Cooking in your motorhome....

Since getting Symphony, a whole new world of meals and food preparation has opened up to me In the Doblo there was so little space that it was nigh onto impossible to cook inside. Just getting my appetite back after almost a year of serious illness and I find that I eat better when I'm away from town and more relaxed.

I like to try local produce if available. My latest " on the road " project is constructing a food smoker from a biscuit tin and rack. Ordered some oak chips and going to try hot-smoking fish on my next roadtrip- next weekend.
Also keep tins of chilli and mw rice for my chilli fix too

Do you guys cook more or less what you would at home ? I try ( as I'm sure most do ) to keep the steam to a minimum-the microwave ( not inbuilt ) comes in handy for that.

Cath

Cath,

Helen and I have a "system". I do the cooking and Helen does the cleaning up afterwards; and I know who has the better deal!

We love experimentation and if you check out my last project you will see that we are also keen "smokers". (At the moment we still have some cold smoked cheese sat in the fridge that will last well into next year.)

The only smoking we have done on the move is with a gadget that my Mum bought us about fifteen years ago. It works OK but I'm afraid that we don't use it in "Petal" because, much as we like the smell of smoke, the inside of the van smelled like a "fire damage sale" for about a month after the only time we used it!

What I can recommend as an alternative is to do Gravlax salmon. It really is delicious and here's Jamies take on it:

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There's no need to use a whole salmon by the way! Enjoy.

Best regards,

Ian

Dutto wrote:Cath,

Helen and I have a "system". I do the cooking and Helen does the cleaning up afterwards; and I know who has the better deal!

We love experimentation and if you check out my last project you will see that we are also keen "smokers". (At the moment we still have some cold smoked cheese sat in the fridge that will last well into next year.)

The only smoking we have done on the move is with a gadget that my Mum bought us about fifteen years ago. It works OK but I'm afraid that we don't use it in "Petal" because, much as we like the smell of smoke, the inside of the van smelled like a "fire damage sale" for about a month after the only time we used it!

What I can recommend as an alternative is to do Gravlax salmon. It really is delicious and here's Jamies take on it:

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There's no need to use a whole salmon by the way! Enjoy.

Best regards,

Ian

Thanks Ian ! I'll check out your project I haven't tried smoking food before so this will be a first. I love Arbroath Smokies and hot-smoking haddock seems a simple project to start with. Any smoking on the road will be done outdoors and will be hot-smoking as it's a lot quicker. Will check out the Youtube link too

Cath

Minniesmum wrote:Do you guys cook more or less what you would at home ? I try ( as I'm sure most do ) to keep the steam to a minimum-the microwave ( not inbuilt ) comes in handy for that.Cath

We eat more or less what we have at home. Carol loves to cook and I'm pretty much banned from the kitchen, other than doing breakfast which is normally cereal and/or toast anyway, which is much the same as at home. I'm only allowed in for the washing-up! As we only have the two burners up top, we use a 3-tier steamer when necessary. Also recently bought a really tiny (1 litre) slow cooker which is perfect for two. Haven't yet tried it in the van but intend to take it with us during winter months as long as we don't intend moving off site all day.

We adapt our cooking to the van. I love the Remoska as you can cook so much in it and its so easy to clean....

Hi
Have been enjoying your posts. I am a keen cook and cook in Doris as much as at home but quick and easy dishes, I am on holiday after all. I have a number of One pot and/or Take 5 Ingredients type recipes which I am trying out. One piece of equipment I have bought is a small rice cooker. It cooks rice and couscous very well and keeps it warm until ready to serve. I have still to try the vegetable and fish steaming above the rice but I am sure it will work. It's other big advantage is that there is no steam.

One of the attractions of having a motor home has been it allows me to try local produce as so often restaurants do not use local foods.

Louise

Paulmold wrote:

Minniesmum wrote:Do you guys cook more or less what you would at home ? I try ( as I'm sure most do ) to keep the steam to a minimum-the microwave ( not inbuilt ) comes in handy for that.Cath

We eat more or less what we have at home. Carol loves to cook and I'm pretty much banned from the kitchen, other than doing breakfast which is normally cereal and/or toast anyway, which is much the same as at home. I'm only allowed in for the washing-up! As we only have the two burners up top, we use a 3-tier steamer when necessary. Also recently bought a really tiny (1 litre) slow cooker which is perfect for two. Haven't yet tried it in the van but intend to take it with us during winter months as long as we don't intend moving off site all day.

Paul, is the 3 tier steamer a standard household one or a smaller unit? We have been trying to source a small 3 tier steamer for ages in readiness for next years road trip.

Tommy-Darcy wrote:

Paulmold wrote:

Minniesmum wrote:Do you guys cook more or less what you would at home ? I try ( as I'm sure most do ) to keep the steam to a minimum-the microwave ( not inbuilt ) comes in handy for that.Cath

We eat more or less what we have at home. Carol loves to cook and I'm pretty much banned from the kitchen, other than doing breakfast which is normally cereal and/or toast anyway, which is much the same as at home. I'm only allowed in for the washing-up! As we only have the two burners up top, we use a 3-tier steamer when necessary. Also recently bought a really tiny (1 litre) slow cooker which is perfect for two. Haven't yet tried it in the van but intend to take it with us during winter months as long as we don't intend moving off site all day.

Paul, is the 3 tier steamer a standard household one or a smaller unit? We have been trying to source a small 3 tier steamer for ages in readiness for next years road trip.

It's a standard household one. I've just measured it and the one at home and both have a rim diameter of 7.75". The one in the van fits neatly in the cupboard where the gas taps are. Can't remember where we got them from but it would have been a normal department store.

Hmm, have looked on e-bay and see we can get 16cm (6.25") ones. May just have to invest in some of these.

Cheers matie

Doris wrote:Hi
Have been enjoying your posts. I am a keen cook and cook in Doris as much as at home but quick and easy dishes, I am on holiday after all. I have a number of One pot and/or Take 5 Ingredients type recipes which I am trying out. One piece of equipment I have bought is a small rice cooker. It cooks rice and couscous very well and keeps it warm until ready to serve. I have still to try the vegetable and fish steaming above the rice but I am sure it will work. It's other big advantage is that there is no steam.

One of the attractions of having a motor home has been it allows me to try local produce as so often restaurants do not use local foods.

Louise

Thanks Louise the rice cooker/steamer sounds interesting- and one that doesn't generate excess steam too is even better. Love my rice. I use the microwaveable rice but it's always too hard in texture for me . Prefer home cooked jasmine/thai/risotto softer rices.

Cath

Thanks for everyone's comments/ input on the cooking theme. Another aspect is lingering cooking smells in the van...I did a fried breakfast this morning for a pal ( first ever cooking for someone in Symphony ) and the bacon/ fried smells lingered for hours. Trying the sliced raw onion technique overnite and bought a tin of air-de-odouriser from Sainsbury's this aft . A WIP....

Cath

@Doris.....

Love the avatar! Class!

Tried Kippers once - you know, just the boil in a bag jobs. Ho hum the smell, well it did linger. Mrs eggnog had a rich variety of other words for it. Indeed I didn't know her vocabulary was so wide-ranging.

Otherwise though, we've a Grilletto:

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though I'm not sure if they're still on the UK market. And a little single burner stove on the second table for outside stuff:

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Otherwise we cook in the 'van. It's not a problem in the Talisman even when you're completely stuck indoors.

Couple of points though. Would it not have made life so much more convenient if A-S had bothered to source a three-burner gas hob. Let's face it, no one has ever been able to get (or own or carry) four pans on the hob at the same time. Secondly (and I don't have a photo to post), we have a kitchen extension piece which lives under the sink flap for travelling and sits across the doorway in use. It's a bit of worktop, rectangular with a cut-out to fit round the fridge side of the door. Makes life so much easier. Does anyone know what I'm gibbering about? My impression is that it was made up by A-S at the first owner's suggestion but I may be well wrong.

we have a flat elect grill that we purchased in Spain 5/6 yrs ago quite cheap. I use it out doors for fry up, steaks, chops etc so the smell stays outside We, Sorry Hilary, uses the full size cooker occasionally to do a Sunday roast. She cooks, I wash and have done for 43 yrs. I can't cook and have never had an interest in it and am barred from doing it by SWMBO ! but do like eating it.

Hi there,

For when we are on EHU we have a single 1500 watt (it pulls 6Amps) Hob like this one:

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At £12.95 it paid for itself after the first month of usage!

For "splatter cooking" (as per the squid dipped in cornmeal and fried in olive oil we had this evening) we use a 4.5kg Calor Gas butane bottle with an ancient (and probably now illegal) burner that screws directly on to the bottle. The joy of this is that it can be taken well away from "Petal" and so avoid any splatter or smells.

When it comes to the question of "What do we cook and eat?" we are omnivores and eat almost anything; but especially whatever the local fishmonger or butcher has "on offer"! (One butcher that we used in Castelsarrasin kindly displayed photographs of the horses that were currently laid out on his counter!)

Best regards,

Ian

PS This is the Smoker that we used in "Petal". It worked fine but left a severe "after-smell" when used inside! It can be used with Meths but it then becomes quite bulky!

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Ian

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

For when we are on EHU we have a single 1500 watt (it pulls 6Amps) Hob like this one:

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

At £12.95 it paid for itself after the first month of usage!

For "splatter cooking" (as per the squid dipped in cornmeal and fried in olive oil we had this evening) we use a 4.5kg Calor Gas butane bottle with an ancient (and probably now illegal) burner that screws directly on to the bottle. The joy of this is that it can be taken well away from "Petal" and so avoid any splatter or smells.

When it comes to the question of "What do we cook and eat?" we are omnivores and eat almost anything; but especially whatever the local fishmonger or butcher has "on offer"! (One butcher that we used in Castelsarrasin kindly displayed photographs of the horses that were currently laid out on his counter!)

Best regards,

Ian

PS This is the Smoker that we used in "Petal". It worked fine but left a severe "after-smell" when used inside! It can be used with Meths but it then becomes quite bulky!

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Ian

Thanks Ian for the link to the Fladen Smoker- looks great !

Hi there,

I think I preferred the old Avatar as much more "Mumsy"! Not sure what the new one is all about but "Good Luck"!!

Best regards,

Dutto wrote:Hi there,

I think I preferred the old Avatar as much more "Mumsy"! Not sure what the new one is all about but "Good Luck"!!

Best regards,

Changed my avatar pic as no-one on here seems to use photos of themselves -just images of their vans.... The beach one is one I use on Facebook as I'm beach crazy !! Love the coast

Cath

Cath,

Like the Yanks say "Life's a beach!"

With regards to the sea I seem to have spent half my life on it, in it or under it! I love it!

Carrying on the cooking thread I once complimented one of the cooks I sailed with on the basis that he always baked a batch of fresh bread before we arrived in port.

"Thanks." he said "I do it to make sure that my fingernails are clean before I go ashore!"

Best regards,

Ian

Dutto wrote:Cath,

Like the Yanks say "Life's a beach!"

With regards to the sea I seem to have spent half my life on it, in it or under it! I love it!

Carrying on the cooking thread I once complimented one of the cooks I sailed with on the basis that he always baked a batch of fresh bread before we arrived in port.

"Thanks." he said "I do it to make sure that my fingernails are clean before I go ashore!"

Best regards,

Ian

on the fingernails same here regards the sea. Was born near it and have always lived nearby- currently only 10 miles from the coast here in North-east england yes back on the cooking theme- been checking out smoking methods for salmon and seems most folk use a salt /sugar brine or treatment to reduce the water content of the fish and semi-cure it before smoking. May try that with salmon, but keen to dry hot-smoking Haddock once my oak chips arrive. Will have a go at making a smoker using a biscuit tin and rack/foil before I invest in the Fladen ( which looks great btw ! ).

Cath

Cath,

To be honest, I think cold smoking is by far the easiest way to start and in inclement weather (when I don't fancy hanging around outside monitoring the hot smoker for hours) I use it for everything from Pulled Pork to Brisket and, of course, salmon and cheese.

All you need is a tin can, a couple of lengths of pipe, an aquarium air pump and a plastic or cardboard box.

What I do for the Pulled Pork and Brisket is to dry-rub them then cold smoke them for three or four hours. I then double-wrap them in tin-foil with a hefty glug of beer and cook them for 10 hours or so at 100 degrees C in the oven at home (i.e. until they reach these temperatures).

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Another favourite "non-smoked" recipe is "Twice-cooked Pork".

Cut up lumps of belly pork, bring them to the boil in salted water (skim off any scum) then simmer for 45 minutes, drain off the water and fat and allow to cool.

Put the lumps of pork into a food processor with the cutting blade and "whiz" until the pork is roughly shredded, then fry the shredded pork in its own fat until it is crisp. Drain off the fat and serve hot in a wrap with salad.

I throw some chillies into the water when the pork is being boiled and then serve it with raita (yoghurt and mint mixture) as well as the salad.

Belly pork isn't the best cut of meat to eat when calorie counting; which is why I have highlighted the "drain off the fat" bits! We think this is just the best way to eat belly pork as we are left with a clear conscience (nearly!).

Best regards,

Ian

I'm looking to purchase an electric "cooker"

We have a perfectly functioning gas oven but I do begrudge using my gas when on hook-up.

I've eliminated Remoska, and similar, I just don't like them.

I've taken a look at those little table top ovens which would sit nicely on top of the hob and store in the wardrobe - not yet convinced that's the way to go.

Some years ago I had an electric frypan at home and managed to cook just about everything in it - this seems the most likely direction so far.

Anyone done something similar and please don't point me back to Remoska?

Dutto wrote:Cath,

To be honest, I think cold smoking is by far the easiest way to start and in inclement weather (when I don't fancy hanging around outside monitoring the hot smoker for hours) I use it for everything from Pulled Pork to Brisket and, of course, salmon and cheese.

All you need is a tin can, a couple of lengths of pipe, an aquarium air pump and a plastic or cardboard box.

What I do for the Pulled Pork and Brisket is to dry-rub them then cold smoke them for three or four hours. I then double-wrap them in tin-foil with a hefty glug of beer and cook them for 10 hours or so at 100 degrees C in the oven at home (i.e. until they reach these temperatures).

[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]

Another favourite "non-smoked" recipe is "Twice-cooked Pork".

Cut up lumps of belly pork, bring them to the boil in salted water (skim off any scum) then simmer for 45 minutes, drain off the water and fat and allow to cool.

Put the lumps of pork into a food processor with the cutting blade and "whiz" until the pork is roughly shredded, then fry the shredded pork in its own fat until it is crisp. Drain off the fat and serve hot in a wrap with salad.

I throw some chillies into the water when the pork is being boiled and then serve it with raita (yoghurt and mint mixture) as well as the salad.

Belly pork isn't the best cut of meat to eat when calorie counting; which is why I have highlighted the "drain off the fat" bits! We think this is just the best way to eat belly pork as we are left with a clear conscience (nearly!).

Best regards,

Ian

Thanks Ian at some point I'll try both hot and cold smoking. Just need my oak chips to arrive next Cath

Tonyt wrote:I'm looking to purchase an electric "cooker"

We have a perfectly functioning gas oven but I do begrudge using my gas when on hook-up.

I've eliminated Remoska, and similar, I just don't like them.

I've taken a look at those little table top ovens which would sit nicely on top of the hob and store in the wardrobe - not yet convinced that's the way to go.

Some years ago I had an electric frypan at home and managed to cook just about everything in it - this seems the most likely direction so far.

Anyone done something similar and please don't point me back to Remoska?

I'm a bit like you- begrudge using gas when I'm on EHU. I'm not keen on the Remoska's either - top heat, or the Halogen oven. At home and when away, I use the frying pan a lot for chops, steak, stir-fry's,breakfasts etc so I'll likely get one of the modern electric frying pans. There are a few on Amazon for about £ 25. You can use them for frying and for doing stews etc so best of both worlds. They are quite deep and are like a mini-casserole dish but with the added benefit of being a frying pan as well and non-stick. With that and my microwave, and a small single electric ring, should have all my bases covered. I don't use the oven at home so why get one for the van ? I have the gas one if I do need an oven for anything but it would be rare.

Cath

For reasons that have already been mentioned (steam, smell, grease-spots, etc) we prefer to cook outside the 'van as much as possible, other than using the microwave (including a metal browning tray - brilliant for fat-free fried eggs!).

So we have a Tefal electric frying pan with lid, a gas BBQ (I installed an external gas point a couple of years ago) and our most recent acquisition, a small single ring induction hob

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The induction hob is perfect for use with the steamer as you can set the temperature. Also the power use (wattage) is selectable so it can be used even when on Continental campsites with low amp supplies.

It's so useful, we bring it indoors and use it when we're at home.