Those who know me know that winter and I don't like each other very much. If the word winter referred to palm trees and 35 degrees C, it would probably be different, but since that's not the case, I very rarely BBQ in the winter. You'll tell me it's because I don't have a scarf, gloves or even a semblance of a hat, okay; but since I have two fantastic cousins and a brother-in-law, I still eat BBQ VERY often. Day or night, sun or no sun, snow or storm. Since my parents really like it when we prepare BBQ, I decided to make them a brunch during the holidays: 100% BBQ.
So it was on December 25, in the middle of downtown Baie-Comeau that I called on my assistant cook, my brother-in-law Émile to help me with the preparation. He fearlessly braved the wind, a little bit chilly from the Côte-Nord, to check on my cooking.
I love breakfast, but later. That's why I love brunch. We sleep in, have a coffee and start preparing lunch quietly while sipping our 2nd or 3rd Baileys coffee. As for me, brunch happens for ordinary mortals at
My sister has a smokehouse smokepro by Camp chef . I LOVE them. So easy to use and so simple. You leave it at the temperature you want and you go back to eating, drinking, sleeping, whatever you want to do, it cooks without a problem. We (referring to my assistant cook here) started the bacon that I had cut very thick to have bacon cut into cubes like bacon. The advantage of the Smokepro is that the bacon cooks, it doesn't splatter everywhere, it simply cooks. We put the sliced potatoes underneath so that the bacon fat runs down. Potatoes obviously with California dry marinade .
We put the melons and prosciutto there so that the prosciutto could heat up and we (Émile) lit the kettle for my fruit salad.
I know when you think of fruit salad, you think of the little white bowl from the school or hospital cafeteria with green grapes and old honeydew melons swimming in water; but no, we did it differently. Very very simple; 4 ingredients. Pineapple, mangoes, pears and the Gâteau seasoning. But since I hate being in the oven, the sink and the BBQ at the same time; when I BBQ I put EVERYTHING on the BBQ. We often cook the pineapple directly in the charcoal, but here, we went all-in. The pears and mangoes too. Directly in the embers.
Result?
Gorgeous.
We leave them clearly for less time than pineapple. We have to turn them more often, but it's really perfect. The advantage also of putting fruit in the charcoal is that even if they are not quite ripe, we have the impression that they come out of there ready, ripened as desired.
Once the fruits are removed from the charcoal, they are cut and the Gâteau spices are added.
Then we take out the Himalayan salt board to place a Camembert with raspberries, maple syrup and the cake spices. We grill the breads, and we place a cookina sheet to cook two very runny eggs which I then place on my plate of potatoes.
The potatoes were actually the main course. I added the bacon cut into large cubes, some arugula and the runny eggs.
Avocado and hot sauce, and head cheese for toast, we had the perfect brunch according to the Roy-Cantins.
It is often said that everything is done on the BBQ. Even lunches. We had two BBQs available, but at home, I only have one. All you have to do is do everything in stages. First the fruit salad, which can wait while the potatoes are cooking. Nothing complicated, really, but how enjoyable.
Good BBQ ☺
A special thank you to my brother-in-law Émile for keeping me warm in my woolen socks.
