Outdoor cooking: Eat the nature #2

A gastronomic experience in the wild

By Jurgen Bender

A day in the woods

This dish is perfect when going to the woods: fire-grilled chicken with corn and pearl barley – and chanterelles, which is a good mushroom for beginners as it is easily recognized. I have also added goutweed which you might know from the garden. It has a light parsley flavor and is a good alternative if you are allergic to parsley. The chicken is brought from home, but if you are a hunter, you can easily use pheasant or partridge instead.

Chanterelles are summer mushroom and can be found from July to October in woodland foliage, often beech woods. They are whitish- yellow to yellow with a firm and compact texture. Chantarelles have an unmistakable trumpet shape with slats along the stem. Chantarelles can also be more orange in colour, but then they are more soft and less compact – and often grow in pine forests. But be aware as some say they are rather poisonous.

Goutweed often grows in gardens and at the edge of a wood. It is easily found and smells and tastes a little like parsley. It has about 6-7 edible leaves per stem.

Fire-grilled chicken with Chanterelles and herbs

You need this (for 4 people):

• one whole chicken – cleaned and quartered (breast and legs) – preferably in a marinade of oil and spices
• chanterelles – a good handful
• 1 onion
• 2-3 carrots
• 1 apple
• goutweed – a good bouquet (can be replaced with parsley)
• 2-3 cl water
• 0,5 dl cream for thickening (can be omitted)
• salt og pepper
• olive oil for frying
• if possible a little handful of blackberries

Method

• Light a fire and let it burn down to embers – use the waiting time to boil the pearl barley.
• Place a griddle over the fire and place the chicken pieces here.
• When the chicken is properly grilled, remove them and rebuild the fire.
• Add the washed, roughly chopped carrots and apple together with a little water. Let it all boil a little and then add the cream.

• Place a pot over the fire – either on a griddle or a tripod. Add a little oil and when hot, fry the onions until soft.
• Once the onions are ready, add the washed chanterelles and fry them together.
• Add the chicken in the pot and boil everything together – if you have some blackberries, wash and add them to the pot. Taste with salt and pepper and sprinkle fine chopped goutweed over the dish.

Corn and pearl barley

• 2-300 g pearl barley

• 2-300 g corn, preferably fresh

• 0,5 l water

• 0,5 tsp. salt

1. Rinse the barley and place it in a pot with water and salt.
2. Boil the pearl barley for 25-35 minutes – watch closely and add more water if needed.
3. When the pearl barley is ready, pour any excess water away.
4. Mix in the fresh corn so it is thoroughly warmed.