Author Archives: easternhighlander

Pizza Oven Build: Thermal Mass and Insulation Layers

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Here it is: our Pizza Oven build. There are lots of resources online.

 

As we know to our cost absolutely critical is the the clay sand mix ratio. It must be 2 sand to 1 clay!  And it can take nearly an hour to mix a batch.

 

 

Thermal mass layer over sand former

 

 

We used sawdust for the insulation.

 

The insulation layer starting to cover the thermal mass layer

 

The insulation layer

 

 

The insulation layer

 

 

Adding a retaining wall

 

 

Completing the insulation layer

 

Smoking chicken!

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One of the school children chose smoked chicken for their birthday lunch so here we go – an introduction to hot smoking chicken. Of course being a Montessori school they had to do it for themselves starting with collecting the firewood and preparing the chicken!

 

Preparing the chicken

 

And with much inspiration from Mr Lamb and his River Cottage Handbook No 13 Curing & Smoking….

Lighting the smoker

 

 

After the cure was washed off

 

Into the tumble drier  smoking chamber!

 

Puffing away

 

Et voila! Poulet fume!

 

Here is a pilot version from the weekend:

 

Smoked chicken breast

 

 

My small sample with Swedish potatoes and paprika from Nyamaropa

With wild honey at $2 for 500g it had to be done: Experiments in Sugar

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Being an engineer there weren’t so many measurements except TEMPERATURE!

 

Kitchen Thermometer

 

Each was half Huletts soft brown sugar (i.e. the cheap stuff that is everywhere here) and half runny brown honey, splash of water and a bit of yellow baking margarine.

 

From the left 120°, 140°, 150°

 

From the left 120° (soft ball), 140°, 150° (hard crack + more flavour!)

 

120° (soft ball close to toffee in the mouth),

 

120° (soft ball – close to toffee in the mouth),

 

140° and 150° (hard crack – underneath)

 

 

Here’s one I made earlier! The goats milk cherry fudge.

 

 

The complete line up with soft ball, hard crack, cherry fudge and butterscotch on right