Barbecue bon vivant Bob Hart has covered every gamut of the art, from cooking outdoors over fire in his BARBECUE UNPLUGGED, to the basic bibles every barbecuer needs: his two Heat & Smoke titles.

With those foundations now well established, Bob has dragged his trusty barbecues into a world of haute cuisine, where pears are lovingly cooked over charcoal with a waft of pecan smoke, where salmon is placed on a cedar plank for a new twist on a salad nicoise and where a classic tournedos Rossini is dragged out of the kitchen and on to a grill.

Perhaps the most ambitious barbecue book ever attempted, BARBECUE GOURMAND features more than 50 illustrated recipes for gourmet meals plus essential side dishes, salads and indispensable sauces, dressings, rubs and gravies that bring a touch of class to the barbecuing art and allows that staple of any Aussie backyard to take its rightful place as the star of a fancy dinner party.

About the Author

Bob is the founder of the Melbourne-based Australian Barbecue Academy, where he teaches masterclasses for small groups in his magnificently appointed backyard, and has been a regular contributor to radio station 3AW. The former journalist and current food writer has cemented himself as Australia's foremost authority on all things barbecue and barbecuing, and no serious Aussie backyard hero can claim the title of barbecue champion without first consulting one of Bob's books.

There are techniques and creations here that no other barbecue book has tackled, all shaped around Hart's passion for flavours, textures and revelations: try his lobster tails roasted over hickory, or his reverse-seared steaks with Japanese or even Thai inflections; or the ways in which he works a touch of wood-smoke into prawn-and-corn tacos, or into flawless Peking duck. Or even into the best tandoori chicken you have ever eaten. Brisket is slow-cooked to Asian perfection over charcoal, and an impeccable peach cobbler, also, is gently baked over the coals: it’s all here, and it's unplugged! And yes, you will be entertained. But you will also be entranced. And inspired. We promise!