Green Fire

A groundbreaking new approach to grilling vegetables and fruit from the author of Seven Fires and Mallmann on FireGreen Fire is an extraordinary vegetarian cookbook, as Mallmann brings his techniques, creativity, instinct for bold flavors, and decades of experience to the idea of cooking vegetables and fruits over live fire. Blistered tomatoes reinvigorate a classic Caprese salad. Eggplants are buried whole in the coalsa technique called rescoldothen dance that fine line between burned and incinerated until they yield an ineffable creaminess made irresistible with a slather of parsley, chile, and aioli. Brussels sprout leaves are scorched and served with walnuts; whole cabbages are sliced thick, grilled like steaks, and rubbed with spice for a mustard-fennel crust. Corn, fennel, artichokes, beets, squash, even beansthis is the vegetable kingdom, on fire. The celebrated Patagonian chef, known for his mastery of flame and meat, the chef who romanced the food world with an iconic image of a whole cow dressed and splayed out over licking flames, is returning to the place where his storied career beganthe garden and all its bounty. Its his new truth: the transformation wrought by flame, coals, and smoke on a carrot or peach is nothing short of alchemy. And just as hes discovered that a smoky, crackling-crusted potato cooked on the plancha is as sublime as the rib-eye he used to serve it next to, Mallmanns also inspired by another truth: we all need to cut down on consuming animals to ensure a healthier future for both people and the planet. Time to turn the fire green. The fruit desserts alone confirm live fires ability to transform and elevate any ingredient. Mallmann roasts whole pineapples, grills grapes, chars cherries, and then finds just the right unexpected matchmelted cheese, toasted hazelnuts, Campari granitato turn each into a simple yet utterly entrancing dish. Cooking with fire demands both simplicity and perfection. But the results are pure magic. By using this oldest of cooking techniques, youll discover fruits and vegetables pushed to such a peak of flavor its as if theyd never been truly tasted before.