The missing cooking skill

[Tony]

I'm wondering if there's any of you that feel like you're missing some cooking skills, for me it's dutch oven cooking that I'd like to spend more time learning, I can do the odd meal etc but it would be great to do a wide range of dishes for a big group...

What about you, what would you like to be able to do better or new skill learn?

 

[g4ghb]

Hand / Bow drill - still not cracked it with any confidence.

 

[Man of Tanith]

I would like to really nail the Hangi pit
Ive only done it the once and whilst it worked (lucikly i was flying solo and feeding 20 people) it was a bit wing and a prayer.

 

[Janne]

I would love to try (and learn) the most ancient way to boil meat, stuffing the animal skin with the meats, greens and herbs.

 

[scruff]

I would like to really nail the Hangi pit
Ive only done it the once and whilst it worked (lucikly i was flying solo and feeding 20 people) it was a bit wing and a prayer.

*Cough* Brewing Coffee *cough*

 

[Man of Tanith]

*Cough* Brewing Coffee *cough*

Nowt wrong with my coffee brewin more your patience needs improving

 

[Ogri the trog]

With you all the way Tony, I wish I could cook just some of the fantastic meals that I see around the Moot site every summer.

I feel like I missed out on Neil's cooking course this year, maybe we can convince him to run another next year eh?

ATB

Ogri the trog

 

[Nice65]

I'm wondering if there's any of you that feel like you're missing some cooking skills, for me it's dutch oven cooking that I'd like to spend more time learning, I can do the odd meal etc but it would be great to do a wide range of dishes for a big group...

What about you, what would you like to be able to do better or new skill learn?

That's you and me both. I got one of these from EBay, I thought £20 delivered was a good price, but I haven't used it yet.

https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cast-Iron-...ware/122512449223?_mwBanner=1&epid=2070390750

There's a very good resource, but it's a PDF and I can't work out how to post it. If you're interested drop me your email and I'll send it over. Maybe Lithril can work out how to put it on the forum?

I want to cook this:

http://www.outdoorcookingmagic.com/bloomin-onion-dutch-oven-bread/

 

[Wayne]

Cooking is one of the most important bushcraft skills in my opinion. If you look at the journals of frontier folk the search for tasty meals was a major preoccupation.

I'd like to get better at deserts.

I'm pretty good with cakes but want to increase my range of skills.

 

[Janne]

I used to mix a drop of alcohol in my coffee and have that as desert.

 

[Janne]

Even in a well equipped kitchen I am no good on deserts.
( I never eat any.)

So that skill would be nice to have, outside and inside!

 

[Wayne]

Even in a well equipped kitchen I am no good on deserts.
( I never eat any.)

So that skill would be nice to have, outside and inside!

Problem is to get really good at baking you have to make a lot of cakes and pastries. Not good for the waist line.

 

[Lithril]

For me it's temperature control to get reproducible results. I've baked cakes and bread, cooked roast dinners, lasagne, pizza, etc but every time is slightly different. I need the practice to get a consistent heat each time.

 

[Tony]

Ha ha, yeah, don't be doing that Wayne, you need to remain an inspiration

I find that time and the enthusiasm of family members to be the biggest factor in things like this. I know that as with all things it's a case of making the time. It's the same with roasting over a spit, it takes loads of time. Maybe I should start a recipe of the week (or month) thread, we pick a recipe and we all give it a go and report back on experiences, get some images up etc...

 

[Tony]

For me it's temperature control to get reproducible results. I've baked cakes and bread, cooked roast dinners, lasagne, pizza, etc but every time is slightly different. I need the practice to get a consistent heat each time.

Yeah, i'm always amazed at the people that can regulate things really well with a shovel and coals, we tend to use briquets for dutch oven cooking, it's fairly accurate counting them out top and bottom, but in my head it's cooking meals on a fire with embers that's the master skill...

 

[Lithril]

Yeah, i'm always amazed at the people that can regulate things really well with a shovel and coals, we tend to use briquets for dutch oven cooking, it's fairly accurate counting them out top and bottom, but in my head it's cooking meals on a fire with embers that's the master skill...

It just be me but briquettes always seem a bit like cheating with this, I fully understand if you're cooking for groups of people it's predictable but does seem to lack a certain something.

 

[Wayne]

It just be me but briquettes always seem a bit like cheating with this, I fully understand if you're cooking for groups of people it's predictable but does seem to lack a certain something.

I’m cooking over a fire too regularly to go with the expense of briquettes. I have a lot of wood so I use it.

I think our main issue when cooking with embers and flame is that we expect to dump a Dutch oven on a fire and leave it and hay presto a perfect pie pops out.

Cooking over the fire takes a lot of focus and we all should accept if your baking with a Dutch oven it’s gong to need regular tending to maintain a constant heat.

We try and do to many tasks at once rather than enjoy the process.

 

[Buckshot]

I want to cook this:

http://www.outdoorcookingmagic.com/bloomin-onion-dutch-oven-bread/

I did something similar as a dip bread for some baked camembert I did
Bread pic by Mark Aspell, on Flickr

Worked quite well but didn't take a decent pic I'm afraid.

 

[Buckshot]

I think our main issue when cooking with embers and flame is that we expect to dump a Dutch oven on a fire and leave it and hay presto a perfect pie pops out.

Cooking over the fire takes a lot of focus and we all should accept if your baking with a Dutch oven it’s gong to need regular tending to maintain a constant heat.

We try and do to many tasks at once rather than enjoy the process.

Totally agree
I really enjoy cooking like this and would love to do more but you can't do something else as well. if you're cooking you need to be concentrating on that alone for however long it takes.
Take your eye off and you risk serving up black rocks rather than scones

 

[Wayland]

The last time I cooked with a Dutch oven was on a Medieval event at Crecy in France.

The locals had donated a Chicken and loads of bread to each camp so we roasted the chicken in the pot and set about making a bread pudding in a bowl for dessert. The chicken came out in the early evening and I set the bowl straight onto a couple of sticks laid in the bottom of the oven hung over the fire to cook while we ate the chicken.

A little while later I checked the pudding, which seemed to be doing OK and threw a handful of sugar on the top to give it a bit of crust. I also noticed the local dignitaries wandering from camp to camp to see what we were all up to. Seeing an opportunity to show off that the English could cook too, I waited until they were level with our camp to lift the lid of the pot.

The combination of vapourised chicken fat, molten sugar and a sudden inrush of air proved to be slightly explosive. The plume of flame cleared the top of the cooking rig, nearly taking my eyebrows with it.

I nochalently replaced the lid and looking toward a very surpised delegation, gave a gallic style shrug and said "Flambé" before turning away and back to my seat.

I have to say the crust was burned but the rest of it was pretty good.