Kitabı oku: «The Camping Cookbook»

CONTENTS

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Note to Readers

Introduction

1.The Bare Necessities

2.Snacks

3.Breakfast & Brunches

4.Flash in the Pan: Easy Suppers

5.One-Pot Wonders

6.All Fired Up: BBQ & Fire Pit Food

7.Speedy Sides & Salads

8.Drink Up: Cocktails, Mocktails, Coolers & Warmers

Also by Heather Thomas

List of Searchable Terms

About the Publisher

Introduction

INTRODUCTION

For more and more of us, nothing beats getting back to basics, sleeping in a tent and cooking on a barbecue, a fire pit or a campfire. Food tastes so much better when it’s cooked en plein air and eaten al fresco in the glow of the setting sun. Whether you want to stay on an organised campsite, go upmarket glamping or ‘wild’ off the grid, you can rustle up quick and easy fabulous meals, whatever the weather, with this handy cookbook.

When you’re camping the last thing you want to do is to spend hours slaving over a hot camping stove (or fire) cooking, but savouring the great outdoors gives you an appetite for healthy, filling food. In the following pages, you’ll find a selection of simple recipes for breakfasts, snacks and moonlit suppers, as well as sundowner cocktails. By taking the hard work out of campfire cookery, you can effortlessly throw together a tasty meal under the stars with minimal fuss.

The key to success is to use the best-quality fresh ingredients and convenience foods and to cook them in the simplest way. Our delicious recipes are easy to prepare and cook, and most use only a few star ingredients to help streamline your food storage in a small space and make your life simpler. And prepping is quicker when there’s less food to chop and grate.

They say that food is good for the soul, and so are a few nights eating out under the stars, and this book shows you how. Everything tastes so much better when it’s cooked over hot coals or on an open fire. If you want to get back to nature and enjoy a simpler life, all you need is the right kit, a sense of adventure and this essential cookbook.

GETTING STARTED

Here’s some useful information, guidelines and tips to get you started and make your campfire cooking safer and more enjoyable.

COOKING ON A CAMPFIRE

This is traditionally made with wood but some campsites don’t permit wood fires and you may have to use charcoal briquettes instead.

1 Choose a site for your fire (see Essential safety rules). If there are no rocky or gravelly areas, dig out a section of turf and place some rocks around the edge – these will be the perimeter of your fire. Ideally, you should light your fire at least an hour before you plan to cook.

2 Collect some dry twigs for kindling wood and place in the centre with some crumpled-up newspaper and firelighters. Cover with some more kindling wood and use matches to set it alight. To speed up this process, you can cheat and use some charcoal briquettes.

3 When the kindling is burning, place some larger logs on top (you can use kiln-dried logs sold in petrol stations). Keep some more logs close by for adding to the fire as the evening goes on.

4 Wait for the flames to die down before you start cooking. If you’re planning on ember roasting, you may find it helpful to scrape some hot embers out of the main fire and create a designated and accessible cooking area near the edge. Level them out to fit the size of your pot. When the wood has burnt down to glowing embers, which are grey and ashy, you can place a cast iron pot or skillet directly on top of them. Or you can add corn-on-the-cobs and baking potatoes, wrapped in double-thickness kitchen foil.

5 However, if the embers are still glowing red, raise the pan above the fire – about 10cm (4in) – on a trivet or grill grate, supported on bricks, or suspend it from a camping tripod.

COOKING ON A FIRE PIT

Many campers are turning to portable fire pits as traditional wood fires are not permitted on many campsites and there are often fire restrictions in the wild. A fire pit is safer, easier to control and provides heat and light as well as being a great place to gather and cook. Unless you have a portable propane fire pit, the best fuels to use are kiln-dried logs or wood briquettes. Most fire pits come with a grill grate or rack that fits on top for grilling over the fire. Or you can place a cast-iron pan or frying pan (skillet) directly on the grate. For stews, soups and casseroles, you can hang a saucepan from a tripod above the fire.