Camp Fire Chicken and Hot Biscuits.
Camp Fire Chicken and Hot Biscuits.
I spent lots of time at resorts and lodges throughout my career doing fireside cooking for the guests. I worked the many different positions as I was learning how to cook. My favourite form of preparing food is using a natural wood and charcoal fed fire. I found I did some of my best recipes when I had simple cooking utensils and an outdoor heat source. I started as a young cub scout which procured my interests to anything done with fire. There is something about fire that brings out the best in all foods. I found that the manifesto for any outdoors person is flock to the nearest bonfire. At first it was the regular beans and hot dog menu, but I advanced quickly into casseroles, tinfoil wrapped or spit roasted fish and game meats.
Even at 7 years old I was working my dad’s back yard BBQ. One of my grandmother’s old farm recipes was something that I have prepared numerous times on the trail and while cooking in a remote destination. I still have my old cast iron dutchoven/frypan that was passed down to me from my dad.
Here is that retro recipe which is perfect ingredients to pack for the cottage or camping out. I have used a whole canned chicken or a super market day old roasted bird to complete this recipe when place and time allowed.
When preparing for a camping trip the more preparation you can do to keep foods easily preserved and user friendly is best. I would roast a meaty chicken and when cooled remove all the meat and place in convenient freezer bags while simmering the bones into a stock which I freeze and use as an ice pack.
Just putting a little extra effort and fore thought into your camping space and menu will make cooking out a very pleasurable experience. Add a well fed fire with some reserve fuel to keep the temperature constant.
Choose a convenient user friendly site and make the seating around as comfortable as possible.
Here is what you will need;
1 x 3 pound chicken cooked.
Debone and dice cut bird when cooled.
Save the broth and some of the chicken fat.
4 cups chicken broth frozen and used as a ice pack
2 tbs chicken fat [freeze]
1 cup shelled peas [Store bought frozen boxed peas to use as an ice pack.]
Keep these vegetables whole which only require moderate temperatures to last the trip. Prepare at the time when needed
1 cup cubed carrots.
1 cup chopped onion.
1 cup chopped celery.
1 large potato cubed
2 tbs flour [keep in freezer bags to keep dry.]
1 8 oz. can evaporate milk. [Powder milk, buttermilk or natural yogurt is good also.]
Salt and pepper to taste.
In a Dutch Oven sitting next to the open fire or hanging over hot smoldering charcoal add chicken fat, potato carrots, celery and onion salt and pepper.
Stir and cook till for ten minutes.
Stir in the cut up chicken and cook for another 10 minutes.
Add the peas, salt and pepper. Mix and blend well.
Mix the flour with some of the milk into a paste and stir into the chicken.
Make the biscuits while simmering.
Fireside biscuit topper:
2 cups sifted flour.
3 tsp baking powder.
½ tsp salt.
¼ cup shortening.
¾ cup evaporated or powdered milk.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt.
Cut in shortening; add milk and mix loosely.
Roll out 1/2-inch thick on lightly floured board.
Cut to fit using the Dutch oven lid as a guide.
Place pastry on top of chicken pot casserole.
Partially cover and bake by the fire or in a hot rock oven till the top is golden browned.
Enjoy!