Orem couple boasts winning ways with a Dutch-oven hobby

For the past 11 years, Keith and Wendy Fisher of Orem have cooked in Dutch ovens — for family parties, Boy Scout activities, girls camps, church suppers and competitions. On March 19, they took first place at the International Dutch Oven Society's World Championship, and $1,500 in prize money. The cook-off was at the South Towne Expo Center.

"At this point, you usually retire from competing, because you've already won the highest thing," said Wendy Fisher. "After that, the champions will usually judge other cook-offs or write a cookbook."

Their hobby started when Keith's mother gave them a Dutch oven for Christmas.

"I had to work one Saturday, and he thought he'd be kind and make dinner. So he got out the Dutch oven, seasoned it, and cooked a deer roast that we had in the freezer," Wendy said. "It was so good, and so much for the two of us that we called his family to come and eat with us. We were hooked."

They qualified for the World Championship by winning an IDOS-sanctioned cook-off in Orem. Three years ago, they also won the Orem cook-off and took third place at the World Championship.

"This time, we went in with the attitude that whatever happens, happens," Wendy said. "We were calm, and everything went smoothly. Other times we've gone in anxious and nervous and we didn't win. It just depends on what we're cooking, how it turns out and the judges. I guess we happened to have the right judges this time."

Their main dish was a "guardian of honor" pork roast, similar to a crown rib roast. To make it extra-juicy, Keith captured the juices that escaped during cooking and injected them back in the meat.

"It was so tender, it would melt in your mouth," Wendy said.

She said she always bakes her desserts in that first Dutch oven that her mother-in-law gave them. "It's so well-seasoned that the cakes fall right out of them."

Here's her winning cake recipe:

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ORANGE COCONUT ALMOND CAKE

12-inch Dutch oven

1/2 cup softened butter

1/4 cup shortening

1 1/2 cups sugar

3 eggs

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 teaspoons soda