UKC

Due to various family reasons, my husband and I will be on our own this Christmas. We are thinking of heading to a bothy if the weather is not awful. So, we are now debating what would be a suitable meal to treat ourselves to. We don't do turkey at Christmas anyway, it's a rubbish meat, we normally do a very nice meal that feels like a treat. Some sort of stew is the obvious choice, but we are wondering if any of you have done a particularly good meal in a bothy that might inspire us?

In reply to girlymonkey:
Some sort of venison stew, pre cooked so only needing reheated in the bothy, sounds great - hope the weather decent and you have an ace time

In reply to girlymonkey:

Boeuf Bourgignon.

In reply to girlymonkey:

Cooked a lamb tajine last time I stayed in a bothy much to the envy of 2 other parties staying the night. I did share my gin slims with them though

In reply to girlymonkey:

What a brilliant plan.

In reply to girlymonkey:

Sounds like a good plan.

I'd bite the bullet and carry in that little bit extra - fresh ingredients etc. Definitely attempt to make it 3 courses (or more!) and it'll feel like an occasion.

A nice warming soup will start you off well, and can be carried in a flask.

Have had chicken fajitas in numerous remote places. Tortilla wraps are good wilderness food, as they last for days, and those little fajita mix sachets mean all you need to do is add onion, peppers and whatever meat you want. Salsa/sour cream etc in a plastic tub needs looking after in the pack though!

Cheese and oatcakes with a dram at the end.

In reply to Andy Morley:

Sadly, working a couple of ski seasons in chalets has ruined boeuf bourgignon for me!

In reply to Baron Weasel:

Mmmm, I do love lamb tagine! Good suggestion

In reply to Mal Grey:

I like this a lot too, although I might be tempted by something sweet for pudding, I do have a sweet tooth!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Turkey is only a rubbish meat when poorly cooked! Sadly this seems too be all too often. Lost count of the number of times I've heard people say "I don't like turkey, it's too dry".

Venison stew though, always a winner.

In reply to nathan79:

Try brining it overnight to moisten it up.
It works with chicken.

In reply to girlymonkey:

A spicy goulash with crusty bread with added garlic butter.

Like others have said, cook things in advance and reheat.

Me, i'd do an Indian buffet starts, big lentil curry and tofu choccy pud.

However I would make fresh Nann in the bothy

In reply to goldmember:


Totally agree with this.
Me and some mates had a fairly disastrous attempt to cook a full Christmas dinner, including Bernard Matthews turkey, on a trangia in the summit shelter on Cadair Idris one Christmas day. I'd trade that for something preheated and delicious anyday.
Or rattle out a chilli.

In reply to goldmember:

Would you make the dough for the naan in advance, and then just flatten and fry them there? A Christmas curry could be good

In reply to girlymonkey:

I keep meaning to try to cook an old-fashioned English curry. Meaning a beef stew with sultanas and curry powder in it.

In reply to girlymonkey:
Rather than a "proper" naan, you can do excellent fresh flat breads if you can be bothered to carry in some flour and plain natural yoghurt. Roughly 50/50 of each, a little salt, a reasonable amount of sugar, mix, and then roll them out really thin on a flat surface using a bottle as a rolling pin. Slap 'em in a pan with a little oil, and just a few minutes later you're done.

Bannock is a good thing too. Simplest recipe is 50% self-raising flour to 50% milk powder, then add some flavourings (dried fruit being an excellent option, best ever was with freshly picked bilberries but dehydrated strawberries are pretty amazing too (rehydrate first)). Just add a smallish amount of water until its doughy and just on the dry edge of being damp & sticky (keep some spare flour back in case you add too much water - I always do). Then cook slowly on top of the bothy stove, try to keep the pan off direct heat or it will do too quickly. Butter makes it even better. I tend towards a sweeter version, adding golden syrup or just sugar, the latter can just be added to the mix. The joy here is that all the ingredients are dry and light, you just need to add water. Really simple to do, can even be done on a gas stove, though tends to go a bit too fast. Did one by the river for lunch today, with dried cranberries, its that easy it can be done in a (long) lunch stop.

You can probably tell that fresh bread is one of my favourite things in life (not that I can bake at all at home!), and being able to produce some in a remote situation is great.

In reply to girlymonkey:

Sprouts. Just as good raw and keep you warm.

In reply to dmhigg:

It would certainly save us having to carry in fuel for the fire, we'd keep the bothy warm enough ourselves!

In reply to Mal Grey:

This sounds like it is worth experimenting with!

In reply to girlymonkey:

Have you tried the delicacy of a 'whisky pot noodle'?
It's dead simple. Boil some water, fill the Bombay bad boy up to the level, stir and wait for four minutes. Then, and only then, pour in a good measure of whisky and stir again.
You will need a fork for the noodly bit, but the joy is in drinking the curry and whisky flavoured juice straight from the pot .

In reply to nathan79:


For those that are not keen on Turkey ( me included) there is less waste, and better quality control in a M&S Turkey Crown, which can be reheated. But, I'm with others, a nice bit of pre cooked venison would be my preference ( or Duck)

I hope they think and take a wee bit extra food in case a hungry stranger drops by
( I trust they have already secreted plenty of coal / peat near to their chosen Christmas bothy )

In reply to girlymonkey:

After the recent programme on Bothys, you might not be alone this year unless you go for a very remote lesser known bothy

Maybe the Sluggan Howff.

In reply to Jim C:

Of course we will have extra food! We are thinking of taking crackers too (the kind that you pull, not the ones for cheese!), and we will take spares of those also. We don't have a fuel stash anywhere, as we will choose the bothy last minute when we see the weather forecast!

In reply to Jim C:

We are not particularly looking to be alone - a bothy would not be the place to go if this was a top concern! Just looking for a different Christmas really, so happy to share the party and good cheer
I do love the Sluggan Howff, but the lack of fire will probably deter us from heading there for Christmas. Fire is pretty key in our decision making!

In reply to girlymonkey:

It was the ( misread) comment that you would keep yourselves warm , that I took that you might be wanting to be alone

In reply to Jim C:

lol, that was in response to the suggestion of sprouts!! We might well be alone if we take up that suggestion!! LOL

In reply to girlymonkey:

Pre-cooked stew of some sort, rice then Christmas pud, cheese and biscuits and a wee dram or two. A bit more to carry in than might be ideal but it'll make a night of it.

T.

In reply to girlymonkey:

The lack of fire is a drawback, but the confined space helps in that regard , and with a few bodies, and a small burner it can warm quite well.

I knew one of the builders of Sluggan Howff, Dougie Mollison, he was a great guy, full of fun in life , even his funeral was upbeat., just as he wanted it.

In reply to girlymonkey:
I'm not sure about gourmet cooking - but getting the drinks right is key.

I'd suggest a bottle of a strong red for the main meal, and then, perhaps heretically for a bothy in winter, port for dessert and cheese courses ( of course if you can stretch to a half bottle of dessert wine, and a bottle of port, that would be even better).

In reply to dmhigg:


They keep the person behind you warm, as well.