Dutch Oven Cooking

[Annarchy]

DH & I had a fire last night and talked about cooking on the coals with my dutch oven.

 

Since the coals were still hot this morning, I decided to make chicken & dumplings. Well, a variation to the recipe.

 

Chicken - a couple of pieces

thyme

salt

pepper

carrots - from the garden

onion - from the garden

celery - from the garden

garlic

1/2 bay leaf

Chicken broth - home made

and a dash of chicken bullion

1 tsp of butter

 

 

 

 

 

After an hour, I put the biscuits on top to cook. - DH doesn't like squishy dumplins ~lol

 

[The WE2's]

Looks like somebody enjoyed his din-din! LOL We only have a portable fire pit that we take camping, so it's stored away (along with my dutch oven, til coming spring. I keep my bean pot here at home though, as well as my cast iron wok.

[TheCG]

*dances*

 

Thanks to my lovely MIL, I now have the type of dutch oven that you can put coals on top of as well as a cast iron griddle.

[Annarchy]

Awesome TheCG! You can cook so much in them. I even use my dutch oven for deep fat frying. I figure I'm tempering it more each time. hahaha.

 

Philbe, DH enjoyed it very much and has added it to his list. When our portable fire pit started rusting, I built that pit. We continue to use the 'pan' because it makes it easy to clean out the ashes, at least until it rusts away.

[TheCG]

Yup! I have some that have rounded lids that I use mainly for frying french fries and fried mushrooms and chicken nuggets....

[dogmom4]

You're able to brown biscuits in a dutch oven?

[TheCG]

Yes, as long as you put enough coals on top.

[The WE2's]

Awesome TheCG! You can cook so much in them. I even use my dutch oven for deep fat frying. I figure I'm tempering it more each time. hahaha.

 

Philbe, DH enjoyed it very much and has added it to his list. When our portable fire pit started rusting, I built that pit. We continue to use the 'pan' because it makes it easy to clean out the ashes, at least until it rusts away.

 

Wonderful idea of saviing the pan and building around it! When we get moved to the Little House, guess I'll see if MM will volunteer to build a fire pit there! LOL

[The WE2's]

You're able to brown biscuits in a dutch oven?

 

Ditto...to the CG comment. This past summer we even enjoyed cherry cobbler from the Dutch Oven! Yummmmy!

[Annarchy]

You're able to brown biscuits in a dutch oven?

 

That's what DH said when he woke up. lol

 

Picture #3 shows the coals on top. I had to continue adding mesquite wood to the coals, throughout the cooking process, so I would have some coals to put on top when the biscuits were added.

 

I am so excited to try some other recipes. Mmmmmmm.... cherry cobbler.....

[Twilight]

With all this talk of cast iron..............

am I going to have to bring all my DS's cast iron up here???

There are skillets of all sizes maybe 8-10,

a dutch oven or are there two?

the big No 25 pot on legs and a slightly smaller one,

a gypsy pot , can't remember if it has legs......

a maybe 1 gal. tea kettle that is ever so heavy....

 

and so much more............

 

I do not like to use cast iron on my flat top....proof in the pudding that

the cast iron absorbs its contents.....and leaves it on the burner for me to clean up.

But I do love to use it on an open fire..

[The WE2's]

With all this talk of cast iron..............

am I going to have to bring all my DS's cast iron up here???

There are skillets of all sizes maybe 8-10,

a dutch oven or are there two?

the big No 25 pot on legs and a slightly smaller one,

a gypsy pot , can't remember if it has legs......

a maybe 1 gal. tea kettle that is ever so heavy....

 

and so much more............

 

I do not like to use cast iron on my flat top....proof in the pudding that

the cast iron absorbs its contents.....and leaves it on the burner for me to clean up.

But I do love to use it on an open fire..

 

Sounds like you've got a gold mine in cast iron! Have you considered buying one of those single burner "butane" stoves? We have one that we keep stored at Little House and a 2 burner Coleman here. I too have an electric stove here, but will put in a gas stove at LH. I also have a 2-burner electric hot plate that I keep in the RV and use it instead of always burning my propane.

[TheCG]

I've never worried about how to cook if the power goes out for a few days because we have multiple camp stoves, cast iron, and firewood.

 

BTW, one of my cast iron dutch ovens is on the stove with stew meat, bouillon, mirepoix, and a bit of wine in it. About an hour before dinner, I figure I'll add potatoes and the rest of the wine. Nomnomnom.

[The WE2's]

Stew must be on everybody's brain! LOL I put out some beef chunks before we left to work on the Little House, and did a "stove top" beef stew for supper.

[TheCG]

Dumped in 2 more cups of wine and the potatoes about 45 minutes before dinner. Delicious! The kids ate it without complaining (even though they knew there were onions in it) and I have just enough left over for MY lunch tomorrow.

[Annarchy]

Twilight, that's a lot of cast iron pots and pans!

 

I have 1 small and 1 medium frying pan, a dutch oven #8, and a waffle iron. They serve us well.

 

You are making me hungry TheCG & Philbe.