Did You Know You Could Cook Dinner In Your Fireplace?

Put those crackling logs to work with recipes that show you how to cook dinner in your fireplace, just like the old days. You can invest in special iron-forged long handles, cooking tools made special just for fireplace cooking, or use your regular Dutch oven.

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Start simple with roasting sausages on a skewer or make an after-dinner s'more, but you can cook a full meal right on the flames of your living room fireplace.

To control the heat, use coal briquettes. For a fried chicken dinner, assemble the usual ingredients you would need for your favorite recipe, such as this one for classic Buttermilk Fried Chicken. Then, arrange about 14 to 16 coal briquettes, and place your Dutch oven on top. Heat about 2 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil in the pan. Sauté fresh minced garlic if you desire before adding your brined and dredged chicken. Fry until golden brown, about 10 to 15 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the juice of a lemon. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Then, cover and cook the chicken for another 25 to 30 minutes until cooked through and tender.

For a delicious side of vegetables, heat your Dutch oven over 9 or 10 briquettes. Chop small, red potatoes, butternut squash, and fresh kale. Then heat about 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil with 1 tablespoon of butter. Sauté the vegetable medley in the hot pan, seasoning with salt, red pepper flakes, and a pinch of garlic powder as the vegetables cook for about 15 minutes until the potatoes and squash are tender and the kale is wilted and slightly crisped. Just add a squeeze of lemon and serve with your fried chicken.
 

Angela Carlos is the Cook Editor. Find her on Twitter and tweet @angelaccarlos.