The Thrill of the Grill.

Photo: Alan Benson from MoVida
by Frank Camorra and Richard
Cornish.
Murdoch Books,
AU$45, ISBN 9781921259395.THE HEAT IS ON

Chef-owner Frank Camorra of MoVida (1 Hosier Lane, Melbourne, tel: +61 (3) 9663 3038), the most exciting Spanish restaurant in Melbourne – and perhaps Australia – shares his tips for the perfect barbecue. He’s wielding the tongs at Connex Sizzle! The Great Aussie BBQ, a Melbourne Food & Wine Festival event on Saturday, 1 March (11am–5pm).

What are your tips for the best barbecue?
Use charcoal or quality wood briquettes for the best flavour results. Like any cooking, always use the best quality meat and ingredients. Always marinate your meats. Only cook what you plan to eat, and eat straight away so that your food is hot and at its best. Find some great friends and family to join you.

What’s your favourite thing to throw on the barbie?
We do fantastic Moorish skewers (pinchitos morunos) at MoVida – they’re intensely marinated with herbs, spices and Spanish sherry… definitely a favourite of mine and our customers.

What’s your seasoning rub of choice?
A combination of Spanish paprika, cumin, turmeric, Spanish sherry and garlic.

Other star chefs appearing with Frank Camorra at Sizzle! at Federation Square’s Yarra Riverbank include Neil Perry and Khan Dennis (Rockpool), Michael Lambie (Taxi), Clair Feig (Richmond Hill Café & Larder), Leigh Neville (Epicure Catering) and Ping Yan Yeung (Silks). Free entry.

DRESSED TO KILL

Make a statement with these aprons from Alperstein Designs
(AU$21.95, www.alpersteindesigns.com.au).

BURNING BRIGHT

Add atmosphere and illumination to your barbie with these handy lamps. The retro-looking Spinifex Eco 24 LED Dynamo lantern from Anaconda (AU$79.97, tel: 1300 669 137) is portable, energy-saving and provides five hours of light.
The Eveready Dolphin Lantern is celebrating 40 years in Australia with the Mk 6 – reverting to a more angular shape, but with new, 30% brighter Xenon bulbs.
Available in yellow only, AU$17.99 from major retailers.

FIRE IT UP

From portable kettles to state-of-the-art built-in barbecues with the works, there’s a model to set every barbecuer’s heart ablaze. The portable Barbecues Galore Table Top Charcoal Kettle (AU$29.99, tel: 1300 227 237) is for intimate gatherings, the Coleman Roadtrip LXE will make you the subject of everyone’s envy
(AU$299.99 at Anaconda, tel: 1300 669 137), while the Director 6 shows you mean business (AU$699 from Bunnings).

BUG OFF

Barbecues are great for
get-togethers but that invite
doesn’t extend to mosquitoes
and insects. Keep them at bay
for 48 hours with these colourful
anti-mosquito and anti-insect
silicone bands with natural
citronella essence. AU$7.95 for
a twin pack at Kmart, chemists
and outdoor stores. Protect the
kids’ skin with the fun-to-apply
Invisible Zinc Roll-On Lotion
with SPF 30+, from David
Jones and other pharmacies
(AU$19.95, tel: +61 (8) 9384
9206).

SOMETHING SAUCY

Splash some flavour onto
your meats with these
great sauces. Jim Beam fans
will love the mild salsa and
hot sauce (from AU$9.95,
available at BarWorld, Knox
City, 425 Burwood Hwy, Wantirna South, Victoria) while
Coles stocks Outback Spirit (from AU$2.99) in flavours
such as bush tomato basil chutney and lemon myrtle
coconut chilli sauce. For purists, there’s Raw Materials
Classic Tomato Sauce without any artifi cial additives or
even tomato paste (available from speciality stores and
gourmet butchers, tel: +61 (3) 9689 0466).

NOT SUCH A NUTS IDEA

Imagine an environmentally-friendly
fuel made from coconut shells! This
is no flight of fancy – at double the
burn time of charcoal, Cocochef
grill brikettes produce a flame-free,
spark-free heat and less smoke.
Now that’s a hot idea. AU$5.99 for
a 2kg box at Bunnings nationwide.

TOOL TIME

You need the best tools to do the
job right, like Bodum’s Grill Tool Set
(AU$89.95, tel: 1800 209 999) and
the stainless steel Eva Solo carving
set, from Bristol & Brooks (Shop 8,
Chifley Plaza, 2 Chifley Sq, Sydney,
tel: +61 (2) 9232 8699) at AU$220.

A survey of 1,000 participants
(undertaken by a third party
for BeefEater, Australia’s
award-winning barbecuemaker)
revealed the following
results: 

• 97% reported owning
  a barbecue grill.
• 85% of Australians
  prefer cooking
  outdoors on a barbecue over
  a kitchen indoors.
• 62% of females faced
  resistance from a
  male when they wanted to get
  behind the grill. 
• 54% of respondents
  believe men
  are instinctively better at
  barbecuing than women.
• 50% name the aroma
  of a barbecue as
  their favourite summer smell.
• 44% of females say their
  partner usually receives
  all the recognition despite over 65%
  of them doing the shopping, inviting,
  salads and sides, and cleaning up.
• 35% of males invite others
  around to show off
  their barbecue grill!