Arguably the cornerstone of New Orleans cuisine, jambalaya was the result of the Spanish inhabitants of the New World trying to recreate their beloved paella. The impossible-to-source saffron was replaced with tomatoes and as time went on French and then Caribbean influences came in. It’s a super one-pot dish, ideal after an active day spent in the great outdoors. We tend to use VegiDeli or Cauldron sausages, but any that you enjoy will be perfect.
400g/14oz fresh plum tomatoes
200g/7oz vegetarian sausages
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 red pepper, diced
3 sticks celery, diced
2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
½ tsp cayenne pepper
2 bay leaves
200g/7oz/1 cup short-grain brown rice, uncooked
500ml/17fl oz/2 cups vegetable stock
500ml/17fl oz/2 cups water
1 x 400-g/14-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
10g/⅓oz parsley, chopped
salt (optional) and black pepper
sliced jalapeño chillies, to serve
sour cream, to serve
If you’re cooking outdoors, begin by placing the whole tomatoes and the sausages on the grill and allow them to char on both sides. Remove from the grill and when cool enough to handle, roughly chop the tomatoes and slice the sausages, then leave to one side. This will give them a lovely smoky flavour, but it’s not vital if you’re cooking on the hob (stove) indoors. If that’s the case, just roughly chop the tomatoes and slice the sausages without any initial cooking and also leave to one side.
Place your Dutch oven over your chosen heat source and heat the vegetable oil over a medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for a couple of minutes before adding the garlic, red pepper and celery. Continue to sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the oregano, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper and bay leaves and cook for a minute or two before stirring in the chopped tomatoes. Stir in the rice and then add the vegetable stock, water and a little black pepper. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for about 15 minutes. Add the beans and sliced sausages, cover again and continue to cook for another 40 minutes, stirring regularly and checking often that it’s not catching. If it is catching, or looks too thick at any point, just add a little more water as needed.
It’s ready when the rice is cooked. Remove from the heat and leave to one side for another 10 minutes to let the flavours infuse. Season to taste, remove the bay leaves and stir through the parsley. Serve with jalapeño slices and sour cream on the side.
Vegan option Use vegan sausages and omit the sour cream.
This is a good one for autumn evenings that are too lovely to stay indoors. Shortcrust pastry is very easy to make, but you can of course use shop-bought if you prefer. Wild mushrooms are always our preference but you can use quartered brown mushrooms if they’re unavailable.
For the shortcrust pastry
225g/8oz/1¾ cups plain (all-purpose) flour (use wholemeal if you prefer), plus extra for dusting
100g/3½oz/scant ½ cup cold butter, diced
pinch of salt
1 egg, whisked, for brushing
For the filling
3 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
80g/2¾oz leek, chopped
10 sprigs thyme, picked and roughly chopped
250g/9oz wild mushrooms, cleaned
salt and black pepper
1 x 400-g/14-oz can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
125ml/4fl oz/½ cup white wine or beer (optional)
300ml/10½fl oz/1¼ cups single (light) cream
20g/¾oz parsley, roughly chopped
Begin by making the shortcrust pastry. Sift the flour into a large bowl and then rub in the butter with your fingertips until the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add the salt along with 2–3 tablespoons of water and mix with your hands to form a firm dough. Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and gently knead for a minute or so before wrapping in clingfilm (plastic wrap) and transferring to the fridge or a cool spot to chill.
If you’re cooking indoors, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4. If you’re cooking outdoors, make a fire, let it burn down and then place your Dutch oven or casserole dish on the resulting embers (see here). Use the hob (stove) if cooking indoors.
To make the filling, heat the olive oil in the Dutch oven over your chosen heat source. Add the onion and garlic and allow them to sauté for a couple of minutes before adding the leek. Continue to sauté for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the thyme and cook for a minute or two more before stirring in the mushrooms and adding a pinch of salt and black pepper. Cook for about 3–4 minutes and then stir in the artichoke hearts. Continue to cook for a further couple of minutes then add the wine or beer, if using. Keep cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 5 minutes and if it starts to catch, just add a splash of water. Season again to taste, then stir in the cream and cook for a final couple of minutes before stirring in the parsley. Remove from the heat and place to one side.
Roll the pastry out on a floured surface until it’s about 3mm/⅛in thick, then use the lid of your Dutch oven or casserole dish to cut out a circle. Place the pastry circle directly on top of the pie filling and prick it in a few places with a fork. Brush with about half of the whisked egg and then either place in the oven for about 35 minutes, uncovered, or, if you’re outdoors, cover with a lid and put the Dutch oven into the embers. Cover the lid with hot charcoal or wood embers (see here) and leave to bake until the pastry is cooked. As always, this is not an exact science but will probably take 30–40 minutes. Bake until the pastry lid is golden brown. Be careful when lifting the lid to check on progress. Dave uses an old metal tent peg and an oven glove.
Another campfire classic, a big pot of these cowboy beans, aka frijoles charros, is a lovely way to end a day outdoors. Dampers make it more of a communal dipping affair and are a very easy campfire bread. They’re also nice with a little grated cheese, or you can, in other moments, substitute the salt and oregano for sugar and use to dip into jams and spreads. They’re very popular with children! This dish is also good served with brown rice and guacamole, and sour cream is always a delicious option.
For the smoky cowboy beans
1 red pepper
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 large white onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1 dried chipotle chilli, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, drained and chopped
½ tsp ground cumin
½ tsp smoked paprika
pinch of salt
2 tbsp tomato purée (tomato paste)
1 x 400-g/14-oz can chopped tomatoes
2 x 400-g/14-oz cans pinto beans, drained and rinsed
handful coriander (cilantro), chopped
2 limes, halved, to serve
For the dampers
250g/9oz/2 cups wholemeal self-raising (self-rising) flour
½ tbsp dried oregano
pinch of salt
175ml/5¾fl oz/¾ cup water
8 skewers or sticks
Poke a few holes in the red pepper and place it directly on the barbecue grill, or on the open flame of the hob, turning every minute or so until it’s completely blackened. Place the blackened pepper in a container with a tight lid and leave to sweat for 10 minutes. By this time you should be able to easily remove the black skin. Cut the peeled pepper in half, remove the seeds, slice and set aside.
Heat the coconut oil in a Dutch oven or large pan over your chosen heat source and, when hot, add the onions and cook until translucent before adding the garlic, chilli, cumin, smoked paprika and salt. Continue to cook for a further couple of minutes, stirring continuously, before adding the tomato purée. Cook for another couple of minutes and then stir in the chopped tomatoes, red pepper and pinto beans. Bring to the boil then turn the heat down and simmer for about 30 minutes.
Meanwhile make the dampers by mixing the flour, oregano and salt in a bowl. Gradually stir in the water a little at a time, and then knead until you have a soft dough. Divide into 8 equal pieces, then roll each piece into a thin sausage shape. Wrap your skewers or sticks with a layer of foil (leaving a little space at the end to hold) and then wrap a piece of dough around each skewer in a spiral. When you’re ready to eat, place the dough skewers on the grill, or hold over an open flame, turning regularly, until charred and hard to the touch.
Serve the beans with chopped coriander and lime wedges, and the hot dampers on the side.
These are a great way to have good, nutritious food on the go. You can fill the jars up with most of the ingredients in advance and then just make up a quick stock to finish it off when you’re ready to eat. They work really well for camping or activities like bicycle touring. You’ll need a couple of jars with lids; we just use Kilner or old gherkin jars that hold about 650ml/22fl oz/2¾ cups.
1 litre/35fl oz/4¼ cups water
4g/⅛oz fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 tsp vegetable bouillon powder
3 tsp tamari
20g/¾oz/1 tbsp brown rice miso paste
50g/1¾oz smoked tofu, sliced
60g/2oz frozen edamame beans, defrosted
50g/1¾oz carrots, julienned
4 thin slices red chilli (or more to taste)
3g/1/16oz dried wakame
8g/¼oz coriander (cilantro), roughly picked
10g/⅓oz dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, strained and sliced
½ spring onion (scallion), top and tailed and sliced on the diagonal
70g/2½oz long-stem broccoli, finely sliced
90g/3¼oz ramen noodles
First make a stock. Bring the water to the boil in a Dutch oven or large pan. Add the ginger, bouillon powder and tamari and bring back to the boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the miso paste.
In each jar, place half of the smoked tofu slices, edamame, carrots, chilli slices, wakame, coriander, mushrooms and spring onion.
Add the broccoli and noodles to the stock and return to the heat until the stock is just short of boiling. Divide the broccoli and noodles between each jar and pour enough of the stock into each jar to cover all the ingredients. Seal with a lid and leave for about 3–5 minutes to heat through before eating.
A classic member of a barbecue spread, the truffle oil and porcini mushroom sprinkle make this mac and cheese just a little bit more special. The panko (Japanese-style) breadcrumbs make sure it’s got plenty of those lovely crispy bits.
1.2 litres/40fl oz/5 cups whole milk
50g/1¾oz/3½ tbsp butter
50g/1¾oz/6 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
1 tsp Dijon mustard
200g/7oz mature Cheddar (sharp) cheese, grated
salt and white pepper
400g/14oz macaroni, cooked until al dente
20g/¾oz/½ cup panko breadcrumbs
2 tbsp olive oil
40g/1½oz shallots, thinly sliced
1 garlic clove, roughly chopped
40g/1½oz dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in hot water for 15 minutes, strained and roughly chopped
2 tsp white truffle oil
10g/⅓oz parsley, roughly chopped
If cooking indoors, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
Place your Dutch oven or casserole dish over your chosen outdoor heat source, or the hob (stove) if cooking indoors, and heat the milk until it’s nearly boiling. Transfer to a bowl and place to one side. Melt the butter in the Dutch oven before stirring in the flour with a wooden spoon to make a roux. It’s ready for the next step when it starts to look a little brown (after about 3–5 minutes). At that point, remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the hot milk a little at a time.
Return to the heat and carry on whisking continuously until the mixture thickens up. Remove from the heat again and stir in the mustard, then the cheese and a little salt and white pepper to taste. Stir until the cheese has melted, returning the pan briefly to the heat if needed. Add the macaroni and mix thoroughly so all the macaroni is well coated with the cheese sauce. Sprinkle over the panko and, if you’re cooking indoors, transfer to the oven without a lid and bake for about 30 minutes until golden brown. If you’re cooking outdoors, put a lid on top of the Dutch oven and place it over the embers, covering the lid with hot charcoals or embers (see here). Bake until golden brown.
Towards the end of the cooking time, place a skillet on your heat source and heat the olive oil before adding the shallots and garlic. Sauté until they take on a nice brown colour and then add the mushrooms. Continue to sauté for a further couple of minutes, stirring occasionally. Add a little salt and white pepper, stir in the truffle oil and parsley and remove immediately from the heat.
When the mac and cheese is ready, top with the mushroom mixture and serve.
Having grown up in Durban, Dave has strong childhood memories of this dish. It originated among the Indian South Africans who needed a cheap and practical way to take their lunch curry to the fields. So traditionally the curry part of a ‘bunny’ is served in a hollowed-out loaf of white bread that, as well as being strong, also stands in for a roti. It’s pretty delicious served that way but we have chosen to use individual rolls for this recipe. It’s up to you.
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, crushed
30g/1oz fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground cumin
½ handful curry leaves
1 long red chilli, finely chopped
3 plum tomatoes, chopped
450g/1lb cauliflower, cut into florets
750ml/26fl oz/3¼ cups vegetable stock
2 x 400-g/14-oz cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
200g/7oz kale, picked
salt and black pepper
To serve
6 bread rolls, crusty are best (omit if wheat- and gluten-free, or use free-from)
mango chutney
crème fraîche
6 sprigs coriander (cilantro), picked
If cooking outdoors, prepare a heat source for your Dutch oven or pot and begin to heat. If indoors, place a Dutch oven on the hob (stove) over a medium-high heat.
Heat the vegetable oil, then add the onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions start to appear translucent. Stir in the ground coriander, garam masala, turmeric, cumin, curry leaves and red chilli and continue to cook for another couple of minutes before adding the tomatoes and continuing for a further couple of minutes. Add the cauliflower florets and cook for a minute or so before pouring in the vegetable stock. Stir well and then add the chickpeas; stir again and leave to cook for about 25–35 minutes, checking occasionally, until most of the liquid has been absorbed.
When the chickpea curry is ready, stir in the kale and continue to cook for a further 5–10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
Hollow out the rolls (but keep the insides for dunking), then stuff with the curry and add a little mango chutney, crème fraîche and coriander on the top.
Vegan option Omit the crème fraîche or use a plant-based alternative.
This West African spicy one-pot rice is traditionally a side dish but we find it satisfying on it’s own; although it’s also great at a barbecue served with something like the seitan jerky (see here) or yakitori skewers (see here). This recipe is already pretty fiery, but substitute the long red chilli for the more traditionally used Scotch bonnet if you’re feeling hardcore.
4 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, sliced
3 garlic cloves, crushed
30g/1oz fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1 long red chilli, finely sliced
2 tsp hot smoked paprika
500g/1lb 2oz/3¼ cups brown basmati rice
1 litre/35fl oz/4¼ cups vegetable stock
4 plum tomatoes, chopped
1 x 400-g/14-oz can tomatoes
10 okra, cut in half lengthways
20g/¾oz coriander (cilantro), chopped
salt and black pepper
If cooking outdoors, prepare a heat source for your Dutch oven or pot and begin to heat. If indoors, place a Dutch oven on the hob (stove) over a medium-high heat.
Heat the olive oil, then add the onion, garlic and ginger and sauté for about 5 minutes until the onions start to appear translucent. Stir in the chilli and paprika and continue to cook for 1–2 minutes. Stir in the rice and continue to cook for another minute or two before adding in the stock and the plum and canned tomatoes. Stir well, then cover with a lid and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the okra, replace the lid and continue to cook for a further 15–20 minutes until the rice is cooked, checking occasionally. Add a little more water if at any point the mixture starts to look too dry but the rice is not yet cooked.
When it’s ready, remove from the heat, stir through the coriander and season to taste with salt and black pepper.
This one doesn’t need a fire, but you do need a pot with a secure lid that can handle fire – cast iron is best, if possible – and ideally a blowtorch. We love the taste of the hay smoke (which we just pick up from our local pet shop), but you can also experiment with this technique by using pine needles, thyme, lavender, smoked woods, the list goes on… The cheese looks great served on a piece of wood, and you can either use it in recipes where you want to add a nice bonfire flavour or simply enjoy it on it’s own with crackers and grapes. You can use any cheese or anything else you’d like to smoke!
3 handfuls hay
1 goat’s cheese (approx 125g/4½oz)
Place the hay in your pot or Dutch oven. Lay the cheese on top of the hay, in the middle. Set the hay on fire, ideally using a blowtorch, but if you don’t have one, just persevere with matches.
When the hay is ignited and there’s lots of smoke, quickly put the lid on and, depending on how tightly the lid fits, you could also seal with clingfilm to contain all the smoke. Leave for 10–15 minutes, then remove the cheese.
A Caribbean classic, the ‘peas’ referred to are actually kidney beans, although you can certainly enjoy experimenting with other types. We particularly like black beans as an alternative.
This is a great dish to have up your sleeve as it goes with pretty much everything, and at a veggie barbecue we tend to serve it alongside things like skewers or salads.
Scotch bonnets are always used traditionally, but here we’ve made it optional, as while they do certainly add flavour they’re also super spicy.
3 tbsp coconut oil
1½ onions, chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
500g/1lb 2oz/2¾ cups long-grain brown rice
1 tsp dried thyme
1.5 litres/52fl oz/6½ cups vegetable stock
1 Scotch bonnet chilli (optional)
1 x 400-g/14-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed
salt and black pepper
In your Dutch oven or pot, either over the fire or on the hob (stove), heat the coconut oil before adding the onions. Sauté for a couple of minutes until translucent, then add the garlic, rice and thyme and continue to sauté for another couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the vegetable stock and whole Scotch bonnet, if using, cover the pot with a lid and bring to the boil. Allow it to boil for 25–30 minutes, or until you can no longer see any stock. At this point, carefully locate and remove the chilli, if you’ve used it, and then mix in the beans.
Turn down the heat to a simmer if you’re indoors, but otherwise just continue to heat until the rice is fully cooked. This should take around 10–15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper.
The streusel topping is made in advance and brought to the barbecue, which makes it easy to quickly rustle up a hearty crumble-style dessert outdoors. Quince is a lovely fruit to use and adds an unusual tart yet floral dimension.
For the streusel topping
100g/3½oz/¾ cup plain (all-purpose) flour
100g/3½oz/½ cup unrefined brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
20g/¾oz/2 tbsp pumpkin seeds
pinch of salt
35g/1¼oz/2½ tbsp butter, slightly softened
For the stewed fruits
200ml/7fl oz/scant 1 cup water
1 quince, peeled, quartered and cored
75g/2¾oz/6 tbsp unrefined brown sugar
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp ground cinnamon
2 Bramley apples or cooking apple of choice, cored, cut into large chunks and placed in a bowl of water (so they don’t go brown)
cream or ice cream, to serve (optional)
If cooking indoors, preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas 4.
To make the streusel topping, place the flour, sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin seeds, salt and butter in a mixing bowl and use your fingertips to mix it all together until it resembles crumbs. Line a baking sheet with greaseproof (waxed) paper and then tip the mixture into it and gently spread. Bake for about 30 minutes until it’s taken on some colour and is crunchy. Leave to cool and then transfer to a sealed jar until needed.
To make the stewed fruits, place the water into a Dutch oven or pan and place on your chosen outdoor heat source, or on the hob (stove) over a medium heat if cooking indoors. Add the quince, sugar, vanilla and cinnamon and cook for about 10–12 minutes until the quince starts to soften, stirring occasionally. Drain the apples, add them to the pan and continue cooking for a further 5–8 minutes until everything is soft. Give it a good final mix, then transfer to bowls and top with the streusel and your choice of cream or ice cream.
Vegan option Substitute the butter for a plant-based spread and choose vegan cream or ice cream.
