Autumn is here, but don’t put away that grill. With so much fresh produce on the market right now, you’ll want to cook and eat often, making the most of the season. And one of the best ways to do this is over an open fire, also known as wood-fired cooking.
This time of year, you can find everything from fresh carrots and beets to zucchini, pumpkin, kale and Romanesco broccoli. And they’re all best cooked in that instinctive, ancient way, over a few flickering flames.
Tyler Fenton is the chef at BATA, one of the most interesting restaurants in the West, if not America. The place specializes in wood-fired vegetables and is part of a rich culinary tapestry in Tucson. Chef Fenton was generous enough to offer some tips on wood-fired cooking, especially when it comes to produce.
Fenton grew up grilling, but really appreciated the approach his first year at school. “My freshman year of college, I bought a smoker and grill combo, and that’s when my love for wood-fired cooking really took off,” he said. “For me, the taste of food cooked over a live fire is much more delicious than any other preparation. I think there is an attachment to the taste of smoke ingrained in us on an evolutionary level.”
Tips for cooking vegetables in a wood-fired oven
Type of wood
“The type of wood is important because it will flavor the final product, and different types of wood burn longer, smoke more or less, etc.,” explained Fenton. “The type of wood for grilling is less important than for smoking due to the total time spent in contact with the smoke. I’m a big fan of oak for both grilling and smoking. It has a pleasant, balanced flavor and burns well. Pecans are great too. In Arizona, mesquite is abundant and, in my opinion, is a great option for quick-cooking items.”
Ingredients
As Fenton said, fall is full of so many great grilling options. “Cabbage is one of my favorites,” he said. “I like to cook them whole, slowly cooking the outside until completely charred; this will take a few hours. Then you peel back the charred leaves to reveal a tender, smoky core, which you can serve as is or grill again for deep caramelization.
Something he’s always wanted to cook with? Cetluce. Also nicknamed stem lettuce and asparagus lettuce, this Asian veggie is a bit like a cross between cucumber and romaine lettuce. “One of our favorite farmers tried to grow lettuce for us, but the business came early and we didn’t have the opportunity to try it,” Fenton explained. “I’ve also never gotten my hands on matsutake mushrooms, although I’ve had the pleasure of eating them and would love to work with them someday.”
Check out the cabbage recipe below to get an idea of what he’s talking about.
Approach and tools
“While many vegetables are great cooked 100% over the fire, many items benefit from pre-cooking,” Fenton said. “Mushrooms, for example, benefit from a quick steam before grilling, which adds some moisture and allows them to have a strong seal, remaining juicy and tender, without drying out. Other items, such as large carrots, also benefit from pre-cooking.”
The right tools can also make or break a meal, but they don’t have to be complex. Fenton opts for a grill basket and tongs. “A grill basket allows you to cook almost anything over a fire, acting like a frying pan but allowing you to get smoke and charcoal from the fire,” he said. “And long tongs because with a hot fire there’s no need to feel uncomfortable.”
There are also mistakes to avoid, which often involve the nature of your heat source. “Many people start using fire very quickly, using fire before any charcoal forms,” Fenton said. “You really want to burn your first few logs to coals and then add fresh logs before you start cooking.” As he said. Cooking with barely lit wood is far from ideal.
Grilled cabbage with butter and golden herbs
This dish may take an hour or two, but it’s not very involved and yields some lovely charred goodness. The chef said you get extra points if you add a little miso to the brown butter.
Ingredients:
- 1 head of cabbage
- Oil
- Salt and pepper
- Butter
- Herbs (we suggest dill, parsley and mint)
- Sea salt to finish
Method:
- Take a whole head of cabbage and place it over medium heat.
- Let it char completely while turning until all the cabbage is black (this should take 1 to 2 hours, depending on the intensity of the fire, the distance from the flame, and the size of the cabbage).
- Let the cabbage cool slightly and remove the burnt outer leaves.
- Half or a quarter of the cabbage (depending on size), brush the cut side with olive oil and season well with salt and place on the grill over high heat.
- Rotate the cabbage until deeply caramelized.
- Remove from the grill and garnish with a good amount of browned butter.
There are many ways to cook over a fire, of course. Check out our resources on cooking over a campfire and some of our favorite grills. And if you end up in Tucson, be sure to dine at BATA and stock up on baked goods in the morning at Barrio Bread, the work of a James Beard award winner.
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