Cadac - Any tips or recipes?

[JanBn]

Hi we are soon to embark on the totally new experience of caravanning and are really excited, we collect our new van next week and have bought a Cadac Carri Chef 2 (don't want to get my new cooker in the van messy! :lol: )
Does anyone own one of these and do you have any advice, tips or recipes you could possibly pass on please

 

[WoodlandsCamper]

Tip - As you are getting a new van and buying extra items please remember to weigh your car and van (both in the loaded state) on a weighbridge to give you some idea of what the weights are. It is very easy to go over the MTPLM for the van.

 

[Tukums]

We have one, it is now set up in the garden, just two of us so we now use the Safari Chef 2 in the caravan, when we got ours there was a good recipe book included; paella (in the book) is a good one, just use chicken and chorizo instead of seafood and a double dose of wine, the fun is doing your own thing. Very good BBQ's they get used a lot in the garden at home and caravan.

Dog likes it too!

 

[JanBn]

Tip - As you are getting a new van and buying extra items please remember to weigh your car and van (both in the loaded state) on a weighbridge to give you some idea of what the weights are. It is very easy to go over the MTPLM for the van.

Thank you, yes I have been very conscious of this weight issue and I have already made enquiries to take it to our local weighbridge so I don't go over. I also invested in a large roof box to carry anything extra that might tip the scales (excuse the pun) :lol:

 

[JanBn]

We have one, it is now set up in the garden, just two of us so we now use the Safari Chef 2 in the caravan, when we got ours there was a good recipe book included; paella (in the book) is a good one, just use chicken and chorizo instead of seafood and a double dose of wine, the fun is doing your own thing. Very good BBQ's they get used a lot in the garden at home and caravan.

Dog likes it too!

Haha I'm sure he does :lol: Will definitely be trying the paella as my Cadac combination came with a paella dish.
thank you

 

[Hutch]

We have had a Cadac for over 10 years now, and its had a few repairs where the rivets have corroded, and been replaced with nuts and bolts, Cooked most things on it From Breakfasts to Roast duck and Rabbit, when we "Cadac" we prefer to marinate or meats and fish, makes it all taste better.
Hutch

 

[Martin24]

We use our cadac all the time when away, well a lot anyway. When using we put non stick material over the surface because they can be a bit of a nightmare to clean.
We have the scottle, which is very useful for spam bol and the like as well as our left over dish which is, chop up any remaining meat, sausage bacon chicken etc mix in left over veg chopped up, tomatoes, carrot, peas, sweetcorn, broccoli and the like make sure it's a fairly moist mix. Then do enough microwave rice for the number of people. mix it in with the rest of the ingredients at the end and serve. Quick easy and fairly filling. We do that for between 5 and 7 people depending on who's around.

Oh we tend to use the one cal type sprays over food as well.

All the basics can be done. We also use a camping stove to cook things that you perhaps wouldn't cadac like the spaghetti.

And , sorry keep thinking of things, for quick and easy fried potato with a meal, slice up tinned new pots, spray with a bit of one cal then cadac until golden brown, perhaps while a nice rib eye steak is resting?

 

[KeefySher]

We've been using a Cadac for eons, both on campsites and fitted to the bracket on the rear wall of the house.

Only clean it once a year, generally October as that is a gap before winter caravanning starts.

We cook all sorts on it, from burgers, sausages, steaks, fish. A favourite is start by getting it hot then add finely sliced sweet peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and sprinkle with crushed garlic. Caramelise the veggies, add the meat say finely sliced chicken. Par boil and thinly slice potatoes to form circular 'crisps', add to the Cadac. Serve with chilled white wine or a G&T.

In the morning do bacon, sausage and fried egg. Put the lid on and repeat for next meal. In October clean the Cadac.

Don't let the girls look after it whilst you refill the aqua roll, or other tasks away from the caravan whilst cooking if you use wooden spatulas; the girls set fire to my spatula through not keeping an eye on the cadac and gassing

 

[woodsieboy]

When we have finished cooking we spray the grill plate with 1 cal oil while still warm and then wipe away with kitchen roll did try oven cleaner on an old plate once, ruined it!

 

[Dustydog]

The Cadac is very well travelled and well used.
It's versatile and works very well when used as an oven , ie lid on , power on low and roast away. To call it a BBQ is an insult. As you will discover Jan there isn't much you can't cook on it.
There is one downside and that's cleaning it . We usually give it a good wipe down , cold , black bag it and take it home for the dishwasher

 

[JanBn]

We use our cadac all the time when away, well a lot anyway. When using we put non stick material over the surface because they can be a bit of a nightmare to clean.
We have the scottle, which is very useful for spam bol and the like as well as our left over dish which is, chop up any remaining meat, sausage bacon chicken etc mix in left over veg chopped up, tomatoes, carrot, peas, sweetcorn, broccoli and the like make sure it's a fairly moist mix. Then do enough microwave rice for the number of people. mix it in with the rest of the ingredients at the end and serve. Quick easy and fairly filling. We do that for between 5 and 7 people depending on who's around.

Oh we tend to use the one cal type sprays over food as well.

All the basics can be done. We also use a camping stove to cook things that you perhaps wouldn't cadac like the spaghetti.

And , sorry keep thinking of things, for quick and easy fried potato with a meal, slice up tinned new pots, spray with a bit of one cal then cadac until golden brown, perhaps while a nice rib eye steak is resting?

Thank you.... sounds good, one query I noticed you said you use non stick material as it is a nightmare to clean... do you mean the grills as well? as I thought the beauty of the Cadac was its ease of cleaning :dry:

 

[JanBn]

We've been using a Cadac for eons, both on campsites and fitted to the bracket on the rear wall of the house.

Only clean it once a year, generally October as that is a gap before winter caravanning starts.

We cook all sorts on it, from burgers, sausages, steaks, fish. A favourite is start by getting it hot then add finely sliced sweet peppers, onions, tomatoes, mushrooms and sprinkle with crushed garlic. Caramelise the veggies, add the meat say finely sliced chicken. Par boil and thinly slice potatoes to form circular 'crisps', add to the Cadac. Serve with chilled white wine or a G&T.

In the morning do bacon, sausage and fried egg. Put the lid on and repeat for next meal. In October clean the Cadac.

Don't let the girls look after it whilst you refill the aqua roll, or other tasks away from the caravan whilst cooking if you use wooden spatulas; the girls set fire to my spatula through not keeping an eye on the cadac and gassing

:lol: :lol: :lol: I'll remember that last bit of advice, especially to remember not to leave my husband in charge as he is sight impaired anyway so the poor utensils will stand no chance, let alone the food :lol: Cheers!

 

[JanBn]

When we have finished cooking we spray the grill plate with 1 cal oil while still warm and then wipe away with kitchen roll did try oven cleaner on an old plate once, ruined it!

ooooooo I won't be using that then hmy: I did purchase some Cadac cleaner spray....don't know if it's any good, will find out next week, if the weather improves

 

[JanBn]

The Cadac is very well travelled and well used.
It's versatile and works very well when used as an oven , ie lid on , power on low and roast away. To call it a BBQ is an insult. As you will discover Jan there isn't much you can't cook on it.
There is one downside and that's cleaning it . We usually give it a good wipe down , cold , black bag it and take it home for the dishwasher

Ahh that may be the answer :lol: ....good to hear it's so versatile, it's what drew me to it in the first place, but you never know if the advertising blurb exaggerates, but judging by everyone's response, it seems to do 'exactly what it says on the tin' :cheer:

 

[Martin24]

Using the tips given you should be fine. I didn't follow that many years ago when we had our first one and have got into the habit of the non stick liners now.

As a complete aside, we have just purchased a Cadac Meridian 3 with side burner for home use as we have a few birthday parties coming up after exam time. That came with all sorts of different cooking surfaces and a rotisserie. First couple of plays with it and we've been impressed.

 

[00buzz]

make sure you get the pizza stone....they make brilliant outdoor pizza ovens

 

[kerbdog]

Is there a particular type of connector required for connection to an external gas point or is it all included in the purchase?

 

[Bluerocket]

we have had one for 3 years now and love it as it's so versatile. I have invested in a good quality windbreak as the cadac can be susceptible to the breezes blowing the flame out but I can assure you that you will get many years of service from it. I bought the pizza stone in April for it and it works very well so
enjoy.

 

[Martin24]

With a new van it should be included if the external gas is standard fit. On a second hand one it'll depend on whether the previous owner kindly popped it back in the van like I do or just couldn't be bothered.

 

[JanBn]

make sure you get the pizza stone....they make brilliant outdoor pizza ovens

Thank you, I have just purchased one after watching a You Tube video, it looks great good to know someone has used one though

 

[JanBn]

Is there a particular type of connector required for connection to an external gas point or is it all included in the purchase?

That is exactly my query :lol: I put it all together and think I need a length of tubing and a connector to connect to my BBQ point on the outside of the van :huh: hope someone can confirm this for me :lol:

 

[Bluerocket]

Hi

yes you need a metre length of flexible rubber gas pipe and either a push fit or tap type connector depending on the type of fitting you have on the BBQ point of your van which you can buy at any dealers accessories shop

 

[Beehpee]

I use a Cadac every time we're away in caravan for cooking breakfasts and all sorts of food for evening meals plus regular BBQ, I went down the route of getting the connector for caravan outside tap thinking it would save carrying another gas bottle, I think I used it once and then abandoned the idea completely, when you come to use the cadac if your connector on van is same side as awning you either BBQ in awning, risk to life from fumes! or you use a gas bottle, it's not a good idea to simply use a much longer hose to get cadac out of the awning as this in itself presents problems, such as trip hazard from the hose plus gas pressure drop if the hose is too long, I think cadac specify a maximum hose length that is safe to use, another problem even if you can position cadac out of the awning is that your still restricted as to position and it makes life much easier if your free to position it where you want so as to be in best location to avoid wind, the connector I bought was consigned to the waste bin after its one and only use.

BP

 

[Hutch]

Cadac reccomend a metre hose, I use a 2 metre hose with no problem, and also have a regulator that fits the Camping gas 901 cylinder, but mostlu use the caravan supply. And would never use the Cadac inside the awning, rathwr be outside with a Brolly and rain mac on.

 

[KeefySher]

I use a Cadac every time we're away in caravan for cooking breakfasts and all sorts of food for evening meals plus regular BBQ, I went down the route of getting the connector for caravan outside tap thinking it would save carrying another gas bottle, I think I used it once and then abandoned the idea completely, when you come to use the cadac if your connector on van is same side as awning you either BBQ in awning, risk to life from fumes! or you use a gas bottle, it's not a good idea to simply use a much longer hose to get cadac out of the awning as this in itself presents problems, such as trip hazard from the hose plus gas pressure drop if the hose is too long, I think cadac specify a maximum hose length that is safe to use, another problem even if you can position cadac out of the awning is that your still restricted as to position and it makes life much easier if your free to position it where you want so as to be in best location to avoid wind, the connector I bought was consigned to the waste bin after its one and only use.

BP

Which is perfect reason to use a 'porch' Air Awning, in order for 1- that useful outside space to be used to enhance your cooking experience with the cadac, 2 - that area can be leeward or provide a windbreak saving carrying yet more junk against your allowable payload, 3 - enhance the vista from the lounge without looking out on an inside of an awning

I'm sure there are more noxious odours permeating a caravan after a night on the booze and curry, within the caravan than outside in the open from the cadac