4 Easy Recipes to Make When Desert Camping, According to MICHELIN Restaurant Chefs

Beef Skewers, habanero cili, Dijon mustard Mayo

By chef Akmal Anuar
11 Woodfire
One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2023

Why he chose it: Its simple ingredients and easy to prepare. The flavours are explosive and it’s a definite win when you go camping.

Ingredients and Preparation (4 to 6 People)

For the Beef
1 kg of Beef Cubes

For the Cili Paste
100 g of Red Onion
10 g of Garlic
10 g of Red Chili
30 g of Guajillo Chili
6 g of Coriander
40 g of Habanero
250 g of Tomatoes
35 g of Orange Juice
6 g of Tomato Juice

Char and cook all ingredients over fire and then blend fine in a portable, battery-powered blender or manual blender using orange and tomato juice. Set aside.

For the Marination
50 g of Cili Paste*
5 g of Chili Powder
4 g of Black Pepper
3 g of Salt
3 g of Sugar

For the Dipping Sauce
50 g of Dijon Mustard
50 g of Mayonnaise

Rub the marinade on beef cubes of your choice, wagyu or black Angus. Preferably the striploin cut and drizzle olive oil before setting up on the hot ambers. Takes about 4-6 minutes depends on the size, eaten at medium temperature. For the dipping sauce, add the Dijon mustard and mayonnaise in a small bowl and mix.

Tips from the chef: Prepare the mise-en-place way in advance and let the meat marinate to soak up the flavours. I prefer to use wood to cook this over rather than charcoal. Always have hot ambers while cooking and not create fire around it. Caramelisations around the meat is important.

READ MORE: Get to know chef Akmal Anuar, of one MICHELIN star 11 Woodfire

Roosterkoek with Lamb Potjie

By chef Thinus Van Der Westhuizen
99 Sushi Bar
One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2024

Why he chose it: These two dishes together are a very hearty and traditional representation of South African cooking on fire at any camping site. We grew up with these dishes, they are especially lovely on a cold winter’s camping night.

Ingredients and Preparation (6 People)

For the Roosterkoek (Barbecue Bread)
1250 ml (5 cups) of Cake Flour
10 g of Sachet Instant Dry Yeast
60 ml (4 Tbsp) of Sunflower Oil
Approx. 375 ml (11⁄2 cups) of Lukewarm Water
2 Onions, Peeled and Chopped
30 ml (2 Tbsp) of All-in-One Barbecue Spices
45 ml (3 Tbsp) of Sugar
45 ml (3 Tbsp) of Balsamic Vinegar

In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and yeast. Add one tablespoon (15 ml) of the oil. Now add the lukewarm water, in stages, mixing well until a pliable dough is formed. Knead until the dough is smooth and does not stick to your hands. Place the dough in a greased bowl and cover with a clean, damp kitchen towel. Set aside in a warm place for 20 minutes, or until it has doubled in size. In the meantime, heat the remaining 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of oil and sauté the onions until soft.

Add the All-in-One barbecue spices and fry until the onions are light brown and caramelised. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and continue cooking for 2 minutes to reduce the liquid. Set aside to cool. Put the caramelised onions into the bowl with the dough and them mix through. Knead the dough again for 1 minute, and then form it into balls the size of tennis balls.

Place the balls on an oiled baking sheet and gently flatten them to a thickness of 2 cm. Flour lightly, then set aside to prove again for 20 minutes. Place the Roosterkoek on the barbecue grill when the coals have slightly cooled off (they should be a medium heat). Turn them regularly for 15-20 minutes as they cook. When they are ready, they will sound hollow when you tap the crusts with your knuckles.

For the Lamb Potjie (Lamb Stew)
1 kg of Chopped Lamb Neck
1 kg of Sliced Lamb Shank
3 Large Onions, Sliced
3 Large Potatoes, Cut Into Chunks
250 g of Large Mushrooms, Sliced
250 g of Small Carrots
250 g of Baby Marrows
250 g of Mini Corn
50 g of Brown Onion Soup Powder
10 ml of Dried Rosemary
10 ml of Salt
200 ml of Beef/Veal Stock
250 ml of Red Wine (Optional)

For the Sauce
250 ml of Ideal Milk
250 ml of Peach Chutney
1 heaped tbsp of Medium Curry

Light your fire. It will take a while for the coals to get ready, so get it going before you start preparing your ingredients. If you’re using a gas barbeque, preheat it to 180°C. Keep your barbecue lid closed to avoid losing the heat. Heat your oil in your 3-legged potjie pot or large cast-iron pot. Once the oil is hot, sauté sliced onions until golden brown. Remove the onions and set them aside. Place lamb neck and shanks in the heated potjie and brown them. Add salt and rosemary. Once the meat is well-browned, add onions, red wine, and beef stock. Leave to simmer for 1 hour, 15 minutes. Add potato chunks, carrots, and brown onion soup powder. Simmer for 30 minutes. Mix the sauce ingredients and add to the potjie, then add mushrooms, baby marrows, and mini corn. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Enjoy with samp mielies.

Tips from the chef: Make sure when making the potjie that you have a big fire to feed the embers under the pot so you can easily regulate the temperature of the pot.

READ MORE: Meet one MICHELIN star 99 Sushi Bar's South African chef

Galbi (Korean Beef Short Ribs)

By chef Ross Shonhan
Netsu by Ross Shonhan
MICHELIN-Selected, MICHELIN Guide Dubai 2023

Why he chose it: I was picturing the scene of sitting around a fire in the desert and what would I like to eat. This dish tastes much better being cooked over the coals of a campfire as opposed to in a pan, and after they are prepared, they are very easy to cook.

Ingredients and Preparation (2 People)

For the Galbi Marinade
6 g of Finely Grated Garlic
2 g of Fine Salt
56 g of Caster Sugar
10 g of Spring Onion
6 g of Sesame Oil
128 g of Yamasa Soy Sauce
34 g of Mirin
10 g of Rice Vinegar
5 g of Tobandjan
40 g of White Onion
2 g of Korean Chili Flakes
6 g of Ginger
40 g of Nashi Pear
40 g of Green Apple
32 ml of Water

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.

For the Galbi
250 g of Beef Short Ribs
500 g of Galbi Marinade
5 g of White Sesame Seeds
5 g of Chopped, Washed, and Dried Spring Onion

Cut short ribs into 3-inch widths and carefully slice each section into 2 or 3 pieces with a ruler. Marinate all slices for 2 days, then remove from the marinade and grill on charcoal. Glaze constantly while cooking on the grill. Transfer to a clean chopping board, slice into portions, and place on a warm serving plate lined with kyogi sheet. Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped spring onion.

Tips from the chef: Marinate the Galbi at least 2-3 days in advance to ensure the meat becomes very tender. When it comes to the cooking, build a fire and allow it to burn down so you have a bed of red-hot embers sitting in a grill or use a simple cake cooling rack directly on those embers, because you are trying to get a deep caramelisation of the surface of the meats so you need extreme heat with no flame to avoid burning the meat.

Pecora Alla Callara

By chef Luigi Stinga
Talea by Antonio Guida
One MICHELIN Star, MICHELIN Guide Abu Dhabi 2024

Why he chose it: I chose this dish because it faces the same unfavorable conditions in the mountains. This is an ancient Italian dish where all that was needed was a pot and a few herbs.

Ingredients and Preparation (10 People)

1.5 kg of Sheep Meat
1 Cup of Vinegar
Salt to Taste
1 Carrot
1 Stick of Celery
1 Onion
1/2 Chili Pepper (optional)
1 Sprig of Rosemary
1 Clove of Garlic
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tbps of Olive Oil
500 g of Cherry Tomatoes
1 Bunch of Parsley

Clean and cut the meat into fairly large pieces. Put it in a pan and cover it with plenty of water and a glass of vinegar. Place on the grill and boil, cooking over low heat. Let it boil for 2-hour, removing the foam and impurities that form on the surface, from time to time, with a slotted spoon. Next, wash and peel the carrot. Also, clean celery, onion, chili pepper and rosemary and chop them. Cut the cherry tomatoes into quarters, peel the garlic and clean the bay leaves. Take a frying pan, fill the bottom with a drizzle of oil and add carrot, garlic and celery. Sauté over low heat, then add the sheep meat (after draining it). Let it brown for 10 minutes, deglazing with another glass of vinegar. After that, add all the other herbs and vegetables, 4 glasses of water and season with salt. Cook for 1 hour over medium-low heat. Once cooked, season with chopped parsley and serve hot.

Tips from the chef: The secret to this dish is time; the slower it cooks, the better and more tender it will be.

READ MORE: Bringing the Amalfi Coast to Abu Dhabi, meet chef Luigi Stinga

Illustration Image Credit: sorn340/iStock