COOKING OVER A CAMP FIRE

Camp-fire cooking is a real adventure, a step back in time even. It’s well worth taking the time to master the art by creating dishes that will please everyone’s palate with a delicious hint of wood smoke.

It’s also a great way to spend time with children. They’ll love it – and the companionable chatting around the fire as the simple food cooks is something they’ll remember for a lifetime.

The fact that many of us are attracted to cooking over coals or fire suggests that this might be something embedded into our psyche. Maybe there’s some sort of genetic psychological justification for our fascination with barbecues (and for the fact that, in many households, it’s the men who will gladly tend the meat, while other forms of cookery might not appeal to them one jot).

Nowadays, lighting and cooking over a camp fire can’t always be spontaneous. Especially in summer, fire restrictions may prohibit the lighting of an open fire. It’s important to check these regulations in the area in which you plan to build your fire.

Here are some points to keep in mind when building and cooking on a camp fire.

BUILDING YOUR FIRE

•  Always have plenty of water ready in case the fire starts to flare or spread.

•  It’s highly recommended to light a camp fire in a ‘fire ring’, where a circle of stones provides a barrier and protection to the surrounding area. If this isn’t possible, dig a hole in the earth in which the fire can be built. A fire space can also be set in sand.

•  Clear at least three metres of the surrounding area.

•  Use dry sticks and wood to build your fire. Crumple some newspaper (or something similar), top with a handful of dry leaves and twigs, and then add slightly larger pieces of kindling. Once this is well alight, gradually add larger pieces of wood until a good regular flame is established. Your aim for cooking is to develop a good bed of hot, glowing coals.

•  Never leave the burning fire unattended, not even for a second.

•  Once your camp fire cooking is finished, don’t bury the hot coals – they must be cooled completely. Otherwise they may cause a bushfire later by setting nearby vegetation alight. Extinguish with plenty of water.

TIPS FOR CAMP-FIRE COOKING

•  Cooking over flame will not give the best results. The heat of flame isn’t consistent, and your food will likely burn on the outside and remain raw on the inside.

•  Once a good fire is well established, allow it to burn down to hot, glowing coals. These can then be raked into the best position for cooking your food. If possible, leave one section of the fire that you can add more wood to from time to time to create more coals and heat.

•  Some foods can be cooked directly on the coals – like potatoes wrapped in foil, or corn on the cob. Wrapped similarly, cored and dried fruit-filled apples make a delicious dessert.

•  A metal grill frame is a good investment for sitting just above the level of the coals. This is especially the case for cooking meat, chicken and seafood. Be sure that the frame is turned often and that the meat is cooked through adequately.

•  A cast-iron Dutch oven is a good investment also, for one pot-style cooking. Coals are often also placed on the lid to ensure even heat dispersal. Damper is another dish that can be cooked in this vessel, as well as scones and cakes.

•  Foil containers can be utilised to good effect for cooking vegetables over the camp fire.

•  Two of my special favourites include a toasting fork and an old-fashioned jaffle iron. The former is great for toasting marshmallows and bread, and I have to say that the best egg and bacon pie I ever tasted was cooked in the latter.

DAMPER

Makes one large damper

    This iconic Australian dish is best served warm with slightly softened butter and, for me, a sprinkling of salt flakes.

    3 cups (450g) self-raising flour

    ¼ teaspoon baking powder

    ½ teaspoon salt

    90g butter, diced

    1 cup (250ml) cold water, approximately

    Put the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl, and add the diced butter. Rub in with the fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, then add enough water to make a soft dough.

          Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead just enough to bring together into a lovely smooth dough, and then shape into an 18cm round. Cut a cross 6mm deep in the top.

          Place dough in a greased Dutch oven or similar. Put lid on, and place some hot coals on top.

Cook for 25–30 minutes, then turn out and cool to lukewarm before cutting into wedges to serve.

    Variation: Herbs, ½ teaspoon dried or 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh, may be added once the butter has been incorporated, as can ¼ cup finely grated parmesan. I especially like to add ½ cup chopped semi-dried tomatoes, ⅓ cup sliced olives and ½ cup finely diced bacon or ham.

BILLY TEA

Serves 4

    No other form of tea tastes better than one brewed in a traditional billy can over a camp fire, which imparts a slight smokiness to the brew.

          My nan was the all-time master of making billy tea, which she brewed up on our weekend bushwalks together. She maintained, incidentally, that the tea should always be served black and quite sweet.

          In my opinion, the addition of an edible gum leaf is essential.

          (Billy cans can be purchased at camping gear suppliers.)

    3 tablespoons tea leaves

    4 cups (1 litre) water

    1 edible gum leaf

    Sugar and milk, for serving

    Place the water in the billy can and bring to the boil. Remove from the fire and add the tea leaves and gum leaf, if using, and then stir round and round, about 10 times in all. (My Nan used to swing the billy can around in a broad circle over and around her head, which was always a bit alarming, though in actuality she never spilled a drop). Leave to steep until desired strength is reached.

          Strain into mugs and add sugar and/or milk to taste.

          Billy tea is best served in an old tin mug. Just perfect.