Chris P

Sorry to come in at a bit a tangent but I would like to pass on a couple of thouhts on the kebab thread. They are my wife and my favorite dinner that I bbq all year round. I am very sceptical about marinades- all the science books tell you that without a lot of acid to breakdown the tissue, it is impossible to impregnate meats, especially chicken with its smooth texture. So I tend to agree with the earlier comments by our Cypriot contributor, that seasoning is all that is needed during the cooking stage. To get to the point... I have found that marinading in a mixture of yoghurt, sifted flour and vinegar as the base (with any herbs and spices you care to add) for a few hours, before putting the cubed meat on scewers, works brilliantly. The marinade sticks to the meat, without tasting floury, and all the flavour remains on the meat and therefore benefits from the meat juices and licks of flame to create a great taste. Happy cooking

I was taught by a chef last week and would be pleased to pass on the advice. Let me know. ←

I have recently been doing some research into the same subject. The best I have discovered, (other than a £700 grinder) is a combination of a regular steel and a diamond steel. The regular steel provides a good edge and the diamond gets the perfect finish. The angle and method is important, however. I was taught by a chef last week and would be pleased to pass on the advice. Let me know. I have about ten other "sharpeners" of varying quality and price that are not as good by a long stretch as the original steel, used correctly. Good luck

I have been tempted by a tagine but have resisted so far as it seems like a gadget too far. I get excellent results from a slow cooker that cooks meats to perfection and lets out excess steam in the same way a tagine does. Tagines lack versatility and that is why so many end up unloved and unused in the back of the kitchen cupboard. Spend the money on an LC dutch oven that you will use time and time again, would be my advice.