This summer we’re experimenting with cooking over a wood fire, basically, cowboy cooking. We have an old-school backyard barbecue at our house in Tunis and I want to develop some skills this next year in cooking over wood. My son, Gabe, has an interest in essentially “making fires” so he and I made a start this summer. This barbecue pit was his design and it turned out to be clever and definitely atmospheric for parties.
We have a bounty of dungeness crab for a few weeks in the summer. Tossing cooked crab halves in a cast iron pan with garlic, lemon, and white wine gives them a nice dressing and a little wood smoke flavor.
Similarly, halved artichokes roasted in olive oil and lemons, melts them into a ready-made sauce.
Paella is traditionally made on the beaches of Catalan over wood fires, topped with shellfish. It fits my conditions of a summer entertainment dish that you can make from memory and vary with local ingredients. Bon Appetit has a great starter recipe.
Good friends who are always happy to sample experimental cooking.
My face does not say, "happy to sample." But it should! It should say--BEST DARN MEAL OF THE YEAR. I'm still gasping. Paella? Heirloom tomato salad? Crab? Artichokes? All in one meal? Mocktails? Seriously. It was amazing. My face should say "amazing."
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