I may have found a new project:
Build Your Own Earth Oven : A Low-Cost, Wood-Fired Mud Oven; Simple Sourdough Bread; Perfect Loaves
I haven’t gotten my hands on the book yet, mind you – this came from a passing recommendation in the “Kitchen Questions” podcast from APM’s The Splendid Table (yay public radoi!). A listener had called in raving about her wood-fired oven that she built herself for all of $21, and had questions about cooking the Thanksgiving dinner in the oven.
I’ve got an idea for where to do this in the back yard. There’s an underutilized spot behind the garage that ought to work nicely and be relatively out of the way. I may have to throw in doing a whole pile of yardwork (something I detest) to convince the wife (who knows nothing of this yet) that I’m not crazy. First, I have to convince myself that I’m not crazy. It would be cool to come back from Christmas vacation and say that I’d built an earthenware oven in my back yard, though….
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
You’re crazy, but don’t let that stop you. Let me know if it works, because I might be able to do it when we get to the new house. I’m not going to tell Martin about it, though…
I don’t think you’re crazy!!! That sounds cool. There are also directions for a smoker made from a garden pot and a hot plate at foodtv.com. I can only find the one for the cardboard box smoker.
Alton’s done a smoker with an upturned garbage can before as well, roughly the same concept. Actually, I think I could get a decent smoke going on the stove top with a steamer basket over a pot – something along the lines of Iron Chef America – but I’m afraid 1) of ruining a good pot and 2) of smoking up the whole house. I may need to figure out another way to get tea-smoked chicken done.
Tea-smoked chicken? Sounds like a job for a wok with a lid. That’s what I used to do tea-smoked duck. Lapsang souchang mixed with rice and sugar in a foil holder under a rack to hold the duck. Worked a treat…
So what happened with the earth oven? I know. Time. There’s never enough.
Have you considered a smoker for meat? and baking stones to put in a regular oven for bread? also a clay cloche for baking bread?