Exploring the woods with kids is one of the great pleasures of life: being outdoors, whittling wood and building a fire. Instead of cooking sausages, why not try some campfire cooking in a kind of natural clay pot?
For many Swiss, making a campfire in the woods is one of the lasting memories of childhood. You just can’t get enough of it! A walk among the trees is lovely even during the colder months.
I recently ventured into the forest with outdoor expert Felix Immler, who is well known for his Swiss army knife books. The bestselling author showed us how to pack food in mud before putting it on the fire. Mud is readily available, especially near streams. Once you’ve collected your mud, the next thing you have to do is knead it. If it’s too dry, add some water. Keep kneading until the mud is pliable. Then gather some leaves or fir branches. You can use these to wrap food such as chicken thighs or vegetables. Then pack a thick layer of mud around them.
Place the mud parcels in the middle of the fire and get it really hot again. The parcels are also covered with glowing coals. About two hours and several carved sticks later, the food is ready to eat. Finally, return home with smoky clothes and hair that has that campfire smell for days.