June 29, 2023, 12:33 pm
This gorgeously garlicky tear and share bread has become a real hit on our woodfired courses. In the spirit of sharing, here's the recipes but make sure everyone has a bit because, if not, the non eaters will be overcome with garlic - the clue's in the title! [caption id="attachment_8157"…Read more »
June 21, 2023, 3:00 pm
If you are off on your holidays and looking for something with some woodfired cooking or even a woodfired oven you can use yourself, here are just a few of our favourites to help you out with your planning. Remember to send us a postcard and let us know of…Read more »
May 19, 2023, 10:06 am
We love hot smoking salmon, and many other things, in the woodfired oven. Takes a bit of practise but here's what we do. Check it out and do let us know how you get on - First we brine the salmon fillets in a mixture of half salt and half…Read more »
April 6, 2023, 9:49 am
Sometimes that lovely dried wood you bought might not be as dry as you'd like. This was the case with our latest batch - good length, easy to split but sadly a little over 20% moisture content when we'd really prefer it to be in the mid teens percentage wise.…Read more »
December 12, 2022, 11:48 am
When we are huddled up hiding away from the Troll of Trondheim, or whatever the latest chilly blast from the East is called, we want comforting, warming food and this chicken dish with chorizo and chickpeas ticks those boxes. It will happily feed 4 people, probably 6, and uses chicken…Read more »
November 4, 2022, 7:18 pm
Many people on our woodfired courses have said how much they want to make better use of the retained heat in their woodfired oven after a pizza session or a roast lunch. Often their early attempts have resulted in a pan of either uncooked ingredients or burnt offerings as the…Read more »
October 25, 2022, 12:26 pm
Wow what a weekend - despite the changeable (!) weather, this year's Dartmouth Food Festival was a huge success so our congratulations to Julie the Festival chair and her team. From the chefs' dems to the markets to the talks and book signings, wine tastings and events, there was something…Read more »
July 22, 2021, 7:12 pm
Traditionally people would have used whatever wood grew locally to them to burn in their woodfired ovens - head outside, pick up some fallen wood, chop it up and start their cooking. So that would mean olive wood in the olive groves of the Mediterranean, apple in the orchards of…Read more »
July 22, 2021, 10:53 am
Potatoes must be the ultimate vegetable - versatile in so many ways. Cooking them in a gratin is a great way to use up some of the falling heat in your woodfired oven and creates meltingly tender layers of potatoes with a golden brown topping. They can be layered up…Read more »
July 20, 2021, 3:43 pm
Think of soup and I think of rustic beany winter warmers, ready for lunch after a dog walk on a coldy winter day, not something for this scorching sunny weather. However gazpacho is just the soup to cool you down when the sun is at its hottest. Just remember to…Read more »
July 15, 2021, 1:10 pm
We love seeing so many of you here at the cooking school on our woodfired courses; it's fantastic how this cooking we love is really growing and becoming increasingly mainstream. One question always seems to crop up when we ask people what they really want to get to grips with…Read more »
June 23, 2021, 4:24 pm
If you've fired up your refractory oven and done some high heat cooking in it, then it makes so much sense to use that retained heat you've pumped into it to do some slow cooking. Traditionally this is how a village bakery oven would be used certainly in France -…Read more »
June 9, 2021, 5:13 am
These Portuguese Custard Tarts are a complete joy - a classic combination of creamy custard, crispy pastry and a slightly charred top to cut through the sweetness. Much more than the sum of its parts, if you get it right, your friends and family will be clamouring for more! Like…Read more »
June 2, 2021, 7:07 pm
What a great dish this is - when we made it, everything went quiet afterwards as the whole team was tucking in as it was so delicious. Just think - a one pot meal so not much washing up, lots of flavours, lots of colours and you can do all…Read more »
May 25, 2021, 12:17 pm
Often the simplest things are the most satisfying and these fully loaded potato skins really hit the spot - crispy potato skin shells, filled with creamy mashed potato filling with herbs, onions and cheese; then topped with Cheddar and baked in the oven until golden brown and crispy on the…Read more »
May 19, 2021, 2:56 pm
In this Woodfired Workshop David is talking all things pork crackling and showing you how you can get consistently great results from roasting it in your woodfired oven. He'll cover what joint to use, how to have your fire, what to do with your door, how to use a stanley…Read more »
May 11, 2021, 11:03 am
In this woodfired workshop, David is cooking a fabulous open tomato tart with a crispy puff pastry base - no soggy bottom - and delicious, intense, basil scented tomatoes; heaven on a plate, literally! Do check out the video here where he'll show you how to cook it and the…Read more »
May 4, 2021, 5:34 pm
Some dishes are barely recipes they are so simple and this is one of them - take some great steak and cook it well, rest it, slice it, serve it in some great bread and you have an awesome steak sandwich. That's all there is to it - if only…Read more »
April 27, 2021, 7:00 pm
Batch baking is basically cooking a lot of food in the falling heat of your woodfired oven. It is most easily done in a refractory oven as the fire is taken out of the oven once the mass is heated up and we use this stored heat to bake the…Read more »
April 21, 2021, 3:23 pm
Join David in our Woodfired Workshop where he'll talk you through some of the different kinds of ovens available and how they work. It's one of the most common questions we get asked here at the woodfired cooking school and, much like with many things, there's not one straight answer!…Read more »
