Does outdoor food have to mean chicken drumsticks burnt to a crisp? BEN SUTTON seeks advice on better barbecuing.

WHEN the steaks are burning fiercely,

and the smoke gets in your eyes,

When the snags all taste of fried toothpaste and your mouth is full of flies,

It's a national institution, it's Australian through and through,

So come on mates and grab your plates - let's have a barbecue.

SO go the lyrics of a tune penned by Scot-turned-Aussie songwriter Eric Bogle - and what more perfect song to herald the summer?

With Euro 2004 looming, it seems fitting that National BBQ Week kicks off on Monday. Thousands of football fans will soon be cheering on England from their own yard or a beer garden, pint and burger in hand.

The week-long celebration is the perfect excuse to show off your al fresco culinary prowess. With a massive 70 million barbecue parties fired up last year alone, Euro 2004 will see even more people heading for local pubs and friends' houses to sizzle some steaks and burn some burgers.

Almost half of us now own a barbecue, and it is our number one summer social occasion.

Now in its eighth year, National BBQ Week aims to help even the most inexperienced chef create culinary wonders that would make the celebrity staff of television's Hell's Kitchen weep with envy.

Of course, Australia is the world's leading barbecue nation. Damien Shiel, a native of Melbourne, works at the Rose and Crown in Lawrence Street, York. Managed by fellow Australians Paul and Georgia Clarey, the pub has recently been extended and now features a beer garden perfect for the barbecue season.

Damien's number one barbecuing tip is simple: "Make sure the weather's nice first! Then get a few friends round, throw the snags on the barbie (snags are Australian for sausages) and crack open the beers."

Here's to global warming - bringing the barbecue to Britain...

More top tips

Remember there is no perfect temperature or length of time to cook to create fantastic barbecue food, so be prepared to experiment and get it wrong a few times

Do not try to grill too quickly as this will cause food to burn on the outside and be undercooked in the middle.

When using wooden skewers always soak well in water before use

Ensure that the grill-bars are well oiled and turn meat or poultry once to sear, then once more to cook through - do not keep turning food as this removes it from the heat and delays cooking

Make sure food does not stick to the grill

Burnt food on the barbecue is a real "No no", but try to ensure that all food, particularly poultry, sausages and burgers is cooked through

Baste meats, poultry and fish to retain moisture and flavour.

Remove food at end of grilling process and leave to cool for a few minutes before serving

Put on some great summer tunes and enjoy the best food of the year.

For more ideas, the National BBQ Week website (www.national-bbq-week.co.uk) is a veritable feast of barbecue tips, tricks and information on the pending week of events and celebrations.

Updated: 09:19 Thursday, May 27, 2004