Campfire asparagus, pepper and mushrooms
Serves 4 as a side · 25 minutes · Classic frying pan
Mushrooms, red pepper and green asparagus fried over the embers with garlic and thyme. The carbon steel pan copes with an open fire and gives the vegetables charred edges.
Campfire vegetables are cooked in a pan over the embers, not in tall flames. The mushrooms go in first so their liquid can cook off, then the pepper and asparagus, with garlic and thyme added last so they do not burn.
Ingredients
Serves 4 as a side
- 250 g chestnut or wild mushrooms
- 2 red peppers
- 250 g green asparagus
- 3 tbsp rapeseed oil
- 2 garlic cloves
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- ½ lemon
To serve
- Good bread or something from the grill
Method
- Light the fire well ahead and let it burn down to an even bed of embers with low flames. Set the pan firmly on stones or a grill rack about 10–15 cm above the embers.
- Slice the mushrooms, cut the peppers into strips, snap the woody ends off the asparagus and slice the garlic. You can do this at home.
- Heat the pan for 2–3 minutes, add 2 tbsp of the oil and fry the mushrooms for 4–5 minutes, until their liquid has cooked off and they have coloured.
- Add the pepper and the rest of the oil and fry for 3 minutes. Add the asparagus and fry for a further 4–5 minutes, stirring, until everything is charred at the edges but still has bite.
- Stir in the garlic and thyme for the last minute. Lift the pan off the fire, season with salt and pepper and squeeze over the lemon.
- Use a grill glove or a thick oven cloth, as the steel handle gets very hot over the fire. Never leave the fire unattended, keep water close by and let the pan cool before packing it away.
Why it works
Carbon steel copes with open fire and embers, with no coating to damage, and its thin walls heat up quickly even over a small fire. The fire darkens the pan, which only helps the seasoning.
FAQ
How hot should the fire be?
Cook over embers, not tall flames. If you can hold your hand 15 cm above the embers for a few seconds, the heat is right for frying vegetables.
Can a carbon steel pan go on an open fire?
Yes. Carbon steel handles very high heat. Wipe any soot off the outside; the pan may darken, which does it no harm.
How do you clean the pan after a campfire?
Let it cool, scrape it out and rinse with hot water. Dry it completely and rub in a thin layer of oil before packing it away.
Comments