Going bush doesn’t have to mean killing your tastebuds with boredom on a diet of boiled pasta and tinned baked beans. Andrew Dwyer shows you how to create culinary masterpieces in the middle of nowhere.
When travelling in remote areas of the Australian outback, two things are guaranteed. The distances will be long and the roads will be rough. Also, depending on the time of year, the temperatures can range from well below zero to well above 50 degrees Celcius. These harsh conditions provide an extra challenge for the outback cook; however, with some planning, you can avoid a diet of baked beans and camp pie, and instead enjoy delicious fresh food in a ‘million star’ restaurant every night.
The first hurdle to overcome is the rough roads. Consumer goods packaging is not designed to travel over corrugated outback roads. Sugar bags burst, jar lids miraculously unscrew, liquids in cardboard containers spill and plastic packages burst, then all mix together to form extraordinary science experiments that take lots of time and effort to clean up.
To avoid this, store sugar, coffee and other dried goods in screw-top plastic containers and then pack these into larger plastic drawers and boxes. Movement creates rubbing, which may puncture containers, so to keep everything intact pack them tightly so nothing moves around.
Keep your liquid containers in separate boxes to your dried goods, and wrap any liquids stored in cardboard (juice or stock) in layers of plastic wrap. In case of punctures, it is safer to carry several small containers of water than a large one, and keep your heavy items low to maintain a good stable centre of gravity in your vehicle. Try and pack the items you use all the time in easy-to-access places.
Allocate a drawer for condiments, cutlery, sunscreen and repellant.
Whether you have a 12-volt fridge or an ice-box, you can still carry fresh fruit and vegetables. Try using Rob’s ‘Stay fresh’ bags (available from supermarkets) that use membrane technology to prolong the life of vegetables. Snow peas will still be crisp and fresh after three weeks in an Esky with these handy bags.
Freezing meat just makes it tough so ask your butcher to vacuum seal your meat in portions. Packaged this way, steak and beef age superbly and will be at their optimum a couple of weeks after leaving home. Eggs are surprisingly robust travellers and compliment many dishes.
When planning your menu, use items with a short shelf life first (ie chicken and seafood), then move on to red meats and pasta/rice dishes. Use your fresh supplies to enhance your preserved items, for example blanche some fresh green beans and toss them in virgin olive oil and lemon juice with a tin of four-bean mix.
Asian food stores have an endless variety of dehydrated food, both meat, seafood and vegetables, and these can be used creatively. Italian cuisine also lends itself to ingredients that have a long shelf life.
Aside from all the flash food you’re going to take after reading this article, also carry emergency staples, like rice, pasta and noodles, and plenty of tinned fruit and vegetables. You never know when you could be stranded for up to two weeks due to rain or mechanical problems.
For crockery, use melamine plates and bowls from Asian stores. They are lightweight, tough and don’t go furry with use like their plastic counterparts. For glassware, use polycarbonate goblets and tumblers, which are tough and also don’t go furry with use.
With these items and some common sense, your trip to the outback will be a gourmand’s delight. Happy travels.
Andrew Dwyer runs Diamantina Touring Company, an award-winning adventure touring outfit that specialises in fine food and natural history. Andrew has presented cooking segments on the Seven Network’s The Great Outdoors and runs cooking schools in Australia and the United States. For more information call (03) 5777 0681 or visit www.diamantina-tour.com.au
Camp ovens are ideal for outback travellers. They are awesome in their treatment of meat as the flavour permeates through the roast, lifting the essence to new heights.
leg of lamb
5 cloves garlic
8 small brown onions, peeled
half a bottle port
1 cup water
fresh rosemary, sprigs and flowers
1 tablespoon honey
sea salt and cracked black pepper
1/4 cup unbleached white flour
Place bed of peeled onions on the base of camp oven with a dollop of honey. Add port to height of onions. Wash lamb in cold water and pat dry with a tea towel. Peel the garlic but leave cloves whole. Make 2-4 cm cuts around the leg and insert a clove of garlic into each. Rub leg with flour, salt and pepper and place on top of onions. Sprinkle with rosemary leaves and sprigs. Place camp oven on side of fire of coals (not on direct heat) and cover with a shovel load of coals. Baste every 15 mins with 50:50 port and water. Gravy can be made from the leftover sauce, thickened with flour. Serve with mint pesto.
1 cup pistachio nuts
2-3 cups mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup grapeseed oil
2 teaspoons mild honey
Don’t add anything else, eg salt or pepper
Fry pistachio nuts in oiled pan and then grind. Process mint with nuts in food processor, place in a bowl with oil and honey. Mix and serve.
Vegetable and noodle stir-fryThis recipe is simple to prepare and uses ingredients that have a long life. If you use a wok with a handle, you can cook over a fire made of twigs.
500g hokkien noodles
1/2 cup peanut oil
6 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
6 Lap Choong sausages, diced (available
from Chinese supermarkets)
6 dried shitake mushrooms
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 capsicum, diced
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Indonesian kecap manis
1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
Place mushrooms in a bowl of water and reconstitute. Slice and reserve liquid. Heat wok over flame until very hot. Pour in peanut oil and add garlic and sausage, stirring vigorously. Add onion, mushrooms and capsicum, continue stirring for two minutes. Empty packet of noodles into wok and stir until noodles are hot. Mix soy, kecap and dark sesame oil together with 1/3 cup water and add while stirring. Use tongs to remove noodles and place in serving bowls. Garnish with spring onion.
This recipe is easy, quick and a great way to enjoy a beer and not be over the limit!
3 cups self-raising flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 can beer
Mix the sugar into the flour. Make a well in the middle of the flour and gradually pour in the beer, mixing well after each addition until the mixture is smooth. Transfer mixture to a greased tin. Bake at 180˚C for 45-50 mins, until golden brown and the loaf has pulled away slightly from the sides of the tin. Best served warm with butter and jam.
Send us your favourite outback recipe. Authors of the three best recipes will receive an NRMA picnic rug, overnight bag and golf umbrella. Send recipes by February 28, 2005 to: The Open Road Outback Recipes, Level 23, 388 George Street, Sydney 2000.
Eating well in the carEven if your road trips are more leisurely drive than roughing it in the bush, it’s still important to eat well. What you eat on the road affects how you feel and can make a difference to how you drive.
If you give your body as much attention as you give your car when heading off on a long trip, you can arrive at your destination feeling fit and healthy. Whether you stop to eat in a motorway service station, grab something from a supermarket or pack an Esky to take in the car, it’s important to make healthy choices.
The most important rule is not to set off hungry. It plays havoc with your blood sugar levels, saps your energy and can make you crabby — best avoided in the confined space of the car!
Whether you’re packing an Esky or picnic hamper, prepare food, such as sandwiches, that is clean and easy to eat without utensils. Good fillings include low-fat cheese, peanut butter, chicken, tuna with low-fat mayonnaise and fresh, crunchy salad vegetables.
“Go for wholegrain bread for extra fibre,” advises dietician Irene Labuschagne. “Or use rye bread or pumpernickel, all of which have a low glycaemic index. This means they release their sugar content slowly, helping to keep blood sugar levels stable and prevent energy troughs.”
For snacks, ditch the chockies and lollies. They’ll give you an instant sugar hit but leave you feeling tired when the rush passes. Instead, go for fresh fruit like bananas, apples, apricots and grapes, or bite-size pieces of mango and pineapple in a sealed container.
For snacks, pack a variety of dried fruit, low-fat high-fibre muffins, muesli bars and slices, oatcakes and unsalted almonds or macadamias, which contain ‘good’ fats.
But go easy on these if you’re watching your weight. If you don’t have the time or inclination to prepare food for the journey, stop at a supermarket along the way. Steer the kids away from the lollies and chips and instead head for the fruit counter, raid the fridge for snacks like drinking yoghurt and low-fat cheese wedges or grab a few health bars, low-fat muffins or fruit sticks, which make for a healthy breakfast on the go.
Stopping along the way for a sit-down meal is a good idea as it provides a break from the monotony of driving and a chance to stretch your legs. Here, healthy choices may include soup, salad, baked potatoes and pasta with tomato-based sauces rather than creamy sauces. Grilled fish and chicken are also ideal as they’re lighter than meat.
“Choose grilled rather than deep-fried foods,” advises Irene. “For instance, a grilled chicken or fish burger is healthier than one that’s crumbed or battered.”
Drink upIt’s a good idea to keep kids away from sugary fizzy and soft drinks. Instead, it’s better to dilute fruit juice with water in a container with a sports-style closure. Fruit sugars are released more slowly than the cane sugar found in fizzy drinks.
Caffeine in coffee, tea, chocolate and cola is a stimulant and having too much may lead to agitation and anxiety. Coffee might give you a brief pick-me-up, but there’s no substitute for a short break if you are feeling tired. And take plenty of non-carbonated bottled water to avoid getting dehydrated.
4WD
