Ingredients

Turkey (Based on a standard sized cast iron dutch oven you'll want a bird that is under 7 pounds)

3 cups of chicken stock

4 coves of garlic

1 red onion

Herb blend (Rosemary, Thyme, Sage)

1 stick of butter

Cooking an entire Thanksgiving feast while camping isn't as daunting as it sounds, it really all comes down to having enough wood to keep a fire going for 3+ hours while the turkey cooks. Other than that it actually might be easier to cook a holiday meal in the great outdoors rather than in a cramped kitchen. 

The only "trick" I can think of comes into play right at the beginning.Take an aluminum pie tin, poke a few holes in it and put it upside down in the bottom of the dutch oven. This will keep the turkey off of the direct heat and allow the stock to steam the bird a bit.  

To keep the turkey at a consistent heat you'll actually want to keep the fire burning in a separate part of the pit. As the roaring flames die down push the coals underneath the dutch oven. Cooking with the coals rather than the fire itself will allow you to have much more control. It will also keep the turkey cooking in something more like an oven rather than being scorched with a blow torch.

You'll want to periodically spin the cast iron to make sure all sides of the turkey are cooked evenly. Other than that it's really just a waiting game, the inside of the turkey should read 180 degrees before you pull it off the fire. While you're waiting you can start to prep some of the other parts of the meal.

Once you're turkey is done pull it off the fire and turn to the camp stove so you can get started on the last two side dishes. You want the turkey to sit for 20 minutes before you carve it anyways.

And last but not least, the stuffing. Now i'm not saying it's impossible, but making a stuffing from scratch without the luxuries of home seems like a real headache. If you're camping you'll need to cut corners every once in a while and this was one of those times. We used some good ol' boxed stuffing for this Thanksgiving meal, it's quick, portable and still tastes great.

Follow more of Jeremy's camp cookery and more on his website journal HERE.

Happy Thanksgiving friends!