Algonquin Adventures / How do you cook your fish in the backcountry?

**Posted by basilthegood** 4/04/2017 6:21 pm

What's your preferred method for prepping and cooking your catch of the day in the backcountry? How does it differ for different species?

For bass, I filet, shake up in either flour+salt+pepper or fish crisp and then pan fry in oil.

For the only speck I've cooked, I gutted it, head off, put some butter, onions and lemon inside, then double wrapped it with tin foil and cooked in campfire coals.

**Posted by RPDUKE** 4/04/2017 7:13 pm

Sashimi or spicy trout roll with a little ginger

**Posted by basilthegood** 4/04/2017 7:21 pm

RPDUKE wrote:
Sashimi or spicy trout roll with a little ginger

Actually? I love my sushi but I never would have thought to do that.

**Posted by RPDUKE** 4/04/2017 7:37 pm

Ha! Just playing with you basil...I usually go the flour-salt-pepper and/or spice route myself. I can just picture making some sticky rice, fixing some veg and rolling up some sushi in the backcountry...that would be interesting.

**Posted by basilthegood** 4/04/2017 7:52 pm

RPDUKE wrote:
Ha! Just playing with you basil...I usually go the flour-salt-pepper and/or spice route myself. I can just picture making some sticky rice, fixing some veg and rolling up some sushi in the backcountry...that would be interesting.

Man...I was going to say. I've heard of gourmet camp cooking, but jeez. True story though, I was tuna fishing in the pacific a couple of years ago and our guide made fresh sashimi drizzled with soy sauce and some spices right in the boat and it was absolutely delicious...so I thought it could be in the realm of possibility haha.

**Posted by breed85** 4/05/2017 6:25 am

Gutted, head off, cooked in some butter on a hot pan.

**Posted by PaPaddler** 4/05/2017 7:10 am

For most fish I prefer just a bit of salt & pepper, dotted with butter, wrapped in foil in done on the grill over hot coals with little to no flame. This allows just the flavor of the fish to dominate and the cooking above the coals is a bit slower but doesn't dry out the meat with direct, super-hot heat that you would get by placing directly on the coals.

When available, I will often squeeze a wedge of lemon on the meat when served. I sometimes use a variety of veggies, herbs or spices if I want to dress it up - onion, dill, cajun, etc. Those go better on mild, white fish such as perch, walleye or bass; I don't typically add much to my trout...and actually prefer perch/walleye over most freshwater fishes for eating.

**Posted by DanPM** 4/05/2017 8:10 am

Bass: fillet, skin off, fish crisp, frying pan with oil. Honestly bass aren't the greatest tasting fish so I like to entrust them to the capable hands of commercially produced fish crisp.

Pike - same as bass pretty much, except more "butcher and cut up" than "fillet". I'm open to eating pike other ways since I do like the taste better than bass (I've made pike curry at home), but since skinning and cutting it up is necessary, the fish crisp and fry technique is just easiest in the bush.

Trout - can't really go wrong but my current favourite is gut it, lime wedges and dry herbs in the cavity, wrap it in tin foil with an extra squeeze of lime, throw it on the grill. Open the foil a bit towards the end for some smoky flavour. Fillet once done.

I've only once cooked a walleye in the backcountry but that time I butterflied it bone-in (ie gutted it, cut through the ribs along one side of the backbone and opened it out flat), put fish crisp on the flesh side, and fried it in a pan like that with the skin still on the outside. I've also done a perch like that. No pics though.

I once also did a largemouth bass basically the way I described for trout above. Made for a very tender texture - instead of filleting it when it was done I more just flaked meat off the bones onto the plates like pulled pork. But the flavour left a bit to be desired. For that one I scored the skin and put herb mix on the outside as well.

**Posted by spicol** 4/06/2017 10:53 am

basilthegood wrote:
RPDUKE wrote:
Sashimi or spicy trout roll with a little ginger
Actually? I love my sushi but I never would have thought to do that.

I wouldn't. Too many parasites, grubs, bacteria, tapeworms etc in the fish in these small ecosystems. The fish are generally fine if you cook them, but raw is a different story.

**Posted by nvm** 5/04/2017 9:21 am

I cook trout as simply as possible- they're a delicious tasting fish and it would be a shame to mask that flavour with spices and batter. Frying pan, wrapped in tin foil, or over the flame- all good with a little butter, salt and pepper. The meat flakes right off the bones, so you get a boneless dinner with essentially no waste this way.

For bass/pike I prefer to fillet and batter, cooked in oil. Makes great fish tacos!

**Posted by Shawn G** 5/04/2017 12:44 pm

You guys are killing me with the lime and lemon on the trout all you need is salt, pepper and butter not margarine rap in foil and cook that's it that's all

Shawn G

**Posted by dontgroandaddy** 5/04/2017 3:14 pm

I've been thinking about this lately, as I'll have the family on bass waters this August, and should we succeed, there is a 100% chance my son will want to cook and eat some. Bass isn't my favorite, but for the boy? OK. I almost never keep fish I catch - I feel so bad for them I always let them go!

Dairy issue for me (among other sensitivities) = no butter, so I'd probably use a little canola oil, salt/pepper in the cavity, foil & fire. Hoping the foil will tear the skin off I guess. Will look into the fish crisp whatever that is - maybe I'd be ok with that. I cook a lot at home, and go easy on spices & seasonings. Supermarkets that sell prepared fresh fish way over-do it, opting to flavor rather than season.

**Posted by vanslyke** 5/04/2017 3:50 pm

Filet boneless, light coating of fish crisp, then pan fry in oil.

**Posted by nvm** 5/05/2017 6:59 am

dontgroandaddy wrote:
I've been thinking about this lately, as I'll have the family on bass waters this August, and should we succeed, there is a 100% chance my son will want to cook and eat some. Bass isn't my favorite, but for the boy? OK. I almost never keep fish I catch - I feel so bad for them I always let them go!

Dairy issue for me (among other sensitivities) = no butter, so I'd probably use a little canola oil, salt/pepper in the cavity, foil & fire. Hoping the foil will tear the skin off I guess. Will look into the fish crisp whatever that is - maybe I'd be ok with that. I cook a lot at home, and go easy on spices & seasonings. Supermarkets that sell prepared fresh fish way over-do it, opting to flavor rather than season.

Especially if you don't specifically like the taste of bass (or pike, or walleye or whatever other white fleshed fish you're catching), I would really suggest turning them into boneless/skinless fillets, battering them (lots of dairy free options) and frying them in canola/peanut oil. Or filleting and dusting in a seasoned flour mix, then fried in an oiled pan (as opposed to trying to 'deep fry' the battered pieces). I think wrapping the whole fish in foil might make for a pretty 'fishy' tasting dinner. Fried, they're delicious.

But battering a trout is sacrilege IMO.

**Posted by kenny** 5/05/2017 11:50 am

Ours is just like home, dipped in egg and Milk andthe into the bread crumbs, and cooked in some nice oil. with a side of Pork and Beans and Potatoes and Onions fried up. This has been our first nights meal for every trip except 1.

**Posted by DanPM** 5/05/2017 6:12 pm

nvm wrote:
dontgroandaddy wrote:
I've been thinking about this lately, as I'll have the family on bass waters this August, and should we succeed, there is a 100% chance my son will want to cook and eat some. Bass isn't my favorite, but for the boy? OK. I almost never keep fish I catch - I feel so bad for them I always let them go!

Dairy issue for me (among other sensitivities) = no butter, so I'd probably use a little canola oil, salt/pepper in the cavity, foil & fire. Hoping the foil will tear the skin off I guess. Will look into the fish crisp whatever that is - maybe I'd be ok with that. I cook a lot at home, and go easy on spices & seasonings. Supermarkets that sell prepared fresh fish way over-do it, opting to flavor rather than season.
Especially if you don't specifically like the taste of bass (or pike, or walleye or whatever other white fleshed fish you're catching), I would really suggest turning them into boneless/skinless fillets, battering them (lots of dairy free options) and frying them in canola/peanut oil. Or filleting and dusting in a seasoned flour mix, then fried in an oiled pan (as opposed to trying to 'deep fry' the battered pieces). I think wrapping the whole fish in foil might make for a pretty 'fishy' tasting dinner. Fried, they're delicious.

But battering a trout is sacrilege IMO.

^All of this.

Don't count on the foil to pull the skin off, skin it yourself before you cook it with a pair of pliers and a filleting knife. Then dredge both sides of the fillets in fish crisp or a homemade alternative (flour and spices basically) and fry in oil.

**Posted by boknows** 5/05/2017 7:06 pm

I poach my speckled trout that I keep (I always release lakers) like poached eggs....not greasy.....and really good. Then I add spices or whatever else I want on them.