Blur's Alex James reveals top barbecue cooking tips and recipes

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Use a thermometer to guarantee that the meat is cooked accurately
Baste hot meat with dressing as soon as as it's off the barbecue
Bassist admits to pairing roast beef or grouse with Frazzles

Published: 05:33 EST, 12 June 2015 | Updated: 06:09 EST, 12 June 2015

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Planning the perfect barbecue? You could do no worse than taking a few pointers from Alex James, Blur bassist turned food writer and cheese maker.

The 46-year-old took time out of his busy schedule to share his top tips for a perfect grilled meat-fest with FEMAIL.

Along with advising flame-grillers to wrap food in tin foil before throwing it on the heat, he also suggests marinating after cooking, not before, and using a fireproof bucket or chimney to light coals quickly.

A man of many talents: Bassist turned writer, cheese maker and food connoisseur Alex James

James believes the most important element of good cooking is good ingredients

THROW THE PERFECT BBQ

Get Prepared: Preparation is always the key to success, so make sure you've got everything you need ready to go and in the right place. There’s nothing more annoying than having to run back to the kitchen while you’re cooking.

Make sure the coals are ready: You don’t want any yellow flames. They are full of bitter tasting soot.

Use tin foil: You can cook just about anything on any fire if you wrap it in enough tinfoil.

Marshmallows: Always far nicer than you think they are going to be; a lovely way to round things off. Get the biggest ones you can find and shove a chunk of chocolate in the middle.

Get everyone to help: Everyone loves getting involved so make the most of it.

Watermelon: A real crowd pleaser: cut watermelon into chunks and grill as you would a steak. Unusually good.

He said: ‘A chimney is a fireproof bucket that sits on the barbecue that you can use to light coals quickly.’

‘You simply fill it with charcoal and stick a couple of fire-lighters underneath. You're ready to go when the top layer has turned white.’

His other trick is to use a meat thermometer when cooking over coals.

'I don't know how I managed without one of these.

'It's hard to know what's happening beneath the surface of your meat. Using a meat thermometer guarantees accurate cooking,' he said.

And while we've all been told to marinate meat before cooking, James is from the 'after is better' school of thought.

'I find marinades just drip off on to the coals and burn. It’s better to make a dressing and hit your meat with it immediately after cooking.

'It will suck up all the moisture wonderfully while it’s hot.'

The reinvention from much-lusted after rock God to equally lusted-after farmer, cheese-maker and proponent of home grown produce has seen the father-of-five team up with Red Tractor in the UK's biggest ever barbecue promotion which will culminate in August's Big Feastival, held on his farm and organised by Jamie Oliver.

James with his Ultimate Burger, a thin beef patty topped with fried onions, cheese and a fried egg

The collaboration came about because James believes good ingredients are the most important element of good cooking, and food should be able to be traced to where it came from.

But while all this is very noble, surely the provenance of food is a middle-class luxury?

‘Food is entirely classless on the continent; it's a peculiarity of this country that food can be a class issue,’ he counters.

‘It's really a question of training and education - you can cook delicious things very affordably with basic skills. I cook with my kids all the time, we're big fans of beans on toast in our house.

'I think in France, Italy and Spain, and indeed most of Europe, bishops and postmen eat from the same menu.

‘I do believe that the most important element of good cooking is good ingredients,’ he says.

'Britain has perhaps the highest farming standards in the world and that's why Red Tractor is important because it represents best practice.

‘Seeing the logo on food means that it's fully traceable back to the very farm it came from and that's exactly what I'm here to tell people.'

IN THE BRAIN OF ALEX JAMES: FEMAIL SPEAKS TO THE BLUR BASSIST ABOUT FRAZZLES, BUTTER ANXIETY AND WHY DAMON ALBARN IS A STILTON

Between cheese, Blur's new album Magic Whip, your columns and family, where do you find the time?

'If you want something doing, ask a busy person.

'Really though it all comes down to food and music and children. Monks have been making food and music for centuries, and they are both sound lifestyle choices. I have five kids so there's literally no such thing as spare time in my world.'

What do you cook for your children?

Pizza. It's taken me ten years to grow the ingredients. Start off with a simple dough – the kids love rolling it out. Then add tomato sauce, oregano and mozzarella and pop it into a searing hot oven.

Then get your pepperoni on halfway through cooking. Making the ingredients is easy. I've grown that pizza from the ground up. Getting the oven hot enough is the challenge. You need a furnace. My record to cook a pizza is 18 seconds. You need the dough to explode to get the crunch and puff.'

What's your guilty food secret?

'Frazzles. I love a frazzle. Very nice with roast beef or grouse. What's not to like?'

The five things you must have in your fridge

'Cheese of course.

'Stock. Having stock makes me feel safe, I can cope with anything if I've got stock in the fridge. It's a wonderful resource. Once you get into making stocks, there's no going back.

'Eggs – and good eggs at that. We go to great lengths making eggs on the farm; we have chickens, geese and ducks.

The worst egg you can produce yourself is a million times better than the best egg you can buy off the shelf. Utterly delicious.

'Good milk. Our local pub has a Guernsey milk machine, you put your money in and it squirts you out a bottle. So I don't mind popping out for milk.

'The fifth item would be either butter or flour; there's not much you can't make with eggs, milk, butter and flour.

The best way to improve your cooking is to improve the quality of those ingredients.

'You have to have a spare butter – one out and one in the fridge, otherwise I start to get panicky.'

Are there any foods you dislike?

'What I've learned as a food writer is that more or less anything can be horrible, and anything can be delicious.

The definition of a great restaurant is one where you can order something you don't like and feel confident that it will be delicious.

There are a handful of restaurants in the world where I can do that, but only a handful.

The most horrible thing I've ever eaten is raw fish tongue in Japan.

That was like eating your own tongue. Like being kissed in a really weird way. It was all wrong.

They serve it at room temperature as well. Rene Redzepi did me a fish eye once though and it was very nice!

What is your favourite cheese and wine pairing?

'I would choose beer over wine to pair with cheese every day. Any cheese can be improved by any beer - lager, IPA, stout - it all works.

The wonderful thing about eating cheese with beer – is that the bubbles in the beer clean your tongue with every sip. The last mouthful tastes as good as the first.'

Describe yourself and the rest of Blur as foods

'Albarn is Stilton; you either love him or you hate him. When you like him you really like him; a great national delicacy.

'Coxon would be a soufflé; he’s a central casting musical genius and the culinary equivalent would have to be the delicate and ultimate expression of chefery. Just as Graham is the ultimate musician but is very delicate.

'Rowntree would be a polenta; vegetarian and slightly obscure. But if you put the effort in, it pays off big time.

And I would be a bucket of vindaloo.'

The Red Tractor BBQ promotion will feature on packs of poultry, meat, vegetables and breads until 14th June 2015. To take part visit www.redtractor.org.uk. 150 winners will win VIP tickets to a BBQ party at Alex James' farm.

RECIPES: COOK LIKE ALEX JAMES

Roast beef with Yorkshire puddings

PROPER ROAST BEEF AND YORKSHIRE PUDDINGS

Ingredients: One whole rolled topside beef; one celeriac; salt

For Yorkshire puddings: Eight medium eggs; 500ml milk; approximately 400g plain flour; lard or beef dripping; large bunch of watercress and mixed salad leaves; ready salted crisps

Method to make the beef: Preheat the oven to Gas 4-5 180C 350F. Weigh the beef joint and calculate the cooking time:

20 minutes per 450g (1/2kg) Plus add 20 minutes cooking – for rare beef
25 minutes per 450g (1/2kg) Plus add 25 minutes cooking – for medium beef
30 minutes per 450g (1/2kg) Plus add 30 minutes cooking – for well done beef

Take the celeriac and roughly peel to remove any knobbly bits. Cut into thin slices. Place into a large roasting tin in a single layer. Place the beef joint directly onto the oven wire shelf or on a large wire rack and position the tray of celeriac under the joint to catch any dripping juices. Roast for the calculated cooking time, turning and moving the veg around so that it bastes and browns in the juices. Baste the joint too

To make the Yorkshire puddings:Preheat the oven to Gas 6 200C 400F

Into a large bowl or mixer place the eggs, milk and salt and whisk together. Give this mixture a short rest before adding the flour. Add the flour a little at a time until you create a batter the consistency of double cream.

Heat the Yorkshire pudding tins or dishes in the oven until really hot. Carefully remove and add a small spoonful of fat to the tins/dishes (the fat should melt immediately) followed by the batter. Fill about half to three quarter of the way up the tins/dishes and return quickly back to the oven for around 30 minutes or until light, fluffy and beautifully golden.

Allow the beef to rest in a warm place covered with foil for 20-30 minutes before cutting.

Place the watercress and leaves on a large serving board - drizzle with cooking juices from the meat – add the celeriac slices followed by the beef joint. Scatter with crisps and serve with Yorkshire puddings.

BBQ'd cauliflower and sweetcorn with a lime juice, soy sauce and melted butter dipping sauce

BBQ’ED VEGETABLES

Ingredients: One large cauliflower; four whole sweetcorn; butter; salt and black pepper; roll kitchen foil

For dipping: Melted butter; your favourite salad dressing; soy sauce, lime juice, butter

Method: Take the cauliflower and place on a large sheet of foil and wrap up. Repeat with a second sheet of foil. Place on a preheated covered (kettle-style) BBQ and cook for around one hour - carefully squeeze to check if it’s done - it should have a little give.

Take a whole sweetcorn and place on large piece of foil. Smear with a little butter and sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Roll the sweetcorn up and twist the ends of the foil; looks a bit like a cracker!! Place on the preheated BBQ and cook for about 40 minutes.

Remove vegetables and carefully unwrap. Melt some butter for dipping plus any of your favourite salad dressings; lime juice, soy sauce and butter are a great combination, try it.

Take the whole vegetables to the table, dip and eat.

The ultimate burger is a skinny beef patty tipped with cheese, fried onions and lots of ketchup

ROTISSERIE DUCK WITH ROAST POTATOES AND JERUSALEM ARTICHOKES

Ingredients: Two medium sized ducks; two oranges, cut into quarters and one extra to roast with the veg; four star anise; salt; 450g seasonal potatoes, scrubbed and cut in half; 450g Jerusalem artichokes, scrubbed and cut in half; rapeseed oil; hoisin sauce for basting

Method: Preheat the rotisserie (check manufacturer’s instructions) or oven to Gas 6 200C 400F

Take the ducks and remove any giblets etc. from the cavity.

Place the orange wedges and star anise into the duck cavity - take a piece of heat resistant string and tie around the bird to secure the wings in place (This only needs to be done if cooking on a rotisserie)

Weigh the ducks and calculate the cooking time:

20 minutes per 450g (1/2kg), plus add 20 minutes cooking

Place the potatoes, artichokes and one quartered orange in a large roasting tin, spread out into a single layer and drizzle with a little oil.

Place the ducks in the rotisserie on the supplied skewers OR on a wire rack in the oven and position over the roasting tray of vegetables.

Roast for the calculated cooking time, turning and moving the veg around so that they baste and brown in the juices.

After three quarters of the cooking time baste the ducks generously with hoisin sauce and return to cook for the remaining cooking time until crispy and golden.

Squeeze the baked oranges over the duck and serve with heaps of roasted veg.

Tuscan Chicken with cherries and a tray of roasted vegetables

BBQ’ED TUSCAN CHICKEN WITH CHERRIES

Ingredients: Large chicken, about 4kg in weight; salt; extra virgin rapeseed oil; two to three lemons; two teaspoons mustard; black pepper; two or three cloves garlic, roughly chopped; small bunch chives, roughly chopped; bunch fresh rosemary; Summer ‘greens’ – mixed salad leaves; small jar of cherries soaked in Somerset brandy or similar

Method: Take the chicken and place on a chopping board – breast bone upwards. Using a sharp knife cut through the breast bone and open the chicken, turn over and flatten.

Using a rolling pin or something heavy, bash to flatten out the chicken – this helps to cook the chicken quickly and evenly, and to tenderise the bird.

Sprinkle with salt and place on a preheated, covered (kettle-style) BBQ - Breast side down to start with for about 20 minutes, turn over and cook for a further 20 minutes or until cooked through and juices are running clear.

Make a dressing - use twice oil to acid (lemon juice). Mix together a good glug of oil and the juice from fresh lemons. Add mustard, black pepper, garlic and chives.

‘Mix and Taste’ - adjust to suit your personal taste

Check the chicken and turnover - take the rosemary bunch and ‘bash’ the chicken to impart the rosemary oils and flavour.

Place large handfuls of summer leaves onto the serving board, place the cooked chicken on top – generously spoon over the dressing and finished off scattered with cherries soaked in your favourite liquor and tomatoes roasted with garlic and rapeseed oil.

ULTIMATE BURGER

Ingredients for patties: 450g lean beef mince

Ultimate Ingredients: Fried onions; crispy fried thick bacon rashers; thick slices blue cheese; iceberg lettuce leaves; fried egg; toasted brioche buns; lashings of sauce and ketchup!!

Method: Take a handful of mince and shape into a skinny burgers, using either a burger maker or you can press using your hands. skinny burgers should cook quickly and evenly.

Place on a preheated BBQ or hot grill and cook for about four to five minutes each side

Toast the brioche buns for one to two minutes and have all the other ingredients for the Ultimate Burger ready for assembling.

Layer and built ingredients on top of the bun, for example, bun, fried onions, cheese, bacon and fried egg on top! It’s also great without the bun and layered into an iceberg lettuce leaf. There’s no rules; it’s up to you.