Super Saturday #3

Types of fireplace cooking:

Hearth Cooking String-Turned Roasts - This is one of the most simple forms of fireplace cooking that doesn't require special equipment. Screw a hook into your fireplace mantle and you are ready to spin roasts in front of your fire, resulting in evenly cooked, succulent meats. While string-turned leg of lamb is a French classic, if you get creative you can get creative and cook other roasts in this way, such as string-turned roast chicken.

Fireplace Rotisserie - A rotisserie, requiring a rotisserie spit in front of your fire, allows you to slowly roast food. The general principle is the same as string-turned hearth cooking but it is on a motorized or hand-turned rotisserie instead and it is a little more versatile.
Fireplace Grill - You need special equipment but a fireplace grill allows you to cook grilled foods just like you would on your outdoor fire pit or barbecue. You use the hot embers of your fire instead of gas or charcoal to cook up your delicious meal.


Chestnut Roasting - Its a holiday classic. Yet most people don't really attempt this because they think the chestnuts will explode! If you have the right equipment and a few important tips, its not that hard!

Dutch Oven - A Dutch oven is a cast iron pot with a lid that has a metal handle that you can hang it from. If you install a fireplace hinged arm to hold pots or improvise another type of holder, you can hang your Dutch over over your fire in your fireplace. This allows slow stewing of hundreds of delicious recipes. This form of fireplace cooking is ideal for soup or stews.

Fireplace Skillet - Other cooking pans can be placed directly on your blazing fire for cooking. However, there are several cast iron utensils made specifically for cooking over a wood fire. Many include long legs so that you can easily sit your skillet over hot wood embers. Again, this is great for stews, soups and even sauteed dishes. The smokey aromas of the wood fire even permeate your food for a unique flavor that can only come from fireplace cooking.

Skewer Cooking - Anything you can stick on a long skewer can be roasted by hand in the fire. While this is classic for roasted marshmallows, hot dogs and sausages, you can do a lot more if you get creative. Try some little game birds hand roasted by your fire. Yum!

Long-Handle Roasters - There are several long-handled fire-roasting utensils available that allow you to hand cook different foods over an open fire. These include chestnut roasters, popcorn poppers and even a grilled cheese sandwich press.