When it came to caring for my pet hamster I would not say my mother was negligent, just somewhat careless. I would keep Hampstead’s cage clean on a day-to-day basis and every so often my mother would give it a thorough scrub in the scullery. It was on these occasions that misfortune always seemed to befall my tiny rodent friend. Whatever receptacle my mother fashioned to contain the plucky pet he managed an escape. My mother would also never tell us, I presume she believed the hamster would eventually see the error of his ways and climb back in his cage. To be fair he did always turn up again. One particular night my sister and I were watching TV either side of my mother on the sofa. My sister jumped up screaming and we both turned in horror to see a bump moving with great speed inside the back of the sofa. The hamster emerged about a week later, his cheeks so full of wadding we had to pull it out with tweezers.
Which leads me onto Father’s Day 1974. This was before the dawn of the barbecuing as we now know it, but that did not stop my Dad cooking in the great outdoors; well a grate just outside our kitchen door to be more precise. My Dad loved a bonfire and Father’s Day was an excuse to be indulgent; but actually it did not matter what time of year it was, he was out there grilling sausages over the flames and trying to retrieve foil wrapped jacket potatoes from the piping pit. On this particular evening the fire was built and my father was just about to drop a match on the pile; or pyre as it suddenly appeared to be, when my mother came screaming through the house into the garden and threw herself on the mass of dried garden debris. Her hunch was correct and Hampstead was discovered balled-up blissfully unaware of his near fatal-fiery-fate.
I have always been mistrustful of barbecues and not because of any childhood traumas; it just doesn’t seem to make any sense to me when you have a perfectly good kitchen. Dads, however, love doing it so here are a few tips for some quick grilled, gourmet delectations.
Duck is delicious barbecued and cooks through much more thoroughly than chicken but if you are worried about legs grill some breast fillets marinated in apple juice and thyme.
Buy a dressed crab from Moxons or F. C. Sopers, dab on some knobs of butter and a little grated garlic, if you like, and pop shell side down on the grill for around 5 minutes. Whilst you are at the fishmongers get some scallops and monkfish for fish kebabs. Alternate monkfish and scallops on the skewer with a few cubes of ciabbatta wrapped in smoky bacon. If you are using wooden skewers remember to soak them in water first to stop them igniting.
If you are lucky enough to have any waste cedar wood lying around this adds a wonderful aroma to barbecued food. Soak the wood in water for at least two hours before adding onto the hot coals. Cedar Salmon tastes amazing grilled this way.
Fleshy fruit is delicious barbecued. Slice or cube watermelon, mango, pineapple, banana etc and marinade in your favourite liqueur. Grill until the fruit starts to caramelise and serve with ice cream.
Get grilling Dads!
This article first appeared in the June issues of the SE group of magazines www.semagazines.co.uk
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