Dan Milam
Beer Batter Bread
This bread recipe is about as easy as they come. The bubbles in the beer give this bread a nice lift. This bread could be used as a subsitute for biscuits. Slice the bread into thick pieces and cover with sausage gravy for a hearty filling breakfast.
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 bottle (12 ounces) beer, at room temperature
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted
In a mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients. Add about three quarters of the beer, mixing as little as possible, the batter should be lumpy. Add more beer if needed.
Pour the batter into two small loaf pans, (See photos). Brush with the melted butter. Bake on a rack in a 12″ Dutch Oven for 30 to 40 minutes. Using 10 coals on the bottom and 16 coals on top. To check for doneness insert a skewer or toothpick, it should come out clean. Move bread to a rack to cool.
Having bread in camp for sopping up gravy or just to eat with a pat of butter is a hit on any camping trip.
Dutch Oven Roasted Camp Chicken
This is an easy recipe for someone just starting to Campfire Cook in a Dutch Oven. This chicken recipe will make you look like a great chef. Put this together, add heat and forget it. Come back later and it is done and it taste good. This is the kind of recipe when “Simple” is “Better”.
4 – 5 lb Chicken Broiler or Roaster
Stalks of Celery
Garlic Powder
Salt & Pepper
Vegetable Oil
To Butterfly a Chicken – Learn More Here
Lightly oil chicken, this will help brown and crisp the skin. Sprinkle both side of the chicken with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Cut celery stalks into thirds.
Lightly oil a 12″ Dutch Oven. Add the cut celery in a flat layer on the bottom. The celery will act like a trivet and keep the chicken raised up off the bottom on the Dutch Oven. Lay chicken on top of vegetable and put lid on Dutch Oven. (We used a bakers rack to get more space under the chicken)
Cooking Tip: Position the chicken so it does not touch the lid. If it touches the lid, put a small piece of foil at that point. Do not put charcoals directly on the lid over the chicken where it is touching. This will burn it.
In the oven, bake the chicken at 350° for 1-1/2″ hour, check for doneness (180°) or till the juices run clear. Cooking Outside, add a ring of charcoals around the lid and 3 or 4 in the center next to the handle. Add 5 underneath in a circle towards to outside edge. After about 30 minutes rotate to lid 90° and then rotate the whole oven 90° as this help to even out the heat. Be sure to let the chicken rest for about 10-15 minutes before slicing.
You can see in the final picture how the fat has melted out of the chicken and why it should be raised up. The chicken is very tender and pulls right off the bone, it does not get any better than this.
If you want barbecued chicken, Lightly brush sauce over the chicken during the last few minutes of cooking.
This dish has many variations. Change the spices and / or add salsa for an International flair.
Also, midway through the cook time a few redskins and other vegetables can be added the Dutch Oven.
I hope you enjoy this recipes.