It’s that time of the year when interest in barbecue recipes begins to sizzle. It begins in November, peaks in December and January, and then slowly wanes through to May. At my place, however, the barbecue is used throughout the year. When I say “barbecue” I actually mean “barbecues” because while some people over 50 collect cars, tools or golf clubs, we seem to collect barbecues. At least the woman I love does. When I suggested dumping our second monolith of a fan-driven charcoal beast, the reaction was both fast and furious.

In fact, the only time I get to even hold the tongs at our house is when seafood or chicken is being cooked, or once a year when I get to fire up the charcoal-fuelled mini spit. The rest of the time it’s hard to wrestle them off my wife, who channels her dear late dad at the grill. Even on wet winter nights, you’ll see her wrapped up in a coat and scarf studiously turning the chops or standing waiting until the grill gets hot enough to ensure the perfect sear stripes on the steak. 

If you’re ready to get your grill on for the season ahead, allow me to fire up your imagination with our top barbecue recipes.

BARBECUE BUGS 

Our number-one recipe is a rather joyous shock. I say joyous because Moreton Bay bugs are my favourite thing to cook on the barbecue, eclipsing more expensive ingredients such as lobster or Wagyu. In my view, they need little more than a squeeze of lemon, or a drizzle of garlic butter hit with a little chopped oregano and a few thyme leaves as in Matt Moran’s recipe here. Bugs take about 5-8 minutes to cook, depending on their size, and the only danger is overcooking them. So always err on the side of caution and take them off a little early. Remember the residual heat of the shell will continue to cook the flesh after their removal from the heat.

BARBECUE LAMB

We don’t feature lamb backstraps very often but given how quick they are to cook – a couple of minutes each side – and because cutlets are now pushing up into the same price range as backstrap, they are becoming more popular. In fact, they feature as the protein element in our second most popular barbecue recipe: a Moroccan-inspired butter lettuce salad of couscous, almonds and loads of mint and coriander with a spicy harissa dressing. Meanwhile, lamb legs are really good value for money – often from as little as $12 a kilo (bone in) – and are perfect in a simple dish like Rick Stein’s butterflied leg of lamb, marinated in lemon, garlic, thyme and a little fresh chilli. Remember to bring the meat to room temperature before searing on a pre-heated barbecue grill, and leave time for the lamb to rest before carving. While some recipes will tell you that you only need seven to 12 minutes on each side for a boned 2.5kg leg, it often takes longer, so I recommend starting the cooking process a little earlier.

BARBECUE FISH

We seem a bit reticent about cooking fish on the barbecue in Australia – or maybe we’re actually reticent about cleaning the grill afterwards. Valli Little’s recipe for whole baked snapper with ginger and chilli, and delicious.com.au’s recipe for a side of salmon cooked with herbs and capers, are undoubtedly both hits because the fish is wrapped in baking paper and foil, so no juices escape.

Related story: Matt Preston’s 6 favourite roast dinner recipes

BARBECUE PRAWNS

There are two prawn dishes in our top five barbecue recipes. One of those is Jamie Oliver’s Asian-style prawn racks, in which three prawns are skewered side by side, making them much easier to turn. The marinade is that classic combination of sweet chilli sauce, lime juice, fish sauce and coriander stems with a little fresh chilli and ginger. This would usually be a barbecue no-no given the amount of burnable sugars in the sweet chilli sauce, but because prawns cook in a few minutes and are turned every 30 seconds, it’s not an issue here. It feels ironic that the other prawn dish in the top five is from celebrity butcher Anthony Puharich. He marinates prawns in coconut oil, chilli, garlic and ginger. Splitting the prawns lengthwise makes it simpler to remove the poo shoot, and Puharich cooks them on a baking tray on the grill for an easier clean-up.

BARBECUE CHICKEN

Chicken only sneaks into our list of top barbecue dishes as an addition (rubbed in a mix of cumin, coriander and smoked paprika) to a charred corn and kipfler potato salad, or on skewers with chunks of eggplant with a coriander and green chilli yoghurt dressing. The fact that the chicken is brushed with Indian brinjal (eggplant) chutney makes me think you might not even miss it on those skewers if it weren’t there. If you want more barbecue inspiration that puts chicken centre stage, then you will, of course, find tasty recipes for barbecuing just about anything at delicious.com.au.

Related story: Matt Preston on how to keep the flame alive this BBQ season