The power of fire to transform raw ingredients is nothing short of magical. Even so, there?s no real mystery to barbecuing, a technique in which meat or other food is slowly cooked over a smoky, cool fire. Compared to the fast pace and intense heat of direct-heat grilling, barbecuing is more leisurely and forgiving, but it does require a tangy sauce.

If you can grill, you can barbecue, and unless you?re cooking a whole pig or primal cuts of beef or venison, you won?t need a barbecue pit or a spit. A kettle grill or lidded gas grill, some basic grilling utensils, and charcoal briquettes augmented with hardwood chunks or chips will do very well.A grill thermometer, although not absolutely essential, is useful for maintaining the cooler temperatures required for barbecuing. Unlike probe thermometers that register the internal temperature of food, grill surface thermometers register the air temperature at the level of the grilling rack, which can range from 150 degrees to 700 degrees or more, higher than most meat or oven thermometers are designed to withstand.

Chicken is versatile enough to accommodate most of the sauces that give American-style barbecue its varied regional character. If you don?t have a favourite barbecue sauce for chicken, try the Kansas City-style version below, using mesquite, hickory, oak or other hardwood chunks or chips on the grill to enhance the smoky flavour. Serve the chicken with Sweet-Sour Pasta Salad (see below) or potato salad.

1 chicken (3 to 4 pounds), cut into serving pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

2 cups bottled or homemade barbecue sauce

1. Prepare a fire in a lidded grill for indirect-heat cooking, placing a disposable aluminium drip pan beneath the centre of the grill rack or off to one side. Cover a handful of hardwood chunks (for a kettle grill) or chips (for a gas grill) with water and set aside to soak for half an hour. Wash chicken and pat dry. Brush or rub chicken with oil.

2. When coals are glowing and covered with a light grey ash, add presoaked hardwood chunks or chips. Close lid and allow temperature inside grill to cool to 225 degrees. Place chicken pieces directly over coals and, with lid open, brown about 5 minutes per side. Move chicken over drip pan and close lid.

Regulate fire, adjusting vents in lid and bottom of grill to control air flow, to maintain an even cooking temperature of 225 degrees. After 15 minutes, turn chicken over and baste surface with about half of the barbecue sauce.

3. After another 15 minutes, place aluminium foil under chicken, pricking foil in about a dozen places to allow smoke to pass through. Baste again with barbecue sauce. Close lid. Every ten minutes, baste chicken with sauce and turn over. Chicken is done when thickest part of breast registers 170 degrees and thigh registers 180 degrees (approximately 45 minutes to one hour). Serve immediately.

Serves 3 or 4.

Thick, sweet and smoky, this boldly flavoured sauce complements chicken, beef or pork.

cup olive oil

1 medium onion, finely chopped

green bell pepper, finely chopped

1 teaspoon finely minced garlic

bottle (8 ounces) ketchup

cup molasses

1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce, or to taste

2 tablespoons yellow mustard

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

cup firmly packed dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

teaspoon liquid smoke flavouring

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Place oil in a large, non-aluminium saucepan; over medium-low heat, saute onion, green pepper and garlic until soft (about ten minutes). Add remaining ingredients and continue to simmer slowly for 20 to 30 minutes. Stir frequently to prevent sauce from burning. Let cool slightly, spoon into covered container, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight to allow the flavours to meld.

Makes approximately 2 cups.

Elbow macaroni, shells and bite-sized pasta varieties with ridges or ruffles are good choices for this salad because they give the creamy dressing and bits of ham and pimiento something to cling to. Start the salad the day before or at least 1 hours before the chicken goes on the grill so that the flavours blend.

1 package (approximately 8 ounces) bite-sized pasta

cup mayonnaise

cup sour cream

1 tablespoon each sugar and cider vinegar

cup prepared Major Grey-style chutney, chopped

1 stalk celery, finely chopped

cup diced baked ham or turkey ham

1 jar (2 ounces) diced pimientos, drained

Chopped parsley, for garnish

1. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain into a colander set in the sink. Rinse with cold water and drain again. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, combine mayonnaise, sour cream, sugar, vinegar and chutney, mixing well until smooth.

3. Add pasta, celery, ham and pimientos. Turn lightly to coat all ingredients with dressing. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour to blend flavours.

4. Sprinkle parsley over top immediately before serving. Serves 4 to 6.