Next generation farmhouse cookery school, Philleigh Way has announced its new Woodfired Sessions - a series of outdoor dining experiences inspired by traditional cooking methods and communal eating.
Combining a hand-crafted brick oven - believed to be the largest in Cornwall - and Argentinian parrilla, the sessions will rotate between meat, fish or shellfish themed evenings, with local produce cooked over wood from Philleigh Way’s ancient oak woodland.
Termed Best (Cornish for beast), Pysk (Cornish for fish) and Krogen (Cornish for shell), each Woodfired Session will feature locally-sourced beef, fish or shellfish as the star of the show. Dishes will be plentiful and varied depending on what’s available, accompanied by freshly baked bread from the brick oven and every meal will be finished off with a delicious dessert.
Built from scratch by brothers-in-law, James Martin and George Pascoe, the oven and parrilla have been a real labour of love. Philleigh Way resident chef and fifth generation at Court Farm, George Pascoe said: “After months of intense building work, we can’t wait to start cooking on the new oven and parrilla. The Woodfired Sessions have been inspired by a combination of the asado style of cooking, which is huge in Argentina, and traditional wood-fired cloam ovens that were a standard fixture for Cornish fireplaces. I’m really excited about cooking over Cornish oak sourced from our family farm – not only is it fantastic to get back to a more rustic style of cooking, it’ll also infuse those lovely smoky flavours into the food.”
Best evenings showcase beef featuring cuts such as short ribs and flank steaks with chimichurri salsa, empanadas (an Argentinian version of a small Cornish pasty) and choripans or morcilla (typical Asado sharing dishes). Pysk evenings will include dishes such as griddled mackerel with salsa verde, monkfish, chorizo and asparagus skewers, plus other fresh fish and vegetable sharing dishes. The Krogen evenings will feature a variety of fresh Cornish shellfish cooked very simply on the grill such as half a crab served with aioili and fresh bread, griddled scallop and asparagus skewers, Cornish mussels cooked in Rattler cider or crab cakes with a saffron and garlic mayonnaise. Menus will vary depending on what’s seasonal and available.
George concluded: “Philleigh Way is all about combining traditional cooking methods, locally-sourced, seasonal produce and family and friends to create the ultimate real eating experience. Our outdoor Supper Clubs held throughout the autumn and winter are hugely popular, so we know that people love eating honest food in a rustic, rural setting. The Woodfired Sessions will continue that theme and hopefully provide a bit of culinary theatre at the same time!”
The Woodfired Sessions run all summer. For more information and to book tickets, please visit www.philleighway.co.uk.
