Turkish Style Chicken Skewers by Ceri Bladen

You can use vegetable oil, olive oil, coconut oil, butter, suet or lard to make pancakes. You need most of it for the pan, to stop the pancakes sticking, as well as to add a little flavour. Personally, while I love olive oil in general, it’s my least favourite option for pancakes unless I’m making savoury pancakes. Butter is by far the best tasting fat to use with pancakes to my palate. You should melt some in the pan and drain off the excess into a metal container which you can keep near the fire to keep it liquid. I find the insert of a Zebra billy can ideal for this but there are of course many other options. The secret to using butter for good campfire pancakes is to melt a knob of butter, then add it to the pancake batter before you start cooking any pancakes. Mix the liquid fat into the batter mix. I have Delia Smith to thank for this idea. As already mentioned though, if dairy is not an option, substitute another form of fat.

Campfire Pancakes – The Cooking Part

It’s easy to burn pancakes. Ideally, you’ll have a good bed of hardwood embers onto which you can place your pancake pan. Alternatively, a bit of charcoal will help a lot, especially if the local firewood is mainly softwoods. If you have a few flames from your fire, hold or suspend the pan further away from the ground, so the mix is not heated too quickly in the pan. Add the pan to the heat. Add some butter (or oil) and ensure the whole pan has a coating. Pour off the excess into the reservoir you are keeping warm. Add a little batter – an eating spoon full for example – to make sure the pan is up to heat. Once the small amount of batter has solidified, remove this and add a full pancake portion. My measure for one person is a standard ladle full. This gives a decent pancake in a 10”/250mm fry pan. You should get a couple of pancakes per person out of your standard mix. Add a few rashers of bacon and some maple syrup, along with a mug of coffee, then I’m well set for my day of outdoor activity.

Turkish style Chicken Skewers (Tavuk şiş) by Ceri Bladen

Ingredients:

♦ 2 skinless chicken breasts

♦ 1 onion (medium) ♦ 2 cloves garlic ♦ 1/2 cup plain yogurt ♦ 3 tablespoons vegetable oil ♦ 2 tablespoons tomato paste (Turkish salca) ♦ 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper ♦ 1 teaspoon paprika ♦ 1 teaspoon salt ♦ 1 teaspoon dried oregano ♦ 1 teaspoon paprika ♦ 1 teaspoon sumac (optional)