A guide to cooking in an RV
Cooking doesn’t mean a compromise of satisfying meals. In fact it can (and should be) quite the opposite.
There’s nothing more satisfying than serving a tasty meal. A camp oven on the coals, a steak sizzling on a grill or a fish steaming in its own juices, there’s a certain satisfaction when you serve a flavoursome meal on your travels.
Let's have a look at some of your cooking options, with a few handy hints and tips thrown in to ensure you can enjoy a flavour-filled meal on the road.
Camp oven
A cast iron camp oven with a snug lid is a great option. You don’t have to cook it on the coals. It will happily roast, bake and sizzle on a gas top such as your barbecue or in a camp kitchen. They can take a little while to heat up but retain that heat really effectively. Always have gloves nearby as the lid can get hot.
Using coals? Then pull a shovel full out from your fire and make a little bed to sit the camp oven on. Pop some coals on the lid and your stews, curry or baked feast will blip away, locking all beautiful flavours. Keep an ear and eye out to make sure it's not sizzling or burning your dish. If the temperature is waning, a top up of coals on the lid helps maintain the right cooking temperature.
Hint - Use a trivet and baking paper to stop the bottom from burning if you’re cooking damper, scones or a pizza. Slightly wet your baking paper and scrunch it to make it easier to manage. Have a camp oven lid lifter handy. It's a safe way to remove the lid without coals falling into your dish.
Tip - if you want to make a superb dough for pizza bases, naan bread or garlic bread, simply mix one third Greek yoghurt with two thirds self-raising flour. Once it is mixed, knead it out and bake. Add garlic, herbs etc to give it some flavour.
Barbecue
Great for cooking steaks, sausages, chops, chicken and vegetables. To get the best flavour make sure you sear both sides so the natural flavours and juices are locked in. Equally important is letting your meat rest for at least five minutes once it's off the barbecue. Grilled pumpkin, zucchini, broccolini and potato all go well on a barbecue. Sliced thinly and basted with garlic, oil, (or butter) and salt and pepper, a lovely side for any protein delight off the barbecue plate.
Hint - allow your barbecue to heat up before cooking. The meat should sizzle once you place it on the grill or plate. And rest after cooking, always rest…
Tip - Barbecues are great for roasting and using a foil baking dish keeps it clean too.
Butane stoves
Butane stoves are brilliant for instant heat and wok cooking too! They pump out the heat and are great for roadside cuppas. Be careful of the heat as it can burn food rather quickly, but that heat is awesome for a stir fry.
Hint - butane doesn’t like the cold. Be prepared for a longer time to boil the kettle if it's cold.
Tip - always have a pack of butane canisters on hand. They’re readily available at supermarkets and camping stores. They are inexpensive, around $10 for five canisters and the last 20 per cent of the canister verges on useless. Gasmate is a good brand.
Grilling over the coals
This method rewards with flavour that you just can't get any other way of cooking. Something about the fat dripping onto the coals and smoking up the meat. A barbecue plate for coals often has a plate and grill section. They fold up into a flat square for storage and every RV owner should have one tucked into their camp cooking kit. It's best to have a nice bed of coals ready for your cooking.
Hint - Having a marinade or baste is another next level flavour option. Combine garlic, salt, pepper, olive oil (or butter) and some herbs. Grab a big sprig of rosemary or thyme (or saltbush) to use as a basting brush.
Tip - Have you grill away from the flame otherwise a flame flare up could burn your meat.
Meal planning
Meal planning for a trip is a case of counting up the days on the road, meals you’ll be cooking and plan for that. We plan ours on paper (or digital notes) and then create our grocery list from that.
Hint - on any trip have a few ‘safety meals’ in the tucker box just in case. Packet pasta meals, tinned soup, tinned vegetables and so on … it can help if you are holed up somewhere due to weather or adverse situations.
Tip - The ‘cook once eat twice rule’ certainly works on your travels. A lunch of left-over roast lamb sandwiches is quick, easy and mighty tasty!
Grocery shopping
Hitting the shops and stocking up on supplies is usually easier and cheapest from your local grocery store before you set out. Remember that out of metro areas, regional towns thrive on the traveller’s dollar. Topping up in towns along your way helps the locals out and you get the fresh local produce.
Additional hints
- Cryovac your food is a safe, mess free option. Your butcher should be able to do it for you. Alternatively, if you are travelling a lot, it may be a good food investment for you.
- Red meat keeps longer than white meat, so plan your meals around that.
- Make a batch of marinades and dressings and store in arms for use on your trip.
- Robust veggies like potato, onion, pumpkin and carrot travel the best. Take time to wrap them in newspaper to prevent rubbing and degradation.
- Tinned veggies are a good thing on your trip.
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