Recipe - Campfire “Fancy” Seasoned Rice
I started experimenting with rice on the campfire last year and have been thrilled with the results. Almost as good as what I get with my rice cooker at home. Plus it’s a cheap filler when cooking for a champ crew! I call this fancy rice because I do what I want. Feel free to use whatever you prefer to jazz it up to your preferences.
Pictured: Rice cooking away on the fire. Simple bread pan covered in foil with a cast iron skillet of veggies sizzling away from the heat nearby.
Here’s what I did this past time:
Ingredients:
- rice
- garlic powder (more appetizing than boiled minced garlic)
- minced onion
- fresh minced herbs, I used parsley thyme and oregano
- chicken broth
- water
To prep before camp:
- assemble your rice and seasonings in a ziplock bag. I combine everything in the same bag. You can either purchase a disposable aluminum pie tin or loaf pan, I have used both successfully. This time I packed a crappy extra loaf pan I had at home.
Instructions:
1. Dump rice into your cooking vessel, add twice as much liquid as rice (chicken broth and water) and cover with foil tightly.
2. Put on fire grate over hot coals and let steam for 20ish minutes.
3. Normally, the foil will puff up slightly as the rice steams. I check a corner after 20 minutes and test to see if all the liquid evaporated and if the rice is done.
Camp Champs Review:
I have also used this technique and made cilantro lime flavored rice to serve with pork carnitas or Mexican dishes. Once I burned the bottom of the rice when I used a wide pie tin, but we didn’t even realize until someone went back for seconds and hit the bottom. I would also like to try this technique and make rice or roni, toasted my rice and pasta in advance and then boiling at camp.
2/2017 Update: I made a variation of this method with a mix of quick cook grains (farro, barley, rice, spelt, etc), roasted garlic powder, dried minced onion, fresh parsley, cooked in vegetable broth. I packed fresh spinach on top of the grains to steam and covered with foil before setting on campfire grate. Turned out delicious, the bottom of the grains were perfectly toasted!