Camping, South African Break Aways

CAMPING FOOD, Elands Bay (West Coast)

Warning: This post will contain many FOOD pictures. If you’re hungry, we suggest you fill your tummy before reading this post (and my apologies to our vegetarian readers).

We recently had another camping weekend … at the very same place we were in January. The lovely seaside village of Elands Bay called us back to enjoy more of its beauty.

Some of you might remember our previous camping trip at Elands Bay (you can read about it here) and we will once again show you more of this amazing place in our next posts. But, for this post, we decided to show more of the camping food we prepare … with a few sunset photo’s and beach visits in between (just to give our stomachs a bit of a rest).

Let’s go camping and eating!

Sunsets at Elands Bay are spectacular
Our tent and a gazebo for shade
  • Steak stuffed with cheese (with a creamy garlic mushroom sauce) & Rocket/Roasted tomato/Feta salad:

On our first night, Berto made something we have not tried before – steak stuffed with mature cheddar cheese!

Steak:

A thick piece of Sirloin Steak
Cutting an opening in the steak to fill it with cubes of mature cheddar cheese

We wanted the cheese to melt, but not to fall out of the steak. Therefore, Berto ‘stitched’ the steak up with small pieces of wire (just make sure to remove these before eating). We then marinated the steak in Olive oil and Worcestershire sauce for an hour.

The ‘stitched steak is now marinating

While waiting for the steak to marinate, we could sit back and watch the amazing sunset over the Atlantic Ocean, while we were getting our camp fire ready for dinner.

The sun is setting over Elands Bay
Our camping fire

Creamy garlic mushroom sauce:

What is a steak without a sauce? For the sauce, we simply melted garlic butter in our black ‘potjie’ over hot coals and then added the sliced mushrooms until they were soft and brown. After we have added cream, we left it to thicken – this is a really easy and delicious sauce!

Mushrooms softens in garlic butter
After the cream was added, we left the sauce to thicken

Roasted tomatoes:

A fresh salad with steak is always a winner. To roast mini tomatoes on the fire, can be problematic … but we made a plan. We used skewers to roast the mini tomatoes (and I’m happy to report that none ended up in the coals)!

Skewered mini tomatoes
The tomatoes are getting roasted (next to our creamy sauce)
Ready for the salad

When we started to see a tiny drop of cheese coming from the steak, we knew it was ready to be taken off the coals.

Our Sirloin Steak filled with cheese is almost ready

Result:

It was yumminess in overload! The sauce makes this dish very rich and we might just leave the sauce out next time … but definitely use the sauce for other dishes. The salad is fresh (those roasted tomatoes are almost sweet) and compliments the steak perfectly.

Steak without sauce (left) and with the sauce (right)
  • Stuffed chicken drumsticks & grilled corn with garlic butter

The great thing about this dish, is that you can fill the chicken drumsticks with anything you like. But be warned, it can be tricky to debone a chicken drumstick.

Stuffed chicken drumsticks:

We like to stuff our chicken drumsticks with sundried tomatoes and feta cheese. While it’s on the fire, Berto will brush the drumsticks with Jimmy Sauce (a steakhouse sauce).

Ingredients to stuff into the chicken drumsticks
Deboned chicken drumstick
Stuffed chicken drumsticks

Corn in garlic butter:

This is such an easy dish to make on any camping trip and we love it! Just make sure you remember to pack in the foil … drizzle the corn with Olive oil, put plenty of garlic butter on and finish it off with salt and pepper. The corn basically cooks in the foil and towards the end we will remove the foil to grill the corn on the hot coals for just a couple of minutes.

Preparing the corn for the fire

It was such a beautiful day while we were preparing these on the fire – a typical summer’s day in Elands Bay!

Enjoying a sunny day in Elands Bay

Let’s finish our meal for this afternoon … the stuffed chicken drumsticks and corn in foil were on the hot coals. Towards the end, Berto brushed a bit of our favourite Jimmy Sauce over the drumsticks for extra flavour.

Chicken drumsticks and corn on the coals
Brushed with Jimmy Sauce, the chicken drumsticks are ready, while the corn grilled for a couple of minutes on the hot coals
A plate of food with lots of flavour

Result:

Ten out of ten! I always enjoy filled chicken drumsticks (doesn’t matter the stuffing) and corn is a favourite of mine since childhood.

I think it’s time to take a break from all of the food, don’t you? Since it was such a hot day, we could think of no better place than to take a walk on the beach (and to cool off in the sea).

Berto cooling off in the cold waters of the Atlantic Ocean
  • Skewered pork & pineapple with garlic potatoes

Some of our regular readers will remember from a previous post (you can read about it here), that we recently found out that pork belly can turn out as quite a delicious meal. While we made Souvlaki with the pork belly last time, we decided to stay with the skewered pork belly, but this time make a delicious tangy sauce to go with it.

Skewered pork & pineapple:

Berto already prepared the pork belly at home before we left on our camping trip. He removed the skin and bones of the pork belly and then cut the belly into cubes. It was then packed in ziplog bags to to freeze.

On the day that we wanted to prepare it on the fire, we took it out of our camping fridge to defrost and Berto just added fresh pineapple pieces and red pepper with the pork cubes.

Skewered pork belly with pineapple and red pepper
Ingredients for the sauce: Dijon mustard, pineapple juice, honey, soy sauce, olive oil and salt & pepper

Garlic potatoes:

This is so easy to prepare (we used our portable gas stove for this dish). Small potatoes are washed in cold water and then cooked until they’re soft. The potatoes are then sliced in half, goes back in the pot with enough garlic butter, salt & pepper. When everything is thoroughly mixed together, this dish is ready.

Skewered pork & pineapple with delicious garlic potatoes

Result:

I think we are busy falling in love with pork belly! It turned out really nice (the sauce turned this almost into a sweet and sour pork dish). And remember, it is not fatty at all because the fat drips in the hot coals while we’re preparing it, but it’s still juicy enough to enjoy. The garlic potatoes are always enjoyable … make sure everyone with you eats it so that your garlic breath won’t be a problem!

  • Chicken & Rice ‘potjie’

When we are camping, there will always feature a ‘potjie’ dish. Remember, ‘potjie’ is that dish that is prepared in a cast iron pot on the fire.

Berto spiced the chicken thighs and wings in a bag before he added it to the pot on the fire. The spices he used was paprika, coriander, cumin and salt & pepper.

Spiced chicken pieces in the pot on the hot coals

When the chicken browned enough, Berto took it out and cooked chopped onion and carrots in a little Olive oil.

Onion and carrots cooked in Olive oil

Once the veggies were soft, Berto returned the chicken with half a cup of rice and a tin of chopped tomatoes.

All the ingredients are in the pot and will now simmer slowly on low heat until it’s done

So, when is it done? Well, after you and your partner drank a bottle of wine, it should be ready 😉. But remember that the rice needs to be soft, you can therefore add a bit more water should you need to cook it further.

Chicken & Rice ‘potjie’

Result:

It was super d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s!! The rice that cooked in the pot with the chicken at the same time, just gave this dish a great flavour. And the best of a ‘potjie’ … if there’s left overs, it’s even better the next day!

I think it’s time for a walk on the beach after all these delicious meals …

A walk on the beach … while the sun is setting

We hope you have enjoyed our ‘food edition’ of our camping trip to Elands Bay. In our next post, we will show you more of Elands Bay’s surfers (and a walk in full moon). But wait, what about just one final sunset …

Sunset at Elands Bay
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wetanddustyroads

62 thoughts on “CAMPING FOOD, Elands Bay (West Coast)”

    1. Haha 😄 … Berto het ‘n passie vir kos maak (en ek hou daarvan om so bietjie hand by te sit), maar om ‘n eetplek oop te maak klink vir my na harde werk! Ons kos by kamp naweke lyk darem nie altyd so ‘flambojant’ nie, hierdie was ‘n uitsondering … ‘n lekker uitsondering!

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  4. Julle maak die heerlikste kos op die kamp trips Corna! Dit het nie eens gehelp dat ek die pos na my middag ete gelees het nie, my mond water vir al die lekker! Die sonsondergange is ongelooflik mooi en jy kan maar baie daarvan wys! 😊 Sien uit na die volgende aflewering van die kamp😀

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    1. Haha Aletta 😄 … ja, lekker kos op ‘n kamp trip is altyd ‘n heerlikheid! Sjoe, die sonsondergange by Elandsbaai is darem pragtig – wanneer die son ondergaan, is ons oe gewoonlik vasgenael op die horison, dis so mooi (en mens kry nie genoeg daarvan nie)!

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  5. Those sunsets really are amazing. This looks like an awesome spot to camp and I can see why you’d return. I am impressed at how well you eat while camping. It looks like you guys prepare quite the feasts of food. I feel like I need to step up my game now.

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    1. Yes, I can watch those sunsets every evening … it looks different every time (and is always a spectacle)! We do like to enjoy our food on camping trips … and it helps that cooking is a passion of my husband 😉. I am looking forward to your camping meals this summer …

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  6. It seems to me you should write a camper’s cookery book. All your food looks so fresh and healthy. I could survive happily on the corn (also a favourite of mine) and potatoes. Stunning sunsets too.

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    1. You read us like a book Carolyn 😉 (we are busy putting a camper’s recipe book together … but only for ourselves to remind us what we enjoyed and would like to make again). I’m glad there are at least 2 dishes you like – we will try to find more vegetable dishes (because we also like our veggies). Oh, those sunsets … be on the lookout for our next post to see how we enjoyed a full moon walk on the beach – that was special!

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    1. Those stuffed chicken drumsticks are indeed delicious Hannah … we sometimes mix chopped olives with the sundried tomatoes and feta which gives another flavour to this dish. What can I say … cooking is my husband’s passion (and I love it 😁).

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  9. I’m just getting more and more hungry reading about these amazing barbecue dishes. All of them are winners for me but the stuffed cheese steaks with the creamy mushroom sauce, well who could resist that! It’s gone horribly cold and wintry again here after our short-lived heatwave so I doubt we’ll be taking the cover off the barbecue for some time yet but when we do, I’ll certainly be trying your recipes! Have a great weekend both of you.

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    1. Oh Marion, THAT steak … it was to die for (fortunately, we’re still well and alive after eating it 😊).
      I saw on the news you’re back to cold wintery temperatures … I can definitely feel we’re on our way to winter here in SA (the days are still warm, but early mornings and evenings are now getting colder). And we’re off to more camping this Easter weekend (wild camping next to the cold Atlantic Ocean) … I think I will have to pack in warm clothes for this excursion 😉. I really hope your summer is coming soon – I would love to see sunny posts from you 🌞🌞. Wishing you a great weekend too.

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  12. I’m glad I decided to eat before reading this post!😊 Wow! Gourmet cooking over a campfire. We have cheese steak in America but it is totally different. I never imagined you could stuff steaks and drumsticks like that. I imagine other camper get jealous when they see/smell what you are cooking.😋

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    1. It’s amazing what one can prepare on a fire … even we were surprised with some of the results! While the stuffed steak is a full meal, the drumsticks are more a snack (we have prepared the stuffed drumsticks before with chopped olives and that was equally good). Haha 😄, we had the occasional camper coming over to our site to see what we’re preparing on the fire … we have shared a couple of recipes over our camping “career” with others.

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  13. You are turning into quite the foodie blogger! I LOVE the idea of cheese-stuffed steak, genius. Though for me it’d have to be mild cheese. To be honest, I’d go for all of the stuff you cooked except for the corn again. The sunsets do look amazing. On such nights, with great food, good company and dramatic skies, you realise how good life can be.

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    1. Berto checked our blog site the other day and said “How did it happen that we have so many food posts on our blog?” … well, I think we realised just how nice it is to mix camping and food. And we are off on another (wild) camping trip this coming Easter … again next to the ocean … I think we might just have more camping food coming up 😉. I totally agree with you Leighton – it’s the simple things in life that makes us happy.

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    1. Good food and great sunsets … what can a girl ask more? Thanks Sarah, I think the sunsets at Elands Bay are really beautiful – maybe it’s because of the ocean – I’m always in awe to watch sunsets here!

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    1. Oh yes, those sunsets are truly spectacular! Haha 😄, as you can see, we South Africans do like our meat … but like you, we also like veggies (on a camping trip it’s sometimes a challenge to prepare, but we will just have to try harder). Thanks for popping in – it’s much appreciated.

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  19. Wow! So many different and exciting dishes you share!! I myself am not so fond of red meat so when my husband wants a steak I prefer to eat a slice of tuna 😁
    The sunset is absolutely fantastic, as is the pleasant atmosphere you convey with your photos, but I quickly flip past the raw pieces of meat 😅 ..but the Chicken & Rice ‘potjie’ looks deliciously tasteful!!
    The beach looks lovely, you must have had a wonderful weekend!! ..but I guess it was pretty cold for a dip in the ocean??

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    1. I love tuna (my husband not so much) … yes, the raw meat is maybe a bit daring I suppose ☺️. But you’re right, we had a fantastic weekend – those sunsets are just out of this world! We both took a dip in the water (it was a bit cold at first, but with temperatures rising to the mid 30 degrees Celsius, we didn’t really mind) 🌞.

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    1. Thanks Mel. I must admit, this weekend food was high on our priority list … it was our aim to see what else we could make on the fire than the usual chops and sausage. But it won’t be like this with every camping weekend – we are going wild camping this coming weekend and we are planning to do long walks on the beach, so just a ‘normal braai’ will be suffice 😉.

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    1. Oops, sorry my friend! Too much meat for your liking, that’s for sure … but we’ll try to do more veggies (we do like veggies, you know 😄). But you’re right about the scenery – it is a beautiful spot for camping. Hope your week is great too 🌸.

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    1. Haha 😁 … dit was darem ‘n uitsondering hierdie (en dankie tog vir my man wat lief is vir kos maak … en nuwe disse uitdink). Baie dankie, Elandsbaai is nie suinig met sy uitsonderlike sonsondergange nie!

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  24. Pingback: CAMPING VIEWS AT ELANDS BAY – Wet and Dusty Roads

      1. Yay for husbands who cook! My husband and his family have a cabin wayyyyy out in the woods. There’s no running water or electricity (on purpose) and that man can cook some amazing meals in a cast iron skillet!! Get a bit spoiled eating there! Love the idea of cheese stuffed steak or stuffed chicken legs. Haven’t heard of either! I’ll tell him about those.

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      2. Well, aren’t we lucky girls! I love that off the grid cabin (we wouldn’t mind having something like that). We eat a lot of meat (South Africans do like their meat 😉) and we sometimes try to bring in a bit of variation to the normal steak or chicken legs … and that’s when new recipes are born!

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      3. It’s a really fun place. A half a mile down the gravel road is a picnic area where we got married on a mountain top. Love that place. It’s my “church.” Yay about new recipes!!!

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