Quick clay oven build

[Highlander]

(1 August 2013, 19:21)Skean Dhude Wrote:

(1 August 2013, 15:40)Mortblanc Wrote: We once coated a whole turkey, feathers and all, with clay and placed it in a hole, covered it with dirt and built a fire on top of it. We kept the fire going for about 5 hours and dug up the bird.

We had to crack the clay coating from it, which also took off the feathers and skin, leaving a clean well coked bird.

I read somewhere you can do the same with Hedgehog. The clay takes all the spikes with it.

Done that SD,.. a group of us squadies once had a meal of hedgehog and Python on the ranges,.. the paras went and bought them from a Cardiff pet shop,.. [ we were in Brecon at the time],.. we cooked the hedgehog in clay and cooked the Python over open coals.

The Ghurkas were also there and they laughed their heads off at us trying to chew away on this snake, it was as tough as old boots,... well they never told us that to cook a snake it has to be done slowly over time, we cooked it far too fast...

[Tigs]

highlander that wasn't around 1990 was it?

[Highlander]

(2 August 2013, 06:02)Tigs Wrote: highlander that wasn't around 1990 was it?

No,.. I left the Army before then

[Tigs]

must be a para tradition then , we did the same thing with a unit of scots guards

[Mortblanc]

The U.S. Army has several training rotations that include butchering, processing, cooking and consuming live game as one of the requirements for completion. At least it did in the late 1960s, probably even more-so now.

One course I took they issued each team a goat, two chickens and two rabbits for the week (we do not have hedgehogs over here). No other food was allowed. They searched everyone for food as we entered the compound, then issued us our livestock. We were to be working with indigenous people and some of the soldiers had never processed food before. Butchering game was a life skill we would be expected to know by our "hosts".

Some of the troopers turned their animals lose because they could not stand the thought of killing a little bunny. They were not supplied with food and about 5 days into the program they were frantic and got very demanding with the cadre, who took them to another more remote part of the training area and dealt with them separately. We heard it was a less than pleasant experience, and they still got no food. They did get a failing grade for the rotation and elimination from the overall course.

[Tigs]

its funny how many people join the armed forces and are willing to kill people if they have to but when it comes to dispatching animals for their own food will consider it wrong?

[Grumpy Grandpa]

(2 August 2013, 16:51)Mortblanc Wrote: Some of the troopers turned their animals lose because they could not stand the thought of killing a little bunny.

British squaddies too Mort. I remember issuing a live rabbit to teams of two as their food for a 72 hr escape and evasion. not that many ate them; some were turned loose while others brought them back treated like pets! Those ones saved us a bit of cash when buying for the next group.

[uks]

Checked the foundations today drying out nicely should be ready next week to start laying the bricks. I've decided to add a rocket stove into the work top.

Mortblanc, the oven is going to be approx 1 metre or 39 inches, with a height of 60 cm or 24 inches. I intend to use it about 3 or 4 times a week like you say for meats, breads, pizzas etc.

[uks]

The platform is now built out of bricks give it a few days to really go off then I will be adding the work top and fire bricks

[I-K-E]

sounds interesting any chance of any photo's?