Some of the poshest restaurants have wood-fired brick ovens - the River Caf, for instance - and if you've ever fancied cooking in one, this quirky little book could help.
It's written by Aussie chef-restaurateur Russell Jeavons, whose restaurant, Russell's Pizza, in the Willunga township in deepest South Australia, opens one day a week (it's clearly not his only source of income). Nevertheless, it's always packed with customers wanting to eat some of the simple, rustic fare that he pulls out of the fourth oven that he's built.
In typical Australian fashion, the book is clearly written with easy-to-follow instructions and diagrams dealing with the construction of the oven. There are useful pointers regarding the type of tools you need - fairly standard equipment, in case you're wondering.The book divides into two distinct halves. The first is solely concerned with the construction of the oven, the second with recipes for dishes that work. If you think that these dishes are limited to bread-based things like pizza, then you're in for a surprise. Of course there are bread recipes but, essentially, anything that you can bake or roast in a modern oven can be done in a brick one: things just take a little longer.
Jeavons has included a version of pissaladire and Turkish and Greek meat dishes. There are also some great desserts that you can bake really successfully in traditional brick ovens: crme caramel, strudels and tarts, for instance.
For anyone looking for something to give a country pub a bit of profile - differentiate it from the neighbours - a brick oven is worth considering. Just make sure you're not breaking any environmental or planning laws before you order your bricks.
Your Brick Oven: Building it & Baking in it
Russell Jeavons
Grub Street, 10.99
ISBN 1-904943-25-X
13 October.