What decent meals have you cooked while camping ?

The chicken and mushroom is the food of kings.

 

Impressive dishes here! How many of you actually cook all of your food in the van? Also, out of those that do, how many have tin tops and how do you manage (i.e. kneel, sit, hunch ....)?

 

Do you have any additional cooking method for use in an awning or is it all in the van? I'm clinically vulnerable to covid so we're going to be 'van cooking' rather than eating out anywhere, when we get the van of course ! I was wondering how practical it is to cook solely inside the van or whether we need to add other outside methods too.

 

This ^, I don't tend to cook in the van, if I do, I keep it bland to avoid the smells.

 

We try and avoid too much cooking in the van and do most of it outside on a Cadac Safari Chef though obviously sometimes the weather throws a spanner in the works. The Cadac is a great bit of kit, it can be used as a gas BBQ or with a flat or ridged griddle pan. And the lid can be flipped over to make a wok style pan which is perfect for curries, stir frys pasta sauces etc.

 

I haven't bought food out since day five of Glastonbury 13 when I could barely stand & cook everything myself whenever we go away in my van. Some is cooked outside on a Cobb or a Cadac*, but if the weather's a bit dull, I cook inside too, although I tend to give the mackerel a miss. I solved the tin-top problem by fitting a Dormobile roof. Have a gratuitous plug for my book of recipes & camping tips.

www.thebarefootchef.co.uk

 

We cook everything in the van. Don’t like cooking stinking my kitchen out at home, but with canvas roof open and sliding door we don’t see a problem.

Cooking smells ain’t going to hang around a metal, plywood and leatherette that’s naturally ventilated van for long

 

I can highly recommend the book wot Mr Fishtrousers wrote, it's amusing, packed full of useful tips for newbies and experienced campers alike and contains a multitude of great recipes

 

Those are the best roast potatoes I've see in a long while!

 

Yes I was a bit worried about that, I love to cook Thai food as well as being heavy handed with the garlic, that even the strongest fragranced candle to cope with after! I think the awning would be the way to go for us too.

 

Love the idea of ..."tonight darling the meal is bland as I don't want the bedlinen to smell" I may use that one generally at home when recipes haven't quite worked the way I'd planned

 

Well if @3901mick 's gorgeous meal is anything to go by I think I need a Cadac too! I had no idea the lid was a wok, perfect!

 

Thank you so much for the link to your book also for the tip about retro fitting a pop top, I didn't realise that was possible. It looks like the Cadac may be on the list too thank you.

 

Sorry @3901mick I seem to have hijacked your post . Could you possibly pop a 'how to' for the roast potatoes and chicken cooked on your Cadac please? What fat/oil did you use for the roasties?

 

Your food look delicious!

 

Ha ha no worries lol, I cant see how to use the lid as a Wok without melting the plastic handle ? I bought one of these, https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/143671445746?var=442655798434 instead of the £55 roasting dish, sat it on the pan rack



Boiled spuds in a pan first for 20 mins, gave them a bash about in the pan then popped them in the tray and cooked in Veg oil, once they looked close to doing popped the grill plate back in and put the roasting tray rack (that came with the tray) on the grill plate , and cooked the chicken, the tray takes the heat out the tray by about 85% I reckon so keeps them hot but cooks the chicken on the plate. If the spuds need more heat take the rack out from under