Improvised cooking methods
Discussion
I'm interested to see what methods people have used to cook food, when the normal facilities aren't available.
I went to a private boarding school in the middle of nowhere (up in Scotland). In the senior common room we had a normal toaster, a Breville sandwich toaster (the kind that makes triangular toasties), and a kettle. So we had to improvise, or only have bread related snacks and tea/coffee.
So... the kettle was often used for boiling eggs (using a bit of tape over the pop-up switch)... the Breville was used for frying - medium size eggs fitted perfectly in the sections, giving a nice triangular fried egg, perfect on a bit of toast! Also used to go fishing for brown trout in the loch, and we would clean and fillet our catch and cook that in the Breville as well!
Tried doing fish fingers in the normal toaster once but it was a disaster...
I went to a private boarding school in the middle of nowhere (up in Scotland). In the senior common room we had a normal toaster, a Breville sandwich toaster (the kind that makes triangular toasties), and a kettle. So we had to improvise, or only have bread related snacks and tea/coffee.
So... the kettle was often used for boiling eggs (using a bit of tape over the pop-up switch)... the Breville was used for frying - medium size eggs fitted perfectly in the sections, giving a nice triangular fried egg, perfect on a bit of toast! Also used to go fishing for brown trout in the loch, and we would clean and fillet our catch and cook that in the Breville as well!
Tried doing fish fingers in the normal toaster once but it was a disaster...
I don't have a sandwich toaster (it's another gadget I don't have room for) but I manage to make perfectly acceptable toasties by wrapping two slices of toast + filling in tin foil and bunging it in the ordinary toaster. The thing to watch for is that the foil doesn't touch the elements - sparks will ensue - otherwise it works pretty well.
The other thing I do if I have the woodburning stove lit, is to reheat food on the top. It's a crap woodburner not designed for cooking on, but it does the job (eventually). My argument being, why shell out for electricity when there's a usable source of heat right there?
The other thing I do if I have the woodburning stove lit, is to reheat food on the top. It's a crap woodburner not designed for cooking on, but it does the job (eventually). My argument being, why shell out for electricity when there's a usable source of heat right there?
I made breakfast inside a loaf once when camping.
Big crusty bloomer loaf cut in half. Pull the inside out and stuff with sausage, bacon, black pudding and beans. Replace chunks of the bread and crack a couple of eggs in for good measure. Wrap in foil and bury in the dying campfire and go to sleep, wake up and enjoy
There was also the occasion when I decided to cook bacon in the toaster after a few beers, that was less successful though.
Big crusty bloomer loaf cut in half. Pull the inside out and stuff with sausage, bacon, black pudding and beans. Replace chunks of the bread and crack a couple of eggs in for good measure. Wrap in foil and bury in the dying campfire and go to sleep, wake up and enjoy
There was also the occasion when I decided to cook bacon in the toaster after a few beers, that was less successful though.
Mobile Chicane said:
I don't have a sandwich toaster (it's another gadget I don't have room for) but I manage to make perfectly acceptable toasties by wrapping two slices of toast + filling in tin foil and bunging it in the ordinary toaster. The thing to watch for is that the foil doesn't touch the elements - sparks will ensue - otherwise it works pretty well.
As a scout leader I've seen/done a few strange ones.
Mince cooked inside a pepper wrapped in foil on a fire was good,
An egg cooked in an empty orange
"Fishing" with Bacon suspended over a fire in a wet brown paper bag. (Trick is not to go to close & burn the bag)
Pizza using an old sweetie tin as an oven by chucking it near the fire (don't seal lid though)
poached an egg in a kettle by wrapping it in clingfilm first
Whilst not a scout leader -
Cheese toastie in a set of ceramic hair straightners
Mince cooked inside a pepper wrapped in foil on a fire was good,
An egg cooked in an empty orange
"Fishing" with Bacon suspended over a fire in a wet brown paper bag. (Trick is not to go to close & burn the bag)
Pizza using an old sweetie tin as an oven by chucking it near the fire (don't seal lid though)
poached an egg in a kettle by wrapping it in clingfilm first
Whilst not a scout leader -
Cheese toastie in a set of ceramic hair straightners
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