5 Genius Barbecue Hacks

A British summer is a wonderful thing! When it’s warm and the sky’s blue, 80% of the population rush to gather outside with friends and family to feast alfresco. You never know how long the sun will stick around, so cram as much fun and flavour as possible into every hour with our genius barbecue hacks, guaranteed to blow your mind!

Try a bed of citrus fruit

Who knew? If you slice and lay lemon, orange or lime over your grill, then place fillets on top, the citrus flavours infuse the fish, as well as protecting it from sticking to the rack. Just make sure your fruit slices are at least ¼ inch thick so they’re sturdy enough to support your seafood.

Barbecue your mussels

Surely you can’t barbecue mussels? Wrong! For a more rustic approach to moules mariniere, use tin foil to create an oval bowl, using multiple sheets to ensure its strong enough. Spread out the ingredients (mussels, shallots, garlic, parsley and butter) into the foil bowl, pour in your white wine, season and seal with another sheet of foil so the mussels can steam. When placed on the barbecue, your mussels should begin to open after about 10 minutes. Carefully opening the parcel (watch out for hot steam!), pour in double cream and cook for a further 10 minutes without sealing the parcel so the barbecue flavours can work their magic.

Barbecuing seafood is a wonderful way to cook it!

Make a smoker

Smoked fish is incredible – the combination of flavours beats frying, roasting and steaming fins down! If you don’t have a smoker box at home, they’re super simple to make. This process slowly cooks your seafood using indirect heat to deliver a taste like no other. Why not make your own DIY smoker – simply fill a good quality roasting pan with wood chips and cover with a sheet of foil and then a wire rack. Place your fish of choice inside (always skin-side down), then cover with more foil or lid and place on your barbecue. Oily fish works incredibly well as they absorb all the smoky flavours – we love salmon and mackerel the most!

Stuff a whole fish

Melt-in-the-mouth seafood is easily achieved on the barbecue, especially if you cook it whole! To make a real statement with flavour, take your whole, gutted fish and fill it with anything you love – fresh herbs, ginger, lemongrass, rosemary, curry paste… the list goes on! A wonderful way of keeping fish extra juicy and succulent, is to wrap it in several layers of newspaper before soaking the parcel in water and placing it on the barbecue. Don’t worry, it won’t catch fire and will leave a gorgeous, smoky flavour. Serve with crusty bread and that’s heaven on a plate!

Fish cooked on the barbecue with crusty bread!

Use Rosemary Sticks

Seafood kebabs on the barbecue are a firm favourite with the whole family, especially with a delicious marinade, but we imagine you haven’t come across this idea before! Instead of using regular wooden skewers for your kebabs, use rosemary sticks. Make sure your stalks are at least 6 inches long and strip off the leaves. Slice the end of the stalk at a diagonal angle so you have a sharp tip, then thread on your seafood of choice – sturdy options like prawns and monkfish are great – drizzle over a marinade and barbecue.

Not only do we deliver the freshest, finest Cornish fish and shellfish to your door, we aim to inspire everyone to enjoy it at home. It’s nutritious, delicious, easy to cook and as you’ve read above, really versatile. Say goodbye to scalded sausages and boring burgers and revolutionise your barbecue with sensational seafood!