From Backyard to Backcountry: Adapting Recipes for Any Outdoor Setting

Cooking outdoors, whether in your backyard or deep in the bush, offers a unique and enjoyable culinary experience. However, the transition from backyard barbies to bush tucker requires some adjustments. Here's how you can adapt your favourite recipes from the comfort of home and make them work in the wild.

Simplify Your Ingredients

• Backyard Cooking: When cooking at home, you have the luxury of a fully stocked kitchen. This allows for complex recipes with numerous ingredients.
• Bush Cooking: In the bush, you need to pare down your ingredient list to essentials. Opt for recipes that use fewer ingredients, focusing on those that are lightweight, non-perishable, and multipurpose.
• Tip: Create a bush pantry with items like dried herbs, spices, olive oil, rice, pasta, and canned goods. These items are versatile and can be used in various dishes.

Modify Cooking Techniques

• Backyard Cooking: At home, you have access to all your kitchen gadgets – ovens, blenders, mixers, and more.
• Bush Cooking: In the bush, your cooking tools are limited to what you can carry. This typically includes a portable stove, a pot, and basic utensils.
• Tip: Adapt recipes to be one-pot meals or those that require minimal equipment. For example, instead of baking bread, make bannock, a simple flatbread cooked in a skillet over a campfire.

Focus on Meal Prepping

• Backyard Cooking: You can prep ingredients on the spot, chopping vegetables or marinating meat as you go.
• Bush Cooking: Prepping ingredients ahead of time is crucial to minimise the work required in the bush and reduce the amount of waste you generate.
• Tip: Chop vegetables, marinate meats, and pre-measure spices at home. Pack them in resealable bags or lightweight containers for easy transport and use. Vacuum-sealed bags are excellent for preserving marinated items and reducing bulk.

Adjust Cooking Times and Methods

• Backyard Cooking: You have precise control over your heat sources, with options like gas stoves, electric ovens, and grills.
• Bush Cooking: Heat control is more challenging when cooking over a campfire or with a portable stove.
• Tip: Choose recipes that are forgiving with cooking times. Stews, soups, and one-pot dishes are ideal as they can simmer over a fire without requiring constant attention. If grilling, pre-cook meats partially at home and finish them at the campsite to ensure thorough cooking.

Experiment with Dehydration

• Backyard Cooking: Fresh ingredients are readily available, and refrigeration is not an issue.
• Bush Cooking: Dehydrated foods are a backpacker's best friend. They are lightweight, compact, and have a long shelf life.
• Tip: Dehydrate your favourite ingredients at home. Fruits, vegetables, and even full meals can be dehydrated and rehydrated with water at your campsite. This allows you to enjoy complex flavours and varied textures without the bulk.

Embrace Versatile Recipes

• Backyard Cooking: You can afford to make single-purpose dishes that might not translate well to the bush.
• Bush Cooking: Versatility is key. Recipes that can serve multiple purposes or be easily modified for different meals are ideal.
• Tip: Opt for dishes like a basic rice or pasta base that can be dressed up with different sauces, proteins, and vegetables. This approach allows you to create a variety of meals with minimal ingredients.

Practical Recipe Adaptations

• Backyard BBQ Chicken: Marinate chicken breasts at home and grill them on your backyard BBQ with a side of fresh coleslaw.
• Bush Adaptation: Use dehydrated chicken or vacuum-sealed pre-cooked chicken. Marinate at home and reheat over a campfire or portable stove. Serve with instant mashed potatoes or rehydrated vegetables.
• Backyard Chilli: A hearty chilli made with fresh minced beef, beans, tomatoes, and spices, simmered on the stovetop.
• Bush Adaptation: Use dehydrated beans and vegetables. Substitute fresh beef with shelf-stable minced beef or soy protein. Pre-mix spices at home. Cook in a single pot over your campfire.
• Backyard Pasta Primavera: Fresh pasta with a variety of seasonal vegetables, garlic, and olive oil.
• Bush Adaptation: Use dehydrated vegetables and instant pasta. Pre-mix garlic powder and other spices at home. Cook in one pot, adding olive oil after cooking.

Adapting your favourite recipes for outdoor cooking is all about simplifying, prepping, and being resourceful. With these tips, you can enjoy delicious, satisfying meals whether you’re cooking in your backyard or deep in the bush. Happy cooking!