Saudi Arabia imports charcoal – valuing some US$8 million in 2000 (FAO, 2002) – to meet the country's sizeable demand for use in barbecue, roasting of coffee beans and incense burning.
Men on plastic chairs crowd round TV sets to watch games from Europe's Champions League (everyone is either a Real Madrid or Barcelona FC supporter), while open-air barbecues roast skewers of beef kofta and chunks of chicken, smoke billowing into the night sky past neon signs, Coca-Cola billboards and posters that urge: "Stop Terrorism Now".
Entrees include fried chicken, roasted turkey, barbecue ribs; roast beef; pork chops; ham hocks; chitterlings; baked ham; meatloaf; and oxtails.
They suit grilling, barbecuing, roasting and baking and, in some cases, pan-frying.
BEST DISHES Spring rolls, papaya salad, grilled calamari, steamed clams, shrimp dumplings, barbecue pork, roasted duck, roasted chicken.
Grill, barbecue or roast for 15-20 minuntil until a skewer glides into the thickest part of the fish with no resistance.
You want to see them, deprived of food and sleep, falling out, ganging up, splitting off into factions and cliques, with maybe a beach barbecue (mmm, roast Paul).
My preferred method of cooking the lamb chops would be over charcoal on a barbecue, but roasted in a pan over a high heat would also be great.
But the liturgical calendar does not wait for furniture: April 30 is the church's name day, and a special service is planned, followed by a barbecue with roasted lamb.
One whole mackerel each: smaller for the lesser appetite, a larger for the trencherman, gutted and cleaned Sea salt A fully charged pepper mill Warm a solid cast iron grill, to medium hot - you can use a barbecue or roasting tin in an oven - strew with salt and lay the mackerel thereon.
