Green Fire by Francis Mallmann – Hardback Cookbook

Green Fire is Francis Mallmann's hardback guide to cooking vegetables and fruit over live fire, from the Argentine chef famous for his primal, open-flame cooking, written with Peter Kaminsky and Donna Gelb. It applies the techniques he made famous with meat to everything from potatoes and eggplant to cabbage, corn and stone fruit.

Mallmann's fire, turned on the garden

Francis Mallmann made his name with whole animals and roaring fires, and for years he treated vegetables as a side note. Green Fire is his change of heart. He uses the same live-fire methods, burying produce in coals, hanging it over flames and searing it on cast iron, to make vegetable dishes as satisfying as a prime cut.

What's inside

The book is organised by ingredient: Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Tomatoes, Eggplant, Artichokes, Beets, Cabbages (and Cousins), Carrots, Corn, Fennel, Beans, Pumpkin and Squash, then Fruit, Cocktails and Basics. Introductory essays set the scene, and the photography captures the fires and landscapes of his South American home.

Expect eggplants buried whole in the coals until creamy, cabbage sliced into steaks with a mustard-fennel crust, salt-baked beets, and blistered tomatoes in a Caprese. Recipes include Rösti with Raclette, Young Carrots a la Plancha with Charred Mint and Green Garlic Salsa, Grilled Polenta with Radicchio, Grilled Grapes with Melted Cheese, and drinks like a Bourbon and Burnt Cherry Sour.

Who it's for

Live-fire and charcoal cooks who want their sides to match the meat, vegetarians who love a fire, and anyone who's watched Mallmann on Chef's Table and wanted in. Some techniques are adventurous, but plenty translate to a kettle or plancha.

About Francis Mallmann

Francis Mallmann is South America's best-known chef and author of Seven Fires and Mallmann on Fire. His restaurants include Siete Fuegos in Argentina's wine country, Patagonia Sur in Buenos Aires, El Garzón in Uruguay and 1884 Restaurante in Mendoza, named one of Latin America's 50 Best Restaurants, and he was the subject of Netflix's Chef's Table. Co-author Peter Kaminsky has written many food books and contributed to Food & Wine.

The Rub Smuggler's Verdict

Off the record, Darryl says this is the most beautiful book on the shelf. It's Mallmann doing for vegetables what he did for whole beasts, with fire, patience and a lot of nerve. The eggplants buried straight in the coals until they turn to silk are worth the price on their own. Get it and your sides will steal the show. Pair it with Berber&Q: On Vegetables for smoky Middle Eastern veg and How to Grill Vegetables for the nuts and bolts. A shake of Misty Gully Ultimate Veggie Seasoning on charred carrots goes down a treat.

Questions answered

Who wrote Green Fire?

Green Fire was written by Argentine chef Francis Mallmann with Peter Kaminsky and Donna Gelb.

What's inside Green Fire?

It's organised by vegetable, from potatoes, tomatoes and eggplant to cabbages, carrots, corn and pumpkin, followed by fruit, cocktails and basics, all cooked with live-fire techniques.

Is Green Fire good for beginners?

Mostly. Some techniques, like burying vegetables in coals, are adventurous, but many recipes work on a simple grill, plancha or cast-iron pan.

Is Green Fire a hardback, and how many pages?

Yes. It's a 312-page hardback published by Artisan in 2022.

Is Green Fire a vegetarian cookbook?

Yes. It focuses entirely on vegetables and fruit cooked over fire, making it a great match for meat-free days or for sides beside a steak.