The Pacey family from Brisbane Queensland are masters when it comes to cooking over a fire — not just when travelling — at home too.

We met the Paceys, also known as ‘Pacing Our Travels’, early in our travels at Perlubie Beach, South Australia. We were blown away by their custom van they designed and built themselves, (it’s well worth a look), and the boys weren’t short of yarn comparing notes on their unique 48 volt off-grid systems.

During our nine months on the road, we’ve crossed paths several times — and yet never met back on the east coast where we’re neighbours, just an hour apart.

When I recently caught up with Amber Pacey, she explained that some of their favourite meals have developed over this past year as they’ve cooked their way around Australia.

“Finding amazing ingredients and recipes that push our boundaries from our lives before travel has been a fun experience,” she said.

“Travelling means our lives are simpler, and we are not rushing home and reheating easy meals, we can try new things.”

Amber said the idea for their go-to Campfire Beef Stew was inspired by their time in Tasmania.

“While in Tasmania, we sat around a campfire with a crew who were cooking a beef stew,” she said.

“Just before serving, they mixed up a batter and made dumplings to pop on top of the stew,” she said.

“We love cooking in cast iron and these guys opened our minds to something new,” she said.

“So we hit the shops, found a travel crew and tried it out,” she said.

“The base of our stew is Maggi Gravy Mix, it comes in a yellow box and is sold at specialist catering shops,” she said.

“The Gravy is the secret ingredient!”

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Easy as Pie!

But that’s not all, this meal can be reinvented… the Pacey’s use a cast iron sandwich maker to create delicious pies with the leftovers, (pictured above). Whip out the puff pastry and you’ve got a lunch of champions!

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Pacey’s Campfire Beef Stew & Dumplings

From Amber and Trent Pacey

Ingredients (serves 4)

• 1kg cheap diced beef
• 1 cup of Maggi Gravy
• 1 tablespoon worcester Sauce
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 garlic cloves, crushed
• As many vegies as fits in the camp oven – potatoes, carrot, pumpkin, corn, peas, and zucchini
• 2 tablespoons of tomato paste
• Pepper to taste
• Water to cover all ingredients

Dumplings

• 2 cups self-raising flour
• 4 teaspoons butter
• 1 cup milk
• 1/2 cup parmesan cheese
• Salt, pepper and spices of your choice.

Method

Stew

• Place camp oven over hot coals and sauté onion, garlic and meat.
• Add gravy, worcester and tomato paste and stir. Add vegies, stir, and cover with water.
• Cover with lid, place camp oven on hot coals, and slow cook for minimum of two hours, or longer if you wish.
• Pop your dumplings on about 45 minutes before serving.

Dumplings

• Mix flour and butter with your hands to make crumbly. Add parmesan and mix.
• Add milk gradually and mix with a fork until you get the consistency close to a moist scone dough. Roll into dumplings and place in camp oven on top of the stew, replace lid.
• Place camp oven back on hot coals, ads extra coals on top of the lid. Cook for 30 – 45 minutes.

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