Salmonsmoker
09-01-2002, 09:36 AM
Here’s an idea for a family, friends, or hunting camp "sitting around the campfire” type of meal.
Place a couple of bricks in the middle of the picnic table and then add a small pan of hot coals from the fire(replentish as needed). On top of that, place a small Dutch Oven (other cooking pots could also be used.) Add about 1 Cup of water, your choice of seasonings (one of the hot pot liquids that we use to cook in is flavored with Curry … it is outstanding) and bring it to a boil.
The basic idea is that a variety of thinly sliced meats and vegetables are cooked in the boiling water, and then fished out by the diners. The food cooks quickly, so only a small amount is added and cooked at any time. When the cooked food is removed from the water it can then be dipped in a sauce prior to eating. As the diners sit around the boiling pot they consult on the next food to be added and participate in fishing out the cooked morsels, creating many enjoyable opportunities for conversation. Towards the end the broth becomes rich with flavors. It can then be drunk or noodles or tofu can be added to take on the flavor of the broth.
The variety of meals in this style is endless, depending on the particular ingredients chosen. An example meal from last weekend included mushrooms, shrimp, venison, Napa cabbage, lettuce, tofu (first frozen then thawed to gain a porous texture), and bean sprouts.
An earlier meal consisted of scallops, salmon, chicken, spinach and mushrooms.
For a simple sauce start with peanut butter, and add vinegar, garlic, and hot sauce … fairly thick and hearty, it gets thinner as the meal goes on. Salsa works well too. It’s different for each meal, and the variety of possible sauces is endless.
This concept is a campfire/black iron adaptation of the Chinese Hot Pot. In Taiwan (I went there for an R and R from Viet Nam), the dish is served as the meal the family traditionally eats on New Year's Eve. It's said to warm the soul. The meal is designed to have the whole family sit around the hot pot and eat "slowly" and share conversation.
Give it a try and let me know how it turns out.
Salmonsmoker
Place a couple of bricks in the middle of the picnic table and then add a small pan of hot coals from the fire(replentish as needed). On top of that, place a small Dutch Oven (other cooking pots could also be used.) Add about 1 Cup of water, your choice of seasonings (one of the hot pot liquids that we use to cook in is flavored with Curry … it is outstanding) and bring it to a boil.
The basic idea is that a variety of thinly sliced meats and vegetables are cooked in the boiling water, and then fished out by the diners. The food cooks quickly, so only a small amount is added and cooked at any time. When the cooked food is removed from the water it can then be dipped in a sauce prior to eating. As the diners sit around the boiling pot they consult on the next food to be added and participate in fishing out the cooked morsels, creating many enjoyable opportunities for conversation. Towards the end the broth becomes rich with flavors. It can then be drunk or noodles or tofu can be added to take on the flavor of the broth.
The variety of meals in this style is endless, depending on the particular ingredients chosen. An example meal from last weekend included mushrooms, shrimp, venison, Napa cabbage, lettuce, tofu (first frozen then thawed to gain a porous texture), and bean sprouts.
An earlier meal consisted of scallops, salmon, chicken, spinach and mushrooms.
For a simple sauce start with peanut butter, and add vinegar, garlic, and hot sauce … fairly thick and hearty, it gets thinner as the meal goes on. Salsa works well too. It’s different for each meal, and the variety of possible sauces is endless.
This concept is a campfire/black iron adaptation of the Chinese Hot Pot. In Taiwan (I went there for an R and R from Viet Nam), the dish is served as the meal the family traditionally eats on New Year's Eve. It's said to warm the soul. The meal is designed to have the whole family sit around the hot pot and eat "slowly" and share conversation.
Give it a try and let me know how it turns out.
Salmonsmoker