Every week, only in LIFE

Just because you’re camping or caravanning doesn’t mean you can’t cook great food , says Rachel Allen, who has some delicious recipes for you to try. Photography by Tony Gavin

I’ve always had a romantic fantasy about owning my own camper van. In my mind’s eye, it’s an Airstream-type retro one, but with all the bells and whistles inside. I’d pack up a few essentials (as in the perfect capsule wardrobe) and leave home, with my family, to travel across Europe and the Americas for a year or two. The only problem is my family doesn’t seem quite as keen as I am on this whole idea, so it might just remain a pipe dream. I’ll probably just have to get my fix from regular glamping and camping trips here and there along the way.

When I was filming my Coastal Cooking TV series last year, we spent the last night of the monthlong shoot at Teapot Lane, a gorgeously rustic glamping site in north Leitrim, close to the Sligo border. They have a selection of divine sleeping ‘nests’ in which to rest your weary head after a night singing and dancing round the campfire — from Mongolian-style yurts to a vintage caravan, or the most romantic little treehouse imaginable, with wood-burning stoves, hand-knitted blankets and the fluffiest duvets, not to mention the low-impact loo and outdoor rain shower!

So whether it’s camping, glamping or caravanning I’m after, I’ll plan the food carefully and pack up ingredients that can be magicked together to create a delicious meal. Sauces and salsas are easy to prepare and pack, and all they require is a fire or a barbecue and some meat or fish. I love cooking fish in the en papillote style, which basically means that you wrap each portion in a paper parcel with a few seasonings, then cover it in tinfoil, before placing on the fire. This results in a juicy fish dish sitting in its own-made sauce. This simple version, right, is made with spinach and cream.

I’m a big fan of the chimichurri salsa with steak, right, but it’s equally good with chops or fish too. It’s an age-old Latin American recipe that gives great flavour to meat cooked over an open fire. The story goes that the name comes from ‘Jimmy’s curry’, Jimmy apparently being an Irishman who is rumoured to have joined in the fight for Argentine independence. Whether that’s the truth or not, the salsa will keep well for a day or two, if you want to make it in advance and bring with you. As will the rub for the sesame and soy fish, far right. This is great with red snapper, but should you happen to score the jackpot and catch a river trout, then that will be a winner. HAKE EN PAPILLOTE WITH SPINACH AND CREAM (Pictured) Instead of hake, you could use any other round fish: salmon, haddock, or whiting will all work well. Also see my Tip, above. For each portion, you will need: A portion of filleted hake, about 150g (5oz) in weight A handful of shredded de-stalked spinach leaves 25ml-50ml (1fl oz-2fl oz) cream A squeeze of lemon juice Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

First light up the barbecue or fire, whichever you’re using, and allow it to get hot. Make your paper fish parcels by placing each portion of fish on a round or square piece of parchment or greaseproof paper, about 23cm (9in) in diameter.

Top the fish portions with a small handful of the shredded de-stalked spinach leaves, a drizzle of cream and a squeeze of lemon juice. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then fold the paper well to create a parcel.

Wrap each individual parcel in tinfoil, then place each one in the burning embers of the fire or on the barbecue’s grill, whichever you’re using, and cook them for about 15-20 minutes. The fish will be cooked when it feels firm to the touch through the tinfoil. Open up the parcels and serve straight away.

SOUTH AMERICAN STYLE BEEF STEAK WITH CHIMICHURRI SALSA

Serves 6.

You will need:

6 sirloin steaks, 1cm-2cm thick (less than ½in-¾in) 6 garlic cloves, peeled and finely chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped Juice of 1 lemon 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 75ml (3fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil

For the chimichurri salsa, you will need:

1 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped spring onion 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar 1 pinch of dried chilli flakes 2 tablespoons chopped coriander 2 tablespoons chopped parsley Juice of half a lime 75ml (3fl oz) extra-virgin olive oil Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Using a sharp knife, lightly score the steaks in a criss-cross pattern (about 1mm deep), and also score the fat down the side.

Put the finely chopped garlic, the finely chopped chilli, the lemon juice and the chopped fresh parsley in a bowl. Add the extra-virgin olive oil and mix everything together well. Add the sirloin steaks and cover them in the marinade, then place them in the fridge, still in the bowl, for at least one hour to marinate (or up to about eight hours).

To make the chimichurri salsa, put the finely chopped garlic, the finely chopped spring onion, the white wine vinegar, the pinch of dried chilli flakes, the chopped coriander and the chopped parsley in a bowl. Add the lime juice and the extravirgin olive oil. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, then set the salsa aside until you’re ready to serve.

Heat a grill pan, frying pan or your barbecue until it is very hot. Remove the sirloin steaks from the marinade and cook them for about 3-4 minutes on each side or longer, depending on your taste.

Reserve the marinade left in the bowl and use it to brush over the steaks during the cooking time.

Transfer the cooked steaks to serving plates, spoon over the chimchurri salsa, and include more in a bowl on the side. Serve.

SESAME AND SOY GRILLED FISH

Serves 6–8.

You will need:

2cm (1in) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced thinly 1 stick of lemongrass (the outer layer removed), bruised and sliced 2 spring onions, trimmed and sliced 1 red chilli, deseeded and sliced 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla) 1 teaspoon caster sugar 1 whole small-medium red snapper, descaled and gutted

To serve, you will need:

1 tablespoon sesame oil A few drops of fish sauce (nam pla) Squeeze of lemon or lime juice 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

Put half of each of the following into a food processor: the thinly sliced fresh ginger, the sliced lemongrass, the sliced spring onions and the sliced chilli. Add all of the soy sauce, the fish sauce and the caster sugar, and whizz for 1-2 minutes to form a paste. If you’re going camping, you can pack this into a tub. It’ll keep for a week.

Score the fish by making cuts in the skin, at an angle, about 5mm (¼in) deep, and rub in the paste.

Fill the fish’s cavity with the remaining thinly sliced fresh ginger, the sliced lemongrass, the sliced spring onions and the sliced chilli, cover and leave the fish to marinate for 1–2 hours in the fridge.

Preheat the oven or the barbecue, whichever you’re using, to hot.

If you’re cooking the fish in the oven, put it on a roasting tray and in the oven for 35-40 minutes until it is opaque all the way through.

If you’re barbecuing the fish, place the fish on an oiled piece of tinfoil, and position it over the heat. Cook the fish, for about 30 minutes, depending on the size of the fish, and turn it halfway through.

To serve, drizzle the fish with the sesame oil, the fish sauce, then squeeze over some lemon juice or lime juice, whichever you’re using, and scatter over the chopped fresh coriander.