Recipes

Ingredients: 20 lamb skewers (neck or shoulder cut, 1cm cubes) · Fine sea salt

Method:

1. Prepare your charcoal — you want a deep bed of white-grey embers, not flames. This takes about 20–25 minutes with a chimney starter.

2. Season the skewers generously with fine sea salt immediately before cooking. Not before — the salt draws moisture.

3. Lay skewers across the narrow channel of the fornacella, packed closely together. The fornacella holds up to 30 arrosticini at once.

4. Cook for 8–10 minutes, turning every 2 minutes. The lamb should be slightly charred on the outside, just-pink in the centre.

5. Eat immediately. Arrosticini are meant to be eaten hot, straight from the fornacella.

What you need: Hardwood charcoal (not briquettes) · Chimney starter · Natural firelighters

Method:

1. Fill the chimney starter with charcoal and light from the bottom using a natural firelighter.

2. Wait 20–25 minutes. The coals are ready when they are white-grey on the outside with a red glow visible inside.

3. Pour into the bottom of the fornacella. You want a packed, even bed about 3–4cm deep.

4. Let it settle for 5 minutes before cooking. You should be able to hold your hand 10cm above the coals for no more than 2–3 seconds.

5. The fornacella is ready. Never cook over flames — only embers.

How to serve:

· Serve directly from the fornacella. No plates needed — just grab a skewer.

· Set out a basket of crusty white bread. The bread catches the fat and juices. This is not optional.

· Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil if you like, though purists skip it.

· Serve in batches — the fornacella holds 30, but they cook fast. Keep the momentum going.

Wine pairings:

· Montepulciano d'Abruzzo — the local pairing, earthy and medium-bodied.

· Cerasuolo d'Abruzzo (rosé) — if you're cooking in summer.

· Any honest Primitivo or Nero d'Avola if you can't find Montepulciano.

Serving numbers: 20 skewers feeds 2 people generously, 3 people adequately. As a starter for 4–5.