Doing “Fun by the Fire Friday” posts every week, we share a lot of fun ideas for what to do by the fire. Sometimes this includes eating in front of the fire, or near the fire, but we don’t talk much about HOW to cook food OVER an open fire.
While some types of fireplace cooking require special equipment, like a fireplace grill, others can be done on most any fireplace with a little creativity and ingenuity. It’s all about using the right tools.
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How to Cook in Your Fireplace
We’re not all great cooks, but to cook over an open flame requires not just skill, but also equipment built for the task.
Here are some items that will help you cook like a pro in your fireplace.
Fireplace rotisserie-A fireplace rotisserie can take a little practice to get right. A rotisserie is essentially a spit set up in front of the fire that turns the meat over slowly as it cooks over an open flame. A rotisserie generally runs with a small motor or can be turned by hand.
Fireplace Crane for Dutch Ovens-You’ve probably seen pictures of these in American history books, or have seen them in use in old movies. A Dutch oven is a heavy duty cast iron pot with a lid that has a metal handle that you can hang it from. The crane is the piece you attach to the wall, and use to hang your Dutch oven from. Just find a proper hinge to install near your fireplace opening, and you can hang a Dutch oven over the fire and cook right there! Using a Dutch oven in this fashion allows for slow simmering and stewing of foods, and with the right recipe the end results will be delicious!
Fireplace Grills-Much like your barbeque grill, you can purchase a single grill plate to place on a fire burning in your fireplace that will allow you to set a kettle on top, grill steaks, chops, vegetables-whatever you want to cook over an open flame.
Pie Irons-Pie iron cooking makes it possible for you to create toasty desserts and sandwiches like paninis.
Skewers-I am a firm believer that food is just better when cooked on a skewer and slightly singed. I love kebobs of all kinds, and this also works great for hot dogs and sausages. I’ve even roasted small game birds over the fire using skewers. They were delicious.
Now that I am getting hungry, I think it’s time to get dinner together. A nice, toasty Panini would really hit the spot!