CECILIA FAGE (COBALT CHAPEL)
On the menu: Lamb Ashes Are Burning (aka Bonfire Lamb)
“I only started to love cooking a few years ago – my husband’s a great cook and after one of my particularly failed attempts (‘Well, thankfully salmon’s a very forgiving fish’) he showed me some tips about flavour which gave me more confidence. We live in the country and often have a bonfire in the evening, and an episode of [netflix show] Chef’s Table inspired me to try fire roasting. It’s lovely for having friends over: Jarrod [Gosling, Cobalt Chapel partner] and our live band are visiting soon, and will be my guinea pigs for a fish and vegetarian/vegan version. Once the food’s cooking you can relax around the bonfire – though if you’re fond of floaty nylon dresses like me, be careful not to set yourself alight!”
Ingredients (serves 4)
Lamb shoulder, 4 large sweet potatoes, 4 corn on the cobs, 2 handfuls of mushrooms, a head of garlic cloves, 2 red or yellow peppers, olive oil, several sprigs of rosemary, butter, salt, pepper.
Preparation
“Soak the cobs in cold water for 15 minutes beforehand and use butter to coat. Meanwhile, rub olive oil, salt and pepper over the lamb and vegetables. Make small incisions in the lamb and stuff with fresh rosemary and garlic. I got carried away and picked some wild garlic too, but didn’t like the taste so I’d leave that out.
“Fire up your bonfire and once it’s raging and there’s a good build-up of embers underneath, wrap everything separately in two-to-three layers of kitchen foil, and nestle it in the ash under the flames to cook. Gardening gloves are handy here.
“The lamb takes about one hour and 15 minutes to cook until slightly pink inside. The vegetables take 30 minutes and the corn 15 minutes until it’s quite blackened on the outside, but tender inside. Because the seasoning’s simple, the roasting enhances each vegetable’s individual flavour. And what better excuse to toast marshmallows for dessert?
“Prog readers should make this dish because it’s experimental, dramatic, and not without risk – much like prog! I love this recipe because it’s fun, easy and versatile. You can try different veg or leave out the meat entirely.”