A Friday’s Treat
Try to preheat oven to around 200°C (400°F) which is not an easy task with a wood fire cooker.
Place chicken in a proper pot and drizzle with rape seed oil.
Mix salt, pepper, garlic powder, paprika, and rosemary, then season the chicken.
Toss vegetables with oil, salt, and pepper, then spread them around the chicken.
Pour 1 dl / half a cup of white wine in the pot.
Cook for 40 - 60 minutes, or until chicken is done and veggies are tender. It can be difficult, but make a cut in the chicken to make sure it is done.
There’s something deeply satisfying about ending the week with a proper meal, especially when it’s cooked the old way.
Our kitchen doesn’t rely on modern precision yet. Instead, the rhythm of cooking is guided by fire and instinct, using a traditional wood-fired stove. Reaching 200°C (400°F) is less about turning a dial and more about reading the flames, adjusting the logs, and trusting experience. It’s slower, less predictableand infinitely more rewarding.
For this Friday’s supper, a whole chicken takes centre stage. Placed in a heavy pot, it’s drizzled with rapeseed oil and generously seasoned with salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, and rosemary. Around it, a simple mix of seasonal vegetables is tossed in oil and scattered to roast in the same heat, absorbing both flavour and warmth from the fire.
A splash of white wine, about half a cup, brings everything together, creating a gentle steam that keeps the meat tender while enriching the vegetables.
Cooking time is never exact in a wood-fired oven. It may take anywhere from 60 to 100 minutes, depending on the fire’s intensity. So, instead of relying on a timer, you learn to read the signs: the colour of the skin, the aroma from the pot, and, when in doubt, a careful cut into the meat to ensure it’s perfectly cooked.
This is food without shortcuts. A meal shaped by patience rather than precisión, where the process is just as important as the result.
Serve straight from the pot, preferably at a well-worn table.
Enjoy a generous Friday!