Hi All

My partner Maree and I, just bought a caravan and go for our first short trip in the spring. As part of getting things ready with the van, we bought a camp oven. I thought you may find my first experience amusing...
Yesterday, I dug a hole out the back and got a fire going. Maree and I prepared the veges for a lovely lamb stew in the camp oven. I put it on and checked on it later on and it looked as though there was not a lot of heat in the ashy type coals.

I added a few small pieces of wood around the base of the oven.  Ahh, that's better. I could hear the stew boiling. I thought now it will settle when they burn down and it will simmer along. It was lovely sitting by the fire and Maree and I sat there and had a wine (Maree had a cuppa)

After about an hour and a half, I went in and made the comment to Maree, that the oven smelt like burning rabbit fur. Anyway, I decided to take it off. I opened it and it was black. I couldn't stop laughing.

I put the lid back on and went in to Maree and said "this is just so unique".  "You will never taste anything like this".
We couldn't stop laughing. We sat on the front steps and dug around in the "stew", and Maree got a piece of potato and one piece of meat. I had one small piece of potato and pumpkin.  When I tipped it into the rubbish bin, it all came out in one piece. ;D

Well, we tried again the next day and the stew was beautiful. The next day I did a rolled roast. So I guess the secret is not too much heat and slow cooking.

Any recipes are welcome.

Mark and Maree

Good on you, Mark and Maree. You pretty much solved your own dilemna as well as providing a bit more seasoning "experience " for your C/O. Dont forget to use only hot water and a scrubber to clean up a messy C/O. Detergent is very much a no no.

Its the whole secret, that nice slow even cooking that makes a C/O meal taste so good. Generally speaking, when camping we have 2 fires going, a slow one in a cookong pit for the oven, and a more vigourous one to sit, contemplate and enjoy the vino by.
I reckon you are going to be enjoying a whole new world of eating experience, the versatility of the C/O is really limitless.
mikel

Hi Mark & Maree

I think we have all done that at sometime.  ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

Run your mouse over the menu to the left of the page and look at Camp Oven Recipes.  Some good stuff there.

By the way, when you eventually head off on your travels let me know if you are coming through Wagga Wagga and we can catch up.


Derek

I was going to ask how to season a new camp oven. I have oiled it a heated it. Hope it is OK

Hey Roo, did you cook in it yet?

:)

taste good  just watch if never used as the cook twice as fast  burnt many tea not checking every 10mins  :-/ :'(

Good on ya Mark & Maree you have learnt somthing out of your experience and will get better every time you use it as i have also had some bad times in the early days of CO cooking and had sangers for tea


Regards

Kingwilly