Beyond S'mores
Four top chefs share the secrets of great campfire cuisine.
By Mike Thelin
Seafood Stew
Jenn Louis, Lincoln Restaurant and Culinary Artistry
Chef Jenn Louis—along with David Welch, her business partner and husband—feeds happy multitudes of North Portlanders, whether at her restaurant, Lincoln, or her catering company, Culinary Artistry. Days off, however, are spent at the beach, where the couple wows friends and family with this easy-to-make seafood stew.
At Home
In 4 tbsp olive oil, sauté onions, herbs, garlic, paprika, and chile flakes over medium heat until onions are translucent. Add tomato paste and cook until mixture has caramelized on the bottom of the pan. Add wine and scrape browned bits from bottom while reducing to almost dry. Add stock and simmer until you have about 4 cups of liquid. Add remaining 4 tbsp olive oil, remove from heat, and purée mixture in blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
At the Beach
Place a fire-friendly cast-iron pot on a grill over the fire. Bring prepared liquid to simmer and add seafood. Place potatoes on the grill to heat and char. Grill bread on open flames. When shellfish opens, season the fish stew and potatoes with good olive oil, sea salt, and freshly ground pepper, and serve. (It never hurts to have lemon wedges on hand for extra flavor.)
Other Camp Essentials
Bread and chocolate: toast bread over a fire, spread some Alma chocolate on top, and sprinkle with salt.
Published: June 2010
OK, so I wanted to try this lamb shank recipe this weekend. But I feel like there must be a mistake in this recipe. Chard takes 3 minutes to cook. Dried beans? More like an hour. Why would you add them in at the same time as the chard? Could this be an error, or we really supposed to cook the chard for an hour?
I’ve made the paella recipe three times now. Twice while camping (pre-chopping is highly recommended) and once tonight at home. While camping we used a cast iron skillet, but tonight we are using a dutch oven on the stove and it’s so much easier! The paella is awesome, my only beef is with the recipe itself. There is no mention of when to add the piquillo peppers, and no mention of when to add the chorizo back in. You kind of have to wing it – I’ve been putting the peppers in with the tomatoes and the chorizo in right before I cover it. It’s a super good cold evening dish – whether camping out or staying in!