ve finished cooking for
a minute or so and it’ll crackle beautifully.
7
OONI: Portable and a lot of fun.
The Ooni uses wood pellets or
gas, takes 10 minutes to get to
300°C and just over a minute to cook a
pizza; good with anything else that wants
to be cooked hot and fast. We’ve had so
much fun with ours from cooking fajitas
on the beach to marshmallow & Nutella
calzone in the woods.
Moroccan spiced flatbreads
Saddleback leg of pork from the
Traeger with I.O. Shen knives
Read Jamie Gibsons’s food blog at www.butterwouldntmelt.com and
his wife Lizzie’s baking and crafting blog www.cocoaandcotton.co.uk
BBQ | Spring 2020 | 09