SPECIALITY COOKING

[Lynda J]

Building a Cajun Microwave.

4 pieces of 2'long rebar
4 cages of chicken wire 2'tall and about 6" around
Tripod made of 4'long metal electrical conduet. I use 1/2". Drill a hole through the top of the conduet, Put bolt through hole with washers between each pole. Then double nut the bolt
Two s hooks and about 3 feet of chain that will hook over the s hooks.

Put three layers of heavy duty foil on the ground making a 3'x3' square.
sitck rebar through foil just inside the square Put chicken wire cages over rebar to the inside of square and fill with charcoal. Wrap heavy foil around rebar to top. Put tripod over entire oven and light charcoal.
After coals are started good hang chicken down into oven. You can control how much heat the chicken is exposed by pulling the chain up and hooking it over the top s hook.
I use a chicken roasting rack that fits up inside the chicken cavity, it is ribed and I use a s hook to hook to the ribs. I put the rack into the neck cavity then stuff the back cavity with spiced peaches and use the juice to soak the chicken in over night before cooking.
You can wrap baking potatoes in foil and put the in the bottom of the over.
Be aware that the bottom of the over can get as hot a 450. You can also put a dutch over in the bottom, you just have to remember to put a few coals under the dutch over or things won't brown on the bottom.. If you want a really hot over you can put foil over the top.
I am going to try either a pork loin or pork chops. I have a rack that you can put fish in on the grill that clamps it down. I figure I can put the chops in there and suspend it into the over.

[ScoutcraftNick]

I have done a method very similar with alot of success. I used this cooking method as the "grand finale" to my Cooking Merit Badge class at Citta Scout Reservation. It's very easy and it impresses everyone. The best thing is that the materials needed don't cost more then $15. Instead of rebar I used garden fenceposts, because that is what i had available. They worked really well because they had clips that were MADE for supporting chicken wire. I didn't do anything as complex as soaking or stuffing the chicken, I seasoned it with Old Bay and some McCormick chicken spices and let me tell you, it always turned out perfectly.

My method for building this oven was the following. In the fire ring, i placed the four fenceposts, with the 4 tubes attached and facing inwards. I then took foil and wrapped the sides while it was standing. This can be difficult, and the heavier the foil is the better, to help with it not ripping. I always left about 4 inches open at the bottom, for ventilation. It looks like a giant cube of foil, with about 4 inches at the bottom and 4 inches of fencepost open at the top. I had a simple meat hook with a chain that i used to hang the chicken from. I like the idea of the basket though. I've recorded tempuratures upwards of 550 degrees inside the oven. In spite of this, I've never had a burned bird, for as many times as I cooked it across the summer. I had the ability to make it a more permanent structure, and i had the bird hanging from a lashed spar that hung across the oven. I always covered the top with foil. It would only take about 30-45 minutes to cook a decent sized chicken, and after checking the temp. with a meat thermometer it was all good!

I strongly suggest that people try this method of cooking, it's not only amazing, but tasty as well. Not as difficult as it sounds!