The Big Marn’s Barbeque Cookbook

I had heard the name, but really didn’t know much more than that. I am a Melbournian, we (I) don’t get much into Rugby League, but as I found out, you don’t need to be a Rugby League lover to love the barbeque cook book by Darryl Brohman and as I very quickly discovered, this famous Rugby player can cook and has a great sense of humour.

Rugby league legend Darryl ‘The Big Marn’ Brohman has pulled on his apron, fired up the barbeque and blended his favourite barbeque recipes and league stories in this new insightful book on his passion for cooking, his humble beginnings, and his rise into the sport world spotlight.

In The Big Marn’s Barbeque Cookbook, readers discover Darryl’s passion for sharing great food with family and friends with a number of mouth-watering recipes. Not only are the recipes mouth-watering, they are easy. There is nothing complicated, just good easy to follow recipes and procedures that will turn even the most basic of cooks into a barbeque aficionado.

Recipes such as Smokey Barbeque Spare Ribs, Quick Sesame Chicken Wings, Bacon Wrapped Scallop Sliders and making the perfect Caramelized Onions feature in this book, but there is more that will not only tantalise your tastebuds, but definitely help your hip pocket as well. When feeding a crowd, purchasing bread rolls can put a huge dent in your wallet, but this book includes easy recipes for making your own Crusty Soft Buns, Brioche Style Buns and regular Hamburger Buns – again nothing complicated, just simple easy to follow recipes and procedures.

Of particular note are Brohman’s recipes for marinades – Sweet Plum, Thai, Red Wine and Garlic – great easy recipes but included with the recipe are the storage details and times. How many times do you make a marinade and not know how long it will last and end up throwing it out ‘just in case’.

Everything you could ever wish for in a barbeque cook book is included right here, with some of the recipes suitable for events more formal than a simple barbeque, such as the one for Barbequed Turkey Roll which I have already earmarked for Christmas. Cooking the turkey on the barbeque will free up oven space and get others involved in the food preparation on Christmas day.

Brohman also writes about ‘Team Selection’ where he highlights and describes some very useful, but standard, equipment that can be used when barbequing, as well as which fuels to use and starting your fire. I also love that all the ingredients are all standard ones that you can get from your local supermarket, nothing that you need to send out a search party to find.

Brohman’s humour is splashed throughout the book with hints about the best way to make coleslaw – get someone to cut the vegetables for you – and some stories of great characters and funny events in the world of sport and media.

The Big Marn, star of Channel 9’s The Footy Show, shows us how to prepare for the barbeque season, has plenty of ideas for feeding a scrum, picks his favourite foods and introduces readers to his barbeque immortals.

The Big Marn’s Barbeque Cookbook is informative, colourful and entertaining—just like Big Marn himself and is a great gift at any time of year, but (without being sexist) would be a fantastic gift for Dad this Father’s Day. You can find it at all good book stores or at www.newhollandpublishers.com – RRP AU$35.00