SC - Re: seeking recipes (Outdoor Feast)

[Robyn Probert]

At 04:09 PM 19/06/98 EDT, you wrote:
>In a message dated 98-06-19 12:13:16 EDT, you write:
>
>> Again, I'd love to be proven wrong,
>>  but all the pots I've seen are the cauldron shape, with nicely domed lids
>>  (tricky to stack coals on) and a round bottom (tricky to control the heat
>>  on underneath).
>>  
>But it can be done!!!
>
>Turn the lid upside down for the coals and prop the pot on a base of 3 large
>rocks!

Is may be just me, but it strikes me as really skewed to be trying to force
period cooking vessels into cooking in a style they were not made to, so
that you can cook in more preiod style... Form dictates function! They are
cauldron shape because that's what they were used for. QED.

I guess you should start with the philosophical question - are you trying to
cook over a fire to understand and experience what it was like? Or are you
trying to produce food and this happens to be the only available heat source?

If the latter, pre-cook and heat as much as possible and use whatever
implements are useful including those coal carrying dutch ovens, a water
chuffer and anything else which makes the job easier. What about hiring some
big gas burners and/or gas ovens? We did a feast last year for 350 with no
kitchen - we hired everything in.

If the former then on an open fire you can cook things in frypans, on spits
and grill racks, in cauldrons and pots, so why not use recipies designed for
these cooking methods? Add to that some cook-before and heat up options and
you have a big range.

Each year we have a 6 day camping event (Rowany Festival). I camp with a
group into authenticity, so we have our pavillions, bath house, feast tent,
cook tents and open fireplace. We all like cooking and all our evening meals
are cooked over the fire - some from scratch and some pre-prepared. All
researched, all delicious. Our evening board would usually have 15 dishes
and serve 25 people plus ring ins. Many of the dishes were fine for these
numbers but would not be practical for a large feast.

Grab bag of Stuff we learned - dig a trench, not a round pit - much easier
to control the fire and more room for more cooks. Set up two tall tripods at
each end, with a pole between to hang pots from and spits along. Crossbars
on the tripods hold ladels, forks etc out of the dirt (and a pair of leather
gloves for hot pots). Start your fire and prep WELL before it gets dark.
Cook on coals. Don't use cressets to give light - wicks in open oil is too
dangerous (candle laterns are OK). 3 legged ceramic pots are very stable and
(in stoneware) remarkably solid. Chinatown sells big cheap iron ladles and
other useful tools. Also cheap stoneware pots. Solid blocks of ice will keep
food cool longer than drink type ice (I made an icebox by lining a tourney
chest and drop in lid with  1" solid foam - stays cool for 1 week). Frozen
stews and potages help keep other things cool. UHT milk and cream don't have
to be kept cool until opened. Chardwarden is fabulous on porrige the next day.

Sorry this got so long...
Rowan
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Robyn Probert				
Customer Service Manager		Phone +61 2 9239 4999
Services Development Manager		Fax   +61 2 9221 8671
Lawpoint Pty Limited			Sydney NSW  Australia
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