PLATES FOR

PEAK BAGGIN’

This dish is easy to make, has easy-to-find ingredients, and is widely adaptable to dietary needs and palates. You could replace the corn flour with wholemeal or rye flour, add cured meats, or replace the cheese for a fully vegan bread.

(Serves approx. 2-3)

What you’ll need…

• 2 ½ c. corn flour, finely ground
• 2 tsp. sea salt
• 1 tsp. chili flakes
• 1 c. hard white cheese, cut into fine cubes (Recommend goat, sheep, or an aged cheddar)
• 2 tbsp. toasted pumpkin seeds
• 2 tbsp. grapeseed or olive oil
• Water
• Extra corn flour for dusting

Equipment:

• Gas or liquid fuel + camping stove
• Ceramic skillet
• Wooden spoon and spatula
• Silicone dry bag (to knead and store the dough)

Method:

First, to make the cornbread, mix together the corn flour, spices, salt, and oil in a drybag until it looks like breadcrumbs. Then, add in the cheese, seeds, and a little water at a time. Knead until you have a smooth dough and store in the drybag.

Place the skillet on your camping stove over medium heat. Break off a golf ball size lump of dough, roll in between your hands until smooth and flat. Dust with a little corn flour and place in the skillet. Dry fry for a few minutes on both sides until cooked through and the cheese starts to ooze out.

You can adapt and/or add ingredients such as these to suit your taste…

• Fresh or dried herbs
• Nuts/seeds
• Spices
• Foraged berries
• Dried fruit

You can make batches of these breads in advance to take as an on-the-move snack by wrapping in beeswax cloth.

Classic hominy corn grits take 20-25 minutes of simmering on a medium heat to cook properly. While this is fine at home, it’s fuel inefficient for camp cooking. This is where fine polenta comes in handy.

Instead of using up valuable fuel, you only need to bring water to a boil, then let that heat cook the polenta for you.

In sub-zero temperatures, I prefer to use insulated food canisters for dishes like this, doubling up as both a leak-proof container and a bowl from which to eat.

(Serves 2)

What you’ll need…

• 1 ½ cup fine polenta corn
• 1-2 fresh or pickled jalapeños, finely diced
• 1 spring onion, finely diced
• 1 loosely packed cup cilantro, chopped roughly
• ⅔ cup strong hard cheese, diced
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 2 tsp. Salt
• 27 oz water

Optional extras:

• Elk or salmon jerky
• Toasted chopped nuts or seeds
• Fresh or dried herbs
• Hot sauce

Equipment:

• Leakproof container
• 1 gas camping stove and 1 quart pot
• Wooden spoon
• 2 bowls
• 2 spoons

Pack all ingredients into a leakproof container and take to camp. Decant the ingredients into your first bowl while heating the water over the stove.

Once the water is at a boil, slowly pour into the bowl a little at a time, mixing thoroughly as you go. You should be looking for a consistency somewhere between risotto and barely-cooked scrambled eggs.