Camp Oven
The Camp Oven is the cooking utensil that every Outback visitor or camping lover should have with them.
Where we come from, the “pot” is better known as a “Feuertopf”, “cast-iron pot” or “Dutch Oven”.
In the end it is a cast-iron pot that you can cook with over a fire or with coals. Real “Outbackers” make everything with it: breakfast, stews, damper, desserts, cakes, bread and much more.
The Camp Oven is a universal and mobile kitchen in miniature format.
When you buy your first Camp Oven, you should make sure that the following is included.
This is what should come with your Camp Oven
- Camp Oven with lid
- Gloves
- A trivet to stand the Camp Oven on
- Make sure a utensil for lifting the lid is included (see video)
- A small shovel for putting coals on the Camp Oven
- A camper bag for transport
Important:
If you buy a new Camp Oven, you should season it with oil before using it for the first time. Never wash it with dish soap - never! It is best to always rinse it out with water and season it with oil or rub it clean.
The classic Camp Oven recipe is without doubt the damper, a kind of cake with endless variations. You will find the basic recipe below.
Besides the camper, stews taste excellent in the Camp Oven. Just take the ingredients you have to hand, a proper Camp Oven stew has no plan, the typical “Outbacker” simply throws in whatever he has available, e.g. beef, onions, potatoes, a splash of wine or beer and any kind of vegetables.
Damper Recipe
Basic recipe
- 2 cups self-raising flour (flour with baking powder included, available to buy in every supermarket)
- 1.5 cups milk
- 2 pinches of salt
- 3 teaspoons sugar
- Butter and jam for spreading
Preparation
Grease the Camp Oven with butter. Medium heat, place coals around the Camp Oven and on the lid. Do not stand it on coals, otherwise the damper will burn.
Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, the texture is similar to a cake batter.
Then pour the dough into the preheated Camp Oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until the damper is golden brown on top.
Tip from the Outback chef: “Serve warm with lots of butter, jam or golden syrup.”
Variation
You can experiment with the basic damper recipe. For example:
- Add chocolate chunks - tastes very delicious ;-)
- Alternatively the milk can be replaced with water, then the damper is more like a bread. In that case you can, for example, mix in cheese and / or bacon
There are no limits to the damper, just mix in whatever takes your fancy :)
Butter Cake
Ingredients
- 185g soft butter or margarine
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 1 knife tip of vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups self raising flour (flour with baking powder included, available to buy in every supermarket)
- 1/4 cup milk
Preparation
Beat the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a large bowl until creamy.
Add the eggs one at a time, making sure the egg is completely mixed in before the next one is added.
Alternately sift in 1/3 of the milk and the flour and stir carefully. This makes the batter light and airy.
Dust a greased cake tin with flour and add the batter. Place it on a trivet / tripod inside the Camp Oven. Surround the Camp Oven with 2/3 of the coals and put 1/3 of the coals on the lid.
Bake for 20min, then check the cake every 5min for up to 40min. The cake is ready when it “springs back” when you press on the middle of the cake.
Variation
- Add 1 cup of crushed raspberries or blueberries
- With caramel and macadamia nuts
Mix 1/4 cup brown sugar, 2 teaspoons butter or margarine and 1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts. First put the cake batter into the tin and then swirl the macadamia mixture through it
