When it comes to grilling, most people tend to think of their oven grill and tray: cheese on toast, bacon sarnies, sausages and lamb chops. And you wouldn’t be wrong for thinking that either.

But I sometimes get asked why I say to grill, when I’m cooking something on the hob. It is an ambiguous term, I’m afraid, and can refer to any food being cooked quickly by an intense, direct, dry heat such as under the grill, on a barbecue, in a griddle pan and on large iron hot plates, as seen in open restaurant kitchens.

Cooking in this way requires a watchful eye, because success relies heavily on serving food with an even charring and caramelisation, without burning it in the process.

The key things are to not use too much oil, space the food apart so it doesn’t sweat, get your heat source hot – and I mean really hot – before you start cooking, and then watch your food like a hawk. If you’re using a griddle pan, make sure it’s a heavy-based pan and get it almost smoking.

The same applies with your oven grill – preheat it to the correct setting before you start cooking, otherwise you run the risk of food not browning and losing all its natural juices during cooking. Pale, flabby, dry, insipid burgers spring to mind.

Recipes

Grilled Dover sole with brown shrimp butter

Grilled pineapple with lime, chilli and rosemary syrup

Yellowfin tuna burger with red onion relish

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