The Aussie family Sunday roast — done in a camp oven over coals. Whole roast chicken with herbs + lemon zest, surrounded by golden roast potatoes + sweet cinnamon-spiced pumpkin, finished with a proper pan gravy from the roasting juices. Comfort food at its absolute best, fully achievable from a campsite.

Takes ~75 minutes. Feeds 4-6. The kind of meal that turns the campsite into a proper Sunday lunch.

Photo by MealPro on Unsplash

Serves: 4-6 · Prep: 15 minutes · Cook: 60 minutes · Equipment: camp oven (12-inch), or Dutch oven, or kitchen oven roasting dish with lid

Photo: Sam Moghadam / Unsplash

• 1 whole chicken, no more than 1.5kg (a small bird cooks more evenly)
• Pinch sugar
• 2 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp lemon juice (optional but excellent)
• 1 tbsp each fresh thyme + rosemary + sage, finely chopped (or 1 tsp each dried)
• 1 cup water (for gravy)
• 1kg pumpkin, peeled + cut into 2cm pieces
• Sprinkle ground cinnamon
• 1kg potatoes (chats or new potatoes), sliced into 1cm discs
• Salt + pepper to taste
• 1 tbsp olive oil

Optional add-ins: 1 lemon, halved + stuffed inside the cavity; head of garlic with the top sliced off; fresh thyme sprigs in the cavity.

1. Wash + dry the chicken. Pat thoroughly dry inside + out with paper towel. Dry skin = crispy skin.

2. Make the rub. Mix HALF the salt + HALF the pepper, plus all the sugar, lemon juice + chopped herbs. Massage this rub into the skin AND the cavity of the chicken. Set aside for as long as possible — even 30 minutes makes a difference; overnight is gold.

3. Season the vegetables. Toss the pumpkin pieces with some of the remaining salt + a sprinkle of cinnamon (sweetens beautifully). Season the potato discs with the rest of the salt + pepper.

4. Pre-heat the camp oven for about 5 minutes over good coals. Brush the inside surface with olive oil.

5. Place chicken breast-side DOWN in the centre of the oven. Counter-intuitive but critical — the breast meat (the lean part that dries out fastest) is protected from direct heat AND bastes itself in juices that drain from the back. Result: juicier breast.

6. Add the potatoes in a ring around the chicken. Cover with the lid. Reduce heat to medium (fewer top coals). Roast for 20 minutes.

7. FLIP the chicken breast-side UP. Add the pumpkin pieces among the potatoes. Continue roasting another 40 minutes — until juices run clear when a skewer is inserted into the thickest part of the breast (or use thermometer: 75°C).

8. Turn vegetables occasionally in the second half of cooking — prevents pumpkin from burning + ensures even browning.

9. Lift chicken + vegetables out to a serving platter. Cover loosely with foil. Rest for 10 minutes (CRITICAL — juices redistribute, breast carves cleanly).

10. Make the gravy. Pour the cup of water into the empty roasting dish. Place over heat. Scrape the brown bits from the bottom (that's all the flavour). Reduce by half. Strain into a jug. Serve hot over the chicken.

• Other vegetables work brilliantly: zucchini (add in the last 20 mins — cooks fast), carrots (add at start with potatoes), parsnips, sweet potato, beetroot
• Brine the chicken first for next-level juiciness — 6 hours in salt water (10% salt by weight) before cooking. Game-changer
• Crispier skin: air-dry the chicken in the fridge UNCOVERED for 4+ hours before cooking. Or pat dry just before cooking + roast at high heat for first 15 minutes
• Stuffed cavity: half lemon + smashed garlic head + fresh thyme is the classic. The chicken steams from inside, the lemon perfumes the meat
• Camp oven coal management: hot coals on top of lid for top-browning + medium coals below. Replenish every 45 mins as they burn out
• Make ahead — cook a roast chicken at home, take cold to camp, eat as cold roast (excellent in salads, sandwiches)
• Leftovers are gold — chicken sandwiches with leftover gravy, chicken-and-pumpkin soup, chicken-stock from the carcass
• Without a camp oven: works in any covered Dutch oven on low heat (gas stove), or kitchen oven at 180°C for 60 minutes

One of the universal great meals — Sunday roast chicken from a camp oven. The whole campsite gathers when the lid comes off. Simple ingredients, classic technique, generous serving, magnificent result.

Master this + you've nailed camp oven cooking. The same principles work for roast pork, lamb shoulder, beef silverside, even slow-roasted vegetables. The camp oven is the most versatile cooking tool you can carry.