A Bunch of Chefs Wandering Into the Woods, What Comes Next Is Delicious

Chef Camp, the cooking retreat at Sturgeon Lake, has announced its lineup of chefs and wilderness-themed cooking classes for Labor Day weekend 2016.

Class descriptions courtesy of Heavy Table.

Photo courtesy Erik Eastman

J.D. Fratzke, Strip Club Meat & Fish / Saint Dinette

North Country Fish Gone Global

"Fresh local fish get marched into fish boils or shore lunches without a second thought, but they have the potential to do so much more. In this class, Fratzke will transform crayfish and lake trout into tacos with salsa roja and teach how to turn the meal into a Korean-style ssam platter. He’ll reinvent walleye (by simmering in the South Asian flavors of coconut milk fragrant with curry spices, lime and fresh tomato); and elevate humble sunfish by applying a tempura frying technique and finishing them with ponzu and shichimi."

Sarah Master, Mr. Roberts Resort

Oysters in the Rough

"Learn about oyster selection, handling, shucking, grilling, and saucing from Master, who has extensive experience with these enchanting bivalves via both Minneapolis and New Orleans. In this class, you’ll get beyond the halfshell and witness the full potential of the oyster."

The Art of the Seafood Boil

"Seafood boils are less a dish than a philosophy, and during warm weather, they’re a way to gather and celebrate. Master will demonstrate a shrimp and andouille sausage boil that is full flavored but beautifully balanced."

Ryan Stechschulte, Spoon and Stable

Baking Breads Anywhere

"This class will teach you how to harvest yeast from the air that surrounds you and how to use that "natural starter" in a number of applications. We will create a naturally leavened sourdough as well as a campfire cornbread and an Iraqi laffa that will use the natural starter as both a leavening agent and a flavor component. Never eat bad bread again. We will also have discussions about the stages of bread creation as well as a brief about gluten and its importance to the process of bread baking."

Jamie Carlson, You Have to Cook it Right Blog

Wild Risotto

"Carlson will demonstrate how to make a stunning risotto over a camp fire and discuss feast-worthy foods that can be prepared while camping. If nature provides, foraged ingredients, such as wild mushrooms and / or lake fish, may be included in the risotto."

Fall Forage

"Walk the trails of Camp Miller with Jamie Carlson and find wild foragables including mushrooms, sumac, berries, wild grapes, and more. Carlson will bring a portable camp stove to demonstrate on-site recipes, and will have a knapsack of pre-foraged food in case the wilderness yields a less-than-spectacular bounty."

Nate Uri, Prohibition Kombucha

Temaki Bar

"Sometimes you don’t want to start a fire or cook over one, so why not just have sushi out in the wild? Calling on some homestyle Japanese techniques, we’ll prep fish, vegetables, herbs, and pickles for a wicked-fast temaki bar."

Tickets are almost sold out. They start at $550 and are available here.