Instagram story viewer> @marksroncoli> Posts

Mark Stevens Roncoli

@marksroncoli

6.7K

followers

3829

following

🔥 Cinematic fire chef @openfireco
🐟 Hanger of fish heads
🎥 1st AD on films & TV
🇺🇸/🇮🇹 Origins |📍NOLA | 🗺️ 45+

POSTS STORIES REELS TAGGED

239

38

2 months ago

PART 2 🪵 Calm Before the Storm

The hours before the event are essential to my process and an essential aspect of why our events are so unique. In part two, we give you a glimpse of those, sometimes frenetic, moments.

Event overview: I travel to Flora, Mississippi with my company @openfireco to produce a cinematic open fire dining experience at a historic Southern hunting lodge. In this video, we take you through a day in the life of making a large format open fire event.

Made in collaboration with alacruz_ and shot by our good friend @zachary_kanzler, this is the closest you'll get to the magic without actually going to an OFC Hang.

Hope you enjoy the peek behind the curtain and stay tuned for PART 3.

Check out the full video on YouTube at the link in bio.

Special thanks to @j.pick_ @mollybarronpickering @leisha.pickering for having us curate this event.

🔥🪵🪓

#openfirecooking #firecooking #livefirecooking #openfire #bbq taken in Open Fire Co by @marksroncoli

384

40

2 months ago

PART 3 🎪 Showtime

When guest show up, we want our installation to feel like it's been there forever. That somehow, even a recognization place - in this case a family camp - seems even more familiar.

I used deer and stag antlers from the land to create a crown of thorns above our fire cage. We staged objects from the lodge to create a museum to the family and couple. In between, we placed our contraptions and equipment so it all worked in concert is together.

Event overview: I travel to Flora, Mississippi with my company @openfireco to produce a cinematic open fire dining experience at a historic Southern hunting lodge. In this video, we take you through a day in the life of making a large format open fire event.

Made in collaboration with alacruz_ and shot by our good friend @zachary_kanzler. Huge thank you to the OFC team but especially @j.kwil @leighantichrist and Sous Chef @ashleyrosee5 🫶

Hope you enjoy the peek behind the curtain and stay tuned for PART 3.

Check out the full video on YouTube at the link in bio.

Special thanks to @j.pick_ @mollybarronpickering @leisha.pickering for having us curate this event.

🔥🪵🪓

#openfirecooking #firecooking #livefirecooking #openfire taken in Open Fire Co by @marksroncoli

274

39

2 months ago

Ever seen a whole gator roasting over an open fire? Folks ask what it tastes like... and the answer is somewhere between chicken and pork.

Would you try it?

@openfireco at the New Orleans French Quarter wedding of Peter and Alyssa. taken in Open Fire Co by @marksroncoli

133

6

6 days ago

Why throw away the best parts of the fish? Folks don't throw away chicken thighs or beef cheeks but routinely discard the collars and frames of fish but in the same breath claim they don't like fish because it dries out (when it's the fillets that can easily be dry... just like chicken breast).

What if I told you you're bbq'ing the wrong part of the fish and that's why it's dry? What if I told you that you can go to your local fish market and they'll sell you heads and collars for cheap?

I'm on a mission to convince the world that IF we are going to take the privilege and responsibility to eat meat (and yes, it's both) than we should eat as much of it as possible and use it all.

ESPECIALLY WHEN IT SAVES MONEY AND ACTUALLY TASTES BETTER.

Rant complete.

Special note: This song is by Fabrizio de Andre who comes from my region of Italy, Liguria. It references a stone path between houses that fishermen take to the sea and the life of toll and wanderlust that inlanders cannot grasp. It is all in Zenese, the dialect of Genova. Incidentally, in one line it mentions how people from Lugano (in the mountainous lakes of Northern Italy, assumed in the song of being a higher socio-economic status) prefer the wings of the seabass: a metaphor describing the vast gulf between what they eat and where it comes from (bc fish don't have wings).

Now decades later I call collars 👉 fish wings and it certainly would've been those fishermen and their families eating the heads and actual "wings".

Brings me to tears when I listen to the poetry of this song. It transcends language... reminds me I've never lived more than an hour from the sea. And I'm beginning to believe that wasn't ever my choice at all.

-Mark @marksroncoli taken in Open Fire Co by @marksroncoli

38

4

10 days ago

Friday fish dump: Tinker mackerel.

My striped bass-loving dad and brother said throw these bait fish back. I said nah. Made 'tinned fish' on toast for lunch. Used the heads for lobster bait.

📷 @jesskearney_ taken in Maine by @marksroncoli

79

6

16 days ago

Should I move back to Maine?! Maine Crab Roll in 60 Seconds. Pulled these Jonah crabs right out of the bay along with ribbon kelp and then fire baked brioche buns.

1. Steamed the crabs over the fire in white wine and seaweed.
2. Used the kelp stems to make a pickle garnish.
3. While I picked the crabs, I cooked brioche on the fire (mixing and proofing the dough not shown).
4. Added some butter and mixed and mashed.

All in all 10/10 front yard Maine lunch and sure beats paying $35 dollars for one in Mid-Coast or Portland. Who else could do this every day? taken in Downeast Maine by @marksroncoli

149

19

a month ago

I guess I have a color, who else? 🧱🦞🐞🐙🍠🍷🎴

Some Maine moments captured by Jess @jesskearney_ 🫶 taken in Downeast Maine by @marksroncoli

61

4

a month ago

Life in analog 🃏

#maine 📷 @jesskearney_ on film taken in Maine by @marksroncoli

46

0

2 months ago

Recently did a Hang for my Dad's birthday and these are the 'before' photos.

Every Hang has a concept, a setup and a scene. In fact, I approach it exactly like filming a scene in movies (in my other job I'm a 1st Assistant Director in movies and TV). I want to think about how people will see the food for the first time, how they'll smell it and move around it.

Does the space work towards what we're doing? Does the accoutrements encourage lasting memories? Will folks experience something other than a meal?

It is in this calm before the storm that we can weave into our event an architectural concept called contextual design. In architecture, that is building structure in response to its environment. For me, it means making our cooking apparatuses look like they've been there all along.

For this small event for my Dad's friends and neighbors, I repurposed pine branches from a tree that had recently blew over and blocked the road in. As we were chainsawing and removing debris, I saved these with the idea that it would perfectly blend the cage into the landscape.

And old stump was my outdoor kitchen, and wood from the lot was used as fuel for the fire. What would you add?

Stayed tuned for the after photos of the cage and the food!

📷 @jesskearney_ taken in Hancock, Maine by @marksroncoli

49

1

2 months ago

Caught a DELICIOUS BASS in the bay yesterday! Cooked it in the fire for dinner. Here's how it went:

1. Scaled and gutted it on the dock at high tide. Crabs get the guts, I get a free wash off at the end (62 degrees 🥶).

2. Lined a cast iron chicken roaster with kelp. I love using kelp as much as possible because, besides loving the flavor; it grows abundantly, is great compost and keeps the fish from sticking to the pan ie easy clean up.

*Did you know there are no known toxic seaweed? Rad, right?!

3. Used the seaweed stems to create a riser for the sea bass so one side doesn't cook faster than the other since I don't know how the fire will behave. I also slice the remainder up to make kelp pickles 🥒

4. Put the fish in, season with Japanese 7 spice and olive oil and cover the rest with kelp. Cover.

5. I got the fire going before I scaled the fish the ground is nice and hot. Making sure there is air for fire underneath build the flames all around the cast iron.

6. Gave it about 15 minutes. I had a call with an @openfireco wedding client 20 minutes later so was cutting it realllll close, but they appreciated the photos 😆

7. At 15 minutes on the dot the fish was beautifully white and flaky. Was able to do the call while it cooled and had the freshest dinner of the year. The other side leftovers re: fish sandwich today!

Even though I do big events and travel the world fire cooking, sometimes just a little cook for yourself is the most satisfying thing. Anyone out there agree? taken in Down East Maine by @marksroncoli

47

6

2 months ago

Back on my sh*t again, this time in Maine. Special thanks to @harborfishmarket in Portland for supplying these gorgeous tuna wings. We made a tuna collar hand sando with lavash rolls made in the fire and @kimchibeyondcompare made on site for a recent collab with my mate @smoke_theres_fire at @caswellfarmmaine.

Can you believe these tuna wings were in the discount bin? They're my favorite part or the fish. If you like the dark meat of chicken then I reckon you'd prefer it too.

Comment 'dark meat' if you think we should be using MORE OF THE FISH than just the fillet.

Or, if you're a chef, restaurant or caterer let us know how you prepare alternative fish parts so we can send folks (and myself) your way!

📷 @jesskearney_ by @marksroncoli

58

7

3 months ago