Wood Oven Inspired Cuisine

Wood Oven Inspired Cuisine

While a wood fired oven is typically associated with making pizzas and breads, there are a variety of cooking techniques that you can apply to your oven that makes use of virtually any ingredient. From slow roasted lamb to oven-fired pineapple with lime sorbet, the culinary applications of your newly purchased oven are limitless. This manual is meant to demonstrate some of the culinary inspired possibilities of your wood-fired oven. Table of Contents 1. Preparing Your Oven for Culinary Cooking 2. The Techniques and Tools of Wood Fired Cooking 3. Recipe: Wood Roasted Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes 4. Recipe: Fire Charred Gulf Shrimp with Pasta Salad 5. Recipe: Sea Bass Cooked In Salt Crust 6. Recipe: Apple Wood Roasted Lamb with Applesauce 7. Recipe: Roasted Pineapple with Lime Sorbet 8. Recipe: Oven Fired Focaccia Bread with Picholine Olives 9. Recipe: Cedar smoked Salmon with Cucumber and Fennel Salad

1. Preparing Your Oven for Culinary Cooking Cooking a pizza in a wood-fired oven is a very different experience when compared to cooking a culinary inspired meal in the same oven. For one, the temperature of the oven must be different while the placement of the burning wood remains an additional factor. For this, the following tips should help when cooking culinary related items in your wood fired oven. A 600 degree Fahrenheit oven is an uncommon cooking temperature when cooking in home kitchens yet common when making pizza. Cooking culinary dishes in a wood-fired oven is not advisable at such high temperatures. Instead, the goal should be to cook in the range of 300 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. To achieve this, bring your oven to it maximum temperature. Allow the oven to cool, covering the amber colored coals with the cooler black and gray colored coals. This will help to contain the heat in the oven while limiting the environmental temperature of the oven. If your oven becomes too cold, simply expose more of the amber colored coals to increase the temperature. Placing a heat stable thermometer in your oven will help you monitor the temperature of the oven. Unlike cooking pizzas, cooking culinary dishes in a wood-fired oven require less space. For this, you can move the burning wood to a larger portion of the oven helping to cook your food more evenly. For this, try placing the burning wood and coals around the outer surface of the inner oven. This will help to distribute the heat more evenly. Always make sure that the cooking instruments you place in the oven can sustain a high temperature of at least 600 degrees Fahrenheit. Cast Iron pans and pots are recommended.

2. The Techniques and Tools of Wood Fired Cooking There are a number of recommended techniques and tools when cooking culinary dishes in a wood-fired oven. For one, you never want to stick your arm in an oven at 600 degrees, especially with burning wood inside the oven. However, by following the correct cooking techniques along with a few common tools can increase your ability to create delicious dishes in your new wood-fired oven. A few common tools to assist you in cooking culinary dishes in your oven include the following: 1. A Metal Cooking Brush at least three feet long to clean the cooking surface 2. Cooking Towels or Heat Resistant Cooking Gloves 3. A bucket of water, just in case your fire burns out of control 4. Cast Iron Sauté Pan 5. Cast Iron Pot with Lid 6. Tongs (8 to 12 inches long) 7. Specialty woods such as Apple, Maple or Hickory 8. Aluminum Foil The techniques of cooking in a wood-fired oven are in many ways similar to the techniques you might use in your home kitchen. For instance, a braised rabbit dish cooked slowly on a stovetop can also be cooked in your wood-fired oven as long as the proper technique is followed. A list of techniques that are easily adaptable to your new oven include the following: 1. Roasting 5. Sautéing 2. Steaming Vegetables and Fish 6. S mores 3. Traditional Stews 7. Baking 4. Smoked Fish/Meats 8. Hickory BBQ

3. Recipe: Wood Roasted Chicken with Rosemary Potatoes 1 whole Chicken, bone-in and skin on 1 teaspoon Paprika 2 Tablespoon Salt 2 teaspoons black pepper ¼ cup Rosemary, Fresh 2 Red Potatoes, medium sized 4 Tablespoons Olive Oil 2 cloves Garlic 2. While the oven is warming, rub the outside of the chicken with the paprika, 1 Tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of pepper, 2 Tablespoons of Olive Oil and 2 Tablespoons of the fresh rosemary. Let stand for twenty minutes. 3. Wash the potatoes thoroughly. In a heavy skillet, combine the potatoes with the garlic and remaining olive oil, rosemary, salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil. 4. When the oven reaches a temperature of 300 to 400 degrees, place a piece of aluminum foil on the bottom of the oven and place the chicken on top. Roast the chicken in the oven until fully cooked, around 45 minutes. 5. After inserting the chicken into the oven, add the heavy skillet containing the potatoes. Allow the mixture to come to a simmer then move away from the high heat. Cook towards the entrance of the oven for thirty minutes or until the potatoes are fully cooked. For a crispier potato, remove the aluminum foil after ten minutes of cooking.

4. Recipe: Fire Charred Gulf Shrimp with Pasta Salad 24 Shrimp, peeled and cleaned 1 lemon, juiced 1 Tablespoon Salt 2 teaspoons black pepper 3 cups Bowtie Pasta, cooked and cooled 1/4 cup Olive Oil 1 clove Garlic 1 Red Pepper, sliced 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced 1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar 6 Sprigs Basil, chopped 1 Avocado, diced 2. Boil the pasta according to instructions. To cool, simply run cold water over the cooked pasta for two minutes. Allow the pasta to dry then add the olive oil, basil, cucumber, red pepper, chopped garlic, avocado and vinegar. Cover with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature. 3. Using a heavy skillet, add 1 Tablespoon of olive oil to the cooking pan and place towards the center of the oven. Allow the oil to reach medium high heat. 4. Add the shrimp to the cooking pan and cook for three minutes. Add the salt and pepper and cook for two more minutes, making sure to toss the shrimp occasionally. Add the lemon juice then cook until the shrimp are cooked through. 5. Toss with the Pasta Salad and Serve.

5. Recipe: Sea Bass Cooked In Salt Crust 1 Whole Sea Bass, cleaned (around 18 inches in length) 2 cups Kosher Salt 8 Sprigs Fresh Thyme 2 Egg Whites 2 cloves garlic ½ lemon, sliced 1 Tablespoon Black Pepper, whole 2 cups Jasmine Rice, cooked 4 Plum Tomatoes, fresh 2. Wash the fish and remove any remaining scales. Dry the surface of the fish using a paper towel. Stuff the cleaned stomach of the fish with the thyme, garlic, peppercorns and sliced lemon. 3. In a medium bowl whisk the egg whites until they turn frothy. Add the salt and mix thoroughly. Line the bottom of a cast iron skillet with a thin layer of the salt. Place the fish on top and coat the entire fish with the remaining salt. Make sure to cover the entire fish with the salt coating. 4. Place the fish in the center of the wood-fired oven (around 300 degrees) for thirty minutes. Wash the plum tomatoes and place near the entrance of the oven to roast slowly. 5. Cook the rice according to instructions on the pack. 6. When the fish is cooked, remove the salt covering the fish and transfer to a cutting board. Remove the skin and bones and serve with the roasted tomato and rice.

6. Recipe: Apple Wood Roasted Lamb with Applesauce Apple Wood (as needed to heat the oven) 1 Leg of Lamb, bone-in 2 Tablespoons Thyme 2 Tablespoons Rosemary ¼ cup Garlic, chopped 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 4 Apples, large with skin on 1.5 Tablespoon Black Pepper, ground 3 Tablespoons Salt 1 bunch Asparagus 1 cup Water 1 Tablespoon Butter Make sure to use Apple wood for this recipe. For apple, visit your local apple orchard. 2. Rub the surface of the lamb with the thyme, rosemary, chopped garlic, 2 Tablespoons of salt, 1 Tablespoon pepper and olive oil. Sear the leg of lamb in the center of the oven until the surface of the lamb turns light brown. Turn the meat and brown the other side. When completely brown, stand the leg of lamb up in the oven on the opposite side of the burning apple wood. Cook for ninety minutes or until the meat reaches your desired internal temperature. 3. While the lamb is cooking, place the apples towards the entrance of the oven and cook until soft to the touch. When cooked, remove the inner pulp and place in a medium sized bowl. Mash with a fork and serve warm. 4. In a small cast iron pot add the asparagus, water, butter and remaining salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and cook towards the entrance of the oven for twenty five minutes or until the asparagus is tender.

7. Recipe: Roasted Pineapple with Lime Sorbet 1 Whole Pineapple 2 cups Lime Sorbet 2 Tablespoons Cane Sugar 4 Tablespoons Whipped Cream 2 sprigs Mint 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract 2. Place the pineapple in the center of the oven and cook until tender (around one hour). When cooked, discard the outer skin and mash the inner flesh. Place the inner flesh in a medium sized bowl then add the cane sugar. Keep warm. 3. In a mixer add the whipped cream and vanilla extract. Mix at high speed until the whipped cream reaches stiff peaks. 4. In a dessert bowl place an equal amount of the pineapple puree at the bottom of each bowl. Top the puree with the lime sorbet followed by the whipped cream. Garnish the dessert with the mint sprigs then serve.

8. Recipe: Oven Fired Focaccia Bread with Picholine Olives Ingredients (serves 4 people) 16 ounces pizza dough (one pound, 450 grams) 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 Tablespoon Sea salt 2 garlic clove minced 2 Scallions, chopped 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary leaves 1 cup Picholine olives, pitted ½ cup Sun Dried Tomatoes (preserved in oil) 2. In a square cast iron pan, line the pan with the one Tablespoon of olive oil. Place the pizza dough in the pan and spread the dough over the entire surface of the pan. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes at room temperature. 3. When the dough has risen, drizzle the remaining olive oil on top of the dough. Sprinkle the dough with coarse sea salt as well as the chopped garlic, scallions and rosemary. Evenly place the olives and sundried tomatoes on top of the dough. 4. Bake the Focaccia in the center of the oven until the bread turns golden brown, about 20 to 25 minutes minutes. Serve Warm.

9. Recipe: Cedar Smoked Salmon with Cucumber and Fennel Salad 2 pc Wild Salmon (six to eight ounces each) 2 pc Cedar Wood Planks, soaked in water for 24 hours 2 cucumber, peeled and shredded 2 teaspoons black pepper 2 Tablespoon Salt 1 bulb Fennel, shredded 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 Tablespoons Dill, Fresh 1 Tablespoon Chives, fresh 2 Tablespoon Lemon Juice 2. Sprinkle the salmon with 1 teaspoon of the ground pepper and 1 Tablespoon of Salt. Place on the cedar planks and position in the center of the wood fired oven. Cook for ten to fifteen minutes, depending on your preferences. 3. In a large bowl, combine the shredded cucumber, fennel, olive oil, dill, chives, lemon juice as well as remaining salt and pepper. Mix well and reserve on the side. 5. Place the cooked fish and salad on a plate and serve.