Celebrate the art of cooking over an open fire using the freshest seasonal local ingredients from the Midcoast! In this hands-on experience, you’ll learn the core techniques of fire cooking while enjoying the vibrant flavors of the season. Max will guide you through selecting ingredients from local farmers, preparing them with care, and mastering the skills to create delicious dishes. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned cook, you’ll leave with new recipes, techniques, and a deeper appreciation for the connection between fire and food. Embrace the warmth of the fire and the joy of cooking in this unique culinary experience. This class is taught by one of our resident chefs: Max Ablicki.
A bit about Max: Max Ablicki is a young chef in Rockport with a pinpointed interest in wood-fired cooking and has spent several years cooking with fire both recreationally, in several restaurants, and for private dinner experiences. Max’s interest in fires began at a young age at family parties in which his family cooked over the fire together in the spirit of Francis Mallmann; a renowned Argentinian chef who is celebrated globally for his use of fire. Today, Max carries that torch with friends, family, and his guests; creating experiences with exciting local and seasonal ingredients, imparting smoke, char, and texture while still staying true to the ingredients and traditions. When Max is away from the fire, he works as a landscaper, gardener, stone mason, and enjoys surfing, swimming, travel, and a life outdoors.
Topics/Techniques
Coal-roasting,“rescoldo”
We will learn the techniques of roasting with ashes and coals, choosing the right ingredients for coal roasting, and how to prepare recipes with ingredients that have been roasted in the coals, from eating them as-is to using them in greater recipes.
Dishes may include:
– Roasted beet carpaccio
– Coal-roasted eggplant purée
– Chicory salad with roasted squash and bacon vinaigrette
– Coal-roasted shallot mignonette
– Roasted red peppers
– Salsa verde- Pumpkin salad bowls
Grilling
Students will learn about grilling over fire techniques for vegetables and meat, specifically high heat, hard and fast techniques.
Dishes may include:
– (Smaller steaks) and chimichurri
– Calamari with grilled sweet potato and pickled peppers
– Chicken thigh/leg portions
– Grilling vegetables (seasonal)
– Tuna
Roasting
Students will learn about roasting over fire techniques, where recipes require prolonged exposure to heat, lower and slower indirect heat and smoke from the fire, whether suspended above the fire onthe grill or in the wood oven.
Dishes may include:
– larger steaks and chimichuri
– Sherry-maple glazed pork chops
– Salmuera/basting liquids
– Half chicken
– Whole fish
Flat top/chapa/plancha/griddle
Teach students about using a flat top/flat surface for even heat to develop texture and caramelization and the importance of leaving food alone on the cooking surface.
Dishes may include:
– Mushrooms
– Smashed potatoes
– Hardier fish such as Hake, Salmon, etc.
– Pork belly
– Rosti/Latkes
– Fruits such as apples, peaches, pears, etc
– Lemons
– Tomatoes
– Carrots
– Provoleta/Halloumi
Other Topics
– Wood selection
– Fire building and management
– Cultural and historical backgrounds of cooking with fire
– Flavor profiles of ‘char’ and how to create a balanced recipe with the powerful flavors
from the fire