Frying fish @ camp questions

[jm1607]

Ok, going on a fishing/camping trip in a couple weeks. Never fried up my own fish right at camp before so I need a little advice. And I need to know what I'm doing since I'm taking "non-campers" with me and have to look really cool.

1) What kind of oil should I use? Peanut oil? Crisco sticks? The healthier the better...

2) What should I used for breading? Corn meal? Shake & Bake?

*We'll be hiking in a few miles so the lighter/easier to pack the better too

 

[colonel00]

What kind of fish? This year we cooked salmon over a campfire with just some seasoning and foil. Several years ago we sort of ran out of food while we were hunting in Alaska and we caught and ate rockfish. To cook that we just has a little oil in a pan and some lemon pepper or other seasoning. Didn't really have the option for breading at that time and didn't really miss it.

 

[jarheadhunter]

A few years back we were catching so many fish we had to have a shore lunch to keep fishing. My grandpa was the cook and I swear to you the only oil we saw in his truck was a bottle of penzoil 10w-30. Best fish I have ever had to this day.

 

[Moe.JKU]

I second the tinfoil no need for any oil. Just some lemon pepper. And if you want maybe some garlic powder. Fish have plenty of oil in them as is. Salmon and trout I will just clean it and then put the spices in the middle and a little on top, wrap in foil, and cook on coals not the fire. I have done many fishing backpack trips with just those two seasonings in my bag and some trail mix and made it 6-7 days.

 

[unm1136]

You don't mention if you are car camping or hiking.

If you are car camping, I like to put herbs, salt, pepper, and lemon slices inside the body cavity, then wrap in foil. In fact, if you take oil, or a knob of butter, or some bacon you can slice some potatoes, onions, and any other herbs/dense veg you like (green chile in my camp; parsnips, chives, and carrots are great too) and put them in a foil pocket. Just a tablespoon of oil/butter or one slice of bacon for 2-4 servings. The fat is carrying flavor, rather than helping the cooking. Start the fire, let it start to burn down to coals, and set the potato mixture next to the fire as you prepare the fish. Think of it as getting the cooking started. Prepare the fish, cleaning them, stuffing them, and wrapping them in foil. When the fish is ready set them directly in the coals (no need to bury them) and move the potatoes to the coals. The potato packets should be too hot to touch at this point and you will need to use a spatula, or you thought ahead and placed a couple of long sticks under the packet when you placed it next to the fire. Depending on the size of the fish, and how much contact they have with the coals 15 minutes should just about do it. Don't let them sit longer than 20. Fish them out of the coals (I use tongs for this) and open them up and let everyone serve themselves.

I like the basic fish preparation (herbs, salt, pepper, and lemon slices in the cavity) enough that when my dad gave me some fresh salmon a couple of years ago I prepared them that way, put about a tablespoon of butter in small pieces across the top of the fish, double wrapped them in foil, and ran them through a wash cycle in the dishwasher when it was time to do my lunch dishes. The dishwasher doesn't get over 200 degrees, so when the cycle stopped, the fish was fantastic.

Another one that I did this last summer with the kids came from Bon Appitite Magazine. Dress the fish, and put a herby vinaigrette in the cavity. Wrap them in bacon, and lay the fish directly on a bed of hot coals. No grill needed, no nothing, but I cheated and didn't use the vinaigrette, and I had one of those fish grilling baskets. The magazine article said to lay the bacon wrapped fish straight on the coals. Turn every 2-4 minutes until the bacon is cooked, total about 15-20 minutes, and pull fish off the coals. Eat the bacon and then tackle the fish. The kids even ate it. While I have not tried the vinaigrette, I think it would be a lot of hassle for just a bit of flavor, and the cooking fish will push moisture and fish oils out, diluting it anyway. A vinaigrette is 2/3 oil, and seems like too much trouble, and too much oil, but it would make you look cheffy when you told everyone what was for dinner. I would just stuff the cavity with parsley, green onion/chives, maybe some chopped garlic or garlic powder, a frond of dill, (the little plastic containers of fresh herbs at the local grocery store are great for this), a green chile or a sliced jalapeno, and sliced lemon/lime. If in your dictionary bacon is not a healthy fat, you can omit the bacon and cook the fish straight on the coals. But in my dictionary, bacon is an essential fat.

If you are hiking/backpacking you can make your own spice blend and just carry that. Lately I have been using a small local spice guys rubs on everything, including popcorn. Salt, sweet, spicy, I would not hesitate to put this in fresh caught, campfire cooked fish.

http://albukirkyseasonings.com/products.html

The BBQ rub and the Green Chile rub I have tried. I am loving them on chicken thighs, roasted, served hot or cold.

pat

 

[jm1607]

Sorry guys, I should have been more clear. We will probably be catching Bass and Catfish on the Llano river in TX. We won't be too far from the car, probably only a couple miles. So it will definitely be a backpacking trip.

When I said fry I meant deep fry. Fill a pan with oil, get it hot, then drop some breaded fillets in it.

If I was on my own I would just fry it in tin foil the way you guys mentioned, but I kind of wanted to do something a little different this trip. And, thanks for all the good ideas unm1136. Gonna remember this thread!

 

[unm1136]

Sorry guys, I should have been more clear. We will probably be catching Bass and Catfish on the Llano river in TX. We won't be too far from the car, probably only a couple miles. So it will definitely be a backpacking trip.

When I said fry I meant deep fry. Fill a pan with oil, get it hot, then drop some breaded fillets in it.

If I was on my own I would just fry it in tin foil the way you guys mentioned, but I kind of wanted to do something a little different this trip. And, thanks for all the good ideas unm1136. Gonna remember this thread!

Depending on how many folks you have going, it would be a pain. A couple of gallon freezer bags for your breading stuff (cornmeal, corn flour, panko, seasoned before leaving home, in a separate bag, maybe the powdered buttermilk?) . Dutch oven, camp stove. I would hesitate doing this over coals, but I guess it is doable. Temp control would be tough, and if you fill with too much oil and get an over flow (I have done this with a deep fryer at home) you will get a very large ball of flame that water won't put out easily. You also have to pack in and out lots of oil. I would take the same idea, and pan fry in cast iron, oil 1/3 to 2/3 up the side of the food, to reduce splattering, flare ups and whatnot. The local grocery stores and Wally world have in the Hispanic Foods and Cooking sections aluminum dutch ovens, but Cast Iron gives much better temp control.

pat

 

[Lawnboi]

Breading in the country would sure be a pain. I would not deep fry per say, but you could pan fry.

A little oil or butter and spinkle some breading on it(whatever kind you like, shorelunch plain flour whatever) Add a little seasoning. Heat up the pan and cook it. Trying to fill your pan with oil to be able to submerge the fish would be a mistake IMO.

Iv cooked a few fish the way I stated above. Same as pan frying something in the house. Never cooked catfish or bass though. Bluegill, walleye and trout have done fine.

If your packing though, and having a camp fire, I would opt for the baking method with tinfoil, some seasoning, and some butter.

 

[colonel00]

One other suggestion would be to do a test run. Go get some cheap fish from the store and simulate a small hike (to a park) and try the cook with everything you think you need. You will quickly see if it works or not and what you have forgotten and need.

 

[MIKEYB]

I second this seasoning! Got some at the fiery foods show this year. Been using it in the field since. Winner in my book!

http://albukirkyseasonings.com/products.html

 

[aron]

I would take pan fried over deep fried if I had a choice with canola oil if you are set on the frying idea. Breading would be shore lunch doctored up with panko bread crumbs and few other seasonings of your choice. Cooked it right on a fire before so no need for a stove if you aren't bringing one, just make sure to run a sample piece to make sure your oil is the right temp.

 

[Moe.JKU]

Depending on how many folks you have going, it would be a pain. A couple of gallon freezer bags for your breading stuff (cornmeal, corn flour, panko, seasoned before leaving home, in a separate bag, maybe the powdered buttermilk?) . Dutch oven, camp stove. I would hesitate doing this over coals, but I guess it is doable. Temp control would be tough, and if you fill with too much oil and get an over flow (I have done this with a deep fryer at home) you will get a very large ball of flame that water won't put out easily. You also have to pack in and out lots of oil. I would take the same idea, and pan fry in cast iron, oil 1/3 to 2/3 up the side of the food, to reduce splattering, flare ups and whatnot. The local grocery stores and Wally world have in the Hispanic Foods and Cooking sections aluminum dutch ovens, but Cast Iron gives much better temp control.

pat

Just a note for this you should never use water on oil or grease fires. It usually makes it worse because oils sit on top of water and it just spreads. Baking soda is the way to go.
Just wouldn't want to see houses getting burnt down, or the forest.

For As for deep frying I have done graham crackers (i think you have them in the states) and crush them really fine dust like material. roll the fish around it and cook. Adds more of a sweet taste to it. Something a little different that the usual. I figured i would mention it. Don't know how it'll turn out on catfish but i do it with cod and halibut once and a while.

 

[Roy68]

The best seasoning for fried Catfish (bass or pan fish too) is Western Star Seasoned Flour. http://www.heavensworkshop.com/seasoned_flour_1.htm Our local grocery stores carry it in central KS for about $5 / bag. Milled in Salina, KS by ADM Milling.

Here's how to use:
* Fill the skillet with oil (your choice, doesn't matter) to no more than half full or equal to half the thickness of your fillets.
* Coat the fillet in flour (gallon bag w/ flour and shake or similar).
* The oil is hot enough when you drop some flour in and it sizzles.
* DO NOT let your oil get any hotter or it will burn the flour, and spoil the oil. If the oil is to hot you will get the golden brown "look" to fast and the fish will not cook (mushy meat).
* Fry till golden on one side flip and fry till firm.

Skip the batters, egg bathes, milk, and lots of seasoning - trust me. My brother, cousins, and I start fishing for channel cat in May and stop in late September. An average 3 day weekend for us results in 15 - 20 one gallon bags of fillets. We just had our 3rd fish fry this year and fed about 100 people this last go around. The above recipe is all we use. By the way a 1 gallon bag of catfish fillets will feed approx 8 people

The only other thing you can do to ruin your catfish is not clean the mud vein out if you are skinning them. This is the silver looking film on the meat, on the gut cavity side. It takes some doing but simply rub the vein off the meat with your thumbs or the heal of your hands. If you don't remove it the meat will taste like mud or mush. If it's a flathead cut the red stripe out of the fillets or the same will result.

No offense to all the other suggestions they all sound great. This is what our family has done for as long as I can remember and that's 30 years worth.

 

[unm1136]

Just a note for this you should never use water on oil or grease fires. It usually makes it worse because oils sit on top of water and it just spreads. Baking soda is the way to go.
Just wouldn't want to see houses getting burnt down, or the forest.

For As for deep frying I have done graham crackers (i think you have them in the states) and crush them really fine dust like material. roll the fish around it and cook. Adds more of a sweet taste to it. Something a little different that the usual. I figured i would mention it. Don't know how it'll turn out on catfish but i do it with cod and halibut once and a while.

I know... since we were discussing fishing, the reaction that needs to be stifled is to put the wet stuff on the red stuff. Probably could have said it better. Don't frequently carry baking soda while hiking, and where I lost a good number of lures and drowned a good number of worms was all rock...I built my fires in a depression on a large flat rock.

pat

 

[actionshooter]

The best I have ever had is a little grayling, lemon pepper and a little garlic powder.

 

[actionshooter]

With a little backstrap, making my mouth water...........damn

 

[Hardstalk]

The best I have ever had is a little grayling, lemon pepper and a little garlic powder.

Found a cast iron pan and the exact seasonings you mention in an abandoned shack next to a highcountry lake once. Best trout I've ever had!

 

[LaHunter]

jm1607, Being from Louisiana I have fried a fair amount of bass and catfish. I prefer peanut oil when frying fish (deep frying). They always seem to turn out tasting better. I think peanut oil does not burn as easily as other oils. Also, Louisiana Fish Fry is hard to beat. You don't need to add any seasoning with this since it is pre seasoned. It comes in plastic bags ready to go. You can probably find it on line if you can't find it in stores. I can't say how 'healthy' this is since this fish fry mix probably has enough sodium in it to give you hypertension, but it makes for some good fried fillets.

Good Luck and Good Fishing!!!

 

[boom]

this summer we discovered that instant mash potatoes make a fantastic breading. it is super light and preseasoned. you just dredge the fish piece int there and fry it up. my buddy packed in peanut oil. and olive oil. we used IDAHOAN brand instant potatoes.

i like to season the (whole) fish, drizzle on the olive oil.and wrap it with foil and toss the package on some gentle wood coals.