10 tested and proven food items to go with your Lotus Grill!

Well firstly, I have to make some declarations. This entry is neither a fishing post nor it is a sponsored post (but Lotus Grill, if you’re reading this, I really wouldn’t mind free charcoal). What I have written is really just an honest tip on having a simple indoor smokeless barbeque (BBQ) in your HDB flat in Singapore. And yes, it really is smokeless and it's not a gimmick to get you to buy. There is some complicated science theory on why it is smokeless but I simply attribute it to the type of charcoal and the way the grill is designed (oil/food doesn't drip onto the charcoal).

I am talking about the Lotus Grill and if you are thinking to get it, I’d always suggest getting only the original product - You can get it at Tangs or Robisons. Why? I know there are lots of made in China imitations but why would you want to take a risk with something that could potentially burn down your house or your branded bags?

Ok so once you buy the grill and read all the instructions, you're really set to BBQ. It really is quite idiot proof but just in case you want more tips, I've prepared three quick tips that newbies won't know at the onset. 

1. Buy your Lotus Grill charcoal from online sources like Rakuten, Lazada and Carousell. It’s usually much cheaper than buying from the departmental stores. 
2. Buy organic coconut charcoal from NTUC or Cold Storage. Some branches do sell it. It’s also proven by me to be cheaper, lasts longer and is less smoky. 
3. You don’t need to use the grill gates that come with the set. You can use disposable wire mesh but note that if oil or fat drips into the charcoal area, then you’re going to have some smoke. I suggest to only use personal wire mesh if you’re cooking food with high water content like fish or squid. If you’re cooking chicken wings or steak, best to use the stock grill.

 Now the tested and proven food!

1. Sirloin/Rump/Ribeye steak

Rump Steak

Cut up

The cut of steak that you choose really depends on your preference. I usually like a medium rare sirloin with charred blubber exterior. The key thing though is that with the Lotus Grill, you can get really uniform and constant heat to cook your steak. Once you get that sear going, you know you’re set for a good piece of well-charred steak but yet it is still juicy on the inside. Trust me. You’ll spend more time and care when you’re cooking steak indoors than you are outside…

2. Marinated Chicken Midwings/Midjoint

Midwings

Midwings or Midjoints are more expensive than normal chicken wings but it really makes sense here because the heat is uniform. You can still go with the usual wings but I reckon it’d take longer to cook. Same with the beef – the heat really helps in cooking your meat uniformly. And you’ll definitely have less burnt wings (vs having an outdoor BBQ).

3. Chicken, pork or beef bulgogi


The middle part of the grill (covered) is quite a mystery sometimes. Its main usage is to make sure nothing drips into the charcoal but you can use it cook food. I find that using it to cook bulgogi is not bad idea because the bulgogi stays on the grill (since it's covered). Remember to oil the middle grill well though as it can burn up quite easily.

4. Sausages

Sausage

I always believe in getting good sausages for your grill and here’s no exception. You can spread them out along the grill so you can maximize space.

5. Large scallops (shell on)

Beautiful and meaty jumbo japanese #scallops bbq until theirjuices slowly reduce alongside some garlic, salt and pepper. Slurp the juice before eating the meat! #instafood #sgfoodie #sgfood #foodblogger #sgblogger #sgfoodporn #foodporn #foodstagram #instasg #sgvsco #vscocam #igsg #igsgfood #homecooked #bbq

A post shared by Nigel Lian 🇸🐟🇬 (@baktao) on Oct 7, 2017 at 6:29am PDT

This is something that works brilliantly for the Lotus Grill (or just about any other outdoor BBQ). Since it is an indoor BBQ, you’ll have some space for the scallops when you’re digging into your other food (which just finished cooking). I usually grill my steak first and let the scallops simmer while I eat my steak.

6. Mussels

Garlic and pepper!

Mussels are a really cheap buy at any supermarket – buy them fresh or get the frozen NZ ones. You’ll be surprised at how cheap it is. I usually like to douse them in boiling water, open them up and place them shell side down (with cheese or garlic). The dousing removes fishy smell and dirt but at the same time still keeps them juicy.

7. Salmon, Halibut, Cod or any fish that is relatively flat

Flaky goodness!

This is something that usually isn’t done well at your usual outdoor BBQ simply because everyone is rushing to cook their own food. The good news is that you can now put your prized fish onto a fish grill and have it grilled to perfection. Salmon works too if you can’t find Halibut or Cod.

The recipe is simple – just get sea salt, black pepper, aromatics (lemon, dill, lemon balm etc. is fine) and garlic if desired. Start grilling skin side down. 

8. Grilled Teriyaki Squid!

Juicy!

This is something we recently came up with. All you need to do is buy Kikkoman Teriyaki sauce and season the squid with it. You can baste it as it cooks for a stronger flavour. Don’t cook it too long else it will dry up – don’t be caught up with why Japanese restaurant squids look more charred. They have flame torches for that!

9. BBQ Stingray
BBQ Stingray in a foil is a major no no for me. If you do that, you aren’t BBQ-ing at all because that’s more like steaming right? So go buy some cuts of Stingray – season with salt and pepper and slap it on the grill. The charcoal will help to remove any fish smell and you can put down your favourite sambal after it’s cooked. Enjoy crispy, seared Stingray.

10. LIVE prawns

Sorry prawns

Yes! Finally...

I’m not sure what restaurant ad I saw but one ad mentioned that catching your own live seafood and BBQ-ing them was a thing. Now, you can BBQ live prawns anytime and that’s what we did after we caught some prawns during a recent prawning session. Hmmm, where are those live crabs…

For instructions on how to use the Lotus Grill, you can refer to this video for easy instructions.