Roxy Joins the Family

Roxy is our newly aquired 1972 VW Dormobile camper van. I've been commuting to Oxford in her for a week or so now and have started to become more used to the details and idiosyncrasies of the 37 year old camper. Having been a teenager in the late 70's really helped, this type of driving was normal then and it really makes you realise how you come to expect the luxuries of modern motoring. She has a top speed of about 55mph and we are busy researching great locations within a couple of hours drive from home.

We're still doing a bit of work restoring her original interior fittings, so meanwhile, I dream of days out and weekends away with Roxy and the 'go anywhere' Weber barbeque. The rotisserie will definitely feature in future outings too.

Paella Cooked Over an Open Fire

It's been almost a year since my Paella on the Beach (A Fantasy) article. I have been seeking an opportunity to cook paella over an open fire ever since being seduced by a story in one of my long lost Time Life cookbooks in the eighties. The origins of the dish have been explained in more detail in my earlier article (above) but it is enough to say that it was originally an inland dish in Spain, cooked by farm workers for lunch over an open fire, and made with whatever was available.

The experience began with us taking a short weekend camping break to the New Forest. This meant travelling 'light' and making the decision NOT to take the ever faithful 'go anywhere weber'. We were to rely on the butane fuelled camp cooker for everything. On the first night I realised my cock-up. I had a mis-matched gas regulator, so no camp cooker, and no other means of cooking anything for the weekend. I realised this just after we finished setting up camp on the Friday afternoon before making our way to visit some family friends for a meal not too far away.

The general air of panic subsided as I started to formulate a solution in my mind. This was focused around how on earth would we be able to cook breakfast the following morning. No gas, ok, accepted. No shops open early enough to get a new regulator in time to cook breakfast, accepted. A way out began to emerge.

We needed to get some diesel for the car and I thought that one of those (heaven forbid) disposable barbeques might do the trick, at least to get over the breakfast hurdle. So I fuelled up the Kia en route and collected two disposable barbeques and a 5 kg bag of lumpwood charcoal from the forecourt (hellishly expensive) to relieve the family's anxieties about breakfast on a campsite with scant facilites.

A few campsite rules were niggling as I was driving. No barbeques on the ground for example. So I asked our fabulous hosts that evening for a few bricks to keep the container of charcoal off the ground. We left with a large concrete block and two clay bricks. The obvious components for an impromptu DIY charcoal barbeque.

It was while I was cooking breakfast the next morning that I decided on Paella and how to make the most of the current barbeque setup.

The spirit soaked briquettes in their foil container had more

bark than bite. I was hoping to boil the kettle on the first intense part of the burn, and then follow by putting my pan on the embers to cook the bacon, tomoatoes and eggs. What a pain. A handful of briquettes (10 if I counted correctly) got hot quickly but not for long. The kettle took forever to boil and the breakfast was more stewed than fried, but it got me thinking about the rest of the day.

After a late breakfast we went into a camping shop in Lyndhurst for a new regulator and then to the coast so the kids could enjoy the beach. Nice and sunny but far too windy so we decided to go back inland to the campsite near Brockenhurst.

We gathered some provisions from Waitrose in Christchurch on the way. I had already by then revealed my intention to make paella at the campsite for dinner and what better a place to get the ingredients: (enough for four adults)

- Fresh clams (no mussels available)

- Cooked king prawns (shelled and easy to eat, raw variety too expensive)

- Chorizo

- Saffron

- 8 chicken thighs

- 1 large onion

- 1 Green pepper

- 1 Bulb of garlic

- Salt and pepper

- Basmati rice (2 cups)

- Water for the stock

- (forgot to get lemons but they would have helped)

Paella die hards will probably wince at my choice of rice. Traditional paella rice is firm and stodgy, where basmati rice is light and fluffy. I first used basmati rice because I thought that I had paella rice in the pantry when I hadn't. It's different, but it works really well. It allows more of the other ingredients to fill the bowl, and the rice is a richly flavoured but not overwhelming accompaniment.

The whole afternoon was spent in the sun at the campsite. Firefoodie heaven. I managed to stretch out the making of the paella for the best part of three leisurely hours.

I took the bones out of the chicken thighs for the stock and diced the flesh for the paella. Then I chopped up all of the vegetables and chorizo for the dish (with some help from our Kitty) and then prepared a structure from the 3 brick items for the fire.

The breakfast episode taught me that extra charcoal was the answer to the measly fire from a disposable barbeque. I piled up a good kilo or more of lumpwood charcoal on top of the alcohol soaked briquettes and constructed a brick home for the tray of charcoal that would also suit my paella dish. The large concrete block formed the base and the two bricks were placed either side as supports for the handles of the pan.

To cook paella this way, first you need to make a good stock. This takes lots of heat and a fair amount of time. I got the chicken bones, some of the garlic, half of the diced onion, a few pieces of the diced chorizo and some salt and pepper for the first stage of the meal.

The extra charcoal worked and the pan was good and hot. I browned off the bones and other ingredients in a dash of olive oil, and slowly added enough water so that I would have about 4 cups of stock. After half an hour or so, I removed the bones and discarded them before transferring the stock and all the bits in it to another pan and set it aside.

Then the remaining vegetables, saffron and chorizo were browned in the paella dish over a high heat from the charcoal before I added the diced chicken thighs. After about 10 minutes, I added 2 cups of rice and 4 cups of the stock prepared earlier. Then the clams and prawns were laid on top, the pan was covered with foil, and then checked every now and then for the next 30 minutes or so before serving.

Towards the end the cooking needs to slow down, so I removed some of the charcoal from below as my fire was still a bit too hot.

This meal went down a treat and my paella over an open fire fantasy was finally fulfilled.

(iPhone photography by Kitty)

Beetroot Braised in Vinegar and Mint

This is great side dish to accompany any main course menu. Wrapped in foil, this simply sits below the rotisserie, baking slowly for up to 2 hours.

Fresh beetroot seems to be everywhere at the moment and I can't resist a bargain at the markets on a Saturday. I ended up with loads of the stuff which is fine because it lasts for ages. For two consecutive weekend dinner parties I served it as a side dish and it almost out did the main event.

Peel each beet and if too big, cut in half. Bunch the pieces up on a large piece of foil, turn up the edges so you can pour in a few dashes of cider vinegar (or any other vinegar), dump in a handful of fresh mint leaves and seal up the parcel. An extra layer of foil helps just in case there are any tiny holes for the liquid to escape.

I put the parcel between the charcoal fires under the rotisserie, but you could put them anywhere where they would benefit from a long slow cook near embers. Basically, the equivalent of a medium oven for up to two hours.

The beetroot ends out soft but firm and the flavour of the vinegar and mint absorbs into the beets beautifully. Aromatic, pretty and delicious.

The Best Roast Pork Ever

My second experiment with the garden spit roast gizmo gave me something very special recently. We had invited a few friends over on a Saturday night and a 3 kilo rolled pork shoulder had been loaded on the spit by my local butcher in preparation.

Pork comes into its own on the rotisserie. The self basting and high temperature radiant heat from the charcoal makes crackling to die for and perfectly moist pork within. This one was studded with loads of garlic and sprigs of rosemary and took about two hours over the fire. Our guests loved it and I will be definitely doing it again.

In the past weeks the cooking fire has been getting a hammering, almost too much so to keep up with posting articles. A few revelations have occured however:

1. THE GAS BARBEQUE: Mine is knackered. A wedding present from my Mum nearly 9 years ago, and the burners have corroded beyond repair. My obsession with experimenting with charcoal is now making me flinch at the idea of getting a replacement. Given that it takes 20 minutes to prepare a charcoal fire I am struggling to convince myself I need another one, but hey, it is the middle of summer. They definitely have their place 'though as a great way to cook outdoors (Viva the Gas Barbeque).

2. SELF LIGHTING CHARCOAL: I used some tonight. Basically charcoal soaked in wax wrapped in paper soaked in wax in convenient (and clean!) 1kg bundles. Provided that you let the fuel burn for the full 20 mins or so, there is nothing wrong with this. There is no smoke from natural wood tinder or smelly firelighters and once the wax has burned, there is no residue or smell to affect your cooking. Go for it. More expensive than pure lumpwood charcoal 'though, the only disadvantage I can think of. It could even be mixed with normal charcoal to make it more economical but would then be as messy as using lumpwood.

3. THE BRAAI TOOL: This has also had a beating lately since its maiden voyage during the Surreal Sub-Zero Boerewors Braai. This baby is fast becoming one of my preferred tools for grilling sausages, chops and thinner cuts of meat. It means I get to sit by the fire and keep an eye on the food. Perfect for using over the embers of an open fire or a brazier, but keep a few bricks or rocks at hand to rest it on to adjust the height over the coals. When clamping sausages between the two racks, leave a gap between each one to allow the heat to cook them from all sides.

Garden Spit Roast - Chapter 2

What happened next was so unexpected. I had spent the morning in the sun digging up turf preparing for a new patio and spent most of the time mentally planning the next phase of the DIY garden rotisserie for the same evening. A 2 kilo piece of topside beef had been defrosting since the morning and I went on a hunt in town for some 60cm heavy duty skewers (3 to be exact) so I could try out my next DIY rotisserie experiment to follow Chapter 1 posted last month.

A recent and much awaited addition to the high street in our town, the Steamer Trading Cookshop, was my first port of call. No long skewers sadly, but my conversation with the delightfully helpful and subtly inquisitive person serving me led to a most unexpected result. I explained that I needed the skewers for my DIY garden rotisserie experiment, and was almost sent to the local Countrywide outlet for a steel fence post before I was informed that they had rotisseries in stock.

Over the last couple of years my Fire Food research folder has accumulated dozens of links to websites selling various rotisserie accessories, all very pricey and mostly from America. But here it was, the ultimate garden spit roast companion. Affordable, versatile, battery powered and there for the taking. I did a double take on the price (£18.47) as it just seemed too good to be true. It was as much a novelty to the person serving me when we opened the box to check the contents. Everything, heavy duty 60 cm steel spit, motor, holding forks, all the things I had been drooling over on various US websites for ages. It was an intoxicating experience and I thank Rose at the Steamer Trading Cookshop in Witney for subtly cajoling me into divulging my intentions.

My long suffering family smiled wryly when I returned home beaming, with my new acquisition, my intoxication even further heightened by then as more time had passed to reflect on my result.

Without delay, the charcoal fires were prepared in the brazier. The topside was then butterflied, stuffed with garlic, green olives and oregano from the garden, rolled up and tied with string for the spit. So as not to waste the opportunity I had also bought a free range chicken to share the spit for a meal the following day when there wouldn't be the time for such indulgences.

Around 2 hours later, we devoured the beef and the chicken was wrapped in foil for re-heating later. Everything worked perfectly and the meat looked and tasted fabulous.

I managed to get the rotisserie brackets to connect to my brazier without too much hassle. The kit is sold as an accessory to the "Hotspot" branded charcoal grill, but will work with any Weber or other kettle barbecue or brazier without too much difficulty. I'm now thinking of a design for a portable steel bar frame so it can be used in the wild over an open fire. Watch this space. Spit roasted goat is next.

Firefoodie.

PS (March 2010): For some extreme DIY spit roasting, I found this recently. I was well impressed...: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/125444-my-first-spit-roast/

Grilled Mussels with Garlic Butter and Parmesan

This delight was prepared in honour of a visit from our beloved (pesco-)vegetarian daughter on a glorious summery spring evening. It was served as a very moreish appetizer and was followed by mackerel tempura and salmon and swordfish yakitori.

I had something similar to this for the first time when visiting friends in Cape Town. They were made using pre-cooked frozen mussels in the half shell, which cuts down on the preparation a little. This version is made with fresh live mussels.

I hand selected two dozen large mussels from my favourite fish monger at the covered market in Oxford (Haymans Fisheries) during my lunch break. As an appetizer, allow about 6 large mussels per person.

Simply put the mussels in a pot with a lid with about 50ml of boiling water for 5 mins or so, or until all the mussels have opened. Allow them to cool enough to be able to be handled.

To prepare the garlic butter, put 2 or 3 large cloves of crushed garlic in a small bowl with about 50g of butter in the microwave for about 30 seconds or until the butter has just melted. Grate about 50g of fresh parmesan cheese.

Pre-heat the grill, then remove half of the shell from each mussel and using a small knife, detach the cooked mussel from the remaining half of the shell. Lay 

the mussels in their half shells on the grill tray, and using a teaspoon, dress each one first with a bit of the melted garlic butter and then with a sprinkling of grated parmesan.

Place them under the hot grill for no more than 3 or 4 minutes before transferring them to a serving dish and passing them around to your guests. Guaranteed to make you hungrier.

(Click here to see the newer article - Better photos and cooked using charcoal in a Weber - July 2011)

Garden Spit Roast - Chapter 1

This is a simple and small scale introduction to creating your own DIY spit roast or rotisserie barbeque at home. It captures all of the principles of a charcoal spit roast and gets the imagination going for more.

Inspired by the beautiful spring evening sun, I found this to be an opportunity to test a few theories using tools already at hand.

I'm embarrased to admit how much research I have done over the years on spit roasting. It is thought that Peking man may have roasted meats (c. 700,000 BC), but from whenever it began, spit roasting was virtually the sole culinary technique used by our ancestors during the Paleolithic period (Old Stone Age). This was until, the Aurignacian people of Southern France (c. 30,000 BC) began steaming food by wrapping it in wet leaves. Today spit roasting has evolved to become anything from the global doner kebab to rotisserie chickens and whole hog roasts.

There are a number of (fairly expensive) spit roasting gizmos on the market. Clockwork, battery or mains powered, none of which are particularly easy to get hold of in the UK. I prefer the DIY approach: Easily found, ready made objects, and lots of care and attention. Regardless, the principles of spit roasting remain the same;

- Self basting and slow cooking from constant rotation

- Indirect heat for cooking

Keeping the meat rotating means that the fats and juices remain on the surface longer and cook the meat evenly. The sugars caramelise without burning creating that wonderful sticky, rich tasting surface.

Indirect heat means not having any fuel directly below the food. Inevitable drips would otherwise ignite and create seriously unwanted flames from a fat fire below. Keeping the heat source to the side(s) means that drips can be caught in a tray if needed and used for extra manual basting.

This is so simple anyone can try it. I used 1 kg of chicken wings, cut into segments (discard the wing tips) and spiked them onto two pairs of metal skewers so they could be easily turned.

I prepared a charcoal fire in my trusty 'Go Anywhere Weber" and waited for the fire to mature before aranging the embers into three rows. I then placed the two chicken wing kebabs between the rows of embers and turned them every 30 seconds or so by hand. The chicken wings had been marinating for a few hours in crushed garlic, olive oil and rosemary. The smell was amazing.

30 minutes later, the chicken wings were ready.

The garden spit roast requires only one special commitment. Stay by the fire and don't stop rotating the food until it's cooked. This might seem extreme, but let's face it, why would you want to be anywhere else?

If this does it for you, the coming chapters will up the scale somewhat. This spring and summer look forward to whole chickens spit roasted in the garden, and then finally some big chunks of goat.

Firefoodie

PS (March 2010): For some extreme DIY spit roasting, I found this recently. I was well impressed...: http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?/topic/125444-my-first-spit-roast/