Dutch Oven Cooking

My brother John had a Dutch oven cooking demonstration last Saturday in his backyard that turned out to be a very informative and delicious experience.  There was a turnout of about 50 people and everyone was given the task of creating their own dish to share with the group.  The dishes varied from chicken stuffed with rice to chili to dinner rolls to chicken-bacon-potato soup and even pineapple upside-down cake.  My sister even made some awesome chocolate cupcakes which was a first for her in the Dutch oven.  Some dishes came out a little over cooked, but at the end of the night everyone had a full stomach and had gained some new knowledge on Dutch oven cooking.  I want to thank John for having us all over to his house and also for being a very patient instructor.

Here is some useful information to get you started.  Dutch ovens can be used for frying, baking, boiling, and steaming.  The following instructions are for cooking using charcoal briquettes.  If you are planning on baking you need more heat on the top than on the bottom.  Put one charcoal briquette on the bottom for every 3 on the top of the lid.  For preparing stews use one on the top for every 4 on the bottom. When roasting put briquettes on the top and bottom evenly.  To understand the temperature and number of briquettes you will need we need to do a little math.  Each briquette adds about 25 degrees of heat.  A good starting temperature is 350 degrees.  To figure out how many briquettes to use, take the size of the oven in inches, and subtract three to get the number of briquettes for the bottom and add three to get the number of briquettes for the top.  Using this method is the best way to ensure even heat distribution like your oven at home.  I’ve found that every 15 minutes you should rotate the oven clock-wise a quarter of a turn and the lid counter clock-wise a quarter of a turn to make sure your dish cooks evenly.

Dutch ovens come in various sizes. They are measured by the size of the opening in inches.  The most popular Dutch oven is the 12 inch variety, which holds about 6 quarts and will serve as many as 12 to 14 people.  The 8 inch version is just right for two people and a 10 inch Dutch oven will serve 2-6 people.  Here is an excellent recipe we used this weekend.

 Chicken Bacon Potato Soup

8-10	boneless, skinless chicken breasts	1	cup sour cream
1/2	lb. bacon	3	cups grated cheddar cheese
2	medium yellow onions; diced	1 1/2	tsp. seasoning salt
1 1/2	cup fresh mushrooms; sliced	1 1/2	tsp. poultry seasoning
12-14	medium potatoes; peeled & sliced	1/2	tsp. garlic salt
(1)	10 ½ oz. can cream of chicken soup		salt and pepper to taste
(1)	10 ½ oz. can cream of mushroom soup

Heat a 12" deep Dutch oven using 18-20 briquettes bottom until hot. Cut bacon into 1 inch slices. Add to hot oven and fry until brown. Cut chicken breasts into bite size pieces. Add chicken, onions, mushrooms, and ½ tsp. of the seasoning salt to the bacon. Stir, then cover and cook until onions are translucent and chicken is tender. Add potatoes. Stir in soups, sour cream, and the remaining seasonings. Salt and pepper to taste. Cover and cook for 45-60 minutes using 8-10 coals bottom, and 14-16 coals top heat. Stir every 10-15 minutes. When done, cover top with cheese and replace lid. Let stand until cheese is melted.  Serves: 8-10