BUSHCRAFT PROFICIENCY BADGE CAMP 25 26 JULY 2009 at KUITPO FOREST BUSHCRAFT ACTIVITY 3 BUSH / BACKWOODS COOKING RECIPES & INFORMATION BY KORADJI
Bush or Backwoods Cooking by Koradji All youth members and Leaders should have a basic knowledge of cooking. Cooking is not a text book subject; the required skills are only obtained by practice learning by doing. Always read the recipe through from start to finish beforehand to check that you have all the ingredients and equipment necessary. Do not be disappointed with failure! Try again! Cooking requires lots of practice. Here is some advice about ALFOIL COOKING Heavy duty foil is essential for outdoor cooking. Don t use the cheap thin alfoil as it s not reliable and can easily tear. If you have to use it, make it a double thickness. To cook a meal in foil, tear off a piece large enough to cover the food and leave about 5cm on the three sides that will be open after you fold it. Lay the food on the foil oil it if you are cooking meat (to stop it sticking), and wash the veggies and leave them wet (to make steam that cooks them) and then fold the foil to cover the food, and turn the edges over in at least two folds. Crimp them hard to make the food envelope airtight so that no steam can escape so that the natural juices and beautiful flavour stay inside and the food cooks thoroughly. A good bed of coals is needed for foil cooking. Make a depression in the coals big enough for the foil pack and then rake the coals back covering the packs. Turn the packs over halfway through the cooking time. When cooked, carefully rake away the coals and remove the packs. Let them sit a minute to cool down, then open the ends being careful about hot steam and juices, and remove the food onto a plate. Don t let flames come into contact with the foil as it will oxidise, which will make it useless as a cooking medium. Cooking times will depend on the size of the package and the heat in the coals. Sausages 10 mins Chops 20-30 mins Steak 20 mins Chicken 30 mins Meat patties 12 mins Fish - whole 20 mins Potatoes - whole 40-45 mins Potatoes - sliced 10-15 mins Carrots - sliced 15-20 mins Corn cob 15-20 mins Onion - whole 30 mins Onion - sliced 10-15 mins Apples - whole 20 mins Mushroom 5-8 mins Damper 30-40 mins
A few recipes Sliced potatoes with onions I medium potato peeled and sliced across 1 medium onion (or half) peeled and sliced Olive oil, salt and pepper 1. Oil a square of heavy duty alfoil and place a slice of potato and onion, alternating, until all slices are used. 2. Season with salt and pepper 3. Wrap up foil into a tight packet 4. Bury packet in hot coals and cook for about 15 minutes 5. When cooked serve with the meat/fish/main dish You can cook a washed potato in its skin, whole, by wrapping it in oiled foil as above. Turn it once or twice and when soft, open the packet, cut open the potato and add margarine and one (or more!) of the following: sour cream, coleslaw, fried bacon, grated cheese, chives or onions. The time will depend on the size of the potato! Individual vegetables, such as carrots, pumpkin, zucchini and parsnip can be wrapped and cooked as above. They will take 20-30 minutes. Corn on the Cob needs buttering before seasoning and wrapping. All in-one meal 2 large beef sausages I medium potato peeled and sliced, 1 carrot peeled and sliced 1 medium tomato peeled and sliced Onion soup mix, olive oil 1. Oil alfoil and on one half add some of the sliced potato, onion, carrot, and tomato and then the sausages 2. Sprinkle onion soup mix on the sausages and then add another layer of the vegetables 3. Wrap the food in an airtight packet and seal firmly. Cook directly in hot coals for 15 minutes each side 4. When cooked, slash an X in the top of the foil being careful of escaping hot steam and turn out onto a plate and tuck in!
Baked apples dessert 1 large Granny Smith apple Sugar Sultanas Honey 1. Partly core the apple leaving a bit in at the bottom 2. Place sultanas, sugar and honey in the cavity 3. Set the apple on a square of heavy duty foil 4. Fold the corners up around the apple and twist them together at the top 5. Place in hot coals for about 20 minutes. Foil wrapped bananas I large peeled banana, 2 tablespoons melted butter/margarine I tablespoon sugar, cinnamon Chocolate drops are optional 1. Brush banana with margarine and sprinkle with sugar and a little cinnamon. You can push a few chocolate drops into the banana here... 2. Wrap securely in heavy duty foil and cook in hot coals for 15-20 minutes 3. Serve hot! Cream is nice with it!
Rabbit! Although this is a pest in the wild, in the past it was a staple food and saved many a person from starvation. Rabbit is now being farmed and is appearing on restaurant menus. Before cooking, the rabbit should be soaked whole or in pieces, in salted water with a splash of vinegar, for at least one hour. Pat dry with paper towels. Stewed rabbit 1 rabbit cut into even pieces I large brown onion Butter or margarine Half a cup of lean bacon pieces 2 tablespoons plain flour Salt and peppere\ 2 cups chicken stock 2 small carrots sliced 1 stalk celery, sliced. 1. In a large pot, melt butter and brown rabbit on all sides, set aside 2. Add onion and bacon to pan and fry till golden 3. Sprinkle in flour and seasoning to taste and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes to brown the flour 4. Add stock and cook to boiling, stirring all the time 5. Return rabbit to the pan, cover and simmer gently for 1 hour. 6. Add carrots and celery (could add turnip) and cook for another 20-30 minutes until rabbit and vegetables are tender 7. Remove from heat and place rabbit on a serving plate pour over vegetables and gravy
Cooking with flour and water In the days of the prospectors, drovers and bushmen, they usually had a supply of flour and water as a back-up if they couldn t trap or kill any game for food. Damper This was the Bushmen s brear and cooked inheavy cast iron pots which were heated by red hot coals. The best way to capture the full flavour of a damper is ato cook it in a camp ovenover a high heat. To avoid burning the bottom of the damper, place a wire cake rack in the oven and place the damper on a metal tray on the rack. This allows the heat to freely circulate around the oven and cooks the damper evenly. Damper is easy to make. All you have to remember is 2 to 1: two cups of flour to one cup of liquid. Basic Damper 4 cups self-raising flour 1 teaspoon of salt 2 cups milk or water 1. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl 2. Add the liquid and mix well with a wooden spoon until the dough leaves the side of the bowl. 3. Turn out the dough onto aa floured board and knead gently and quickly for for about 3 minutes 4. Shape the dough into a round, brush the top with milk or water 5. Place in a camp oven and cook with a high heat for 30-40 minutes. 6. To test if it s fully cooked, it will have a nice hollow sound when tapped on the base. Another test is to stick a metal skewer inti the thickest part and if it cokes out with no dough sticking to it, then it s fully cooked. 7. Allow to cool wrapped in a clean tea-towel You can vary this recipe by adding things: sugar and sultanas for an afternoon tea; grated cheese in the mixture and 10 minutes from the end, sprinkled on top; add ¼ cup of full cream milk powder to the dry mix; a packet of dry onion soup mix!
Basic Scones 4 cups self-raising flour, teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons margarine, I cup milk, 1 cup cold water Can add 1 tablespoon of sugar and I cup sultanas, or grated cheese and chopped cooked bacon to dry mixture, to ring the taste changes! 1. Place dry ingredients in abowl and mix well 2. Rub inmargerine with fingers till mixture is like breadcrumbs 3. Add all liquid, mix with wooden spoon until dough is moist enough to leave sides of bowl 4. Turn dough out onto floured board, kneead and then roll oput to 2cm thick and cut into squares 5. Place on oven tray dusted with flour, brush tops with milk, and bake in pre-heated hot oven for 10-15 minutes, and are well risen and cooked through 6. Serve warm with Jam and butter or cream Bushman s omelette This recipe is ideal for a camp kitchen, and for hikes, as it avoids much equipment and washing up! 2 eggs lightly beaten Diced ham Shredded cheese Salt and pepper I large freezer bag I billy of boiling water 1. Place eggs, ham. Cheese, in a bowl, mix well, season with salt and pepper 2. Pour ingredients into the freezer bag and shake well you could avoid using the bowl and just do all the mixing in the bag! 3. Tie the bag and drop into boiling water in the billy 4. Cook over a hot fire/heat until the omelette is well set 5. Remove the omelette from the freezer bag onto a plate and serve immediately