Cabin Fever - Getting Outside with the Frontier Plus

Lockdown is taking its toll. We've played hours of lego, built a gazillion puzzles, painted, salt-doughed, baked, and spent just a little bit too much time on screens. 

We need to get outside.

Amongst the many other things we are realising we are grateful for, our outdoor space and decent weather are proving to be our saving grace.

And so with all of this, we've decided to get creative. Cooking over fire has become our new kind of normal. 

1. Pasta a la Plus

We discovered that bolognaise can be cooked on the Frontier Plus! Yes...it takes ever so slightly longer, but we used this time to sip on some wine, listen to the bubbling and watch the flames work their magic.

Dare we even say it all tasted better having been cooked this way? We, as a species, have been cooking over fire for more than 500 000 years - nothing like a total 'life-as-we-know-it' lockdown to bring us back to basics. Using the Plus was great as not only did it do a great job of cooking our food to perfection, but it also took the chill off the air which is still a little icy at times. Getting the fire started is quick and easy, and once the flames are roaring it's a simple case of sit back and let cook.

** We did find a little sooting at the base of our silver pot, but nothing that couldn't be cleaned off afters **

2. Beef Up Those Buns

Burgers are a great meal to throw together over the stove - we used a grill basket directly on top of the stove. Sides of roasted tatties and stove-top mushrooms completed this lip-smacking meal, and being outdoors together was just what the doctor ordered. Cabin fever medicated. 

3. Fish Friday

Can't go wrong with a spicy fish curry - the perfect way to end the week, and if you're able to get hold of some locally sourced seafood, how better to support small businesses that are likely taking a knocking at the moment. 

We've included the recipe here so you can recreate your own atop your woodburning stove :)

Tomato and Tamarind Fish Curry (from BBC Good Food)

Ingredients:

• 6 garlic cloves
• 1 red chilli, roughly chopped (deseeded if you don't like it too hot)
• thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp rapeseed oil (you can use some of your Anevay Stove Maintenance Oil!!)
• 2 tsp cumin seed
• 1 tsp fennel seed
• 2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
• 200g green bean, trimmed and halved
• 1 tbsp tamarind paste
• 4 firm white fish fillets (we used hake)
• handful coriander leaves, roughly chopped
• cooked basmati rice, to serve 

Method:

1. Blitz together the garlic, chilli, ginger, turmeric and ground coriander with 3 tbsp water. Heat the oil in a large pan over the flames (remove the top plate) and toast the cumin and fennel seeds, letting them sizzle until aromatic. Add the ginger paste and fry for 3 mins.

2. Empty the tomatoes into the spice pan, plus a can of water. Add the beans, bring to the boil, then allow to simmer for 5 mins. Stir in the tamarind paste. Add the fish fillets, generously season with ground black pepper, cover and simmer for 10 mins. Use the damper flue to adjust the air flow so that the fire is controlled and burns to your liking. Take off the lid, carefully turn the fillets, then bubble the sauce until the fish is cooked through and the sauce is thick. Sprinkle over the coriander leaves and serve with rice.

So there you have it - our cabin fever cures!

We'd love to hear some of yours...