Who doesn't like something out of a wood fired oven!
This was my weekend project. A true labour of love. Now we make pizzas, roast vegetables and with the addition of a ‘Tuscan Grill’ we grill steaks, lobsters, fish and anything else you can think of… oh yes… Portuguese Pirri Pirri Chicken.
The oven is built to the original Pompeii Oven specifications which are very precise. The floor of the oven is fire bricks and under them is an insulation layer of sand and empty beer bottles. Yes I took one for the team and emptied a few… well more than a few but who’s counting.
Living on a tropical island has its challenges. If you want something you need to build it your self… oh yes .. assuming you can get the materials. This little project took me almost two months. What with waiting on refractory cement and fire bricks to arrive from overseas. Was it worth it?
Definitely. It looks beautiful and is so much fun to cook with. We have had afternoons or evenings with guests where we light it up and make some amazing food. There is some thing magical about cooking with fire… and of a night it just looks romantic. We are constantly learning how to use the oven and also what timber to use… We are stock piling timber now to allow it to dry for approximately 12 months!
