More Ideas For Cooking On Your Car Engine
OK, so in my last post, I mentioned how one goes about harnessing the waste heat from your car engine to cook your dinner. While just mentioning the how-tos is enough for some cooks, other folk might need more than just a bit of inspiration. Some people prefer to have it down in black in white in front of them. So, without further ado, here are a handful of recipes for cooking on your car engine. Just don’t forget the golden rules of wrapping everything very thoroughly in tinfoil and making sure that the wire you use to strap your tinfoil packets in place on your engine block doesn’t interfere with any moving parts.
I haven’t given cooking times in these recipes, as individual results will depend on (a) your car engine, (b) how fast you’re driving and (c) how hot a day it is.
Veggie roast-up
Chop pieces of suitable veggies into chunks about 4 cm x 4 cm by 10 cm (but there’s no need to be too precise. Toss in a wee bit of cooking oil then sprinkle with salt and maybe a few herbs (rosemary, oregano or thyme) before wrapping in the tinfoil. Suitable veggies include pumpkin, parsnip, beetroot, onion, potato, sweet potato, swede, zucchini and carrot. You can put them in separate packets if you have too many to fit in a pack that stays together.
Long-haul pot roast
This requires a drive of 200+ km, so try this one next time you’re driving interstate. Take a decent chunk of meat (1 kg or more): beef, pork or mutton. In an ice cream container or something else that will fit your meat, combine 1 cup red wine, 2 cloves crushed garlic, a couple of sprigs of rosemary plus salt and pepper to taste. Dunk the meat in the mixture and roll it about until the meat is coated. Cover the container and leave it in the fridge overnight. Before you set off, take the meat out of the marinade and wrap it up in the tinfoil. Discard the marinade. Halfway through your drive, stop and flip the packet of meat over so it cooks evenly.
Chicken wings a la Porsche Cayenne
Get about half a dozen chicken wings and coat them lightly in oil (not too much or you risk it dripping out of the tinfoil and starting a fire that will be really hard to explain to the insurance company). Mix up a bit of cayenne pepper (or chilli powder), dried oregano, chopped garlic and salt, plus enough paprika to get enough to coat the wings. You can also use pre-prepared seasoning mixes from your local supermarket if you want to try a different flavour. Wrap up the wings, either individually or as a packet.
Baked apples
Got to have dessert in there somewhere! Use large, firm apples (e.g. Granny Smith). Remove the core so there’s a hollow down the middle of the apple. Combine sultanas, cinnamon and sugar. Stuff the hollow with the cinnamon, sugar and sultana mix. Wrap up really well individually in the foil. This also works with other firm pipfruit such as pears and quinces.
Chocolate bananas
This BBQ favourite works best for short journeys. Leave the bananas in the skin and cut a slit in them lengthwise. Insert chocolate chips or chunks of chocolate. Possibly slip in a few marshmallows. Wrap firmly.
Dashboard Pain au Chocolat
This doesn’t involve the engine but is too good to leave out. We all know that chocolate melts if left on the dashboard in the hot sun, so make the most of it. Get some plain croissants from the bakery and heaps of dark chocolate. Chop up or grate the chocolate and add it liberally to the croissants. Wrap in clingfilm, baking paper or foil. Place on dashboard of the car and wait until the chocolate melts.
Happy driving (and cooking!)
Megan
Level 2, 9 Help Street