We’re always keen to learn new ways of outdoor cooking to add to our repertoire. Read about our brilliant day with Holly and David Jones…
As keen outdoor cooking enthusiasts ourselves, we are continually searching for new ingredients and recipe ideas. We are all familiar with a lunchtime cook-up; there’s nothing better than a weekend BBQ with friends as the smell of wood smoke and the sizzle of something tasty cooking over the coals tempts the taste buds. Pizza night is also a huge hit in our family…there really isn’t anything to compare with creating your own. You can be as extravagant, or as conservative, as you like with toppings and when cooked on our favourite Alfa pizza oven they are ready in just a few minutes. However, I bet most of you (us included) are new to the idea of cooking up an al fresco breakfast Italian style! When we heard about Manna From Devon’s new take on a cooked breakfast we just had to go and investigate.
You’ll find the Manna From Devon cookery school overlooking the stunning River Dart in south Devon. Run by husband and wife team, Holly and David, classes are intimate, usually catering for 6-8 people, and take place in a lovely relaxed environment. Dave is a great teacher and put everyone in the group at ease; the class was a combination of listening and learning as well of plenty of hands-on practice.
We had signed up for one of the wood-fired courses and Dave started by lighting his Alfa, one of seven different wood-fired ovens that are housed in the purpose-built, covered outdoor kitchen that can be used all year round. He explained that they prefer not refer to the ovens as pizza ovens, rather as wood-fired ovens as they are capable of cooking so much more.
We were here to learn to cook Msemmen; a versatile stretched and folded flatbread that can be served at breakfast or lunch. It’s a great way to use up any leftover pizza dough, and its crisp layered texture just melts in the mouth. We added plenty of fresh fruit and a good drizzle of honey to ours to create a delicious start to the day, but they are equally tasty for lunch with herbs and garlic butter.
You can find the recipe here and why not let Dave guide you through the dish with this great video...you'll be cooking up your own delicious Msemmen in no time!