muusmann PUBLISHING

Dearest Finn & Bjørn

This book is for you. You light our fire!

- Mom & Dad 2

content

6 Introduction 39 Light your fire 39 The nine lives of a campfire 9 Our personal story 40 · Fire strength

19 Cooking with fire 43 Types of heat and cooking methods 23 Equipment 46 Practicalities and safety 26 About our recipes Recipes 29 About the campfire 50 Vegetables 30 Building the fire 132 Seafood 30 · The fire triangle 182 Meat 31 Ignition 232 Sweet 32 Firewood 262 Bread 32 · Heating value 282 All the rest 33 · Firewood sizes 306 About the authors 35 8 types of campfires 35 Log cabin fire 310 Recipe register 35 Rakovalkea fire 36 Teepee fire 36 Star campfire 36 Hunter’s fire 37 Swedish torch 37 Lean-to fire 37 Keyhole fire 4 5 6 7

Introduction

For decades, open-fire cooking has been We live in a time when we humans have do at the last minute. It requires that you considered a pastime reserved for scouts fewer and fewer opportunities to put are always one step ahead, and that is a and elite soldiers, leaving the rest of us to our brains on pause. We’re constantly good thing. grill sausages on the terrace. But open- running around with a plethora of tasks fire cooking is for everyone. It is sensuous that need to be completed, errands that Because if there is one thing we would and impractical in the best sense of the need to be run and incoming information like to accomplish with this book, it is to word. It is as much about the time spent that needs to be processed, all vying for give you, the reader, the freedom to sit making the food as it is about eating it. our attention at once. Time we previ- down by the fire, and with food as the ously spent staring off into space is now excuse, look into the flames, and truly Since man discovered the art of control- spent listening to a podcast or reading relax. In this sense, this is perhaps the ling fire a million years ago, and well into the news. Time that used to be spent in first cookbook where the food is not the the age of industrialization, fire has had silence is filled up with the noise of our primary focus. The primary ingredient in various practical functions. It is what smartphone activities and televisions, this cookbook is you. Campfires are great allowed us to venture out of Africa, and which in turn gives us even more infor- at cooking delicious food, but they are why people are able to live in Northern mation to process. Very rarely do we find also valuable spiritual sustenance. We climates at all today. Fire gave us heat, ourselves in environments with changing firmly believe that the peace that arises security and allowed us to prepare our but calm stimuli that fascinate us and from gazing into the flames of an open food in a whole new way. When we sett- require no targeted attention, where we fire cannot be found anywhere else. led down as farmers, we brought fire into can truly empty our minds. For example, our homes and made it a daily part of do you remember when, as a child, you We hope you will enjoy our book. our lives until the years after World War would lie on the ground just watching II. But since then, wood-burning stoves the clouds go by? Those clouds are still Eva H. Tram & Nicolai Tram and fire have slid further and further into there. the shadows of the past. In the modern western world, we no longer need an But for most of us adults, it would feel open fire close at hand to meet our basic wrong to lie on the ground looking up needs. The fire which once lit up our lives at the clouds. It is, after all, both unpro- has finally dwindled. Sure, we may light ductive, useless and rarely something we campfires when we want things to be re- can do with a good conscience. But with ally cozy or the odd candle when we have fire, the relaxed feeling arises automati- guests over. But when it comes down to cally, and it is our mission to make you it, fire no longer has a necessary role to prioritize it. You cannot rush a campfire. play in our lives… or does it? Open-fire cooking is not something you 18 19

Cooking with fire

Open fire cooking is a discipline on par with any other kind of cooking – French, Italian, New Nordic, or anything else you could think of. One thing you quickly discover when you start cooking with fire is that it is, first and foremost, highly impractical. It is something one must learn to master. But that is also the fun of it. That there are always so many new things to learn – about the food, but also about yourself. You should consider cooking with fire as an organic process: as a collaboration between you and the fire. That is a part of the charm. But that is not to say that you should jump into it without any kind of introduction. Once equipped with the tools this book provides you, you will have a greater, more balanced synergy with the fire, and the confidence of know- ing that you are always able to tame it. 20 21

When is the best time to cook with fire? The inexplicable aspect Cooking with fire is not just a summer thing. Of course, it makes perfect sense to make • Last but not least, there is the sensuous aspect. The one which, on paper, should not a campfire in the summer when you are outdoors anyway. But we really think it’s an art have an influence on taste, but which it seems to have all the same. This is what hap- that should be practiced all year round. Unlike a barbeque grill, the heat from a fire makes pens when you are taken out of your kitchen – and here I do not mean out on the it possible to stay out around it for hours without freezing, even in the coldest of weath- terrace to flip sausages on the grill. But down to earth, with smoke in your eyes and a ers. Therefore, it is a great opportunity to spend time outside during cooler months. This smile on your face. To the place that is simultaneously relaxing and out of your com- book has been created over the course of a whole year, and to us, all seasons have had fort zone. When you are forced to get out of your comfort zone in this way, a miracu- their charm, both in terms of their unique produce and scenery. lous and inexplicable thing happens: you can taste that something has been at stake. Food cooked over fire has a certain “je ne sais quoi” that food created in perfectly con- Why does fire-cooked food taste so good? trolled environments can never replicate. The fact that food cooked over open fire tastes better (or at least different) than food cooked over gas, an induction cooktop or barbecue charcoal essentially comes down to two things: Maillard reactions and smoke. Maillard reactions and smoke are, of course, components of many other cooking techniques too. But it is the combination of these two natural, basic conditions for food cooked over an open fire that gives the very distinctive taste unique to fire-cooked food.

The Maillard reaction • Fire cooking causes a smooth and dense Maillard reaction. In other words, the chemical reaction that takes place between amino acids and carbohydrates in our food when it is heated to over 120 c / 248 f , making it dark and tasty. Prepared food has been an essential component of the intellectual and physical development of the human race. It has given us an advantage over the animals, which have to spend hours and hours chewing and digesting food. This has been beneficial for our evolution, and that is why our bodies immediately reward us when we taste cooked food by triggering endorphins in our brains. It does so because it instinctively associates the taste of Maillard-browned foods with energy that can be quickly absorbed and digested.

Smoke • Wood consists of three primary components: cellulose, hemicellulose and lignin. There are a number of other compounds too, but don’t worry about them for now. When burning cellulose and hemicellulose, they slowly caramelize into sugar molecules which creates the food aroma. And the same thing happens with the lignin, which is con- verted into various kinds of aromatics, such as vanillin, which also creates a distinct aroma. The smoke from the campfire permeates the food and enhances the taste and overall aroma. It takes the meal to another level that cannot be replicated inside a kitchen. This applies to the smoke from the wood that the various gases create when they escape the fire. And when the juice from the food drips down onto the embers and turns into smoke, the taste and aromas intensify further.

74 75

Black cabbage “dolmers”

Log cabin, lean-to 7-8 Butcher’s twine 2-4 or hunter’s fire

· 6 black cabbage leaves · 2 cloves of garlic · 1 tbsp coarse mustard · 50 g / ¼ cup / 1¾ oz good olive oil · 4 slices of pancetta · 1 lemon, the juice · 2 really good mozzarella cheeses · salt and pepper · 1 banana shallot

Light your fire and let it burn to embers.

Wash the black cabbage leaves and place them on the table so that the leaves overlap longitudinally. Start by making the first “dolmer”. Smear the cabbage with half of the mus- tard and place 2 slices of pancetta on top of the black cabbage leaves. Tear 1 mozzarella cheese into smaller pieces over the pancetta. Cut the shallot into fine rings and place a small handful on the cheese. Grate the garlic and stir it together with olive oil and lemon juice. Pour plenty of this marinade over. Season with salt and pepper.

Roll the black cabbage leaves so you make what looks like a torpedo. Lace the roll with butcher’s twine. Repeat with the second roll. Just before cooking, pour water over the rolls. This will prevent the leaves from burning before the mozzarella is hot. Place the rolls directly onto the embers and turn, rotating them constantly. The cabbage may very well gain some color but should not burn (although burning a corner or two is nothing to worry about). After a few minutes, the rolls will give in when you press on them lightly and ap- pear warm all the way through. Take them out of the embers.

Remove the string and cut the rolls from top to bottom. Put them on a plate, and pour a little more of the marinade over if you have more left. 122 123

Corn à la Oaxaca This way of cooking corn is inspired by a Mexican street food classic, traditionally served on a stick with cotija cheese and chili powder. This is my take on it. – Nicolai

Log cabin, lean-to 7-8 Cord 2 or hunter’s fire Tweezers

· 2 corn cobs · 4 tbsp creme fraiche 38 % · salt · 50 g / ½ cup / 1¾ oz parmesan cheese · 1 tsp spicy paprika

Light your fire and let it burn to calm embers. Meanwhile, tie the corn cobs with cord and then soak them in water. The cord will prevent the cobs from opening when soaking in the water. The cobs should be in the water for at least 15 minutes, preferably an hour.

When the embers are ready, place the corn cobs directly onto them for 10-15 minutes. Turn them along the way and let the outer leaves burn. Pick up the corn cobs and let them cool slightly. Bend the leaves away from the corn and remove the hairs.

Spread creme fraiche over each cob, drizzle with salt, finely grate fresh parmesan over the top and finally sprinkle with paprika. 124 125 142 143

Salmon skewers

Log cabin, lean-to 5-6 6 thin spruce 2 or hunter’s fire branches free from needles and bark at one end

· 50 g / ¼ cup / 1¾ oz rosehip vinegar (see p. 287) – or apple vinegar (see p. 285) · 200 ml / 1 cup / 6¾ fl oz strong chicken stock · 200 ml / 1 cup / 6¾ fl oz beetroot juice · 1 tbsp black peppercorns · 1 tbsp mustard seeds · 400 g / 14 oz salmon fillet · flaky salt

Light the fire and wait for the flames to burn out. You want hot embers without the flames, as they will cover your salmon in soot.

In a saucepan, reduce the vinegar to half the amount. Add chicken stock and beetroot juice to the reduced vinegar along with peppercorns and mustard seeds. Let it boil for about 15 minutes, then sieve the sauce to remove the peppercorns and mustard seeds. Let it simmer until it has a honey-like consistency. It is important that you keep an eye on it because it can quickly go from perfect to being at risk of burning.

Cut the salmon into 6 strips of approx. 4-5 cm / 1½-2 inches in length and stick the spruce branches through them. Grill them over the embers until they turn a nice color all over. Then, brush them all over with the glaze and quickly grill again so the glaze caramel- izes. Finally, sprinkle a little flaky salt on top, and serve. 144 145

We celebrated my birthday in Greece one year, just the two of us. While others might take home ouzo and a Nana Mouskouri CD as souvenirs, my husband stumbled upon a so-called “pyromat- ica” – a form of Greek barbecue grill. It was quickly determined by the look in his eyes that there was NO WAY he would leave the country without it. Cool enough. But also really inconvenient to bring home in the cabin luggage. Fortunately, this dish can also be made without a pyromatica, but I have to admit that it is beautiful and worked perfectly for this purpose.

– Eva 154 155

Oysters & pearls

Log cabin, lean-to, 7-8 2 teepee or hunter’s fire

· 1 tbsp tapioca pearls · 200 ml / ¾ cup / 7 fl oz rosehip vinegar and some pickled rosehips (see p. 287) · 1 shallot · 4 oysters

Light the fire and let it burn to embers.

Begin with the tapioca pearls. Boil them in plenty of water until you can just see the little white ball in the middle, approx. 10-12 min. Sift off the water with a sieve. Put the pearls in half of the rosehip vinegar and leave them for at least an hour, preferably overnight.

Peel and cut the shallots as finely as you possibly can. Put them into another bowl with the rest of the rosehip vinegar.

When the embers are ready, place the oysters directly onto them. Leave them here until they open by themselves. Sometimes it happens fast, at other times it takes a while, but don't stress over them; they will open eventually. As soon as they open, lift them out and cut them free from the 2 muscles in the top and bottom shells respectively. Turn each oyster upside-down and smell them to check if they are fresh, discarding any that aren’t. Remove any shell fragments and impurities with the knife.

Place some shallots and pearls on each oyster. Finally, place a rosehip petal on top, and serve. 184 185

Grilled entrecôte with garlic and thyme

Log cabin, lean-to 5 Grill rack 4 or hunter’s fire Dutch oven

· 1 entrecôte of 500 g / 18 oz · 1 bundle of thyme · 5 whole garlics · 1 l / 1 qt / 1¾ pt olive oil · salt and pepper

Start 3 days in advance. Make the marinade by crushing all the garlic cloves with the back of your hand, and put them in a bowl. Rinse the thyme thoroughly and place it in the bowl with the garlic. Pour all the oil over and spread the thyme and garlic out in the oil with a spoon. Put the meat in a container or dish. Pour the marinade over. Allow the meat to marinate for 3 days in the refrigerator.

Light your fire and let it burn to fire strength 5. Place a grill rack approx. 10 cm / 4 in above the embers. Remove the meat from the marinade and dry it free from oil. Place it on the grill rack and season with salt and pepper immediately. Let the meat grill for 1-1½ minutes, turn it 45 degrees and continue to grill. Continue turning the steak every 1-2 minutes until it is darkly caramelized all over. Turn the steak and repeat on the other side. Remember to season with salt and pepper on this side as well. Put the steak into the Dutch oven and put the lid on. Now let it stand for 5 minutes.

Take out the meat and place it on a cutting board. Cut it into ½ cm / 0.2 in thick slices. Serve immediately with the pan gravy on the side. 208

Rabbit “blackened asado” The Creole kitchen has a technique called "blackening". It is normally used for fish and was made popular by the Cajun/Creole chef Paul Prudhomme. This recipe combines this Creole approach with the Argentinian cooking technique asado, bringing together the two worlds in a truly delicious way.

Log cabin, lean-to 5-6 2 sticks approx. 4 or hunter’s fire 5-7 cm / 2-2.7 inches in diameter, 1 m / 3 ft long 1 Y-shaped stick Metal wire Pliers

· 2 tbsp smoked paprika · 2 tsp salt · 1 handful of thyme · 100 g / ½ cup / 3½ oz butter · 10 peppercorns · 1 rabbit · 1 tbsp garlic powder

Light your fire and let it burn to embers

Cut one of your sticks so that it is pointy at one end and remove the bark. Remove the Knock the Y-shaped stick into the ground and lean the stick with the rabbit on it so that bark from the other stick and divide it into 2-3 equally sized pieces. Tie the 2-3 small it hovers over the embers. Feed the fire with a piece of fresh firewood in order to cre- pieces to the long stick so that you have a cross with 4 to 6 arms. ate smoke. However, make sure that the firewood does not ignite, because then it will cover the rabbit in soot. If the wood is ignited, just move it to the side and let it burn out. Tie the rabbit to the cross with the metal wire so that the hind and forelegs are stretched out. Turn the rabbit constantly. It’s okay if it gets a few black spots here and there (hence the name), but obviously it should not be burnt. It should cook for somewhere between 30 Grind together all the herbs and spices in a mortar, and melt the butter separately. Brush and 40 minutes, but it is better to slightly undercook it rather than overcook it – dry rab- the rabbit all over with the melted butter and then sprinkle it with the ingredients from bit meat is not very exciting. the mortar until it is completely red. 210 211 248 249

Figs with roasted oatmeal These figs can be used to complement a strong blue cheese, or served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream as a dessert. They can also accompany French toasts (see p. 247), or you can sim- ply eat them just as they are.

Log cabin, lean-to 5-6 Grill rack 4 or hunter’s fire

· 75 g / ¹⁄³ cup / 2½ oz butter · 150 g coarsely rolled oatmeal · 50 g / ¼ cup / 1¾ oz sugar · ¹⁄³ tsp fine salt · 3 tbsp bitter olive oil · 12 figs

Light your fire and let it burn to embers.

Melt the butter in a saucepan and add oatmeal, sugar and salt. Let it roast in the butter while stirring constantly. This should be done gently so that the sugar caramelizes while the oatmeal roasts and turns golden. If needed, take the saucepan off the heat during the process so you don't risk it burning. When the grains are roasted, add olive oil, stir lightly and keep warm.

Put a grill rack over the embers. Cut the figs into 2 halves and grill them until golden and caramelized. Place them with the cut side facing up, add roasted oatmeal, and finally pour over the juice from the bottom of the saucepan. 252

Griddle cakes “krabbelurer” “Krabbelurer” is Swedish gobbledygook for a kind of thick pancake that the outdoorsy Swedes often cook over open fire. I first encountered them when I accompanied my oldest son to a boy scout meeting, and I loved them instantly. So did our kids, needless to say. For this recipe, I used a Swedish torch, but you can easily use one of the other campfires as well, e.g. a log cabin fire. – Nicolai

Swedish torch 6-7 12 pcs.

· 2 eggs · 2 tbsp sugar · 50 g / 3 tbsp / 1½ oz butter for frying · 300 ml / 1 cup / 10½ fl oz whole milk · 1 small bundle of mint · 250 ml / 1 cup / 8¾ fl oz wheat flour · 100 g / ¾ cup / 3½ oz raspberries · 1 tsp baking powder · 100 g / 1 cup / 3½ oz blueberries · some more sugar Light your Swedish torch and allow the flames to settle.

Meanwhile, prepare the dough. Whisk eggs and 2 tbsp of sugar until airy, add milk and stir together. Mix flour and baking powder and whisk together with the eggs and milk.

Sprinkle as much sugar as you think is appropriate (I used about 200 g / 1 cup / 7 oz) out on a dish and turn raspberries, blueberries and mint in it.

Put a pan on the fire and let it heat through. Add the butter and let it sizzle. Put the dough on the pan with a tablespoon, and fry each cake golden on one side. Turn and fry until golden on the other side as well. Immediately place them in the dish with sugar and ber- Eat them by folding a krabbelurer like a taco with some berries and mint in the middle. ries and flip them a few times so they are well covered with sugar. This is not the traditional Swedish way, but it sure tastes good! 254 255 286 287

Rosehip pickled and as vinegar These pickled rosehips can be used in salads and as an aromatic acidic element for seafood dishes. The vinegar will be tasty and pink and can be used for vinaigrettes and for pickling other goods.

1 mason jar of 1 l 1 large jar

· 4 handfuls of rosehip petals · 900 ml / 3¾ cup / 1.6 pt apple vinegar (see p. 285)

Pick the rosehip petals and brush them free from any bugs, but do not rinse them. Put the petals in the mason jar and pour the cold apple vinegar over them. Put in the fridge. The rosehips should lay in the vinegar for approx. 3 weeks before they are ready for use – preferably longer. 306 307

About the authors

Nicolai Tram worked as a chef at top restaurants in Denmark, France and Spain, before leaving the restaurant business behind to work in the TV industry. In this book, he shares his passion for food and all things campfire cooking.

Eva H. Tram worked as a food writer and editor for magazines and restaurant guides for many years, before she picked up the camera and rediscovered her love for food through photography and videography.

Together they run the production company Homemade Agency, where they make recipes, texts, photos and video for businesses and media, and they also have another book about fire cooking on the way.

www.homemadeagency.com

Follow Nicolai and Eva on Instagram: @nicolaitram @evahtram 314 315 For decades, open-fire cooking has been considered a pastime reserved for scouts and elite soldiers, leaving the rest of us to grill sausages on the terrace. But open-fire cooking is for everyone. It is sensuous and impractical in the best sense of the word. It is as much about the time spent making the food as it is about eating it.

Cooking on fire is full of delicious fire-cooked recipes requiring varying degrees of effort. It teaches you how to build and light campfires, different campfire cooking techniques, the equip- ment you will need (if any), and everything else you need to know about conquering the campfire.

You’ll find classic recipes like chili con carne and roasted chest- nuts, but also more challenging dishes that require concen- tration and a fair amount of time – and that is a good thing. Because if there is one thing we would like to accomplish with this book, it is to give you, the reader, the freedom to sit down by the fire, and with food as the excuse, look into the flames, and truly relax. In this sense, this is perhaps the first cookbook where the food is not the primary focus. The primary ingredi- ent in this cookbook is you. Campfires are great at cooking de- licious food, but they are also valuable spiritual sustenance. We firmly believe that the peace that arises from gazing into the flames of an open fire cannot be found anywhere else.

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