The Wood-Fired Blog
Pizza du Vully
Apr 22, 2014This recipe is based on a famous pie from the lake region of Switzerland called Vully. It consists of a sweet dough topped with cream, sugar and butter. Simple, tasty and easy. It is an ideal finish to a pizza night and can be served with a sweet desert white wine. Read More
Roasted Stone Fruit With Oat Streusel
Aug 15, 2013I can’t speak for the rest of the country, but this summer of 2013 is an amazing season for fruit. It started with the strawberries and cherries in the early part of the season, and it has continued on with the myriad varieties of stone fruit now available from local farmers. White and yellow peaches, apricots, nectarines, plums – they’re all unbelievably sweet and juicy. Use this recipe to take... Read More
Braised Chicken With Bacon, Fingerling Potatoes and Dried Fruit
Apr 22, 2013This dish was inspired by a random flip through one of the many cookbooks that line a high shelf just outside the kitchen at the restaurant where I work. The (old) book was a survey of regional French cooking, and one of the recipes I stumbled upon was for a dish that combined potatoes, bacon and dried fruit into a kind of gratin or casserole. I decided to adapt those... Read More
Braised Parsnips With Cara Cara Oranges
Feb 26, 2013Braising is my favorite preparation for parsnips, because it really brings out all the flavors this oft-forgotten root has to offer: delicate sweetness, earthiness and just a hint of minerality. Cara caras, one of the many types of heirloom citrus that become blessedly available in the winter months, are a perfect partner to parsnips. But if you can’t find them, regular navel oranges will work just as well. Read More
Ash-Roasted Sweet Potatoes With Sage and Honey Butter
Feb 13, 2013This simple recipe was inspired by the Argentine chef Francis Mallmann, whose cookbook, Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way, is a fascinating look at cooking with fire – over it, around it, and even in it, as I do here. The end result might look a little scary at first, but the flavor you will achieve is undeniable. Read More
Kale and Roasted Leek Gratin
Jan 23, 2013Here’s a recipe for a hearty winter side dish. I just made this for my family for Christmas, and it seemed to go over well. I know there are folks in some quarters who are sick of kale’s moment in the culinary sun, but I’ve been cooking it for years, and I will keep cooking it, because the stuff is delicious. That said, feel free to substitute any hearty green:... Read More
Slow-Roasted Duck Breast With Rhubarb-Savory Compote
Jan 09, 2013The bright acidity of rhubarb is a great counterpoint to the meaty richness of duck breast. This is a wonderful dish for the wood oven, because that faint lick of smokiness infused in both the meat and the compote really ties everything together. It’s also very simple, but the depth of flavor will make it seem as if you worked on the dish for hours. Savory is delicious, underused herb... Read More
Braised Shell Beans With Parmesan Broth
Jan 09, 2013There’s nothing like fresh shell beans, in my opinion. No matter what you do, you can’t get the same result with canned or dried beans. Cooked properly, the texture and flavor can’t be beat. I used cranberry beans for this recipe, but you could substitute just about any fresh shell bean you can get your hands on. And if you weren’t already, hopefully this recipe will be a wake-up call... Read More
Braised Beef “au Chasseur”
Jan 09, 2013Don’t let the fancy name fool you – what we’re talking about here is pot roast. I took my inspiration for the flavors in this dish from the classic French sauce chasseur, or hunter sauce, so I thought I’d give credit where it’s due. Sauce chasseur is a hearty amalgam of tomatoes, mushrooms and wine, so I have all those flavors working here, plus a couple more just because. This... Read More
