Cooking with Fire by Duncan Welgemoed – Paperback Cookbook

Cooking with Fire is Duncan Welgemoed's paperback cookbook of Aussie barbecue with a South African twist, from the South African-born chef behind Adelaide's Africola, covering ribs and steaks through to wallaby kebabs, yabby boils and campfire desserts. It's an Australian book through and through, with a guide to great picnic and barbecue spots in every state.

The braai lands in the Aussie backyard

Duncan Welgemoed's Africola, opened soon after he arrived in South Australia in 2010, is one of Adelaide's most acclaimed restaurants. Here he takes his cooking outside, mixing Aussie barbecue culture with the South African braai he grew up with. It goes well past chops and sausages, into stews, soups and whole meals cooked over an open flame.

What's inside

The book is organised by dish type, such as salads and veg, mains and desserts. Each section opens with a short portrait of an Australian state and a list of picnic and barbecue spots worth the drive, which makes it as much a road-trip companion as a cookbook.

Recipes include glazed ribs, grilled steaks and ember-stewed eggplant, plus local game like Wallaby Kebabs and a Riverland Yabby Boil. There's a South African Tomato Bredie, Char-grilled Chilli Jam Squid, his mum's potato salad topped with pork scratchings, a Thermos Glut Soup and a Pina Colada Cake. Africola's bar team even wrote three camping cocktails for it.

Who it's for

Australians who cook outdoors, full stop. It suits beginners and seasoned grill cooks, and the methods are written for hot coals but adapt easily to a home barbecue or kitchen. Perfect for anyone who camps or loves a long lunch outside.

About Duncan Welgemoed

Duncan Welgemoed is a South African-born chef and the founder of Africola in Adelaide. Before moving to Australia he was head chef at The Goose at Britwell Salome in Oxfordshire when it earned a Michelin star in 2005. He arrived in South Australia in 2010, opened Africola shortly after, appears regularly on SBS, and his first book, Africola, was a bestseller.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Every Aussie fire pit needs this book and a bit of nerve. Duncan drags the braai into the Australian backyard and keeps going, right out to the Riverland with a yabby boil. The Smuggler's favourite part is the state-by-state guide to picnic and barbecue spots, which turns the whole thing into a road trip. Buy it and your next camping trip eats like a restaurant. Pair it with BBQ Companion for more home-grown barbecue and Barbecue Gourmand for Bob Hart's Aussie charcoal smarts. A spoon of Mudgeeraba Mango Kasundi beside grilled lamb is a very Cape move.

Questions answered

Who wrote Cooking with Fire?

Cooking with Fire was written by Duncan Welgemoed, the South African-born chef who founded Africola in Adelaide.

What recipes are in Cooking with Fire?

It covers Aussie and South African barbecue, from glazed ribs and grilled steaks to ember-stewed eggplant, Wallaby Kebabs, a Riverland Yabby Boil, Tomato Bredie and Pina Colada Cake, plus three camping cocktails.

Is Cooking with Fire good for beginners?

Yes. The recipes are straightforward and, although written for hot coals, adapt easily to a home barbecue or kitchen.

Is Cooking with Fire a paperback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 224-page trade paperback published by Affirm Press in Australia in 2024.

Is Cooking with Fire an Australian cookbook?

Yes. It's written by an Adelaide chef, published in Australia, and includes a state-by-state guide to picnic and barbecue spots.