Grilling Equipment

Tools All tools that are going to be used over intense heat should be long-handled and easy to use. Two pairs of tongs are ideal: one for raking and sorting out the coals, and the other for turning and moving the food about. A wide spatula is essential for turning flat items such as steaks. One unconventional but useful piece of barbecue equipment is a pizza server with a long tubular handle. It is perfect for moving large pieces of food such as fish, and banana leaf parcels. Avoid using forks, which will tear fragile foods and cause juices from the food to flow on to the coals.

Skewers and Spikes A range of skewers in various thicknesses and lengths, as well as cocktail sticks (toothpicks) are vital. Wooden and bamboo skewers need to be pre-soaked in cold water for 30 minutes before use, to prevent them scorching too quickly. Another tip to prevent them burning is to lay the filled skewers on the grill so that exposed ends overlap pieces of meat or vegetable on adjacent skewers. You can easily make your own spikes from thoroughly washed rosemary, apple, cherry or pear twigs and sugarcane spikes also make ideal skewers. Buy sugarcane from ethnic stores or markets, chop through the length carefully using a cleaver or cook's knife, split into 1cm/½ in shards and soak for about 1 hour before use.

Trays, Dishes, Grills and Racks Have on hand metal trays for conveying food to the barbecue - use separate trays for raw and cooked food. For marinating or salting, you will need shallow, non-corrosive dishes and bowls. (Do not use aluminum or metal ones as they may react to the acid in the marinade.) They should be large enough to hold the food in a single layer. Long, shallow dishes are also handy for soaking wooden skewers.

Hinged wire grills that close completely over the food are useful for small items such as chipolata sausages and burgers, as they can be turned over together. Hinged fish holders are excellent for ensuring that small fish and fillets remain intact when turning. There are also larger ones for fish such as sea bass, mackerel or trout, which are cooked whole. Perforated grill baskets are excellent for grilling thinly sliced and small vegetables, such as onions, which might otherwise disappear through the bars of the grill. Wire or metal racks are extremely useful for improvised beach barbecues. Pick them up in bric-a-brac shops, or use an oven rack.

Drip Trays and Foil When cooking by indirect heat, drip trays are essential for placing under the food to catch the juices. Buy disposable foil trays or use shaped heavy-duty foil. If you can reach the juices in the drip tray easily, use them to baste the food during cooking, or use them afterwards to drizzle over the cooked food when serving. Use your judgment when deciding whether the juices are suitable for this purpose. If meat has cooked for a long time and all that remains is murky fat, then throw it away, but the cooking juices will often have excellent flavor and be well worth using as a sauce. Make sure you have a good supply of regular and heavy-duty foil. If your barbecue doesn't have a lid, you can make one out of tented heavy-duty foil, or use a wok lid.

Brushes A long-handled basting brush is very useful for cooking on a barbecue and a griddle. Herb brushes, made by tying together twigs of thyme, bay, rosemary, savory or sage, are wonderful for basting. Soak them in oil for a few hours beforehand. They will not only flavor the oil used for brushing or basting the ingredients, but the soaked twigs can be burnt afterwards to fill the air with a gentle aroma. When you are barbecuing, a strong wire brush is useful for removing food residue from the grill rack before washing.

Other Equipment You will also need kitchen paper, string (twine), raffia and long-handled matches.