Bushwalk Australia

Hi there, i am Walking OLT in April with a couple of friends and am trying to come up with some interesting meals. Already dehydrated spag boll and chilli con carn. Has anyone got a recipe for dehydrated risotto? Also, hoping to save fuel instead of making it from scratch on the track! Or any other suggestions for meals? Curry is out of the question due to a fussy eater in our group.

I make a risotto with arborio rice, lean chicken mince, chopped onion, garlic, chicken stock, and white wine. Cook this up then dehydrate it. Once dehydrated, I add dried, chopped porcini mushrooms to the mix. Along with it I take a small bottle of olive oil-based truffle oil and a block of Parmesan cheese. I rehydrate the dry mixture in a freezer bag insulated with a pot cosy for about 15 or 20 minutes and stir in the truffle oil & shaved cheese before serving.

If you have a group with varying tastes, using freezer bag rehydration surrounded with a bubble wrap insulating bag means you can do separate meals quite easily, even individual portions for everyone if you want..

Thanks! Sounds yummy! How does chicken mince go dehydrated? Any problems with salmonella etc? Or does it need to be vacuumed sealed?

I have used the Ainsley Harriott Rissoto packets one or twice.
They are cheap and tastey (maybe not quite as good as the home made stuff) I would not bother to make my own, I think there is a mushroom one and a leak & asparagus one.
I have not vacuum sealed any of my dehydrated chicken as yet no problems with any salmonella, just make sure it is all lean chicken meat (fat Free) and it is dry and crunchy - ground to small bits using old fasioned meat mincer (hand crank type).
I will get a vacuum sealer one day though.

I hope this isnt against the rules, but if you want to see more pre-made dehydrated risotto on the market, might I suggest you head to the Macpac Facebook page and vote for my recipe (Sticky's Mushroom and Rocket Risotto) in the competition there, as the winner gets made into a Backcountry Cuisine thing. I'll post the home recipe when I get near a computer

Risotto is sensational dehydrated and reconstituted. My last dish was mushroom and asparagus risotto. Provided all ingredients are cut into very small pieces, it dries evenly. I add a foil pack of salmon when reheating and top with Parmesan....yum. Other great dehy's include chilli con carne, tuna mornay, spag Bol sauce, vegie curry and Dahl (lentils). To make sure the food keeps, I store it in the freezer and make sure everything is very clean. Keep the fat content as low as possible and dry until crunchy..

Here's my risotto recipe, can be made at home and dehydrates fairly well, but as Mutley said, go a bit lighter on the butter/oil. Also makes an excellent camping meal if prepared fresh, but probably best saved for car camping. I first made this on a scout camp last year and it went down excellently. Any votes would also be greatly appreciated (by me, and I hope by risotto loving hikers the world over)

Sticky's Mushroom and Rocket Risotto

In a small saucepan, bring about 1L of water to the boil. Add 2 tsp vegetable stock powder and stir. In a separate pan, melt 1tsp butter and 1 tab olive oil. Stir in 1 finely chopped onion, and cook until glassy but not brown. Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic, then 100g diced mushrooms and stir until they’re saggy. Add another 3 tabs olive oil, then add 1 cup arborio rice and stir through.

Cook for around 1 minute, until the rice granules appear glassy, then add a splash of the boiling stock, it should all bubble up. Stir the rice well until the stock has evaporated, but making sure it doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan, then add a bit more. Continue stirring, waiting til it thickens, then add more stock, for around 20 mins. Test the rice occasionally, it’s finished when just undercooked - not quite mushy but has lost the hard centre. Turn the heat off when done.

Now the most important part - Add 1 tsp butter, 2 tabs grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and a handful of rocket leaves. Stir through, and put a a lid on the pot and leave it to sit for 5 minutes. Get the table ready and then serve.

Thanks! Reading these posts are making me hungry. Going to give dehydrating risotto a go this weekend.

JoshT wrote:Here's my risotto recipe, can be made at home and dehydrates fairly well, but as Mutley said, go a bit lighter on the butter/oil. Also makes an excellent camping meal if prepared fresh, but probably best saved for car camping. I first made this on a scout camp last year and it went down excellently. Any votes would also be greatly appreciated (by me, and I hope by risotto loving hikers the world over)

Sticky's Mushroom and Rocket Risotto

In a small saucepan, bring about 1L of water to the boil. Add 2 tsp vegetable stock powder and stir. In a separate pan, melt 1tsp butter and 1 tab olive oil. Stir in 1 finely chopped onion, and cook until glassy but not brown. Add 3 cloves of chopped garlic, then 100g diced mushrooms and stir until they’re saggy. Add another 3 tabs olive oil, then add 1 cup arborio rice and stir through.

Cook for around 1 minute, until the rice granules appear glassy, then add a splash of the boiling stock, it should all bubble up. Stir the rice well until the stock has evaporated, but making sure it doesnt stick to the bottom of the pan, then add a bit more. Continue stirring, waiting til it thickens, then add more stock, for around 20 mins. Test the rice occasionally, it’s finished when just undercooked - not quite mushy but has lost the hard centre. Turn the heat off when done.

Now the most important part - Add 1 tsp butter, 2 tabs grated parmesan cheese, salt and pepper, and a handful of rocket leaves. Stir through, and put a a lid on the pot and leave it to sit for 5 minutes. Get the table ready and then serve.

Sounds great. I like the addition of rocket, to add texture and peppery taste. Try adding some dry white wine after cooking off the rice and liquid high quality stock or home made stock is always preferable. But we have to make sacrifices when camping lol...

I think it's going a little TOO far when you dehydrate your recipe book . . .