Chefs are putting more burnt food on the menu than charred. After years of people celebrating fussy, fine food with lots of techniques, there is now a trend for rustic food to come back into style, says Molly Baz, senior associate food editor at Bon Appetit.
Francis Mallmann, a Patagonian, is known for his open-fire cooking, which he describes as “the uncertain edge” of burnt. He has used this cooking style in nine of his restaurants worldwide, including Los Fuegos at the Faena Hotel Miami Beach. This hotel features both indoor and outdoor kitchens. Open-fire cooking has been transformed into a dramatic experience by the South American chef, who has combined simplicity and rusticity with sophistication and beauty.
Chefs with Michelin stars are elevating rustic cooking by experimenting with burnt cuisine. In January 2018, the three-star Michelin restaurant Osteria Francescana, located in Modena, introduced a new dish called Burnt. This dish is not only made with burnt ingredients, but it also uses a burnt aesthetic. It features a dark, dramatic plate of raw squid and fish in a black broth of squid ink and burnt lemon.
The Clove Club in London, which was awarded a Michelin star for its outstanding culinary excellence in 2014, is known for its Burnt Clementine Granita and Buttermilk Mousse. This dish was first introduced in January 2014. It is re-introduced every year when citrus season begins. The Charcoal restaurant in Los Angeles is renowned for its Cabbage baked-in embers side dish. A cabbage wedge is roasted over coals to a crisp, crumbly exterior and a soft, sweet interior.
In Sydney, Australia, the majority of the vegetables served at Firedoor have a crispy and burnt exterior while maintaining a sweet, vibrant interior. Lennox Hastie is the owner and chef of this restaurant, which is known for its open kitchen with a wood fire. Ingredients are roasted until they reach the perfect balance of natural flavors. Hastie said that the art of burning involves a delicate balance between bitter and sweet.
The combination of sweet and bitter flavors is perfect for desserts. Bloomberg dubbed the Basque cheesecake as “The Hottest Dessert of the Year” earlier this year. This burnt cheesecake, which originated in San Sebastian, Spain, in the 1970s, has been popping up in US bakeries and recipes. Dominique Ansel of New York, chef of the cronut-famous eponymous baker, offers three cheesecakes on its after-hours menu. One of them is inspired by San Sebastian with a dark-brown bruleed crust. For those who want to make the dish themselves, Bon Appetit’s Baz published a simple Basque Cheesecake recipe in January 2019.
Instagram is awash with dark, mysterious exteriors that are burnt. They are often contrasted against a fresh and bright interior. Baz says, “I find it shocking to see something burned.” Baz says that cooking on a fire is “very graphic, dynamic and different.” The rustic style adds an element of “unpredictability” to the rustic cooking. She explains that cooking over a live fire is liberating. Now, chefs are pushing the boundaries of flavor and development. This is being celebrated.
