We've teamed up with The Wild Chef Kitchen to help him out with his adventures in the wilderness. While out cooking with him, we sat down to get to know him a bit better over some amazing wild cooked food - check out his answers below.
What are some essential cooking techniques or tips for preparing meals in the wilderness, considering limited resources and equipment?
All the food is easy to prepare in nature, sometimes you don't even need very special equipment. Food can be both fried and boiled. It is important to find a suitable safe place for a campfire, to handle fire safely, to use fresh food, to use special utensils and most importantly to enjoy cooking and being in nature.
How do you approach sourcing ingredients in the wild, and what are some key considerations for foraging or hunting for food responsibly and sustainably?
Most of the time, we bring food bought from the store and keep it safely in the refrigerators. However, during the season, you can catch fish in the lake or river, and you can also pick berries or mushrooms. Therefore, sometimes using what nature gives is a very wonderful thing .
Can you share any memorable anecdotes or experiences from your time as a wilderness chef?
Indeed, various funny situations sometimes happen, but the most memorable ones are those that are very difficult and need to hard work. Especially when we go camping in winter and it will be -20c, when you must cook and sleep two nights at such a temperature it is a very interesting practice :) Or in the autumn season when it is constantly raining, and you are soaked through with rain. Or during the summer season, when the air temperature is hot, and you still have to stand by the fire, when mosquitoes and flies are biting you :)
What are some essential ingredients or pantry staples you always carry with you on wilderness expeditions, and how do you ensure they stay fresh and usable throughout your journey?
We have our own portable spices, which have all the necessary spices, coffee and tea. We have special backpacks that represent the function of a refrigerator, so food stays fresh.
In your opinion, what are some of the most rewarding aspects of being a wilderness chef?
The most important rewarding thing is that you have a wonderful time in nature. Because food made in nature from natural ingredients is simply wonderful.
Where is the most interesting place you've cooked in the wild?
There were definitely more than one and not two such places. Memorable ones were in Albania at a wild campsite, with the view of the island of Corfu in the foreground. Second in Montenegro on a steep hill overlooking a beautiful valley.3rd one on the deep-frozen lake in Finland.
Your passion for cooking in the wild shines through, but do you ever, even very occasionally, just think "I wish there was a McDonalds near here?"
Being out in the wild, I never thought I'd want McDonalds food. Because you can freely bake an atomic burger that no McDonald's can replace.
