Chorizo & Rocket Bites (from NZ cookbook author, Julie le Clerc)as seen on Hueys Cooking Adventures

Unaltered recipe:

Serves: Makes at least 24 treats

Ingredients:
2 chorizo sausages, diced
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 cups self-raising flour, sifted
1 tspn baking powder
¼ tspn chilli powder
sea salt & freshly ground pepper
½ cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 egg, beaten
1¾ cup milk
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup roughly chopped rocket leaves
cooking oil spray


Method:
Preheat oven to 190°C.

Combine the chorizo, onion, flour, baking powder, chilli powder, seasonings and Parmesan in a large bowl with a wooden spoon.

Make a well in the centre and add the egg, milk and olive oil. Mix with the wooden spoon until smooth. (Don’t over mix!)

Then gently stir the rocket into the batter.

Lightly oil a 24-hole mini muffin tray (or two 12-hole trays) and spoon in the batter to just over three-quarters full. Cook in the oven for about 12-15 mins until risen and golden brown.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

The Long Story

As stated elsewhere I am a learner on the camp oven scenario.  I dont ever anticipate being a competition cook but like to make something tasty and sometimes a little different to share on camping holidays with family and friends.  I saw the above made on the tv and made them for a birthday party in the conventional oven where they were well received.  

Today I used the bead chimney (bought yesterday, the last in the shop) and thought it halved the heating of the beads time.

When I previously used the recipe I got 50 tasty bites and I thought today with just a daughter and two grandkids visiting I would cut the recipe in half.  The second batch I sprinkled with extra grated tasty cheese I had left over in the refrigerator.  Just in the hope of getting the tops a bit more browned.





I took a gestimate from the calculator and put 19 beads on top and 6 underneath - another time I would add probably 3 more to each.






My grandkids are phobic about things being "burnt" which they consider is anything a shade off white.  So I decided to try using a trivet and a pot stand to elevate the mini muffin tin which fitted very nicely in the 12" Bedourie.   I think I needed it just a bit hotter to get the browning I like.




They obviously could be made in bigger tins if your oven fits them and they took with with the 19 Top and 6 under 30 minutes on a windy day.   I think with more beads they would be browner and quicker to cook.

If you didnt have parmesan I cant see that tasty cheese would do the same thing, also rocket could be replaced by shallots or another green herb.  I think the rocket didnt add much more to the flavour but made it clear that they were savoury and not sweet.

I would be inclined if I remembered to take them to use patty papers in the tins.  I got 48 this size using half the quantities above.

We had a swim and they were just right with a drink afterwards.  The grandkids loved them also.  They are very moorish 

No I only had the trivet(s) in the Bedourie.   I was worried if I put one with legs under it would not give enough heat to the bottom.

Do you put a mesh trivet or one with legs?

A lady gave a demo at the Copeton Waters Camper Trailer gathering using the mesh and the legged one to make a perfect cake in the Cobb.  Later that same day I made the packet CWA curried scones and got a better result doing the same, I thought I would try that in Bedourie.  A lot of us newies had been having problems with having near burnt bottoms before the whole cake etc was cooked.

I was a bit shocked when I went to Hueys web site that I had to pay a fee to get the recipes, but I can get them for six months if anyone wants any.  I was even more horrified after getting this one that its not an original of his even.

The DH was horrified I put the Bedouri straight on the beads.  I have a few of the larger trivets that I used inside so will try one outside as well for the next experiment.