For those people that are unaware, the Cadac is a versatile and flexible outdoor cooking system that connects to our external LPG BBQ point on our VW campervan. It would be far too easy to describe the Cadac as a gas BBQ, it is so much more than that. You can of course BBQ on the Cadac, but you can also use it as a hot plate, a normal outdoor gas hob and a pizza oven as well.
What you get in the box
We are on our second Cadac in just over 4 years of heavy use, so we have amassed a range of cooking accessory options. The basic system consists of the base burner station which connects to the LPG supply via a quick connect flexible hose. On top of that fits the windbreak section. Once this basic setup is in place, you have a range of options depending on how you want to cook. We have a standard griddle, a solid hot plate and a rather useful 50/50 griddle and hotplate option which is really useful at breakfast time for grilling meat and cooking eggs at the same time. There is also a BBQ lid for low and slow cooking Webber style- this also doubles as a large pan for flexible usage. In addition to this basic set-up, we also purchase a pizza stone which we have come to love and are using more and more often.
We always cook with the base unit on the floor as we like to sit around it as we cook, but you can pop it on top of a table for a more domestic cooking setup.
Our favourite Cadac creations
Philly cheese steak sandwiches
Set up the Cadac with the hotplate configuration and preheat. Finely slice an onion and green pepper into thin strips. Add a little olive oil to the hotplate and fry off the onion and pepper mix. Thinly slice a beef steak- it does not need to be an expensive cut, as cheap cuts are often best as long as you slice it finely. Season the meat heavily with salt and pepper or your favourite BBQ mix. Once the onion and pepper mix is fried off, move to one side on the hotplate. Add a touch more oil to the hotplate and fry off the beef strips, turning regularly. Once the beef is cooked, mix the onions and peppers into the beef and continue to turn regularly. Add your chosen bread to warm over the top of the steak mix- we like to use flatbreads for a burrito style sandwich. Take the bread off the heat when warmed and add the cheese to the bread- the cheaper the cheese slices the better for that authentic flavour! Add the steak mix on top of the cheese and complete your sandwich.
Pizza on the Cadac
This could not be easier. Unfortunately the pizza stone did not come with any instructions for use, and it would be quite easy to damage it if you used it incorrectly. If you add direct heat to the stone via the burner there is a risk of it fracturing. We add the pizza stone to the hotplate as the hotplate has a built in heat diffuser which protects the stone and makes for a more even cooking surface. Heat up the stone on a high heat for a good 10 minutes, with the Cadac lid on. When the stone is heated, simply add your pizza to the stone and recover. Set a timer for 8 minutes and wait- do not be tempted to peek as that will lose heat from the cooking process. We use simple supermarket pizzas rather than preparing our own- it makes a quick, easy and cheap meal. After 8 minutes the pizza should be cooked perfectly with a crisp base and gooey, melted topping. Be warned, the Cadac will not brown the topping like a domestic oven at home, as the lid naturally lets some of the cooking heat disappear, but the end product is absolutely delicious.
Paella/jambalaya
Purists will argue that what I describe below is not a true paella/jambalaya…and I would agree- but it is a hearty outdoor dish that can be easily adapted to your own tastes and requirements.
Set up the Cadac as an outdoor hob, with the windbreak and pan stand in position. Warm a pan and add a glug of olive oil. Add some finely chopped chorizo to the pan and gently fry to release its lovely paprika rich oil. Add small chunks of chicken breast to brown in the rich, flavoursome oil. Once the chicken is browned, add a chopped pepper and more sliced of chorizo and continue to fry. After about 5 minutes, add a handful of paella rice to the pan and stir until the rice grains are coated in the cooking oil. Add enough chicken stock to cover the contents of the pan and bring to a vigorous boil. Once everything is bubbling away, turn down the heat to as low as possible and cook slowly until all the stock has been adsorbed by the rice. This will take about 20 mins. If the mix dries out and the rice is not fully cooked, add more stock as required. Once the rice is cooked, we love to let it crisp on the bottom of the pan (without burning!), just enough to give it a tasty extra texture.
Spanish Omelet/tortilla
We love this dish at home- it is so versatile as a main meal with salad or as a tasty picnic accompaniment that travels well. Set up the Cadac as an outdoor hob, with the windbreak and pan stand in position. You will need to use a good non-stick frying pan for this dish as it does tend to stick on anything less than fully non-stick!
Add the pan to the heat and add a good glug of olive oil and a pack of smoked pancetta lardons to the pan. Allow the lardons time to release their lovely bacon fat into the pan whilst you finely slice an onion. Once the lardons are browned, turn down the heat and add the onions. Try not to brown the onions too much, slowly cooking them until they are soft and translucent. Slice your pre-cooked new potatoes into slices that are about a pound coin thickness. Once the onions are soft, add the potatoes to the pan and continue to stir the potato, onion, bacon mix. Beat 4 to 6 eggs in a bowl- this depends on how big your pan is- you need enough beaten egg to cover the potato mix. Add the beaten egg to the pan an stir continuously. You will see the egg scramble as it hits the bottom of the pan. By stirring you will feel like you are just making a mess, but the magic has yet to come! When about half the egg mixture has solidified, gently pat down the mixture into the pan, turn down the heat as low as possible and continue to cook without stirring. The omelet will start to cook from the base upwards, with the top remaining rather uncooked. After about 5 mins, place a plate over the top of the pan and flip out the partly cooked omelet onto the plate. Return the omelet back into the pan (wet side down) to cook for a further 5 mins. The top will now be the cooked side as the underside continues to cook. Once cooked fully through, slide the finished omelet onto a plate to slice and serve.
Lamb kebabs with roasted vegetable couscous and tzatziki.
We just wanted to illustrate to you in this section how versatile the Cadac is when looking to cook a simple BBQ. We based this meal around lamb kebabs that you can find in most supermarkets. Of course you can create them yourselves using lamb mince, spices, pine nuts and herbs, but when you are rushed for time, and short on budget, it is often easier to let the supermarkets do the hard work. One common side dish that we love to make is a char-grilled vegetable moroccan couscous. This sounds fancier than it is, but it is a great and easy accompaniment to any grilled meat.
Take any veg of your choice from corn, peppers, courgette, asparagus, chillis and onions and cut them into sections that con be char-grilled on the Cadac. Pre-heat the BBQ to hot and then add the veg. Allow the veg to char before turning, but make sure that it doesn’t burn through. Once the veg is thoroughly charred, take it off the heat, and whilst the meat is grilling, roughly chop the veg. Add the veg to a ready prepared moroccan couscous mic that is available from most supermarkets. These ready prepped packs are cheap and only need water adding for a few minutes to come to life. By adding the freshly grilled veg it just adds to the flavour and makes you look like a culinary genius. Once the meat is cooked, serve on a bed of the couscous with a drizzle of tzatziki.
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