Boat biscuits!

A major handicap faced by small boat chefs has to do with the lack of an oven. This means there can be no biscuits. This is a serious deficiency, particularly in Southern waters, where biscuits are required for proper breakfasts.

Miss Bettencourt's chef has found an answer to this persistent problem.








My Friend Ralph and I drove over to Columbia, SC, last week where we found a long-coveted implement--a three-legged camp Dutch oven. This thing is a wonderful tool.

A few accessories are needed, such as a charcoal starter chimney (left) an old pizza pan and some long tongs for coal handling.





This setup, on the gravel in our driveway, produced the above basket of perfect biscuits with about 18 minutes cooking time. Of course, there are many arcane, non-intuitive techniques involved in cooking with a Dutch oven. It helps to have a Dutch oven cookbook or access to a good website, such as this one: http://www.dutchovendude.com/dutch-oven-recipes.asp

WARNING: Don't try this on the boat. Burning charcoal aboard involves big time fire and carbon monoxide hazards -- dangers to be avoided at all costs.

Ms. Bettencourt's chef will be Dutch oven cooking and serving at shoreside picnic sites along our cruise routes, not on the boat.

Next week's creation from the Ms. Bettencourt Driveway Test Kitchen will be a dish entitled The Huge Dutch Oven Tamale.

The chef's daughter has prepared salsa. Ralph is bringing tortilla chips. Our friend Paul will provide dessert. Dia will be out of town.