COOKING OVER COALS

Grilling with gas is so 2019. The thrill of watching chefs toil over wood flame and glowing coals has become a much sought-after part of dining out. From proteins to vegies and beyond, this cooking style goes deep into the appeal of char and smoke. Firedoor in Sydney’s Surry Hills (firedoor.com.au; above) makes a hero of its woodfired bread with smoked butter and others are following. Try veal-tongue skewers with caper sauce at Crown Sydney’s Woodcut (crownsydney.com.au; see the review on page 048), sizzling lamb cutlets with tahini sauce at Tedesca Osteria (tedesca.com.au) on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula and octopus with seawater-poached tomatoes at Tasmania’s Van Bone (vanbone.com. au; review on page 036), where old grapevines keep the wood oven burning.