Bohemian Club

Adventure and Epicure - Cooks in the Forest

Published on 19 December |Last updated on 19 December

A passion based on sharing

After a long epic journey in the restaurant business, from cocktail bars to gourmet restaurants and even food factories, it was at the turn of the world pandemic that our passions came together to explore the world of wood-fired cooking and to explore the Quebec territory in search of new places to discover. The initial idea was to be able to recreate a restaurant whose decor is nature itself in order to offer not only a culinary experience but also a social one, since with the pandemic, playing outside is without a doubt a must to keep a healthy mind.

With the experiences, we have cooked in places where all chefs would dream of doing so and with a sometimes disarming ease. Now, we have developed an incredible synergy that claims to bring people together and that advocates sharing in a non-commercial way. This enthusiasm has pushed us to go beyond our limits, such as sourcing from local farms and breeders or fighting the cold with food that is not necessarily resistant to it. 

The most important lesson we learned, and one that every aspiring forest cook should consider when developing their menu, is to set realistic goals. There is no point in aiming for a recipe that is too complex, because often it is the simplicity that makes the experience enjoyable. Let yourself go and make recipes that make you feel confident, your taste buds and those of your guests will judge when the time comes. 

Perfect weather for cooking

With the arrival of spring, we see the days getting longer, the temperature rising and nature coming back to life. When it comes to this time of year, it's unanimous, we all want to go outside and play and what better way to do so than with an outdoor excursion. For us, it's the perfect opportunity to cook a delicious afternoon meal with good friends. It's not too hot or too cold, there are no flies and the melting snow leaves the dry and broken branches of the trees visible which makes the task of making a fire much easier. The table is set, all that remains is to cook.

Cooking in the forest, the essentials

High gastronomy is often associated with the amount of manipulation and techniques that must be used to produce an incredible work. For wilderness cooking, simplicity, lightness and resourcefulness are the best assets. To get started, here are some essentials:

  • A pair of fireproof gloves 
  • Metal tongs for handling food
  • A small metal shovel to pack the coals
  • A portable grill for cooking your food.

With this you have a nice starter pack for the forest cook and the rest will flow much more easily especially since these are items that drag well in a hiking bag. As we experiment, we fine-tune our kit but dare to leave the Martin stove and burner at home, when we understand how to cook with fire, the experience becomes exhilarating. 

Mastering the art of the fire

Obviously, to cook in the forest, you must have a minimum of judgment and a perfect mastery of fire. That said, we start by choosing a clear and safe place with little vegetation on the ground and as close to water as possible. If there are rocks nearby, they should be gathered around the fire, as this keeps the heat in the center and keeps the fire in one place.

When the location is chosen, we go hunting for dry wood, so the first collect is very important. The birch bark and spruce branches are very dry and can be used to start a fire quickly. When the fire is taken as it should be, we add woods of bigger diameter to make embers because it takes quite a lot. A tip if you want to save time and energy, bring a bag of charcoal!

When the embers are sufficient, it's time to set up the grate near the fire and all that's left to do is shovel pieces of glowing embers underneath for cooking. Don't be too optimistic and never neglect your fire because the embers are consumed quickly. 

The Argentinian asado is definitely the experience to try for the first time and it offers a wide range of possibilities since almost any food can be grilled relatively easily. The concept is simple, you want to have several different courses of grilled food that you cook one after the other. The experience of the asado is very interactive because we serve each grill directly from the fire when it is ready, this allows us to concentrate on each service and avoid missing the cooking by wanting to do everything at once.

On our side, when we make an Asado, it is because we want to enjoy the moment and stretch the pleasure to the maximum. There is only one rule, SHARE, be generous and dare to taste everything that is presented to you.

Here are three recipes for an Asado for 4-6 people:

- Grilled acorn squash

- Tomahak with wild rub

- Sauteed vegetables

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Adventure and Epicure - Cooks in the Forest