Wood-fired confit vegetables have a unique flavor, and low-temperature cooking is ideal for several reasons. First, it allows for perfect confit, giving winter vegetables an unmatched tenderness. More importantly, cooking at low temperatures—below 100°C (ideally around 95°C)—helps preserve all the nutrients and vitamins in the food. Here, we offer you a simple yet refined recipe that lets you make the most of the residual heat in your wood-fired oven.
Preparation time: 20 minutes – Cooking time: Approximately 2 hours – Temperature: Below 100°C, ideally at 95°C
Tools for Successful Wood-Fired Cooking:
- A cutting board
- A sharp knife
- A wooden spoon
- A thermometer
- Cast iron or ceramic Dutch oven with lid: Ideal for wood-fired oven cooking, with brands like Emile Henry or Le Creuset offering perfect models for this purpose.
- And most importantly: A true mass wood-fired oven, which allows you to retain the heat from the wood fire. Once the initial blaze is done, you can prepare a variety of recipes and perfectly slow-cook confit vegetables using the residual, gradually decreasing heat.
Ingredients for wood-fired confit winter vegetables:
Preferably use seasonal, organic, and locally sourced vegetables.
- 3 carrots
- 2 leaks
- 2 parsnips
- 1 sweet potato
- 1 red onion
- 2 garlic cloves
- 3 thyme branches
- 2 bay leaves
- 100 ml extra virgin olive oil
- Salt & pepper
- A pinch of sweet paprika
Preparation
To successfully prepare confit vegetables in a Dutch oven, lighting and temperature management of your wood-fired oven are essential. The ideal cooking process uses residual, gradually decreasing heat at a low temperature to preserve the vegetables’ flavors and nutrients. Make sure the oven temperature is below 95°C before placing your dish inside.
For precise control, use our digital thermometer, specially designed for wood-fired ovens. This type of slow, gentle cooking ensures tender vegetables while preserving their nutritional benefits.
This method is inspired by traditional slow-cooking techniques, known for their ability to enhance the flavors of food while preserving their nutritional qualities.
Wash and carefully peel all your vegetables. For organic vegetables, you can leave the skin on carrots and parsnips.
Cut the carrots, parsnips, leeks, and sweet potatoes into similarly sized pieces to ensure even cooking.
Roughly chop the red onion.
Peel the garlic cloves and leave them whole for a milder flavor.
Drizzle a splash of olive oil into the bottom of your Dutch oven.
Arrange the vegetable pieces evenly in your Dutch oven.
Add the garlic cloves, thyme, bay leaf, and sprinkle with sweet paprika if desired.
Season with salt and pepper, then drizzle generously with olive oil.
Finally, cover the Dutch oven with its lid before placing it in the oven.
The wood-fired oven cooking
This wood-fired oven cooking is done without flames or embers. Therefore, make sure to remove them before placing your dish in the oven.
Place the Dutch oven in the oven using residual heat: to do this, ensure your thermometer shows a temperature below 100°C, ideally around 95°C. This temperature is perfect for slowly cooking your vegetables while preserving all their nutrients.
Close your oven, ideally using an insulated door to optimize the internal temperature and ensure consistent heat. Let the vegetables cook slowly for about 2 hours. Stir halfway through cooking to evenly coat the vegetables with their juices.
Your vegetables are ready when their texture is tender and they are slightly caramelized.
Benefits of Low-Temperature Wood-Fired Cooking
Cooking at low temperature in a wood-fired oven enhances the natural flavors of vegetables while giving them an incomparable subtle smoky taste. This food-friendly method also preserves essential vitamins and minerals.
Make this recipe in your wood-fired oven and rediscover the true taste of vegetables enhanced by the magic of wood fire!
Tips for a perfect cooking
We recommend using an insulated door to stabilize your oven’s temperature. This door will be useful for baking a variety of dishes, including wood-fired bread.
If, like wood-fired cooking enthusiasts, you’ve chosen to build your wood-fired oven from a kit or have equipped yourself with a turnkey wood-fired oven like Le Flambeur, you’ll benefit from consistent and stable temperatures thanks to the oven’s thermal mass. All our models are true mass wood-fired ovens, made with naturally refractory materials.
Serve the vegetables directly in the Dutch oven to retain their heat and present them just as they were cooked in your oven.
If you’re looking to invest in a Dutch oven suitable for wood-fired cooking, we recommend French brands like Le Creuset, known for their enameled cast iron models with a lifetime guarantee, or ceramic models from Emile Henry. We also suggest the Swedish brand Skeppshult, offering raw cast iron models without chemical coatings.
Photo credit: © Pexels
