The Outdoor Dutch Oven Cookbook, Second Edition - Brossura

Mills, Sheila

Brossura

ISBN 10: 0071546596 ISBN 13: 9780071546591

Casa editrice: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press, 2008

Riassunto

Enjoy gourmet cooking outdoors

“Well organized, clearly presented, and highly recommended.”
--Field & Stream

“Sheila Mills's chicken enchiladas were a tasty crowd pleaser. They required a minimum of ingredients and very little work.”
--Cleveland Plain Dealer

With this book and a Dutch oven--a readily available cooking pot with legs and a snug-fitting lid--you have the keys to camp cooking as you've never tasted it! Dishes like these are yours on the riverbank or the trail for very little effort:

BREAKFAST DISHES
Avocado Frittata • Chilaquiles • Eggs Benedict

BREADS
Parmesan Popovers • Cheddar Cornmeal Scones • Big Bend Banana-Walnut Bread

APPETIZERS AND SNACKS
Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms • Tortellini Salad • Not-for-the-Fainthearted Nachos

MEAT AND MEATLESS MAIN DISHES
Coq Au Vin • Pork Chops with Spinach Dumplings • Tomato-Basil-Onion Tart

DESSERTS
Blackberry Cobbler • Double Chocolate Brownies • Impossibly Possible Dutch-Oven Ice Cream

Su questo libro

Informazioni sull?autore

Sheila Mills has served as head chef and business partner (with her husband, David) for high-end rafting outfitter Rocky Mountain River Tours (Boise and Salmon, ID) for 30 years. An innovator and authority on innovative Dutch oven cooking, Sheila's gourmet fare has helped establish the company's national reputation and has been written about in 1,000 Places to See Before You Die (1.5 million copies sold), Salmon River Country (Caxton Press), The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Men's Journal, and Field and Stream. Rocky Mountain River Tours has won the Idaho Outfitters and Guides Decade of Service Award, and is a two-time winner of the Idaho Advertising Federation's "Gold Rocky." The company regularly donates Dutch oven dinners for worthy causes, most recently hosting a dinner for the Idaho Epilepsy Foundation.

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the outdoor DUTCH OVEN cookbook

By SHEILA MILLS

The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

Copyright © 2008 The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-07-154659-1

Contents

Chapter One

Dutch Oven Care and Use

The Dutch oven is a versatile cooking pot that substitutes for a host of outdoor cooking utensils. With its snug-fitting lid in place, it becomes an oven when heated with charcoal briquettes. Food can be baked, braised, stewed, or roasted. With the lid removed, the oven becomes a kettle for boiling, deep-fat frying, or heating food quickly over a fire. Even the lid doubles in service—it can be converted into a frying pan.

A true camp Dutch oven is easily identified by its legs, which extend below the oven and permit it to sit over hot coals, and its flat lid, which has a vertical lip around the outside edge to retain the hot coals that are placed on top.

There are several types of Dutch ovens on the market. The camp Dutch oven is not regularly stocked by supermarkets and hardware stores, so you may need to order it directly from the manufacturer or a river supply or outdoor equipment catalog. The important thing to watch for when purchasing a Dutch oven for outdoor use is that it is not simply a flat-bottomed kettle made for kitchen cooking. If you plan to prepare the recipes at home using a conventional oven and stove, a flat-bottomed Dutch oven will suffice.

The camp Dutch oven is made specifically for outdoor cooking. It is made of heavy cast- iron or aluminum, and comes in basic sizes from 8 to 24 inches in diameter, and from 4 to 6 inches deep.

The cast-iron Dutch oven is heavy, thick, and flat on the bottom, with three short legs. The lid is tight-fitting and has a vertical lip with a handle in the center. There also is a bail for lifting the entire unit. Proper seasoning of a cast-iron camp Dutch oven is essential. If you scour your oven with strong detergents, it will need reseasoning frequently. Rub the oven with unsalted shortening, place it in a 400°F oven until it smokes, and then wipe out the excess fat. If you are camping, just place it on the coals with the lid on until it smokes. Then wipe it out. If you wash it with detergent between uses, it is a good idea to oil it to keep it from rusting. It is best, too, to store a cast-iron Dutch oven upside down and with the lid off.

The aluminum Dutch oven is popular with campers because it is lightweight, rustproof, and requires no seasoning. However, cast iron, though it is heavier than aluminum and takes longer to heat, heats evenly and stays hot for a long period of time. It is important that you do not overheat an aluminum oven, because you can damage it permanently. The aluminum Dutch oven is one-third the weight of the cast iron, and thus it is more portable on camping trips. It is the only model that can be backpacked by a hiker. The two types cost about the same.

Use charcoal briquettes to heat your Dutch oven, allowing twenty to thirty minutes for them to heat properly before placing them around the oven. It is a good idea to preheat the lid when baking, to prevent heat from being drawn out of the porous iron by cold ingredients.

Most of the following recipes are adapted for six to eight servings and can be prepared in a 10- or 12-inch oven. An aluminum oven heats quickly and requires five to eight briquettes evenly distributed underneath and twelve to sixteen briquettes on the lid for a 12-inch oven. Using additional coals to try to speed up the cooking time is unwise, since it can damage the aluminum and cause the food to burn.

Cast iron requires more cooking time than aluminum, but the number of coals on top and bottom remains the same. Either the cast-iron or aluminum Dutch oven can be permanently damaged by pouring cold water into a hot oven, by uneven heating caused by putting coals on only half the oven or lid, by careless packing while traveling (the legs can be broken off or pushed up through the bottom by too much jamming), and by rust and corrosion.

The lid, turned upside down on the coals, can be used for frying. When using more than one oven, the second can be stacked on top of the first, and so on.

When checking for doneness, do not leave the lid off any longer than necessary. It is equivalent to opening your oven door at home—you will lose all the heat. It is very important that the lid remain tightly sealed.

The original camp Dutch oven evolved through centuries of experience. It was designed for cooking complete meals on open fires without the need for other appliances (a shovel, pliers, and leather gloves come in handy, though). It is at once a kettle, a frying pan, an oven, a pot, and a stove—all in one portable utensil.

A unique cooking device, the Dutch oven can produce delicious and nutritious meals with little trouble or skill. To demonstrate the talents of the camp Dutch oven, I have included recipes for a variety of dishes in this cookbook. If you are not acquainted with an authentic camp Dutch oven, I suggest you make friends with one right away. Use your oven to prepare leisurely campsite meals, and then settle back and enjoy some of the most delectable dishes you have ever eaten.

Temperature Control

Different foods and dishes require different cooking temperatures. The following guide is for an aluminum Dutch oven. Increase the number of briquettes by about one-fourth for a cast-iron oven. Actual temperatures will vary because of charcoal quality and weather.

When coals are hot they are barely covered with white ash, and you can hold your hand near them for only a few seconds. The objective is to get the oven hot enough to cook the food before it dries out, yet not so hot you can't control the cooking process. In most cases, if the food is sputtering and popping a lot, the heat is too high. Using the tongs, remove about one fourth of the briquettes at a time from the top and underneath until the cooking subsides.

* * *

The Cooking Environment

A few simple rules of conduct can help contribute to low-impact cooking in camp and the perpetuation of beautiful, natural campsite environments. Things to consider for low- impact cooking include the following:

Gas Stoves

Use whenever possible, especially in areas where fire danger is high, where driftwood is scarce (e.g., on desert rivers or during drought years), and anytime on popular, high-use rivers.

Efficient propane stoves are favored by many boaters.

A 2½-gallon propane cylinder provides adequate fuel for a party of fifteen for a six- day trip, with the stove used for about half of the cooking tasks and the remainder done with charcoal on a grill or in Dutch ovens (this does not include heating wash water on the stove).

Charcoal Briquettes

Briquettes provide consistent, long-lasting heat.

The impact of wood-gathering around campsites decreases.

Ash residue is minimized.

A 10-pound bag of briquettes will provide cooking heat for six Dutch ovens, which will serve thirty people.

Firepans and Ashes

A firepan can be made from sheet metal with 3- to 4-inch sides to contain ashes.

Steel oil drain pans, which are available from auto parts stores, make excellent firepans for small groups. The round pans have 3- to 4-inch sides, nest together, and are a perfect size for a Dutch oven.

Firepans eliminate proliferation of unsightly fire rings and reduce the demand for wood, because users tend to build smaller fires.

Use of a firepan helps prevent wildfires.

Firepans are required on many rivers. Firepans prevent the spread of ash or charcoal on beaches and in camps.

Elevate your firepan on rocks, if possible, to protect the soil and surrounding vegetation. If you are not able to elevate it, put it on bare sand or a gravel bar, where it will do the least damage to soil organisms.

Trash Disposal

Each morning before breaking camp, some groups turn their cookfire into a refuse incinerator. Burning garbage, especially plastics, in the cookfire produces objectionable smoke and fumes. I recommend packing your plastic, aluminum, and paper products and food scraps for recycling or disposal at a designated landfill.

Manage your campfire to produce the least amount of residue.

After your fire has burned completely down, stir into the embers a small amount of water, unused coffee, or dishwater.

Transfer mixture into an airtight surplus 20-mm ammo can or a similar metal or plastic container. Bring enough cans to contain such residue for your group for the entire trip, and transfer to an official landfill when you return.

At your next campsite, recycle the ash to cover the bottom of your firepan, which will reduce the ash further and eliminate warping of the pan.

Do not dump residue into rivers or streams, because it will be deposited back onto the beaches and banks.

The environmental impact along streams and river corridors is significantly reduced by the use of firepans and low-impact camping.

Etiquette for Gathering and Burning Firewood

Never cut or burn live vegetation.

Use downed or dead wood that you can break by hand for fuel. Standing dead wood is part of the natural setting and provides a natural habitat for birds and small animals.

Do not bring hazardous, thorny, or sharp pieces of wood into the camp area for use as fuel.

Never collect firewood that is thicker than your forearm.

Keep your fire as small as possible.

Designate an area to break wood for fire fuel, and make sure this area is left looking natural before departing camp.

Making a dishwater strainer.

Your firepan should be located in a level, safe area, where the flames or heat will not ignite overhead branches or nearby objects.

You might want to designate a member of your group to be responsible for a safe, efficient campfire.

Gloves, pliers, a shovel, and shoes are essential for your protection and convenience in working with the fire and charcoal.

Do not build your campfire bigger than necessary.

There is generally no need for an ax or saw for firewood preparation.

Disposal of Waste Water

Never pour unused juices or fluids on the ground or in a stream, as they may attract flies, yellowjackets, chipmunks, and bears. Pour them into your garbage container (an airtight, 20-mm ammo can) if camping on a river. Some of the fluid can also be poured into the lower edge of your firepan, where it will boil off.

Never pour waste water or fluids into an outhouse, because it retards biodegradation. Fecal material in a pit privy must be dry to reach the necessary 140°F temperature in order to biodegrade.

Strain dishwater above the high-water level and far away from camp. Put solid particles in your trash container. Fabric paint strainers work well. They are available at hardware stores.

A strainer can be made with a piece of window screen stretched over a ring cut from a 5- gallon plastic bucket. Cut two rings from a tapered bucket, which will interlock around the screen when pushed together. Secure with pop rivets (see illustration).

Strain the first wash bucket first and use the last rinse to wash down the others.

Drinking Water

To prevent contamination of food and water when camping, personal and environmental cleanliness are vitally important. All backcountry water should be considered potentially contaminated by cryptosporidia, giardia, or bacteria that can cause a variety of diseases. When carrying water is not practical, you will have to kill or remove the disease-causing organisms by heat, chemical, or mechanical disinfection of the water. To treat water use the following steps:

1. Filter the water to remove as many solids as possible.

2. Bring it to a rolling boil, and boil for a full minute.

3. Let it cool at least 30 minutes.

4. Add 8 drops of liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of cool water. Water must be cool or chlorine will dissipate and be rendered useless.

5. Let the water stand 30 minutes.

6. If it smells of chlorine, you can use it. If it does not smell of chlorine, add 8 more drops of bleach and let it stand another 30 minutes. Smell it again. You can use it if it smells of chlorine. You can also test it with chlorine litmus papers available at any spa supply store.

7. The only accepted measurement of chlorine (or water treatment agents) is the drop. A drop is specifically measurable. Use a dropper purchased at the drugstore. Other measures such as "capful" or "scant teaspoon" should not be used.

In addition to common household bleach, several other types of chemical treatment are available, such as iodine tablets, iodide crystals, and halazone tablets. Some people have allergic reactions to iodine products. Follow the instructions on the package for proper use.

After adding a chemical treatment to cold water, you must lengthen the contact (sitting) time to destroy cryptosporidia and giardia that might be present. Very cold water may take as long as four times the normal contact time.

Along wilderness rivers, where human contamination is minimal, a water filter featuring a cleanable ceramic cartridge is ideal for preparing water for drinking and food preparation. These filters are available at most river supply companies and some sporting goods and camp stores. For large groups of people for extended trips, the Water Purifier from Partner Steel is very good. Other filters are offered by Katadyn, PUR, MSR, First Need, and Sweet Water. A gravity-fed filter is available in which you fill a bag with water, hang it over a branch, and have it drip through the filter element into a bucket. It is not very fast, but it works well and doesn't require much effort.

You will need containers in which to store your water during the day. If there is a large group, you might want four 5-gallon cooler/dispensers. From them, people can fill their individual water bottles. If you are rafting, make sure everyone has a full water bottle, and that you have a 1- or 2-gallon container full on each raft for resupply. Each person should have a minimum of 2 liters of water each day. Remember to disinfect the water containers with chlorine bleach on a regular basis.

Camp/River Sanitation

The only acceptable way to carry garbage is in an airtight metal or plastic container. Carrying garbage in a plastic bag alone is inadequate because the bags tear easily and are impossible to secure to a boat to prevent loss in case of an accident.

Have a 5-gallon handwash bucket available at all meals for the cooks and everyone who is sharing the food. For each handwash bucket, use an 8-ounce plastic measuring cup with an open handle to hang on the side of the bucket, with a small hole drilled in the bottom to dispense the water. Add 1½ to 2 tablespoons of bleach per 5-gallon bucket of water, as mentioned above. To wash hands, fill the measuring cup with bleach water and hang it by the handle over the edge of the bucket; wash hands as water flows from the hole in the bottom of the cup. Do not use this handwash bucket to wash food.

An improvement over a simple bucket is the Wishy-Washy hand-washing station from Partner Steel. Made of stainless steel, it clamps onto the side of a bucket of regular river water. You just step on the pump to get the flow going and it filters out the large sediment, leaving you clean water to wash your hands.

No one with the symptoms of a communicable disease, especially diarrhea, should be allowed to prepare food or handle utensils for other people.

Insist that everyone wash their hands with soap and water after using the toilet. Follow the same disinfecting procedure for the handwash bucket, as stated above.

Scrape food residue with a rubber spatula from plates and Dutch ovens into your garbage container. This helps keep dishwater cleaner.

To wash dishes, use buckets that can be heated on the fire or stove. (Use three buckets of water heated to boiling, with 1½ to 2 tablespoons of bleach per 5-gallon bucket for sanitizing.)

Wash Dutch ovens and cooking pots last to avoid fouling the wash and rinse water.

The final rinse temperature should be too hot to immerse your hands in the water.

Nondisposable plates are very handy on camping trips and do not create garbage the way paper ones do. Use plates at all meals to prevent food droppings. No food or watermelon seeds should be left on the ground to attract insects and small animals. Remember that popular campsites are occupied every night and can be impacted by careless camp practices.

Use only knives from the kitchen kit for food preparation. These should be washed after each meal. Personal knives should not be used in food preparation, especially folding knives, which harbor bacteria.

Separate your glass and aluminum bottles and cans from the rest of your trash. These can be recycled in most cities.

Human Waste Disposal

Because of the impact on soils, vegetation, and hazards associated with burial of feces, on some rivers human wastes should be packed into a portable toilet for disposal at a sanitary landfill or RV dump station. This type of "pack it out" policy for fecal material is a requirement for boaters on wild and scenic rivers. A procedure that has proved effective on such rivers is to use a 20-mm airtight ammo can fitted with a toilet seat. Plastic seats molded especially to fit on ammo cans are available in fashion colors from river equipment suppliers. Use a deodorant chemical. Have a water dispenser and soap available for handwashing.

In remote locations where toilets are unavailable and "pack it out" practices for human waste are not needed, feces should be disposed of in a place where they will not pollute water and will not be found by others. The recommended policy currently emphasizes burial of human feces in small latrines ("catholes") located at least 300 feet from the nearest surface water. Group use of single latrines at overnight campsites is not generally recommended since such concentration of human waste tends to increase the health hazard.

One-quart sealable plastic bags can be given to each person on the trip as a "container" for microtrash (tampons, tissue, toilet paper, and so forth). Each camper can fill his or her bag, put it with the group garbage, and get a new bag as needed.

(Continues...)

Excerpted from the outdoor DUTCH OVEN cookbookby SHEILA MILLS Copyright © 2008 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

Dettagli dell?edizione

• Editore: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press
• Data di pubblicazione: 2008
• Lingua: Inglese
• ISBN 10: 0071546596
• ISBN 13: 9780071546591
• Rilegatura: Copertina flessibile
• Numero edizione: 2
• Numero di pagine: 208
• Contatto del produttore: non disponibile
• Persona responsabile: Ufficio Anagrafiche Messaggerie; 0039 0245774342; ufficio.anagrafiche@meli.it; ; Via Verdi, 8.; Assago Milano; 20090; Italia