- Heat the Fornetto oven, kamado or smoker to 180°C / 350°F and maintain temperature.
- Pat skin of chicken with paper towel to dry. Ensure any fluids are drained from cavity. Do not trim fat or excess skin away. Toast the nuts in a dry non-stick baking dish until slightly golden – be careful not to burn. In a bowl, mix all ingredients together until evenly combined. Spoon half the mixture into each chicken making sure to “stuff ”it tightly, compacting the mixture. Using a toothpick or skewer to secure, overlap the excess skin around the cavity to seal and prevent the stuffing spilling out as the chickens cook. Rub the skin with lemon and extra salt. Place an oven proof tray at the bottom of the oven and pour in two cups of water.
- Place both chickens side by side and breast side up on a wire rack in the middle of the oven – above the water tray. Open the smoker slide to allow the smoke to enter the oven chamber and flavour the chicken. (Open/close throughout the cooking period as desired.) Cook the chickens for 45 minutes and then turn them over. Be careful not to break the chicken. Add a little more water to the tray if necessary. Cook for a further 30 minutes – remove from the oven, cover with foil and allow to rest. Use the liquids from the roasting tray to make a delicious smoky flavoured gravy. Serve with roasted vegetables or salad.
TIP: Put bunches of robust herbs (such as Rosemary or Thyme) beneath the chickens. This stops them sticking to the rack and the steam mixes with the herbs to create added flavours and aromas.
Option:
Instead of rice, why not try couscous or quinoa for a healthy and interesting twist?
This stuffing recipe works great with game birds such as duck – even rolled inside a pork loin. Dried cranberries and currants are a great substitute for dried apricots or apple. Modify the recipe by adding your own favourite herbs and flavours.
To make the dough
- Combine yeast, sugar and 2 tablespoons of warm water and set aside in a warm place for approximately 15 minutes.
- Place flour and salt in a large mixing bowl and make a well in the centre.
- Add remainder of water to yeast and whisk through.
- Add yeast mixture to flour mix and combine thoroughly to form a rough ball.
- Add small quantity of flour if your mixture is too wet.
- Turn out onto a lightly-floured board and knead for 5-10 minutes until smooth.
- Place tablespoon of olive oil in a clean bowl, coat dough all over and cover with clean tea towel and put aside for 1-2 hours allowing the dough to double in size.
- Place dough back onto floured board and knead a few times.
- For thin base pizzas divide your dough into 4 parts. Shape each ¼ into a round ball.
- Take one ball of dough; keep others covered so they don’t dry out.
- Use a small amount of flour to dust the rolling surface and the rolling pin, to prevent dough sticking. Roll out to required size. (about 30 cm / 12 in)
- Place on pizza stone or tray and add your favourite topping – remember not to overdo it.
- If you use a pizza paddle leave the base on your surface, you can slide it under after all toppings are on the base.
Preheat your Fornetto oven to at least 200 C / 400 F and maintain the heat. You can also make this recipe on a hot grill (using a pizza stone) or in a kamado or smoker.
TIP: Sprinkling (uncooked) polenta meal onto your pizza spatula or stone will prevent it from sticking when you place on the pizza stone and also gives a delicious crispier texture to the base.
Suggested Toppings:
- Margarita – spicy homemade tomato relish and shredded fresh mozzarella or bocconcini, fresh basil leaves to garnish
- Mushroom pizza – sliced sautéed mushroom and basil leaves – served with crème fraiche
- Pancetta – rashers of pancetta, sautéed onions, shredded mozzarella
- Pescatoro – fresh salmon chunks, prawns, baby mussels or clams, scallops and calamari
- Salty pizza – black olive tapenade, salt flakes and chopped rosemary. Drizzle with olive oil and garnish with extra rosemary
- Tandoori – tandoori paste, tandoori chicken (cooked) fresh chopped tomatoes and mint yoghurt
Make in a conventional oven, the Fornetto oven, or in a kamado or a smoker.
- Combine all ingredients to form a thick paste. Place the ribs in a plastic bag or large plastic container and cover with the marinade. Place the ribs in the refrigerator and allow the flavours to infuse and the meat to tenderize (thanks to the vinegar) overnight.
- Preheat your Fornetto to 120° C / 250° F and maintain the temperature throughout the cooking time.
- Remove the ribs from the marinade and wipe of any excess – do not throw out as you will use this to baste the ribs. Place the rib racks bone side down on the wire racks in your Fornetto wood fired oven, kamado, or smoker and open the Smoker Slide (if you have one). For even heat and smoke distribution, do not overlap or let the ribs touch each other.
- After 20 – 30 minutes, check the ribs to ensure the temperature is holding and baste with more marinade. Cook for a further 2 – 3 hours, basting with the marinade every half hour. The ribs are cooked when the meat pulls away from the bones. Great as an appetizer, ribs are perfect served with cold beers or cider. Make sure there are plenty of napkins – this is a sticky business!
- Preheat your Fornetto oven or your conventional oven to 200 ℃ (400 ℉ ). See tip below about making the chili on the grill instead.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet/fry pan and fry the onions until translucent.
- Add the meat and brown. Strain away any liquid and return to the heat.
- When the remaining liquid has evaporated and only the oil remains, add your spices and fry for a further 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
- In your stew pot combine all remaining ingredients with the spiced meat mixture.
- Place the stew pot in your Fornetto and cook for 1 hour covered. If you have a Fornetto oven, light your smoking chips and place in the combustion chamber. Be very careful as it will be extremely hot! Turn the flue to “smoke”
- Cook the chili for another half an hour uncovered.
Tip: Serve with grated cheese, sour cream, and finely chopped chilies. Cornbread and guacamole lend them perfectly to this chill as well!
Tip: You can also prepare this dish on the grill. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over a medium heat (180 to 200C). It should take around an hour an a half, until the meat is very tender.
Click here to read our blog about Tex-Mex cooking (with links to other recipes)
*Adjust recipe depending on the size of the bread you’re using.
- Preheat your Fornetto oven, conventional oven, kamado or smoker to 200℃ (400℉).
- Mix the butter with the garlic and spread lightly on the bread.
- Top with the prosciutto or cured ham, the Mozzarella and the Parmigiano-Reggiano.
- Sprinkle with the dried oregano and bake for 10 minutes or until the cheese starts to brown.
Tip: Use thinly sliced tomato, fresh basil and extra virgin olive oil instead of the ham and butter for a vegetarian alternative.
Congratulations Piet Venter of Kimberley, South Africa who came in first place for our mini pizza stone competition.
Written and conceived by Mr. Piet Venter of Kimberley, South Africa. Edited by Matthew C.
(Recipe is for topping 1 pizza)
Putting the pizza together
- Preheat your Fornetto oven or conventional oven to 250°C (480°F).
- Cover the base of the pizza with the tomato sauce.
- Add mozzarella cheese then add the following, sliced Vienna sausage, sliced smoked Russian sausage and sliced salami.
- Top with the cheddar cheese.
- Bake in the oven for approximately 8 minutes or until desired doneness.
- When the pizza is done, add red Peppadews (South African product) and a shallot (green onion).
- Enjoy!
3 hour smoked ham with maple syrup, tamarind and spice glaze
- Preheat your Fornetto Oven to 175 ℃ (350 ℉ )*.
- Mix the ingredients for the glaze in a pot and boil until thick. Strain and set aside.
- Score the ham like a checker board diagonally.
- Brush the ham with the glaze and bake in the Fornetto Oven for 1 hour until the glaze has caramelised and darkened.
- Remove the ham from the oven and cover.
- Reduce the heat of the oven to 50 ℃ (120 ℉ ).
- Add the wood chips to the combustion chamber and when they begin smoking return the ham to the oven loosely tented with foil.
- Allow to smoke for three hours, monitoring every 30 minutes for temperature.
*You could also try smoking your ham in your Fornetto Razzo smoker or your Fornetto Lento kamado. Fruity wood chips are great for creating delicious smokiness. Remember to carefully monitor the temperature with a thermometer, check on the ham regularly and rest well before carving.
A delectable way to slow-cook for a stew that’s out of this world!
Spices, meat and vegetables combine for a mouth-watering treat!
Method:
- Combine all ingredients for the marinade plus half of the chopped onion and parsley and mix in with the lamb. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Photographic instructions are in our blog.
- Cover and place the tajine in the cold Fornetto or conventional oven*. Light the fire in the combustion chamber or turn on the oven. Do not let the oven temperature exceed 175℃ (350℉).
- Start timing when the oven comes to temperature and cook for a minimum of 1.5 hours.
- Remove from the oven and serve immediately.
Tip: Serve with couscous and flat-bread!
Tip: Try making the stew in your Fornetto kamado or smoker – just set up the product for indirect cooking
- Preheat your Fornetto, conventional oven, kamado or smoker to 180℃
- Rinse the chicken and pat dry.
- In an oven-proof dish (or a cloche if you have one) place two branches of rosemary on either side of the base.
- Stuff the chicken with the sage and onion stuffing (click here for recipe which is also on our website) and place on top of the rosemary.
- Place the vegetables all around and partially under the chicken.
- Drizzle the chicken and vegetables very sparingly with olive oil.
- Sprinkle generously with the spice mix.
- Cover and roast in the preheated oven for 1.5 hours. Uncover and continue roasting further for 30 minutes or until desired doneness.
Tip: Try using Fornetto smoking chips and smoking the chicken for the last half hour of roasting.
The picture above is an italian ragù of which there are 12 different types as listed by the Italian Cooking Academy (l’Accademia Italiana Della Cucina). By far, the most popular of all is ragù Bolognese, otherwise known as Bolognese sauce or meat sauce. It’s important to distinguish the difference between a ragù and a meat sauce in this case however. Lasagne, cannelloni and manicotti are made using a ragù where the meat (70%-80% of the content) outweighs the tomato whereas a meat sauce is a tomato-based sauce that has 20-30% meat in it.
- Begin by sautéing your onions in extra virgin olive oil until translucent.
- Add in the ground meat and cook through.
- Remove the mixture from the heat and strain. Return to the pan and continue to cook for a further 5 minutes or until all the liquid has evaporated.
- Chop the tomatoes and add them to the meat/onion mixture.
- Cook until the tomatoes begin to fall slightly.
- Add in the Passata, Doppio Concentrato and dried oregano and cook for a further 10 minutes.
- Season with salt, pepper, basil and oregano and allow to cool to room temperature before using the ragù as a stuffing for Lasagna, Cannelloni, Manicotti or any other stuffed pasta dish.
Tip: Feel free to use garlic in your sauce if you wish, about 4-5 cloves, minced for this recipe!
