I have just got a pizza oven, but what else can I cook in it?
Sure, Neapolitan pizza and negroni nights are great, but start thinking of your pizza oven as a high-temperature furnace and there will be even more reason to stay outdoors. “I’d lean towards food that you eat charred,” says Naples-trained Kit Delamain of Circus Pizza at Panzer’s Deli in London. That might mean aubergines to blitz into baba ganoush, finishing meat (think lamb) that’s been cooked low and slow “to get that really nice, charred flavour”, or to bake pitta: “They puff up ever so nicely, which is hard to achieve in a normal oven.” The same goes for pillowy naan, adds Arun Tilak, executive chef at Dishoom: “Roll the dough into a round or oval shape, prick lightly with a fork and bake until beautifully golden. Brush with butter and you’re in for a treat.”
Of course, pizza ovens come in different shapes and styles, but, depending on which you have, they can be “really controllable”, says Rachel Jones, founder of ACE Pizza in east London, who recently cooked a whole turbot in hers. “Start with that intense heat, which will blister the skin, before turning it down and leaving the fish to cook through.” That said, you could also have chicken tonight: “Spatchcock a chicken and marinate it in lemon zest, garlic, olive oil, rosemary and salt and pepper for at least an hour,” says Jones, who then pops the bird skin side up in a skillet and into the pizza oven on low, rotating occasionally, until cooked. “While the chicken rests, throw summer veg [courgettes, peppers, tomatoes] into the skillet with olive oil and garlic, and get that pan back in the oven.” Start the flame on high (“to get some nice char”), then turn to low and cook for another 15 minutes: “Serve with a squeeze of lemon, a scatter of fresh herbs, maybe a dollop of yoghurt and some flatbread on the side.”
A pizza oven could facilitate curry night, too. “Cook chicken or vegetables in the pizza oven, then just add them to a homemade sauce,” Delamain suggests. Tilak, meanwhile, would think about charring carrots or crisping potatoes to toss with a punchy kebab masala and finish with a zippy lime and chilli dressing: “The intense heat cooks everything quickly and locks in the most amazing flavour.” His preferred dish, however, would be biryani: “Yes, even that works in a pizza oven: layer marinated chicken in the base of a pot, top it with partially cooked rice, then finish with a little cream, butter, fresh mint and coriander.” Seal with a lid and cook “on dum [AKA low and slow].”
And if you fancy something sweet, flaky pastry is “at its best with the dry heat of a pizza oven,” says Tomas Topolar, head chef at Oxmoor Farm in the Chiltern Hills, who adds that pizza oven galettes are easier than, well, pie: “The sweetest blackberries are those that come off easily; they almost fall into your fingers. You then only need to add lemon juice, a dusting of flour and sprinkle of sugar to make a beautiful filling.” And remember that residual heat is also your friend, Jones says: “Slice stone fruit [peaches, plums or nectarines, say], put them in a cast-iron pan, drizzle with honey and add fresh thyme.” After about 20 minutes in the oven “they’ll be lovely and sticky”. Just add yoghurt and chopped nuts for happy days.