Ana Ortiz

5th – 9th December

For Ana Ortiz, live fire cooking is a way of life.

Ana grew up on the Galapagos Islands, where weekend-long feasts cooked over smouldering embers were a regular occurrence. With her grandfather (‘Papi Polo‘) a skilled hunter and butcher, her uncle a seasoned fisherman, and her father an asado obsessive, Ortiz family get-togethers would centre around the fire, where the entirety of the weekend’s haul would be cooked over flames, seasoned simply with a brush of a rosemary branch, and enjoyed as a family.

After falling in love on a visit to London, where her brother was studying at the time, Ana swapped the volcanic paradise of the Galapagos sixteen years ago for a quiet rural life in Somerset with husband Tom. There they run Fire Made, handcrafting bespoke fire cookery equipment for top chefs and restaurants like Tomos Parry, Paul Ainsworth and Marcus Wareing.

For her week with us, industry legend Ana will be going back to her roots, showcasing the smoky Ecuadorian flavours that she grew up eating. Highlights include ‘Empanadas de Morocho, Short Rib, Green Tomato & Chilli Sauce’; ‘Fritada’ (Fire Confit Pork, Tortillas De Papas, Encebollado, Grilled Gem Lettuce, Ají De Tomate De Árbol); and ‘Ecuadorian Chocolate Mousse, Dulce de Leche, Grilled Pears, Crispy Quinoa.’

Picture credit: Toast Magazine