WILD COOKING / RECEPIES ...
Welcome to our cooking section, we have some recipies which we thought may be of interest to you, feel free to give them a whirl, and make sure to let us know what you think, or if you have a variation of the recepie for us to try.
BUSHCRAFT BEER BREAD
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NOTE: adding warm water instead of beer makes traditional damper of Bannock bread
This is a great recipie for the outdoors, great with stews.​​
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups flour (sifted or airated)
3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) can beer (the stubby variety)
1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do)
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METHOD:
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl to put air into the flour, this makes your bread lighter and not as tough. Some people will be tempted to just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard lump" as some have described. As most wont have a sifter in the bush we suggest you use a spoon to transfer the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it the right way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.
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Mix dry ingredients together adding plenty of air as you go, then add the small can of beer and mix (note if you only have the larger cans, make sure you drink about 1/3 before adding, otherwise your mixture will be too wet. You can substitute the beer for warm water to make traditional 'Damper' or 'Bannock'
Place your mixture into a well buttered or greased cast iron pot cover with lid and place at the edge of the fire, or on a low fire. Place some hot coals or embers on the lid to turn into an oven to bake the bread.
Bake for about 1 hour, its a good idea to check how its coming on after 30 mins. It takes a little practice, you preferably want your oven hot but not like a furnace or you will end up with a brick of charcoal, Trust me ... Ive been there!
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Some varients to the basic bread are as follows: To spice up your bread it can be mixed with a handful of nuts, raisins, pieces of dried choriso sausage, or even some cheese. If you are feeling creative, roll your bread top in poppy or sunflower seeds or simply sprinkle on top.
Good luck. and make sure you let us know how you get on.​
BANNOCK / DAMPER
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NOTE: This is the same recepie and method as for beer bread only using milk or warm water as a substitute.
A staple bread recipie for the outdoors, great with stews.​
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INGREDIENTS:
3 cups flour (sifted or airated)
3 teaspoons baking powder (omit if using Self-Rising Flour)
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1 (12 ounce) warm water or milk
1/2 cup melted butter (1/4 cup will do)
​
METHOD:
Sift the flour into a mixing bowl to put air into the flour, this makes your bread lighter and not as tough. Some people will be tempted to just scoop the 1 cup measure in the flour canister and level it off. That compacts the flour and will turn your bread into a "hard lump" as some have described. As most wont have a sifter in the bush we suggest you use a spoon to transfer the flour into the 1 cup measure. Try it the right way and you will see an amazing difference in the end product.
​
Like the beer bread, mix dry ingredients together adding plenty of air as you go, then add warm water or milk to make traditional 'Damper' or 'Bannock'
Place your mixture into a well buttered or greased cast iron pot cover with lid and place at the edge of the fire, or on a low fire. Place some hot coals or embers on the lid to turn into an oven to bake the bread.
Bake for about 1 hour, its a good idea to check how its coming on after 30 mins. It takes a little practice, you preferably want your oven hot but not like a furnace or you will end up with a brick of charcoal, Check bread with a skewer or thin knife, if there is dough mixture on the knife leave longer, if knife comes out clean mixture is cooked through.
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Some varients to the basic bread are as follows: To spice up your bread it can be mixed with a handful of nuts, raisins, pieces of dried choriso sausage, or even some cheese. If you are feeling creative, roll your bread top in poppy or sunflower seeds or simply sprinkle on top.
Black fly bread was made this way using a handful of rasins to sweeten the mixture before cooking.
(see Beer bread ... same method, substituting beer for water or milk)
BAKING BREAD By Ray Mears
Baking bread in the back country is a great skill, this video shows how Ray Mears cooks a good standard loaf. The indredients are basically the same as above, the quantities slightly larger, but its the technique that is important, im sure you will pick up a few important pointers watching this video. Remember not to have your Dutch oven too hot!
Stinging Nettle Soup / Stew
This makes a great wild soup full of the flavours of spring and summer.
INGREDIENTS:
To make delicious nettle soup, all you need is:
1 bagful of nettle leaves, about the size of a football, for four people.
1 large onion and garlic cloves to taste
2 or 3 potatoes / Or a cup of rice
olive oil, salt and pepper
some stock or a stock cube (chicken or vegetable)
cream / butter to taste
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METHOD:
Preparing nettles
Choose young nettles or the young tops of larger nettles, avoid picking mature nettles as the taste will be bitter. Nettles are best picked early spring or between June and July. Prepare your young nettles by washing and draining them. Trim the tough stems out of the nettles you have picked, leaving just the fresh, young leaves. Go through carefully separating stalk from leaf and discarding any discoloured or dodgy ones. If you are worried about being stung cut carefully with scissors or a sharp knife – wear some gloves
Chop and add all the ingredients into a large pot of stock and simmer for about 30 mins, Until potato is soft, Potato can be substituted for rice for a different
flavour - finally asd some cream or butter if you have it, to give a more creamy flavour.l
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Phesant and chestnut stew
This is a great way of cooking Pheasants and combining them with some juniper berries, chestnuts or pignuts.
NOTE: Pheasant season ends on Feb 1st so only hunt in season
Wild pheasant with juniper slow cooked in a
vegatable and chestnut/pignut stew with mash on the side:
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INGREDIENTS:
2 x Wild Pheasants
Salt and Fresh Ground Pepper
handful of Juniper Berries
Half a cup of Flour
2 x Onions
2 x Celery Sticks
2 x Carrots
2 x Glasses of Red Wine (optional)
2 x Good handfuls of Foraged Chestnuts or pig nuts
Herbs:
Few Bay Leaves
Ramsons leaves tender shoots
Bunch of Thyme
Sprig of Rosemary
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METHOD
You can season with fresh ramsons leaves if you need to flavour with wild herbs, but add towards the end of cooking to keep a little of the flavour, as it tends to cook out.
Obviously you can buy chestnuts pre-packed but if you have got some whole chestnuts foraged or even the humble pignut why not give them a light roasting. Cutting small crosses in the top of your chestnuts and heat them for 10-20 minutes (depending on the size), to get the nutty flavour out of them, then de-joint the pheasants by removing the breasts and legs off, try and leave the pheasant meat in four large pieces. Make a stock with the remaining bones and carcass
In a large frying pan, seal your pheasant pieces with the juniper berries and a little wine.
Peel your chestnuts and chop your veggies. Fry the vegetables in butter or oil with a little garlic and cook until soft. Next add your herbs,
Slowly cook in the dutch over or similar oven for 2 hours
Once two hours have passed using tongs remove the now tender Pheasant pieces and place them on a warm plate. Reduce the lovely stock by half and serve with mash Potato and a little butter.
