Tuscan style wood oven roasting

Half Lab · April 2009

Does anyone have a method to reproduce the finish of a chicken (or half chicken) roasted in a wood fired Tuscan style oven? I am thinking that I would want to use high heat and a heavy pizza stone...but I am guessing after this. My seasoning is totally simple: olive oil, salt, pepper, and a little rosemary.

I am thinking of getting a BGE its versatility, but I am also looking at a pure grilling machine like the Grillery. In the summer I am more into quick simple grills than low and slow outdoors (that's my winter activity, but it's a trick to get things cooked without getting them more burned than is good for us...thus my interest in a device when I can adjust the height from the flame and also use a rotisserie attachment.

I have read a number of posts by people who took the big step of building a tuscan style wood oven, but in contrast to the BGE, these things have a long warmup and consume a lot of wood. The wood is not the problem...it's the time--and of course the expense. It would be perfection to be able to get this result with a BGE.

stike · April 2009

i've done 500 degree chicken with a platesetter. i also tend to add a little smoke to most cooks, whether chicken, beef, or pork.

many lumps (like royal oak) are oak. the others are made from a mix of oak and/or other hardwoods and have residual organics in them that give some smoke to begin with, but you can augment it with anything else.

a little smoke goes a long way with chicken

Unknown · April 2009

Half, I thought long and hard about building a wood oven, even got plans, priced materials, checked out the Forno Bravo line of precast ovens, etc. Ultimately decided on a BGE for a few reasons:
--doesn't consume a huge amount of fuel
--is relatively portable (most hearth ovens are too heavy to move, or permanently installed), esp when on wheels in a nest
--is quickly lit & comes up to cooking temps in very little time (10-20 minutes)
I've only had my BGE for a short time, but I've been very happy with its performance. Temp control is a breeze--you can cook that chix as slow as you'd like then ramp up the heat for a crunchy finish on the skin, no rotisserie needed (just use a vertical roaster instead).

Spring Chicken · April 2009

If you Google Tuscan Chicken you will get 202,000 hits. Surely there are more than a few among them that will give you some good hints so that you can create the dish yourself on the Egg.

Some sound delicious...

Spring "Cajun Koonass" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

Half Lab · April 2009

Excuse me I am a total newbie in BGE. I assume the lid is down and top vent open to the point that you read 500 on the lid thermometer. I assume also that you are placing the chicken breast side up on the grid. Is this correct? Are you getting a light crispy skin this way?

Half Lab · April 2009

Celeste, thanks for your comment. It would be great to hear from someone who has used both a wood oven and a BGE. I am sure it can be done since people seem really happy with the pizza.

bubba tim · April 2009

You have the basics correct. I have an example of a spatchcock chicken with pics on my site. go to bubbatim.com then click on Egg-cipies then scroll down.
Enjoy!

Half Lab · April 2009

That's some very tasty looking chicken. Thanks for the prep picks- nice touch to take out those little rib bones. My dogs and wife compete for the chicken back- they want to eat it raw (like a potato chip for them) -she wants the attached innards cooked.

Tuscan style wood oven roasting

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