August, 1918 
FORES T A N I) 
S T R E A M 
483 
HOW TO COOK THE FISH YOU CATCH 
THE CAMPER WHO DEPENDS UPON HIS FISHING TACKLE TO SUPPLY HIS LARDER AIDS 
IN FOOD CONSERVATION AND SHOULD KNOW MANY WAYS OF PREPARING HIS CATCH 
I T is safe to wager that of all the remi¬ 
niscences of camp and trail, none are 
so precious as those that cluster round 
the campfire, and that particular campfire at 
whose altar presided a competent cook. 
We may recall with pleasure or regret the 
deer that got away, the trout that de¬ 
camped with our pet leaders, and the ducks 
and grouse that laughed at the “patterns” 
of our pet shotguns; but the memory of 
meals eaten in camp, cooked by a real cook 
who knew the kinks of camp cooking, will 
never be effaced or fail to call up a mois¬ 
ture not of the eyes. 
Camp cooking in these progressive days 
is quite a different art than in the old 
times before solid alcohol was heard of, 
and before practical portable stoves were 
fashioned. The various clever cooking 
outfits which nest inside each other like 
Japanese toy boxes make it possible to 
carry every necessary utensil in the space 
formerly occupied by one. Stoves, grates, 
and cooking apparatus galore are offered 
at the various sporting goods stores, and 
many of these are extremely practical, in¬ 
expensive and comfort bringing; so the 
manner of getting the meal cooked de¬ 
pends entirely upon circumstances. An ex¬ 
plorer in a glade boat in the wilds of Flor¬ 
ida is able to cook a substantial meal afloat 
with the aid of an alcohol stove, without 
danger of spilling the fuel and setting fire 
to the craft; the hunter with a forest to 
yield a limitless supply of choice firewood 
may build as large and hot a fire as he 
needs; the dweller in tents may use a tiny 
sheetiron stove with an oven to hang 
against the sides. After all, it is not the 
cooking agent but the cook that matters in 
getting a successful meal in camp. And 
secondary only to the cook in importance 
is the matter to be cooked. 
I F one were to ask, “What is the most 
popular outdoor sport known to man?” 
the reply would doubtless swell from 
countless throats: “Going fishing.” And 
since this sport is the primal cause of men 
seeking the open, one of the first articles 
of diet for the camper is fish. It is hardly 
necessary to tell the camp cook how to 
prepare trout, salmon, and bass. These 
aristocratic fish have so excellent a flavor 
of their own that it is almost impossible 
to make them uneatable, provided they are 
not served half-raw. But we anglers of 
the humbler streams which boast only 
humbler fish may enjoy many a feast of 
what the English call “coarse fish”—in¬ 
cluding chub, pike, perch, carp, cusk, and 
“suckers.” Some of these are at their best 
when finer fish, such as trout and salmon, 
are out of season. The cold water in win¬ 
ter seems to harden the flesh and impart 
a sweetness not found in warmer weather. 
All coarse fish may be made palatable 
and a source of cheap, enjoyable diet by 
various simple means, one of which is to 
allow the captured fish to remain alive in 
a tub of clear water for two or three days 
before use. If running water is not avail¬ 
'll SH FOR UNCLE SAM” 
HE July Forest and Stream 
contained a special contribu¬ 
tion from the Bureau of Fisheries 
telling how the angler’s catch might 
be preserved for future consump¬ 
tion. This article describes various 
methods of cooking the catch in 
camp. It carries an appeal to all who 
believe in saving the land products 
by eating more fish. [Editors.] 
able, at least a third part of the water 
should be renewed every twelve hours. 
Another simple method is to clean and 
lightly salt the fish as soon as taken from 
the water. Sometimes careful cleaning 
alone, if done as soon as caught, is all that 
is necessary to remove a strong “fishy” or 
muddy taste; many people like the flavor 
of a mild acid, such as lemon or dilute 
vinegar which is used to wash the fish or 
is rubbed well into the backbone. 
Small fish should be cleaned and then 
cooked whole; medium size fish may be 
opened to the backbone and then split flat. 
Fillets may be cut from large fish, using 
only the thick meat on each side of the 
backbone, or the fish may be baked or 
boiled whole. It is wise not to boil a fish 
of over two pounds weight. 
Fish should be cleaned with much care. 
The gall bladder should never be broken, 
and the large blood vessels which lie under 
the backbone must in every case be re¬ 
moved. The fish should be scaled or 
skinned, an easy process which eliminates 
much of the objectionable flavor. 
No fish need be served underdone as it 
is a simple matter to know when any fish 
is sufficiently cooked. The flesh of the 
thickest part separates readily from the 
bone. A boiled fish usually needs about 
15 minutes to the pound, while baked fish 
is done when a milky fluid flows from the 
flesh when it is parted with a fork. 
The more common kinds of fish are 
made delicious by cooking in combination 
with pleasant flavored vegetables and herbs. 
Boiled Fish 
In a kettle large enough to float the fish, 
pour boiling water, and salt it well, allow¬ 
ing one tablespoonful to every quart of 
water. Slice an onion, or a lemon, or 
crumble a bay leaf, into the water, tie the 
fish in a cloth, and boil until done. Then 
unwrap carefully, taking off the skin if 
you choose, and serve with hot or cold 
“Tartar” sauce, egg sauce, or melted butter. 
The English boil fish in water which con¬ 
tains also onion, carrot, turnip, parsley, 
bay leaf, and other herbs. This is imprac¬ 
tical in camp, but a very efficacious substi¬ 
tute is found by frying fish in 
Savory Fat 
Chop fine one onion, one carrot, a small 
turnip, some parsley and a bay leaf. Place 
in a frying kettle with a pound of pure 
leaf lard or bacon fat; let the mixture heat 
through very slowly and let fry gently on 
the back of the stove until the vegetables 
have become dry, brown, and mealy. They 
must not burn or the fat is worthless. 
Strain through a cloth and put away in a 
cool place until a camping trip is taken. 
Then use this fat for frying small fish, 
which have been cleaned, wiped dry, and 
rolled in salted corn meal. It will add a 
most appetizing flavor to a lowly chub, and 
is very easy to carry in an outfit if packed 
in friction top cans. 
A LL kinds of fish—the finer as well as 
the coarser varieties—are extremely 
palatable when stewed, and this sim¬ 
ple method is suitable for camp cookery. 
Stewed Fish 
Prepare the fish, place in a stewpan with 
a bay leaf, some small onions, tomatoes— 
either fresh or canned—butter, pepper and 
salt. Cover with hot water and stew 
gently until the fish is cooked. Take out 
the fish and keep it hot; thicken the liquid 
with cornstarch or flour, boil for a few 
minutes longer, pour over the fish and 
serve very hot. This manner of cooking 
is also extremely good for eels. Enough 
bay lleaves for several seasons can be pur¬ 
chased for a nickel and carried in an en¬ 
velope. 
A real camper’s delight, both for ease of 
preparation and sureness of reward, is 
Trout Chowder 
Any fresh water fish, and also canned 
salmon, may be substituted in this recipe. 
Into a kettle—an iron pot that will hang 
on the crane is just the thing—put Yt 
pound of salt pork cut into tiny dice 
(bacon may be used if liked, and is prefer¬ 
able if the fish is of strong flavor), two or 
three small onions quartered and sliced, 
and let fry gently until golden-brown. Do 
not burn or the chowder is spoiled before 
fairly begun. Add one quart of potatoes 
cut into dice, and sufficient boiling water 
to just cover them. If raw fish is used, 
skin, cut into neat pieces, removing all 
bones possible, and lay on top of the pota¬ 
toes. Salt and pepper, and let boil very 
gently hour. Then add one quart of 
milk and a big piece of butter. Thicken 
slightly with cracker dust—a good plan is 
to cut the portion of butter in small bits, 
roll each in cracker dust and add to the 
chowder, then the cracker will not lump. 
Serve very hot with old-fashioned pilot 
biscuit. If canned or cooked fish is used, 
separate from skin, bones, and liquor, and 
add pieces of fish to chowder two minutes 
before serving, as it is necessary to simply 
heat the cooked fish through. 
This simple chowder has been tested in¬ 
numerable times by campers and cannot 
fail to please, unless burnt, in which case 
the cook deserves a thrashing or to be 
forced to eat the whole mess. 
Stewed Carp 
On account of its strong flavor carp is 
stewed in a different manner. Scale the 
fish and clean well. Cut into medium- 
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