Our exclusive menu of fire-led recipes from Lennox Hastie

Over a decade on from opening the revered Firedoor in Sydney’s Surry Hills, trailblazer Lennox Hastie’s love for elemental cooking still burns strong.

While the prospect of an exclusively flame-driven menu in 2015 was met with some uncertainty, Hastie’s conviction soon won out, earning him a string of accolades and international acclaim.

“Some people didn’t quite know what to make of it. No gas, no electricity – cooking over different woods. It sounded more like a gimmick,” says Hastie. “But then they’d taste a piece of fish grilled over apple wood, or a steak cooked over ironbark and grape vines, and something would click. I remember one guest tearing up over a piece of wood-fired bread and smoked butter. That has stayed with me – the power of simplicity, when it’s done right, it’s magic.”

When he’s not busy putting Australia on the global map on hit TV series like Netflix’s Chef’s Table, he’s at home cooking with fire.

Below, he’s curated a selection of recipes that captures his philosophy of dishes guided by heat, patience and the quiet power of flame. The collection moves between recipes that nod to his time cooking over coals in the Basque country, to desserts and cocktails inspired by the flame.

Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Lennox Hastie's grilled whole flounder with pil-pil and capers

Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Lennox Hastie's recipe for grilled octopus with braised chickpeas warmed with cumin, fennel and lemon

Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Lennox Hastie's charred corn

Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Lennox Hastie's grilled bavette served with a sunny romesco and sweet, charred onions

Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread

Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread

Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread by Lennox Hastie.
Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime

Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime

A brilliant interplay of textures and flavours, courtesy of the Firedoor chef.
Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion

Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion

The Firedoor chef puts an underrated cut of meat to good use.
Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Grilled summer peas, mint and lardo

Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo

Grilled peas? It could only be the work of the Firedoor chef.
Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Stracciatella grilled on lemon leaves

Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

“This is an ideal dessert to finish a summer barbecue,” says Lennox Hastie.
Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Grilled Watermelon Cooler

Lennox Hastie’s wood-fired mussels, tomatoes and toasted sourdough bread , Lennox Hastie’s grilled kingfish belly, fennel and grilled finger lime , Lennox Hastie’s grilled lamb rump with roasted peppers and grilled dandelion , Lennox Hastie’s grilled summer peas, mint and lardo , Lennox Hastie’s buttermilk ice-cream with grilled blueberries

Lennox Hastie’s Grilled Pisco Sour

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