Authentic pizza-making and brick ovens go hand in hand. But a lot of people are surprised to learn that the same ovens which turn out scores of fresh, artisanal pizza are also perfect for cooking many popular restaurant menu items to perfection. In fact, the majority of our clients use their ovens for a multitude of dishes. Whether placed in a traditional pizzeria, a fine-dining restaurant, or a supermarket bakery, our hand-crafted forni became not only an aesthetic focal point, but a driving force for business as well.
Our long –time customers, La Posta Pizzeria’s owner Charlie Priola claims that our oven is the “heart of his restaurant!” Priola, who has been in the restaurant industry for over 35 years, and operates La Posta with Arturo Ottaviano, says that his customers love to sit at the bar to witness his Marra Forni Wood and Gas Fired Rotator in action. Priola affectionately calls his Marra Forni the “Ferrari of Ovens,”.
While he turns out more than 150-200 pizzas per night during the weekends, Priola believes that his ovens are great for fish, steak, and chicken as well.
Our Culinary Director, Felice Colucci, confirms that our brick ovens can be used to create excellent meat, chicken and fish dishes. He also enjoys making roasted vegetables, baked pastas and even burgers and meatballs (as recently demonstrated at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago) in them! One of Chef Felice’s favorite ways to prepare steak, in fact, is to prepare it sous vide style, and then finish it off in the oven.
Many bakeries specializing in Mediterranean-style baked goods such as fresh pita bread, artisan flatbreads, and Montreal-style bagels benefit greatly from the high temperatures and consistent results that our ovens produce. Veal and lamb chops, scallops, and egg dishes also cook quickly and evenly in brick ovens.
Other satisfied customers claim that they make succulent cedar-planked salmon, sweet fruit cobblers, cast-iron skillet recipes and even gourmet quesadillas using our ovens at an approximate 650F degree setting. Kabob, chicken wing, and sausage-lovers will be amazed at how great they taste when made in a brick oven. Even humble Russet and sweet potatoes get a flavor boost when made in higher temperature brick ovens.
When using our wood-burning ovens, it is important to let them cool to the appropriate temperatures for baking items other than pizza. In many parts of the world and throughout history, stews and bread would be cooked in the cooler parts of the ovens. If using an electric or gas oven, temperatures can be lowered to approximately 425F-450F to make other types of bread and rolls as well.
When outfitting your home or restaurant with a brick oven, Marra Forni has an oven for the job. Contact us to learn more about our oven versatility today!