THE ULTIMATE OUTDOOR CHEF – BREAKFAST EDITION.

Lunch is nice and dinner always has potential, but breakfast is where it’s at! When you climb down from your RV or crawl out of your tent, there are few things better than the smell of morning coffee and something delicious just waiting to get your day started right! This month we offer up our favourite camping breakfast recipes . . .

EGGS ON POTATO CHIPS

INGREDIENTS

• 1 tablespoon clarified butter (ghee) or a mixture of 1/2 tbsp. vegetable oil and 1/2 tbsp. butter
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 small garlic clove, minced and then mashed into a paste with 1/4 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded fresh ginger
• 2 or 3 fresh green arbol, Thai, or serrano chiles, finely chopped (see Notes)
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped cilantro
• 4 large handfuls of plain potato chips from a just-opened bag (see Notes)
• 4 eggs
• Kosher or sea salt

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat butter in a sturdy, well-seasoned medium frying pan, preferably cast iron, over medium heat. Add onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and just beginning to brown. Stir in garlic paste, ginger, and chiles. Stir for a moment or two, then add cilantro. Crumble in chips, tossing or stirring the contents of the pan to combine them thoroughly.
2. Make 4 holes in the surface of the potato-chip mixture—they don’t need to be perfect hollows—and crack an egg into each. Pour 1 tbsp. water down the inside edge of the pan to generate some steam. Cover skillet tightly and reduce heat to low. Let eggs steam just long enough to set whites (6 to 8 minutes; gently touch one with a spoon to see if it’s done the way you’d like). Season to taste with salt and turn out onto waiting plates.

MASCARPONE FRENCH TOAST WITH WARM BLACKBERRY SYRUP

INGREDIENTS

• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 1 1/2 cups cold mascarpone cheese
• 2 tablespoons blackberry liqueur
• 8 thick (3/4 in.) slices of day-old wide French bread, such as bâtard
• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 2 1/2 cups blackberries
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Cooked bacon

DIRECTIONS

1. Heat a charcoal grill to medium-high (450°) or set up a camp stove and use medium heat.
2. Whisk egg, milk, sugar, cinnamon, and 1/2 tsp. vanilla together in a large bowl.
3. Stir mascarpone, remaining 1 tsp. vanilla, and the liqueur together in another bowl. Spread mascarpone mixture over 4 bread slices; top with remaining slices.
4. Cook maple syrup and berries in a small covered saucepan until berries start to break down, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat.
5. Heat a large heavy frying pan or 2 smaller ones; swirl butter in pan(s). Dip sandwiches in egg mixture, then cook, turning once, until crisp and browned, 4 to 8 minutes total. Serve French toast with syrup and bacon.

CAMPFIRE BEER PANCAKES

INGREDIENTS

• 3 1/3 cups All-Purpose Baking Mix
• 1/2 cup toasted pine nuts
• 1/2 cup currants
• 2 cups of beer (any pale lager such as Corona, Budweiser, or Heineken)
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil, plus more for cooking
• Butter and maple syrup, for serving

DIRECTIONS

1. Combine baking mix, nuts, and currants in a large bowl and mix until evenly combined. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add the beer, eggs, and vegetable oil. Stir dry ingredients into wet ingredients until just moistened. (Don’t overmix or the pancakes will be tough. The batter should be lumpy.)
2. Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat on a camping stove or over a campfire fitted with a grilling grate. Test to see if the pan is hot enough by sprinkling a couple of drops of cold water in it: If the water bounces and sputters, the pan is ready to use; if it evaporates instantly, the pan is too hot.
3. Add 1 tablespoon oil to the pan and swirl to coat. Ladle about 1/4 cup batter into the pan for each pancake. (You should be able to fit 3 to 4 pancakes at a time.) Cook until pancakes rise slightly and form lots of bubbles on top, about 3 to 4 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until bottoms are golden brown, about another minute.
4. Repeat with remaining batter, adding 1 tablespoon oil between batches if the pan seems dry. Serve immediately with butter and maple syrup.

CAMPFIRE BREAKFAST BURGER

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 6 Tablespoons dry milk powder
• 2 teaspoons black pepper
• 4 Tablespoons canola oil
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• 1 cup water
• 12 sausage patties
• 12 eggs

DIRECTIONS

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt, dry milk powder, black pepper and canola oil until well incorporated. To mix the biscuits, pour dry mix into medium sized bowl and add 1/2 cup of water. Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup of water 1 Tablespoon at a time until the biscuit mix is thick batter. Stir in cheddar cheese. Set cast iron pan over medium heat and add oil to coat. Scoop biscuit mix by the scant 1/4 cup onto pan (you will need to work in small batches). Allow to cook until first side is golden brown and flip once. Cook until biscuits are fluffy and cooked through.
2. Add sausage to a cold cast iron skillet and then set it over medium high heat. Cook until sausages are golden brown and cooked through, flipping once. Remove and set aside.
3. Cook eggs in cast iron skillet until desired doneness (I like my yolks a bit runny). Split biscuits in half and top with sausage and egg. Add ketchup or hot sauce if desired and place other half of biscuit on top.

THREE-CHEESE POTATOES

INGREDIENTS

• 3 large potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon minced chives
• 1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup crumbled cooked bacon
• 1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Transfer to a double thickness of greased heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Dot with butter.
2. Fold foil around potato mixture and seal tightly. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 15-18 minutes on each side or until potatoes are tender.
3. Carefully open foil. Sprinkle the bacon and cheeses over potato mixture. Grill 3-5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.

*Source: sunset.com, chowhound.com, jellytoastblog.com