What have you learned through working with Monolith?

When I was barbecuing in the early days, I was always apprehensive, following the guide to light the coals and remembering to wait for them to turn white before you’re ready to cook. But was I going to start it too soon, have a flare up and burn the food? Or was I leaving it too long and the coals were going to fade and I would need to replenish and start over? With Monolith there’s none of that. You’re much more in control of the heat; cooking times are predictable and it’s so much more of an enjoyable experience.

What’s been the favourite part of your kamado journey?

I love the fire plate, which sits on the stainless-steel plated rim of the Monolith base. I see it as a real asset, and I can see myself doing a lot of cooking with it because you’ve got a very fast and fierce heat in the centre and then a more gentle area to the outside where you can let things relax. The fire plate is so versatile – you can cook fish, steaks and vegetables on it. You can sear them so they’re crisp and charred on the outside and then use the cloche to steam and soften, so, yet again, you’re so much more in control.

As a celebrated chef, how do you see barbecue within your industry?

During my time as a professional chef, I rarely cooked over open fire, but the last 10 years I have seen a dramatic change and BBQ cooking has really come to the fore in the professional arena. Many restaurateurs have taken the barbecue elements inside. There are some big-name chefs out there now cooking exclusively over fire. It’s a huge skill and steep learning curve but the quality that results – the layers of flavour and the taste profiles of the meat, fish and vegetables as they pick up the chargrilled aroma – is phenomenal. Cooking over charcoal is certainly on trend and I think it’s here to stay.

What would you say to those starting out on their barbecue adventure?

Keep it simple to start with and just grill a couple of steaks or roast a chicken. Remember that a chicken will roast in the same time at the same temperature whether you put it in your kitchen oven or on your Monolith kamado. But cook to temperature, not to time and use a temperature probe if you’re unsure.

Next, start to play around by adding a few veggies and learn about how you can use the Smart Grid System to create different heat profiles such as direct heat and indirect heat. 

There have been many books written about barbecue cooking and it can be easy to read too much, so don’t be afraid to just get stuck in and enjoy the process. If you have even the most rudimentary skills in your home kitchen, then there’s absolutely no reason why you cannot master a barbecue like this. Outdoor cooking is about fun with friends and family, so the most important thing is to enjoy the experience.