Even When Fire Restrictions are in Place

Nothing beats the taste of a meal straight from your own camp oven but due to fire restrictions in many National Parks and State Forests, it can be a rare thing to experience.

Luckily for us, a fantastic technique has been devised by Derek Bullock, ‘The Camp Oven Cook.’ Here’s his safe and simple way of using charcoal beads as coals for your camp oven instead of using a campfire.

First of all, you’ll need something to sit the oven on, an old electric frying pan is perfect due to the legs which will make it safe to use on most surfaces, inside or outside your van. The pan itself will securely contain the charcoal beads, which in turn don’t give off sparks or embers.

For proper heating you’ll need live coals above and below your oven. If your oven model doesn’t have legs a trivet in the bottom of your pan will ensure your coals get plenty of air and they don’t go out. Generally, place around 30 charcoal briquettes in your frying pan, and set them alit.

The coals will be ready when they have changed to a light brown colour and are covered in ash.  This usually takes about 40 minutes.

When your coals have burned down make a bed of around 8 or 9 briquettes underneath your camp oven and place between 14 – 17 coals on the lid. This should create a good moderate heat of around 180 – 200 degrees Celsius.

(Camp oven enthusiasts can buy small oven thermometers online for less than $10.00). This method will allow you to bake and roast effectively in camping grounds and caravan parks. All you need now are the winning recipes.

Have a good tip or a great recipe for the camp oven? Leave a comment below or share them on the Community Forum.

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