dutch oven beard?

[George]

Sorry for any confusion. Those last two pictures are of no-knead bread baked in a dutch oven at home, conventional oven.

My bannock was of two types. The basic recipe was just flour, baking powder and salt plus enough water or milk to make a nice biscuit dough. The other was that, but with a lot of lard or shortening cut into the flour before the liquid was added. I baked that last one many times in various camps, but my cardiologist won't let me do it any more. :haha:

Spence

 

[coloradoclyde]

If only you had a picture of that bannock I would have something to dream about tonight. :grin: :thumbsup:

your food looks awsome Spence.

 

[Wes/Tex]

your food looks awsome Spence.

Amen!

 

[satx78247]

Fyi, I found a book today at the public library that you should take a look at: PRAIRIE HOME BREADS by Judith M. Fertig.

The cookbook has a BUNCH of suitable recipes for bread cooked outdoors, including yeast breads, slow-rising (natural leavening) breads, rolls & buns, muffins, popovers, scones, biscuits, bannock, assorted pastries & sweet breads.

yours, satx

 

[Loyalist Dave]

She's got one out for main dishes too, Prarie Home Cooking. Not sure how "authentic" she goes, but a) one might be able to retro a recipe if you want, and b) if you're not worried about that in your camp, when cooking for friends old and new, something different from the Dutch oven might be very nice.

LD

 

[satx78247]

Our public library system has ONE copy of that book (which is currently "soon to be returned"). - I've "placed a hold on" it & will let everyone know about it, once it arrives at our "local branch library".

The SAPL's "review" of the cookbook says that the recipes are collected from "family recipes of early Midwestern settlers", Fertig's private recipe files, "very old cookbooks" AND are "predominantly made from "raw & 'farm fresh' ingredients", rather than from "commercially canned foodstuffs".

yours, satx

 

[satx78247]

This afternoon, I found another brand new book at the SAPL that may be "of interest" to many "primitive cooks" here: BAKING SOURDOUGH BREAD by Goren Soderin & George Strachal.
(What I found "of considerable interest" is the recipes for several "homemade starters" made from lentils/oats/potatoes/rye/wheat & how to "capture" wild yeast, as well as how to maintain, dehydrate & store starters for "trekking".)

Many of the "multi-ethnic recipes" seem to be "European antiques" & thus may be "of interest" to our PC/HC folk, as well as to those of us who just enjoy baking better bread than most of us can buy.
(I truly miss The Mediterranean Bakery in Alexandria, VA, that made fresh/natural/whole wheat goods, 3-4 times a day.)

yours, satx

 

[Rickey Brown]

when baking bread in my DO I do what my mother and grandmother taught me cover the bottom with cornmeal to prevent burning, now I admit I have never tried it with biscuits but it works with breads

 

[leal536]

When I bake bread in the DO, I also do not use a spacer. What I have learned is to take the DO off the bottom coals about 2/3 the way through my cooking time. Never had a bread burn yet.

In answer to this general post: if it can be or is cooked/baked in an oven at home, it can be cooked/baked in a DO at camp. I have taken many recipes that I like from regular cook books and converted them for the DO.

 

[satx78247]

Ever tried baking meringue pies in a DO??
(For some reason or other, people "in camp" seem to think that making pies outdoors is "magic".)

yours, satx

 

[Alden]

I never cooked mine, but I leaned too close over a dutch oven full of sourdough biscuits one day and singed it pretty bad. :haha:

Spence

Shame you didn't have a knife and try to cut it -- that'd wouldn't be the best thing since sliced beard!

 

[leal536]

I have not made meringue pies but I have other two crust pies. My favorite thing to do though with a DO is to make crepes on the lid! Turn the lid so the inside of the lid is your skillet, place it on a trivet with coals underneath. Grease well and use your favorite crepe recipe. Fill with fresh berries and fresh whipped cream and people are amazed!

 

[satx78247]

I am sure that they are!! = Sounds GREAT.

yours, satx

 

[satx78247]

My two favorite "crowd pleasers" to cook, when we were active in WBTS reenactments were enchiladas (paired with refried beans & tortillas) and chicken pies as a main dish.

ANY red or green enchilada recipe works fine in a DO. - We normally stacked cheese/onion (sometimes with strips of hot pepper) enchiladas with beef and/or chicken enchiladas, layered with chili & grated cheese.
and
The chicken pie recipe couldn't be simpler in that it's nothing more than a 2-crust pie (of the sort that you would normally use for cherry/apple pie but) filled with boiled/boned chicken, new potatoes & a simple white sauce made of butter/flour/milk/S&P.

Both recipes, in my experience, disappear faster than you can make them.
(In those days, our soldiers were "bottomless pits" & we spent a lot of time cooking, so that our unit members were free to do other activities.)

yours, satx

 

[omarick1948]

I used to wake up camp with scratch made cinnamon rolls in one of my Dutchies. Another favorite that would stir-up the camp was what I called Hawaiian Pork Chops. I just seared(browned) some pork chops in the DO with a little oil and salt and pepper, then dump in one or two cans of pinapple rings and simmered till chops were fork tender and had a nice color on the top. ______________ Damn! Now I'm getting hungry.

Rick

 

[satx78247]

UNDERSTOOD. I can describe how BOTH dishes sound in a single word. = YUM!!!!

Btw, cooking a bunch of plain onions in a skillet with a little grease gets everyone to come a-running to table, regardless of what other important activity that they are engaged in. = Works BETTER than a dinner bell.

yours, satx

 

[omarick1948]

Funny you mention that! One of the things our club does at our annual Gun Show, is in the Lunch Room area. Around lunch time, we set-up a card table near the LR entrance door and start an electric skillet full of onions simmering with the lid off and put a fan plugged in to push that great fried onion aroma out towards the main show floor. We sell a bunch of food that way and works every time to draw them in!

Aaaah, one of the great treats of life. The smell and taste of fried onions and/or bacon!

Rick

 

[Kansas Jake]

The fried onion thing gets them every time. Back when my kids were young and in 4H, I would help in the lunch stand at the fair. When things got slow we would throw a bunch of onions on the grill and pretty soon folks would be coming up and ordering hamburgers with the grilled onions.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

TRUE DAT

That's a tried and true fry-cook strategy.

Had good friend who was a Gunny Sergeant in charge of a mess hall. Not only responsible for good chow but also for reducing waste. Not an actual "business", but on paper he was rated that way...did the same thing...just toss some onions (Vidalia are the best) on the grill in the corner, and slowly fry them and caramelize them so the fan will carry the aroma outside, lard is good but beef fat he thought better to use when frying the "bait"....guarantee there will be a line forming at the door...

LD