How to Prepare 2 Italian Chicken Dinners While Camping
By Liz Krause
Camping does not have to mean eating nuts and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for a good meal. Learning how to cook some easy meals while camping does not always come naturally, nor is it always as easy as when in your own kitchen. However, with a few adjustments, you can take two easy Italian recipes from the kitchen and serve them over a campfire instead – to the envy of any neighboring campers.
One popular Italian recipe which frequently brings a smile to anyone’s face is Chicken Cacciatore.
Chicken cacciatore is an old Italian recipe that most likely was originally made over a fire rather than a stove. The name itself means, “Hunter’s Chicken”. It is a flexible recipe as no one particular part of the chicken is required and the recipe is frequently modified to suit what a cook happens to have on hand.
Follow these steps and you will enjoy a perfect Italian recipe.
Chicken Cacciatore
1.In a deep skillet, pan, or Dutch oven, heat 1/4 cup olive oil until hot.
2. Add in whatever cuts of chicken you have – breast, thigh, legs, etc. Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 to 10 minutes on each side until the skin is browned evenly.
3.Next, add in sliced green pepper, red pepper, and/or yellow pepper. Any combination will do.
4. Add in 1 large onion cut in slices.
5.Add in 1 or 2 celery stalks and 1 carrot sliced.
6. Add in a can of diced tomatoes – juice and all.
7.Add in 2 Tablespoons of capers.
8.Add in a Tablespoon of dried parsley and basil (if available).
9.Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
10.Cover with a lid and continue cooking until the chicken has an internal temperature of 165 degrees F. or until the juices run clear. Depending on the heat and cooking source this can take approximately 1 hour but check frequently after 30 minutes.
11.When serving the chicken use any remaining sauce in the pan to drizzle over the served chicken.
Chicken Piccata
This recipe is often served in restaurants, but there is no reason you cannot enjoy this recipe while camping. All you need are some thinly sliced chicken breasts approximately 1/4 thick or less, white flour for dredging the breasts, olive oil, salt, pepper, 1/2 cup water, lemon juice, capers, and garlic.
Everything can be prepared in one pan over the fire or stove.
1.Start by heating the olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.
2.Sprinkle salt and pepper into the flour. Place the flour mixture in a zip lock bag.
3.Place the chicken in the bag and toss to coat evenly.
4.Then add the breasts into the hot oil and fry for approximately 4 minutes or until done. Turn each piece over and cook for another minute or so.
5.Remove the cutlets and set them aside.
6.Add in the water, a few tablespoons of lemon juice, 1 Tablespoon of capers, and 2 crushed cloves of garlic into the frying pan. Give a stir and then let it cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until it has turned into a thick sauce.
7.Place the cutlets back in the sauce and simmer over low heat for a few minutes.
8.Serve warm.
Remember, whenever cooking with food outdoors, it is important to properly discard any remaining food and to clean your camping area following the instructions provided by the campsite. Not properly caring for your food and belongings can attract wild animals such as bears, deer, and other wildlife which can cause potentially life-threatening situations.
Article contributed by SimpleItalianCooking.com a resource for Italian recipes and offers kitchenware advice in the form of reviews, such as a meat grinder review or other appliances frequently used in Italian cooking.
