Damper in a camp oven?

Johnny boy,

This site should answer all your questions.

http://www.aussiecampovencook.com/

J. B.

The site Roscoe mentioned is very good but it concentrates on heat beads for heat instead of an open fire.

Any good camping equipment store will have books on camp ovens. I have had a copy of Jack & Reg Absalom's book for years. It is still readily available and contains many good recipes and photos.

If you type the word "camp" into Google along with combinations of words like oven, cooking, festival and recipes, you will find plenty of information.

The words "dutch oven" will get you into many American camp oven sites.

Make sure you check the festivals. There is a big one at Millmerran in Qld later this year. If you can get to it you will see about a dozen teams competing against each other as they cook three full meals each day using a number of different size ovens at the same time.

Brian

Oh Johny Boy
look through the forum under cooking and you are bound to get heaps of camp oven info
you'll need to season the camp oven that is get it hot and then allow to cool and oil it
You can use a cake tin for the damper and place it on a trivett for making damper to keep the oven cleaner .I have a small oven for damper and breads and a large with legs for roasts
Usually you need to preheat the oven and dig a hole with a layer of coals on the bottom and a layer on the top

google damper recipes there is heaps
I usually use 3-4 cups of SR flour
2-3 tblspns of margarine
1-2 teaspoons of sugar for sweet/ pinch of salt for savoury
milk sweet / beer for savoury

combine all dry ingredients
rub butter through dry ingredients
and enough milk to form a soft pliable dough
if too moist sprinkle flour over,if too dry add more milk

the kids like the sweet with added cinnamon and mixed spices and dried fruits, or a mashed banana or two
or the savoury you can add mixed herbs cheese bacon olives whatever you like
Cheers Gypsy gal

I could tell you the recipe for damper but you would be better off getting Jack Absolom's book on camp oven cooking as someone above also recommended. Not only does it have damper but also bread, numerous roasts and stews and everything in between.

Highly recommended.

Give the new oven a good coating in vege cooking oil. I think it's best to heat it once before putting food in it to burn off the coating. After each use you need to clean it (don't use detergent) and recoat it with vege oil. It will rust otherwise.

Barnesy

Thank you all for your help I will go out and clean heat and reoil it today as Im leaving friday morning and I will try to find the book you guys are recomending Im sure it will make a good investment.
Just one thing whats the diff between a camp oven /acobb cooker and a dream pot????

Regards John.

JB
It is essential that you get rid of the initial rust preventive coating, and heat, combined with some detergen and a good s/s scrubber will do that.
Once nicely cleaned up the "seasoning begins. I usually use olive oil, a good smear over all internal surface then a 1-2hr. heat in a hot oven. An alternative is some fatty bones in a very hot oven, but that can leave a hard residue on the bottom which you have to scrape off.
Repeat a couple of times, them start cooking things, a slow cooked roast beef/lamb/pork etc.
When the cooking is finished, put a couple of litres of water in, heat to boiling (lid on) then let cool overnight.
Empty out, heat some more clean water in it and wipe out with a "soft" scourer.
The idea is to have it clean, but gradually build a nice black patina over the inside.
DO NOT use detergent on your oven. it gets into the pores and you then get an unpleasant taste from it.
The more you use it, the better and more rust resistant the black patina becomes.
When storing, a smear of olive oil keeps it in good nick.
Being in use constantly, I seldom need to do that to mine.
To us, the only way to a decent meal!
furph