Cooking Bonito Over Fire with Chef Alex Reynolds | Burn Bowl Open-Fire Cooking

— by Ben Pratt

Alex Reynolds, my close friend and a talented chef and recent graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, spent some time with me at my family home in Cataumet, Massachusetts. Along with another one of our close childhood friends, Nate Vandersea, we went out on Buzzards Bay to catch bonito — a fast, challenging fish that requires patience, timing, and a lot of local knowledge.

Bonito are notoriously difficult to find and even harder to catch. They move quickly, show up briefly, and disappear just as fast. Nate, who is an exceptional fisherman and knows these waters extremely well, put us in the right spot at exactly the right time. Thanks to him, we were able to land several bonito and bring them back to shore.

That afternoon, we helped Alex prepare a special meal using the fish we caught, the Burn Bowl with a cook top and other local ingredients. Afterwards, I sat down with Alex to talk about the experience, his approach to cooking, and what it was like using the Burn Bowl to cook over an open flame.

Cooking with the Burn Bowl

Alex prepared two dishes using the fish we caught and other local ingredients. The first was a bonito ceviche with leche de tigre granita and sea asparagus oil. The second was a riff on bouillabaisse, featuring seared halibut, clams, charred fennel, and a reduction made from clam broth, fish bones, and aromatics, finished again with sea asparagus oil.

Cooking over open flame presents challenges that don’t exist in a professional kitchen—chief among them, heat management. That’s where the Burn Bowl stood out.

“The biggest challenge with cooking over an open flame compared to a professional range is maintaining consistent heat,” Alex explained. “What made the Burn Bowl so effective was the stainless cooktop and the center gap. I was able to move coals to different areas to raise or lower the temperature exactly where I needed it.”

He used higher heat to hard-sear the fennel, then shifted coals away to lower the temperature for the fish — starting hot for a good sear and finishing at a steadier, more controlled heat.

“I’ve cooked over open flame with cast iron, grill screens, and rotisserie spits,” Alex said. “The Burn Bowl was much easier to manage. You still get direct contact with the flame through the perforated section, but you also get the control needed to achieve a better final product. It really gives you the best of all worlds.”
Why Cooking Over Fire Matters

For Alex, cooking outdoors isn’t just about flavor—it’s about attention and connection.

“Cooking over open flame forces you to be more intimate with the ingredients,” he said. “In a lot of professional kitchens, standardized methods create consistency, but they can also create distance. Over fire, you have to understand how each piece of food is going to cook.”

That closeness to the food is one of the reasons he’s so passionate about open-fire cooking.

“It connects me more deeply to the ingredients and, by extension, to nature. The smells are different, being outside is more enjoyable than most kitchens, and the entire experience is more enriching as a cook.”

Alex draws inspiration from chefs like René Redzepi, Mads Refslund, and Nicolai Tram, all of whom emphasize purity, seasonality, sustainability, and letting ingredients speak for themselves. One quote that sums up his philosophy comes from Marco Pierre White:

“Mother nature is the true artist, and our job as cooks is to allow her to shine.”

Catch, Cook, Share

Alex sees a strong future for a catch-and-cook approach in his career.

“Knowing where your ingredients come from ensures quality and helps you make better decisions when cooking. To catch a fish, you need to understand what it eats and how it lives. That understanding changes how you approach it in the kitchen.”

Alex’s long-term goal is to travel and work within the farm-to-table Michelin circuit before eventually returning to New England to open his own restaurant—one that highlights the natural bounty and terroir of the region.

When asked what he’ll remember most about this meal, his answer was simple:

“Catching the fish with two of my closest friends and cooking it for them. Food is how I express care and love, and I was glad to share that with people who matter to me.”

Around the Fire

That evening captured what the Burn Bowl is meant for. It allowed a professional chef to cook with real control over an open flame, while keeping the experience relaxed, social, and rooted in place. The fire became the center of the meal—not just as a heat source, but as a gathering point.

Good ingredients, honest cooking, and time spent together around the fire. That’s what the Burn Bowl is about.

Alex Reynolds is a chef at the Mt. Washington resort in Bretton Woods NH. Alex recently graduated from the culinary institute of America where he earned a bachelor’s degree in applied food studies. When it comes to cooking, Alex gets the most joy out of foraging or fishing for my ingredients and showcasing the native biodiversity of New England.