The Ultimate Fire Cooking Masterclass with A Michelin Star Chef
15 August 2026 · 11:48 watch
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Step behind the scenes at Michelin-starred HUMO London with Chef Robbie Jameson to discover the precision, philosophy, and five-stage elemental approach to professional live-fire cooking.
Key takeaways
- Live-fire cooking replaces digital temperature controls with sensory cues, requiring chefs to actively monitor flame height, ember colour, and aroma.
- Categorising wood-fire cooking into five stages—ignition, smoke, flame, embers, and cinders—allows for precise pairing with different food textures.
- Using specific wood types, such as spent whisky barrels, adds unique aromatic profiles that complement delicate ingredients like scallops.
- Incomplete combustion during the ignition phase can ruin dishes; clean, blue smoke is essential before food is introduced to the hearth.
Mastering the Five Stages of Fire
Chefs looking to transition from precise, dial-controlled modern kitchens to the instinctive world of live-fire cooking will find HUMO's structured approach both liberating and demanding. Chef Robbie Jameson demonstrates how the restaurant breaks down fire-led cookery into five distinct operational phases: ignition, smoke, flame, embers, and cinders. Rather than relying on digital temperature readouts, the kitchen brigade must cultivate a heightened sensory awareness. Determining when to cook depends entirely on reading the fire’s physical cues, such as wood degradation, flame height, and smoke aroma. A major pitfall for novices is rushing the transition between these stages, which can result in bitter creosote coating delicate ingredients.
Ingredient-Led Fire Techniques
The masterclass highlights how specific ingredients pair with different intensities of heat and wood aromatics. Hand-dive Orkney scallops are roasted directly over burning whisky barrels to harness an intense, sweet smoke and high-flame caramelisation without overcooking the delicate muscle. Meanwhile, lobster requires careful positioning over the direct flame to evenly penetrate the shell while maintaining moisture. This demonstration teaches chefs that successful live-fire cooking is not about blasting everything with maximum heat; it requires matching the fat content, texture, and moisture profile of the protein to the appropriate stage of the fire.
Embracing Instinct and Restraint
One of the primary challenges for modern chefs entering the live-fire arena is the need for constant, active management. Without the safety net of automated timers or digital combi-ovens, chefs must constantly adjust the hearth, moving fuel and shifting ingredients to cold or hot zones. Jameson emphasises that wood-fire cooking is a continuous dialogue with the elements. To prevent uneven cooking or flare-ups, chefs must learn to listen to the sizzle of rendering fat, watch the glowing pattern of the embers, and feel the radiant heat on the line.
Questions from the pass
Frequently asked questions
What are the five stages of fire cooking defined at HUMO?
The five stages of fire cooking are ignition, smoke, flame, embers, and cinders. Each stage provides a distinct temperature profile and smoke density, allowing chefs to apply different techniques—from high-heat searing over active flames to gentle, slow cooking within glowing hot coals.
How do you control cooking temperatures without dials?
Temperature control is achieved through manual fuel placement, air ventilation, and physical distance from the heat source. Chefs must rely on sensory feedback, reading the fire's behaviour and feeling the radiant heat to adjust the position of the ingredients over the hearth.
What wood is best for cooking delicate seafood over live fire?
Seafood benefits from clean, aromatic hardwoods or specialised fuel sources that do not overwhelm its natural sweetness. At HUMO, hand-dived scallops are roasted over flamed whisky barrels to impart a subtle, complex oak aroma that enhances the natural sweetness of the shellfish.
How can chefs prevent bitter creosote flavours on wood-fired dishes?
Bitter flavours are avoided by ensuring complete, clean wood combustion before cooking begins. Chefs must manage the ignition and heavy smoke phases carefully, allowing thick, soot-heavy smoke to clear so that only clean, sweet wood smoke makes contact with the ingredients.
Main ingredients
Original video by The Staff Canteen. This overview is written independently by The Chef's Circle editorial desk — watch the original on YouTube.
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