There’s something special about a campfire. Perhaps it’s the
entrancing glow of sparks floating up into the cool night air. Or
maybe it’s the scent of simmering stew, or the closeness of good
friends. Whatever it is, it’s time to pull up a log, for the days
of summer are nearly at an end.
There’s something special about a campfire. Perhaps it’s the entrancing glow of sparks floating up into the cool night air. Or maybe it’s the scent of simmering stew, or the closeness of good friends. Whatever it is, it’s time to pull up a log, for the days of summer are nearly at an end.
Gather kindling and camp songs, and stoke up the coals: It’s time for some old-fashioned cooking. Gas stoves, electric ovens and modern conveniences aren’t invited.
When cooking under the stars, recipes demand simplicity. Food cooked over an open flame takes time, but the smoke of the fire imbues meats with a delicious flavor, and the heavy cast iron of campfire cookery seals moisture into breads and cakes in a way no modern oven can.
So says Johnny Nix, host of PBS’s “Campfire Cafe.” Nix grew up in Alabama, riding horses and cooking under the stars.
“This ain’t complicated,” said Nix in his thick southern drawl. “Usually all it takes is maintaining your heat and watching your food, which you’ll probably be doing if you’re sitting around the campfire. After a while, you learn to associate the smell, so you can pick up the scent of your food over the fire and tell when it’s done.”
Nix isn’t just cooking up cowboy stews and chilis, though. Over the last four years, he’s introduced viewers to a string of hearty dishes, all of which can be cooked over an open flame.
“The key is, you want to cook over the coals,” said Nix. “You can do some of the recipes over a flame before the fire burns down, but just like when you’re barbecuing, you’re more likely to burn them in the fire. You also want to be safe.”
Nix advises viewers to maintain a close watch over their fires if they want to keep the countryside beautiful. To that end, he always uses campsite firepits when on the road, and carefully constructs his own when he’s cooking in the open.
Keeping a five-gallon bucket of water and a shovel handy aren’t bad ideas, either, according to Greg Seaman, a Long Island, New York native who spent 20 years living on a small, rural island off British Columbia with no electricity or supermarket. He now runs EarthEasy.com, a Web site that teaches others to live a little more lightly on the planet.
“Pay close attention to the ground before preparing any fire,” writes Seaman, who recommends building a fire on rock or bare mineral soil base. “A fire that is burning all evening has lots of time to burn through the organic layer of the soil and will not be put out with a simple bucket of water.”
To minimize the production and spread of smoke and ash, Seaman recommended using thoroughly dried fire wood, and paying close attention to the wind.
To try out a bit of gourmet campfire cooking for yourself, try out a few of Nix and Seaman’s recipes, printed below. For more tips on open-fire cooking, visit www.CampfireCafe.com or www.EarthEasy.com.
Barbecued Stuffed Shrimp
by Johnny Nix, host of PBS’s Campfire Cafe
Serves: 10
30 huge Gulf shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 jar horseradish
1 cup Monterey jack cheese
1 jar BBQ sauce
2 lbs. bacon
Step 1: Split shrimp down the outside, being careful not to cut all the way through. Stuff with horseradish and cheese.
Step 2: Wrap shrimp with bacon and secure with toothpick. Grill, basting with BBQ sauce until bacon is done. Do not overcook.
Campfire Potatoes
by Greg Seaman, host of EarthEasy.com
2 large baking potatoes
1 medium red or yellow onion, sliced
dill
bacon bits
parsley
2 pats of butter
Step 1: Slice the potatoes at half-inch intervals, cutting almost all the way through, but leaving enough to hold it together. Slice the onion, and wedge one slice in between each potato section.
Step 2: Sprinkle with bacon bits and a little dill. Wrap well with heavy aluminum foil and bury in the coals of the fire.
Step 3: Leave the potatoes untouched for about 45 minutes, and test for doneness by piercing with a fork. The fork’s tines should lift out without lifting the potato.
Cooking time depends on size of potatoes and strength of fire. Serve with a pat of butter and a few sprigs of parsley.
Beer Batter Fish Fillets
by Greg Seaman, host of EarthEasy.com
1 lb. fish fillets
1 cup buttermilk pancake mix
3/4 cup beer
1/4 cup cooking oil
dill
lemon
Step 1: In a small bowl, blend pancake mix and beer with a fork. Whip batter until smooth – it should have consistency of heavy cream.
Step 2: Blot fish fillets dry using a napkin or paper towel, then dip in batter. Heat oil in a skillet over coals or medium heat, and fry fillets until they’re golden brown on the outside, moist and shiny on inside. Be careful not to overcook. The fillets should flake easily when tested with a fork.
Step 3: Serve sprinkled with dill and lemon. Recipe can be multiplied, allowing 1/2 pound fish fillets or two small, cleaned pan fish per person.
Apricot Shortbread
by Johnny Nix, host of PBS’s Campfire Cafe
Serving Size: 6 to 8
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbs. pure almond extract
1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1 jar apricot jam
1/3 cup sliced almonds
powdered sugar for garnish
Quick-release foil
Step 1: Line a 12-inch Dutch oven with quick release foil. In a mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar for three to four minutes until very light, scraping down the sides of the bowl from time to time. Add almond extract and beat for 30 more seconds to blend well.
Step 2: In small bowl, whisk the flour and salt together. Add to butter mixture and beat to combine, just until the dough is thoroughly blended, or about 30 to 40 seconds. The dough will be stiff.
Step 3: Remove 1/2 cup of the dough and set it on a small plate in a thin layer; place in cooler. Press remaining dough into oven evenly – it can be a little higher at the edges, but center should not be elevated. Spread apricot jam evenly over the dough to within an inch of the edge. Retrieve the remaining dough from the cooler and crumble it over the jam, allowing some of the jam to peek through. Sprinkle the almonds evenly over the top.
Step 4: Bake on medium hook (a metal post used to suspend the pot about 1 1/2 to 2 feet above the coals) over a low fire for approximately 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from Dutch oven and let cool completely. Cut into squares and transfer shortbread to a platter to serve. Dust with powdered sugar if desired.
Conventional oven variation: If you prefer to cook the mixture indoors, use a 13-by-9 inch baking dish rather than a Dutch oven. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 45 minutes.Â
