Cooking over an open fire: campfire dinners that work

A good campfire dinner tastes better than it has any right to. Smoke, appetite and fresh air do half the work. But campfire cooking also goes wrong in familiar ways: burnt outsides, raw middles and a fire that is either a bonfire or a few sad embers. A bit of planning solves most of it.

First: check the fire rules

Before you pack the firewood, check whether you are allowed to light a fire at all. In British Columbia and across Canada, fire bans and restrictions are common in dry weather, and they change quickly. Rules vary by province, region, municipality, park and campground. Check the current local fire ban or restriction with your provincial wildfire service, the park or campground, or the local fire department before lighting any fire.

If a ban is in force, do not light a fire. Many bans cover wood campfires but allow certain gas or propane stoves, though the exact rule differs by area, so confirm for your location. A portable camp stove will still make most of the dinners below.

Where fires are allowed, use the established fire ring, keep water and a shovel nearby, never leave the fire unattended, and put it fully out before you leave or go to sleep. Drown it, stir the ashes and feel that it is cold to the touch.

Build a fire for cooking, not for show

Flames are for warmth. For cooking, you want a bed of glowing coals.

1. Light the fire early, about 45 minutes before you want to cook.
2. Use dry, hardwood where you can (maple, oak, birch). Softwoods like pine burn hot and spit.
3. Let it burn down until you have a layer of red-orange coals with little flame.
4. Push the coals to one side so you have a hot zone and a cooler zone. This gives you control.
5. Buy firewood near where you camp. Moving firewood long distances can spread tree pests, so local wood is better.

Tools worth packing

• A cast iron skillet or a sturdy camping pan
• Heavy-duty aluminum foil
• Long tongs and heat-proof gloves
• A grill grate that sits over the fire ring
• An instant-read thermometer for chicken and sausages (74 C for poultry)

Foil packet dinner

The most forgiving method. For each person, tear off a big sheet of foil. In the middle, layer:

• A sliced potato (about 5 mm thick)
• Sliced onion and a handful of baby carrots
• A sausage, or a chicken thigh cut into pieces
• A knob of butter, salt, pepper and a pinch of paprika or dried herbs

Fold the foil into a sealed packet, then wrap again with a second sheet. Place it on the coals, not in open flame, for 25 to 35 minutes, turning once. Open carefully, because the steam is hot.

Skillet breakfast for dinner

Fry sliced sausage or bacon in a cast iron pan on the grate. Add diced potatoes and cook until browned, then onions and peppers. Crack eggs on top, cover with foil and cook for 5 minutes. This dish uses one pan and feeds hungry people fast.

Easy sides and a sweet finish

• Corn on the cob: soak in water for 15 minutes, wrap in foil and set on the coals for 15 to 20 minutes.
• Grilled bread: slice a loaf, brush with oil and garlic, and toast it on the grate.
• Baked apples: core an apple, fill it with oats, butter and cinnamon, wrap in foil and bake in the coals for 20 minutes.
• Hot drinks: a kettle on the grate for tea, coffee or cocoa.

What can go wrong

• Burnt outside, raw inside. Too close to the flames. Move to the cooler zone.
• Flare-ups from fat. Trim meat and keep a spray bottle of water ready.
• Food safety. Keep raw meat in a cooler at or below 4 C, away from other foods, and wash hands and tools after touching it.
• Wildlife. Store food in your vehicle or in the provided food lockers, not the tent.
• Wind. Find shelter and watch for sparks.

Pack out everything you pack in, and leave the site cleaner than you found it. For more ideas rooted in where you live and the food growing near you, browse our eat local section.