Five recipe ideas for cooking over a fire

When you’re outdoors, you could cook on a gas stove, of course. But a campfire is a much more romantic option. It takes a while to get enough embers on the open fire – but when you do, you’re ready for a meal al fresco. We’ve put together a multi-course menu for you, including everything from a canapé right through to dessert. So, pack up your pan and ingredients and head to your nearest fire pit! 

Go straight to the recipe for:

Canapé: toasted bruschetta with tomatoes, garlic and egg

Cooking with friends starts with a delicious canapé – so we’re beginning our multi-course outdoor meal with a crispy bruschetta, topped with chopped tomatoes or a fried egg.

Here’s how:

Slice the bread and drizzle with olive oil. Chop the tomatoes and mix them with olive oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Then, grill or fry the slices of bread over the fire until they’re golden brown and top with the marinated chopped tomatoes.

You can also hollow out the slice of bread and pour a beaten egg into the hole, before cooking it over the fire.

Starter: poached egg with spring salad

Let’s turn to the first course: poached egg with a light spring salad.

Here’s how:

Boil water in a kettle, ideally straight over the fire or in a brazier. Add salt and a few drops of vinegar. Just before the water comes to the boil, stir it briefly to create a whirlpool in the middle. Break the egg into the middle of this whirlpool and leave to cook in the water for two to four minutes, before removing it and drying it. 

For the spring salad, mix together young salad leaves (e.g. rocket or dandelion) and add flowers if wished.

Tip:

The water needs to be the perfect temperature to poach the egg. You’re also free to bring it to the boil first, remove from the heat as soon as it’s boiling and then add the egg.

Side dish: crispy focaccia with thyme and rosemary

Your outdoor kitchen isn’t just ideal for roasting and boiling: if you’ve got the right equipment, baking on a campfire is child’s play. You can make almost everything imaginable, from bread to lasagne and bakes. We recommend a crispy thyme bread to go with this multi-course meal.

Thyme bread: here’s how:

Knead 500 g half-white/half-wholemeal flour, 1 coffee spoon of salt, 300 ml water, dried thyme and half a block of fresh yeast (20g) together to form a light dough. Place it into a Petromax box tin that you’ve pre-greased or lined with paper. Put it into the fire and cover the lid well with embers to create 360-degree heat. 

Tip:

A punch or mulled wine goes wonderfully with this in the colder months.

Main course: chilli con carne, cooked over the fire

Now you’ve satiated the initial hunger pangs, it’s time for the main course. A quick tip: you’re best off making this first, because it takes the longest to cook. We’ve opted for the classic chilli con carne.

Here’s how:

Fry off 500 g minced meat in a pan and add salt. Season with onion, garlic, chillis, 2 dessert spoons of tomato puree and 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper. Then, add 400 ml red wine, 300 ml water, 1 tin of chopped tomatoes, 1 tin of sweetcorn and 200 g diced potatoes. Cover and leave to braise on a low heat for around two hours, stirring occasionally.

Tip:

Remember to pack containers you can fill with any leftovers so you can take them home.

Dessert: rustic pancakes with cinnamon and sugar

What would a proper multi-course meal be without a delicious dessert? We like to take a rustic approach to dining al fresco, so we’ve put together a take on a sweet pancake. They would go wonderfully with a freshly brewed coffee.

Here’s how:

Mix 200 g flour and half a teaspoon of salt in a bowl. Add 200 ml milk, 200 ml water and 4 fresh eggs, then mix it all together. Heat a small amount of oil in the pan, pour the pancake batter into the pan and fry on both sides until golden brown. Eat with sugar, cinnamon, jam or compote as desired. 

This pairs brilliantly with a fresh coffee from your Moka Express or from a different coffee maker.