Camping alongside a river or a lake provides the perfect opportunity to catch your meal straight out of the water and cook fresh. What is more satisfying than hunting a fresh fish and then cooking it over a well-built campfire? If you have done or tasted something like that before then you would know that the word ‘nothing’ is the answer to the question. That delicious bite of freshly caught and cooked fish at a campsite is unmatched.
But how to cook a fish over a campfire that is just as good as the one offered on a restaurant’s seafood menu? When it comes to cooking your catch over open fire there are a few simple steps you can follow to get a delicious dish. Here we have for you 3 easy ways in which you can create a wonderful fish dish over a campfire.
1 – Cooking in a Pan
One of the most popular ways to cook fish when camping is to pan-fry it over the campfire. Enjoying this old style of fish fry, sitting out in nature is truly satisfying. Especially if there is a river nearby and you have caught fresh fish, it is the ultimate pleasure. The key to remember is that the flame is out of your control. So, managing the heat is important to keep your fish from burning. A low fire or using just hot embers is the best way to pan-fry the fish. Freshwater fish like pike, trout, and walleye are the best choices for this type of cooking.
Things you will Need
Now moving on to the things that you will need to achieve the perfect pan-fried fish fillet on an open campfire.
A Cast-Iron Skillet
The first thing is a cast-iron skillet. This will help you create an even cooking surface. Moreover, the thick base of the pan will help eliminate hot spots from forming when cooking over an open fire.
Vegetable Cooking Oil
Not all cooking oil is good for fish pan-frying. Corn, Safflower, and Peanut oil are the best options for cooking. This is because they heat quickly and help to fry the fish evenly. If you want a healthier option, then olive oil is a good choice.
Marination/Batter
Next comes your marination. Fish that are mild in flavor do not work well with heavy breading and batter. You can go with a pre-prepared seasoning mix or seasoned cracker crumbs to coat your fish fillets. For wet batter buttermilk or a raw egg and milk combination can be used.
Utensils
Other supplies and utensils that you will need are a cooking grate, containers to pour in your spices and batter, a spatula, and tongs to pick the fillets.
Directions
You can go with just removing the scales or if you like remove the skin as well. Cut it into fillets and dry the access water with the help of paper towels. Blot drying helps the batter to stick well to the fish.
Use a disposable pan for the wet batter, while for the dry ingredients and breading you can use a zip lock bag. One by one dip the fillets into the wet batter and then the dry coating. Coat well on both sides.
Next prepare your pan for cooking. Add approximately an inch of oil into the pan and heat it for a minute. Add the fillets to the pan and fry for 3 minutes on each side until the fish turn golden brown. Stick a fork into it to check, if the meat is shiny white from the inside and is flaky then it is ready. Place it on paper towels to soak in the extra grease and enjoy.
When cooking over an open fire, it is not necessary that you bread and batter your fish. You can go with just seasoning the fish with spices and sear it directly in a pan. For extra flavor add a blob of butter to the pan. And just like this, you get a delicious fish dish that is served on a professional restaurant’s seafood menu.
2 – Cooking on a Stick
One of the oldest methods to cook whole fish over a campfire is on a stick. It is the easiest method as it takes the least amount of prep work. So if you want to spend less time cooking and more time enjoying your trip then this is the way to go. You can prepare the fish by gutting and cleaning it but leave the skin on. This will help protect the meat during cooking.
Once cleaned, slide a long and sharpened stick through the mouth of the fish and poke it right through the flesh till it comes out the other end at the rear end of the rib cage. You may need a stick or two to jab in from the sides. This will stabilize the fish over the fire.
Hot Embers Only – No Flame
One of the most important tips when cooking a fish on a stick over a campfire is that there should be no fire at all. The perfect way to cook a fish this way is to do so over a fire that has died down and has left hot embers that are still burning in the fire pit. You easily place the fish over the hot ambers by holding it in place with the help of the stick. Take your time to cook the fish fully. Keep turning it often as it cooks. When turns white and flaky take it off the heat and enjoy!
3 – Cooking in Tin Foil
Similar to how it is done on a stick, keep the fish whole when cooking in tin foil. You can remove the head of the fish if you like, as many individuals do not like the smell it exudes. Cook the fish over a low flame or after your fire has died down and there is hot or burning coals left behind. You can place the fish in the foil directly over the hot coals. The sealed foil pouch works as a closed pot and helps to keep the fish moist and seals the flavors of the spices used into the core of the meat. A chef tip is to add lemon slices inside the pouch to make your fish extra flavorful and aromatic like it has come straight out of a seafood menu.
Directions
Here we have the steps for how you will prepare your fish inside the foil wrapping. So, let’s find out!
Gut and clean the fish. Removing the scales is a must, but whether you want to keep the skin or not is up to you. The same goes for leaving the head and the tail. Some people like eating the head some don’t. you can keep the tail for aesthetics or chop it off.
Next take some tin foil (enough to cover the whole fish under and over and then some extra, so that you could make a sealed pouch. Now take some butter and rub it on the fish. This will help keep the fish from sticking to the foil. Place the fish on the foil and sprinkle some spices. You can go in with salt, pepper, and your favorite seasoning mix. You can also add some cloves of garlic, sliced lemon, maybe a splash of wine or beer if you are feeling creative and a little extra butter for fun!
Once done, make sure that your fish is in the center, and then seal the pouch tightly from all sides. You can place the foil directly over hot coal or if they are still burning then over a cooking grate. Flip a few times so it cooks evenly. Once it is done the fish would start to give off a delicious, cooked smell and your nose will be able to guide you. However, it will take approximately 10 to 15 minutes to cook, and you can not the time. Once it is done take it off the heat and enjoy!
