DINING BY CAMPFIRE: 
THE FINE ART OF COOKING OUTDOORS

With a quick flick of the wrist, the fish that was nibbling on your bait is now being slowly pulled to shore. With such a long walk or drive back to the cabin, a quick fire from fallen limbs and twigs can cook it up just right.

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"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God."

-1 Corinthians 10:31

 

Cleaning a fish is super easy, and is one of the simplest animals to catch and cook. Some folks clean the fish out then bury or burn the discarded bits. For myself, I clean the fish near the river where it was caught, and leave what I clean out behind a rock or tree for some silly racoons to have a midnight snack, far from camp. 

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Indeed any food item in the forest is quick to gather attention from the woodland neighbors, camping where you cook or process game is very foolish, always camp away from your forest kitchen and keep your food in a "Hoisted Pantry" or "Bear Bag" and away from your tent. 
 

If its raining or snowing, cedar kindlin is always quick to take a flame. Also there is an old trick of using cotton-balls smeared with Vasoline packed into a little bottle, which is completely waterproof and is very useful on the river during float trips.

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A few small rocks around the flame is also standard practice, where sometimes I have used as little as 2 stones to balance a skillet over a fire, try to use plenty of rocks to ring the fire. 

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The bed of the fire is the focus for the cook. Once the fire has pushed through the majority of the kindlin and wood, a bed of coals begins to form as the flames being to die down. 

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You don't want to cook directly in the flames of the fire, it may look very novel, seeing the flames licking the skillet or the catch of the day, but it will just end up burning your meal.

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Same as how the snow reveals the winter time, a snow of ash on the coals reveals the time to cook. Not a heavy ash, but a dusting on the surface of the coals shows that they have mellowed down to a more constant temperature, and can more reliably cook your fresh fish. 

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Campfire kitchens can range anywhere from very simple setups, to complex grates, hangers, and swiveling units that are less simple and more scientific. 

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If you have a little ol' skillet packed along for your adventure, a small dab of oil on the pan while it gets hot will cook it up nicely, maybe with a slice of onion, and a piece of bread.

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Some folks like to rustle it up like the old mountain men, placing the fresh fish directly onto the fire with a few green limbs across the top of the ripe coals keeping a small barrier to allow the fish to brown off nicely.

 

Use your hands or a sharp stick to turn it after a minute or two, then enjoy your fresh meal by the campfire. 
 

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