Australian Gourmet Traveller - (05)May 2019 (1)

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here’ssomethingdeeplysatisfyingabouttearing

intothechewy,yeastycrustofa pizzabakedwith

fireyou’vemadewithyourownhandsinyourown

backyard. Thetastes ofsmokeandcharcan’tbe

recreated withanythingotherthanenclosedash

andflame.“I thinkthere’sa partofeveryonethat’sattracted

tofire,”saysGuyStanaway,executivechefofRareHarecellar

doorontheMorningtonPeninsula. Hisrestauranthasa mighty

woodfiredovenat itscore, thoughit firesupfordishessuch

aseggplantfurikakeandsmoky“adult” chocolate-chipcookies

ratherthanpizza.“There’ssomuchtheatre,andeveryoneis

mesmerisedbywatchingtheflames.”

Thatotherpopularbackyardfeature,thebarbecue,also

scoresprettyhighlyforfieryspectacle.Why,then, are more

pizza ovens occupying valuable outdoor space?

Partoftheappealis thehumanconnectionfostered

byanoven.Unlikebarbecues,whichcansmokeandspit,a

woodfiredovenis a warm,welcominghearthforcommunion.

“Australianslovecookingoutdoors,andwhilebarbecuesaregreat,

intermsofsomethingtogatheraround,a barbecuedoesn’treally

doit,”saysBenGuilford,directorofTheMelbourneFireBrick

Company.“It’saboutbringingfriendsandfamilytogether.”

It’snotjustaboutpizza,anymorethana barbecueis about

snags.Thehighheatofa woodfiredovenmeansalmostanyfood

thatcouldbecookedina conventionalovencanbequickly

roastedwithlittleeffort,aftera fairamountoftrialanderror.

Thetrickis totendtheflamesandcoalsuntiltheovenreaches

anoptimaltemperatureforthedish.

“Wehavecustomerswhodotheirbaconandeggsintheir

pizza oven,” says Pat Polito, of Polito Wood Fire Ovens in

Apizzaovenbringswoodfiredgoodnesstothebackyardand

a sense of community, too, writesALEXANDRA CARLTON.

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