The Big Green Egg bus will be at Newlyns Food Festival on Saturday 7th July at Newlyns Farm Shop in North Warnborough, near Hook.

Admission is free and there is no need to book – just come along and see us there. It will be a great day for the whole family – see behind the scenes of the farm, get hands on in the cookery school kitchen and make your own Newlyns burgers – and if you need a Big Green Egg of your own to cook them on – you can order one in store! There will also be childrens cookery activities, butchery demonstrations and tractor and trailor rides around the farm to keep the kids amused.

Date: Saturday 7 July, 10am-3pm
Venue: Newlyns Farm Shop, Lodge Farm, North Warnborough, Hook RG29 1PA
Price: Free admission

www.newlyns-farmshop.co.uk    Telephone: 01256 704128

An a la carte menu, quite simply means a menu with dishes in set courses – the menu being decided in advance that might run without change for weeks or more.

The menu at Morston Hall is created on a daily basis.  The seven course menu (from canapés to petit fours) is often only finalised by head chef Richard Bainbridge  half an hour before the guests sit down.  Richard plans the menus no more than a day in advance and often waits to see what his suppliers turn up with on the day – he will then create his signature dishes from the freshest local ingredients from 9 vegetable suppliers, 12 meat suppliers and 4 fish suppliers (“I am always on the phone – calling the fishermen while they are out on their boats, seeing what they will be bringing in later”).

When he was younger, Richard couldn’t decide between being a postman or becoming a chef – anyone who has tasted his food will be very glad he chose the latter.  Even cutting his finger off didn’t deter him (it was sewn back on I hasten to add) and became his opening gambit with Great British Menu chef Galton Blackiston (owner of Morston Hall) when they first met at the Norfolk Show during a cookery demonstration.

As we wait for the summer sun to rise we, like the ancients before us, wait to call our people together and gather in celebration around the altar of the sacred fire: The Barbecue!  We are lucky that so many people enjoy the ceramic masterfulness of the Big Green Egg and we believe in good food cooked simply.

Everyone loves a burger.  We have garnered some top tips for the best burger that will see you through the summer and beyond – with over forty years of experience cooking on the Big Green Egg, here is what we have found…

* Forget complex burgers – the secret of a great burger is the quality of the meat you use.  Try not to use frozen or pre-made burgers, but try and make your own or source from farmers markets or butchers.

*  In ground beef, the fat and  lean meat of the whole cut have been worked together in a grinder – and as the ground beef hits the heat of the grid the meat will initially contract and then expand and release their juices and flavours.

*  Try chilling the meat in the fridge for half an hour or so before making the burgers – you don’t want the heat of your hands to melt away the fat as you shape them.  Try not to compress the meat too much.  If not cooking immediately, put the burgers back in the fridge until you need them.

*  After you take the burgers off the heat once cooked, let them rest and redistribute their juices for a couple of minutes – just like you would a steak or other meat.

*  Get the temperature of the EGG nice and hot (see below) – you are aiming to sear the meat really quickly so you have great colour on the outside – and if you are adding cheese, do this while the burgers are still on the EGG so it starts to melt slightly.

*  2 lbs high quality ground beef with salt and pepper to season will serve between 4-6 people.  Cook by direct grilling on the Cast Iron Searing Grid at 375f – 190c for 4-6 minutes both sides for medium rare to rare.

Hilary Meyer, Associate Food Editor of Eating Well magazine in America recalls -

‘In culinary school I learned how to barbecue chicken “the right way.” It involved closely monitoring a live fire on a charcoal grill, keeping the flame low and painstakingly checking the temperature. If it was too hot, the skin would burn. And if I kept it on too long, the chicken would be dry and stringy—kind of like eating dental floss.   Of course if the results were perfect, it was a pleasure to eat. But you don’t have to go through all that hoopla to enjoy delicious chicken.’

We couldn’t agree more – cooking chicken on the Big Green Egg couldn’t be easier and you will be assured great tasting, moist chicken every time.  Check out our instructional recipe video on this website for the Perfect Roast Chicken – or how about cooking chicken using beer?  Have a look at two of our many EGG-cessories – Sittin Chicken and Beer Can Chicken Rack if you want to try it for yourself!

‘Like a barbie, but better: The Big Green Egg can griddle, roast, and smoke food – and even make pizza’.   We are delighted by the article in today’s issue of The Independent – click here to read more:

http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/food-and-drink/features/like-a-barbie-but-better-the-big-green-egg-can-griddle-roast-and-smoke-food–and-even-make-pizza-7808561.html