"We are going to barbecue tonight," I say to my husband as I unpack the box of the Sterrenchef Box. He looks surprised. In all the years we have known each other, we have never once barbecued together. We always leave that meat roasting over glowing charcoal to others. We have a friend who can spend all day working on a spare rib: four hours marinating, two hours cooking and one hour grilling. He loves it. Our Weber has been sitting untouched in the shed for at least ten years.

But tonight we're pulling out the black thing, because Lisette Ernens has come up with something fun again: a four-course BBQ menu by Tilburg chef Paul Kappé (restaurant Monarh*). First a word about this entrepreneur from The Hague. Lisette Ernens, also organiser of Haagse Wereld Hapjes, asked - we're talking before corona - to Marcel van der Kleijn: "Is there actually a booking agency for celebrity chefs?" "No," replied the well-known chef from The Hague, "but that would be an idea!" Ernens saw her chance.

A whole host of celebrity chefs joined its initiative, including François Geurts (FG Restaurant**), Wilco Berends (De Nederlanden*), Edwin Vinke (de Kromme Watergang**), Ronald van Roon (Calla's*) and, of course, Van der Kleijn herself.

After kicking off on 'RTL Boulevard' in late November 2019, the requests poured in. "On Christmas Day, I had my first booking," he says. By early April, it was done. Corona thus. All bookings cancelled, Haagse Wereld Hapjes did not go ahead either.

Star Chef Box

While life was flattened, Ernens saw mopeds from delivery services driving back and forth from her window. At the same time, she knew that chefs wanted to do something, and that after the umpteenth Ottolenghi recipe, friends sighed, "We'd like something different again. And so Star Chef Box saw the light of day: a four-course menu from a star chef delivered to your home.

This summer, the BBQ Box (105 euros per person) was added. By the way, don't worry at all if you are a BBQ layman like us: this menu is very well put together. Kappé and his team have already prepared most of it and the ingredients are of excellent quality.

What's on the menu?

1. Ceaser Salad

A Ceaser Salad. You unwrap the big box that contains all the ingredients for the starter. The included instructions including pictures tell you exactly what to do. Bolts and the carcass of the pre-cooked broiler on the grill. Let it brown for a moment, and then you can do the rest: the brioche bread, the little gem. Then drape nicely on the plate with some caesar cream, cheese flakes, cresses and flowers. Cut the egg in half, et voilà. Child's play. Tasty? Delicious. Tender meat - slides right off the bone - crisp lettuce, sweet brioche. Creamy sauce. We don't usually eat it this good in a restaurant.

2. Belly bacon with prawns

Weird combo? On the contrary: the bacon is juicy and sweet because of the soy lac (we put the meat in the aluminium container simmering on the fire), the prawns take a neutral position, as does the artichoke. Also on the plate: a puffed, black carrot. High on flavour, slightly drippy. There are spices in the brunoise-cut vegetables.

3. Beef short ribs with stuffed peppers

Another easy dish: grill peppers, then fill them with a deliciously creamy pearl couscous. On top: five pieces of - 0lightly spicy - goat cheese. The rib - just roasted golden brown - is very tender (think: stew meat) and can take the gravy of poivre long very well.

4. Tarte tartin pineapple

Yes, what else but a pineapple slice is perfect for the grill? The tarte tartin is already in a tray. You just need to bake it for a few minutes - well, 25 minutes - at 200 degrees. Turn it over with tongs of tarragon cream added, roll the cremeux balls in puffed rice grains. Further add: white chocolate parfait (note: from the freezer), white chocolate curls and drogon meringues.

Dragon

I am a big fan of tarragon, a herb with an anise-like flavour that is far too little used in restaurant kitchens. It can spice up your dish so much. So too here. It gives the surprisingly fresh-sour tart just a little more punch. To balance it out, Kappé added sweetness and a bite. A great chocolate parfait and crispy cremeux balls. In doing so, he once again shows himself to be a master of combining flavours.

More information: www.sterrenchefbox.nl