Delicious Camp Cooked Recipes

This recipe will make 1 large leg of lamb. Adjust ingredients proportionately to suit for smaller or larger quantities.

Seasoned lamb can be prepared ahead of time and placed in a vacuum sealed bag, frozen, then taken to your favourite campsite and cooked over charcoal in a Southern Metal Spinners Aussie Camp Oven in the great outdoors.

1 x Leg of Lamb (approx 2kg - 3kg to feed 4 - 6)

4 x Medium Potatoes cut in halves

4 x Carrots chopped into large chunks

2 x Large Onions cut into half

½ x Pumpkin chopped into large chunks

4 or 5 cloves of Garlic

Salt

Pepper black

Roast Seasoning Mix

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Rosemary

4 x Tablespoons of plain flour for gravy

3 x Cups of Beef Stock for gravy

Place your thawed leg of lamb on a chopping board and pat dry.

Rub the whole leg of lamb with Extra Virgin Olive oil then season with a generous amount of salt, black pepper and your favourite roast seasoning mix.

Make 4 or 5 stab incisions about 1 inch deep and insert the garlic cloves into these. Set the leg of lamb to one side.

Place camp oven, without trivet, on top of a good bed of hot coals until camp oven is quite hot. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil to your camp oven then sear the leg of lamb so that all surfaces are seared until nicely browned off. Take the leg of lamb out and set it to one side.

Place the trivet back into the camp oven and put the leg of lamb on top of the trivet. Add the rosemary sprigs to the top of the lamb. Scatter all the chopped vegetables around the perimeter of the leg of lamb and season with salt and pepper and a sprinkle of olive oil. Alternatively you can place a large enough aluminium foil tray on top of the trivet and place the leg of lamb and vegetables in the tray and cook this way. This will keep all the juices in the tray.

Check that the bed of coals is not too hot, remove some if necessary. Place the lid on top of the camp oven and put coals on top of the lid. The idea is that there is generally more coal on top of the lid than on the bed so that the food does not burn from the base. As a rough guide, 75% of coals on top and 25% of coals for the bed.

After about 1 to 1.5 hours, check lamb by cutting through to the centre. Ideally it should be a light pink in colour towards the centre. You should also be able to pierce a knife through the vegetables quite easily. If not quite cooked, you can add more heat by adding fresh hot coals to the lid if needed and cooked for a little longer.

To prepare your gravy, remove the lamb roast and vegetables from the camp oven and place in an aluminium foil tray. Remove the trivet. Remove some coals from the base if needed so the gravy does not burn as you prepare it. You want a low to medium heat here. 

At this point you should have some sticky, gooey caramelised meat juices in the bottom of the camp oven. Add the flour and stir until combined and you have a brown consistency. Add the stock and stir.

Stir until sauce thickens, add some more flour if required. Season with salt and pepper. Check for taste. Simmer sauce for a few more minutes stirring occasionally.

Note: You can vary sauce by substituting some red or white wine for part of the stock. Any favourite herbs can be added; basil, oregano etc. For extra colour, 1 tablespoon tomato paste can be added with the stock.

This recipe will make approximately 24 skewers (depending on how long your skewers are). Adjust ingredients proportionately to suit smaller or larger quantities.

Beef or lamb can be used, both taste fantastic. Lamb will have a slightly fattier taste.

Can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, then taken to your favourite campsite and cooked over charcoal on a mangal in the great outdoors.

3 kg beef or lamb eye fillet

1 x green capsicum coarsely chopped

1 x red capsicum coarsely chopped

1 x onion large cut in quarters

9 x tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

3 x teaspoons salt

1 x teaspoon pepper black

3 x tablespoons tomato paste

3 x tablespoons paprika relish, hot or mild according to taste

1 x teaspoon allspice

1 x tablespoon paprika

Flat metal skewers work great

Cut beef or lamb into roughly 1 inch cubes and place in a large bowl.

To this add all the ingredients and mix through thoroughly.

Cover bowl with cling wrap and let sit for a few hours or overnight in the refrigerator.

Remove from the refrigerator and let meat come to room temperature.

Skewer the cubes so they just touch each other as you thread the cubes (they will cook more evenly this way). Add the capsicum and pieces of onion randomly to the skewers.

Prepare charcoal in your mangal and wait till any flames have died down and you are left with reddish white glowing coals.

Place skewered kebabs on the mangal without a grate. The distance between the charcoal and the skewers should not be too close, about 4 inches. Turn skewers regularly to avoid burning. Cook until there is a slight char on the edges of the meat. Make sure you taste test straight off the coals to check. Traditionally this beef or lamb kebab is cooked to a medium rare consistency so it remains soft and juicy.

Enjoy with your favourite Arak drink.

This recipe will make 12 quail. Adjust ingredients proportionately to suit for smaller or larger quantities.

Can be prepared ahead of time and frozen, then take to your favourite camp site and cooked over charcoal on a grill in the great outdoors.

12 x Quail, rinse with water and then pat dry

5 x cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 x tablespoon salt

1 x tablespoon black pepper

1 x tablespoon oregano

¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

To a large bowl add the finely chopped garlic, salt, pepper and oregano. Mix together.

Then add the lemon juice and lastly extra virgin olive oil. Mix together.

Add the quail to the marinade making sure to coat the quail all over using your hands.

Cover bowl with cling wrap and let sit for a few hours or overnight in refrigerator.

Remove from refrigerator and let the quail come to room temperature.

Prepare charcoal in your mangal or BBQ and wait till any flames have died down and you are left with reddish white glowing coals.

Place quail on the mangal or BBQ on top of grate. The distance between the charcoal and the quail should not be too close, about 4 inches. Turn quail regularly to avoid burning. Cook until the skin is a nice golden brown colour and the meat is soft and juicy. Make sure you taste test straight off the coals to check.

Pairs beautifully with a chilled, crisp, refreshing Sauvignon Blanc.

This recipe will make a medium sized damper.

3 x cups of self raising flour

1 x pinch of salt

1.5 x cups of water approx according to consistency

In a large bowl add the flour, salt and gradually add water stirring mixture using a metal fork. Only add enough water so that the flour is combined and the consistency is not too wet. Try not to knead the dough.

Once mixed, use your hands to make a round, flattish damper shape.

Cover the camp oven  trivet with some aluminium foil, place back in the camp oven and dust with flour.

Place the formed damper on top of the trivet and put the lid on. Make sure there is a gap between the damper and the sides of the oven.

Place the camp oven on a hot bed of coals, not too many coals though and then more coals on the lid. Cook for approximately 30 mins. Check if the damper is cooked by piercing a knife through to the centre, it should be dry when you pull it out.

Variations to this recipe are if you prefer a savoury damper replace the water with a pale beer and add some grated cheese and herbs to the mixture. If you prefer a sweet damper, replace the water with lemonade and throw in some dried fruits and nuts to the mixture. 

This recipe will make a large camp oven of pasta, enough to feed 4 - 6 people. Adjust ingredients proportionately to suit smaller or larger quantities.

400 gm x Macaroni or any small sized pasta

½ kg x beef mince

2 x medium chopped medium size carrots

1 x olive oil

2 x chopped green shallots

1 x teaspoon salt

1 x teaspoon red pepper

1 x teaspoon chicken or beef stock powder or cube

½ x teaspoon onion powder

2 x heaped tablespoons paprika relish

1 x heaped tablespoon tomato paste

A few handfuls of Spinach roughly chopped

In a camp oven over a hot bed of coals, boil plenty of salted water and add the pasta cooked al dente as it needs to finish cooking in the sauce. Drain off the water but keep a cupful of the pasta water to the side for later. 

In a separate large saucepan, saute the beef mince then move it to one side of the saucepan.

On the other side of the saucepan, saute the carrots in a splash of olive oil and add the shallots. 

Once the beef mince has browned and the carrots have softened add the Salt, Red Pepper, Onion Powder, Paprika Relish, Tomato Paste, Chicken Stock Powder and stir altogether for the flavours to blend. 

Add (little by little, judge thickness) approx ¾ cup of water to allow carrots to cook and create a sauce.

After approx 15 to 20 minutes, add the sauce to the drained pasta plus some of the pasta water to allow pasta to finish cooking in the sauce and mix through.

Add the spinach then cook for a further 5 mins at most so pasta does not get overdone.

This recipe will make a large camp oven of fresh homestyle baked beans, enough to feed 6 people. Adjust ingredients proportionately to suit for smaller or larger quantities.

Can be prepared ahead of time, cooked and then frozen. Then take to your favourite camp site and heat in a camp oven in the great outdoors.

3 x cups of black-eyed beans

2 x medium white onions chopped

5 x cloves of garlic

2 x teaspoons dry coriander

4 x tablespoons tomato paste

1 x can crushed tomato

2 x teaspoons salt

1 x teaspoon black pepper

1 x teaspoon sweet paprika

1 x teaspoon hot paprika

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

In a saucepan, boil the beans until they are half way cooked. Don’t let the colour of the boiling water blacken from overboiling the beans. Drain the beans and put to one side.

Place Southern Metal Spinners Aussie Camp Oven, without trivet, on top of a good bed of hot coals. Add ¼ cup of the olive oil to your camp oven.

Saute onions until they are translucent.

Add chopped garlic then coriander. Stir until the aroma of the coriander is released. Watch it does not burn.

Add the salt, pepper, tomato paste, crushed tomato, sweet paprika, hot paprika and stir until slightly concentrated.

Add 3 cups of boiling water.

Add the beans to the bubbling sauce.

Add ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil and let simmer with camp oven lid on. Remove some of the coals if needed to control heat.

Check the consistency every now and again and add a little boiling water if required.

Test for taste.

This recipe will make 1 large roast chicken with vegetables. Adjust ingredients proportionately to suit for smaller or larger quantities.

1 x Large whole chicken (approx 2kg to feed 4)

2 x Large Potatoes cut in quarters

4 x Carrots chopped into large chunks.

2 x Large Onions cut into quarters

½ x Pumpkin chopped into large chunks

4 or 5 cloves of Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Roast Seasoning Mix

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Rosemary

Place your thawed chicken on a chopping board and pat dry.

Rub the whole chicken with Extra Virgin Olive oil then season with salt, black pepper and your favourite roast seasoning mix. Flatten the garlic cloves with the back of a knife and insert between the flesh and the breast skin. Set the chicken to one side.

Place camp oven, with trivet, on top of a good bed of hot coals until camp oven is moderately hot.

Place chicken, breast side up, on top of trivet. Add the rosemary stalks to the top of the chicken. Place the lid on top of camp oven and put coals on top of the lid. The idea is that there is generally more coal on top of the lid than on the bed so that the food does not burn from the base. As a rough guide, 75% of coals on top and 25% of coals for the bed.

As an alternative, you can place a large enough aluminium foil tray on top of the trivet and place chicken and vegetables in tray and cook this way. This will keep all the juices in the tray.

As a rough guide, total cooking time is 2 hours or slightly less. Check the chicken after about half an hour to make sure it's on track and not burning. You are after all dealing with heat from burning coals and it's not like cooking in a precise temperature-controlled oven at home. Variables such as type of wood used, wind around campfire will all change the amount of heat generated. 

After about 45 mins, remove the lid and scatter all the chopped vegetables around the perimeter of the chicken and sprinkle vegetables with more olive oil, salt and pepper and any other herbs you prefer.

Towards the end of the cooking time, check chicken by piercing a knife through to the centre and check if the meat is cooked. There should be clear coloured juices oozing out. You should also be able to pierce a knife through the vegetables quite easily. You can add more heat by adding fresh hot coals to the lid if needed.

Once cooked remove the chicken, vegetables and all the remaining juices and place in an aluminium tray and cover with aluminium foil.