The Amazing Dutch Oven

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If you're determined to pack one of the large cookers on your back when trek king into the wilds, however, you might want to try one of the newer aluminum models . . . but remember that the lighter material does not have the superior heat-retaining qualities of the more weighty metal.

THE CARE AND FEEDI NG OF A DUTCH OVEN

After you've purchased an oven that suits your particular outdoor cooking needs, you'll have to ready the baking unit for service. First, make sure that its lid fits tightly to seal off the cooking chamber effectively. To do so, simply smear a high-grade valve grinding compound on the rim of the pot and the inside of the lid . . . then set the top in place and rotate it until there's a snug match.

Next, you'll want to remove the protective waxy layer with which the manufacturer has coated the cast iron . . . so give your new oven a thorough scrubbing with a stiff brush, using hot water and mild soap. (This is the one and only time you should need to use soap on the pot! )

Now rinse and towel-dry the iron cooker, and you'll be ready to "season" it—or break it in—for a lifetime of use. This process, which involves working oil into the metal by prolonged heating, gives the outdoor baker a long-lasting "armor" that will all but guarantee nonstick cooking and quick cleanups.

The simplest method of "sweetening" the pot is to deep-fry in the Dutch oven a few times before it's used for any other method of cooking. To begin, fill (to within a few inches of its rim) the vessel with vegetable oil, lard, or other shortening . . . and heat it until a cube of dry bread dropped into the oil will brown in one minute. Then slip chunks of food (such as batter-dipped fish, fritters, or doughnuts) into the bubbling liquid—a few at a time—and cook them until they're golden brown.

On the other hand, you might prefer to season your camp cooker in one session . . . using your kitchen stove. Thoroughly smear all inside surfaces of the pot (including the lid) with shortening or vegetable oil, and then place it in a 350°F oven for one hour. ( The oil will begin to smoke as it heats up, so you may want to open some windows during this process!)

Check on the kettle frequently, and relubricate it about every 15 minutes. At the end of an hour, remove the pot and—after it cools off—wipe out the excess oil, leaving only a thin layer to be further absorbed by the porous metal.

A carefully oil-seasoned Dutch oven should easily wipe clean after each use ... requiring neither detergents nor scrubbing. In fact, the pot will actually get "sweeter" each time you cook in it, as more and more oil works its way into the iron walls. (However, if the cooker should begin, after a while, to rust—or if the food prepared in it has a slightly metallic taste—you can restore its inner "finish" with a thorough reseasoning. )

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