Fire
the hearth.
our symbol of warmth, light & love.
the heart of our history.
everything, was around the flames.
what is fire?
essentially, fire is just the process of combustion.
when fuel (wood) is ignited (a match) and combined with oxygen, it produces light & heat in the form of flames.
but it is so much more than that.
it has been the soul and centrepiece of the Celtic household for thousands of years
a place for community gathering, for stories and family & friends
for cooking food and providing
for festivals & funerals
for bringing light & hope on dark nights.
fire.
it is deep within us all.
and we cannot deny its call.
Celtic fire
in Celtic homes, before retiring to bed, someone would “bank” the fire, an obligation & a privilege, of ensuring the hearth would smoulder under a blanket of ash just enough to stay lit until morning, when it would be reignited with fresh wood for the day ahead.
the fire was constantly lit and tended to, it was the absolute lifeblood of Irish culture, and celebrated accordingly on festival dates around the year.
on Celtic new year (samhain) the fires in Ireland would be ritually extinguished, and a single flame was carried from the sacred site of the Hill of Tara to a center bonfire which lit other bonfires accordingly, and spread to relight the hearths in the homes of the people.
A ritualistic symbol of rebirth & renewal for the season ahead
smithcraft
metal & heat.
fire & earth.
turning elements into objects, tools for hunting, cooking, building
regarded highly in Celtic culture, the smith was an important figure in society at the time, mastering the primal element of fire and moulding metals from beneath the earth through skill & strength.
there is a large resurgence in Irish smithcraft across the country, from world renowned bladesmiths like Fingal Ferguson in West Cork, or poetically rustic blacksmiths such as Eamonn Higgins in Antrim (forge pictured).
seven fires
open fire cooking.
the most primal act
there are seven fires to cook on, inspired by the wisdom of Argentinian chef Francis Mallman, whose mastery of fire & flavour is widely known.
parrilla (grill)
chapa (flat top/pan)
infiernillo (between two fires)
horno de barro (wood oven)
rescoldo (ashes & embers)
asador (iron cross, pictured)
caldero (cauldron / large pot)
these rustic techniques & tools are being re-explored by chef Rory Gorman at his Wild Feast Nights
the campfire
you already know the feeling.
sitting around a campfire with friends or family,
telling stories of old, hearing the night wind whispering through the trees and the breeze against your back
the crackle of the fire in those brief silences between regale and laughter.
many have tried to describe this feeling with ink onto paper, or words on a screen, and it has escaped the best of them all.
“it is beyond words, beyond memory, it comes from a time long before I can recall”.
the wood oven
an ancient form of cooking, dating long back in their use in Irish antiquity.
contrary to the popular assertion of the blaze of heat from a woodfire oven, they can also be very gentle and need approached with grace.
once a woodfire oven has been lit, its much harder to control the temperature compared to other fire cooking techniques, therefore you need to adapt and navigate your cooking to match the heat before you.
flatbreads & charring fruit when the heat is blazing
roasting vegetables & meats when the coals are burning
gently baking breads when the fire has burnt down to embers & ash after an evenings feast
once you get to know your oven you will develop a sense of intuition about what you can cook, and when & where in the woodburning process that fits in.