How to Cook Fish in the Wild Without Breaking a Sweat

Catching fish during a fishing expedition with friends and family can be really exciting, and eating the fresh catch sounds even better. Not having access to a proper kitchen outdoors shouldn’t be a reason to stop you from preparing and devouring the fresh fish you caught. At times like this, knowing how to cook fish in the wild is a real treasure.

Fresh fish has a distinctly wonderful taste and texture, which makes it a real treat to eat. Knowing how to prepare it immediately after a fishing expedition instead of packing them up in iceboxes to take home can help you enjoy your catch at the height of its freshness.

Here are some awesome tips to help you get the most out of this rustic culinary experience. Let’s explore!

How to Cook Fish in the Wild

Knowing how to cook fish over a campfire while braving the elements and different external conditions is not so hard once you know what to do.

To ensure that you don’t burn and ruin your day’s catch you should have the right tools and know what you’re doing. 

Things You Will Need

Here are some things that aid in catching and cooking fish in the outdoors:

• Fishing Supplies: Fishing equipment includes an assortment of fishing rods, reels, and bait which are important tools to help you catch the fish. 
• Handy Knife: Knives have many uses in the outdoors as they can help make shelters as well as help in the cooking process. A sharp knife is a must-have for cleaning and making fine cuts on the fish. 
• Fire Starter: Amongst the essentials that you need for cooking in the wild, you need something that can help get the fire going. Sometimes it’s hard to start a fire for reasons as valid as wind conditions, and a little jumpstart in the form of a fire starter can help speed up the process. Efficient fire starters include matches, lighters, or any form of flint.
• Cooking Equipment: Some equipment is required based on the way you intend to cook your fish. Some people carry a handy pot or pan, or even a grill to help them cook. 

Keep in mind that the list of items needed to support endeavors to catch and cook fish outdoors varies across different people and their various requirements.

However, the things mentioned here are the bare essentials generally needed by people cooking fish such as Mayan cichlid in the wild.

Steps to Take to Cook Fish in the Wild

The art of cooking fresh fish outdoors doesn’t have to be too hard, especially if you know what you’re doing.

After you have made a fine catch in the day’s fishing, you should methodologically follow the following steps to have an enjoyable feast.

1. Build the Fire

As you probably know, building a good campfire is vital to your outdoor cooking experience. Gather dry twigs and small branches on flat ground that’s some distance away from trees.

2. Clean the Fish

For those wondering how to cook fish outdoors and not attract animals, this is one of the ‘make, or break’ steps. In order to clean and gut your fish make careful use of a sharp knife. Work your way across your fish descaling, and de-skinning where necessary. 

Make a cut along the fish belly to help remove its guts. Make use of clean and fresh water to rinse your fish thoroughly after removing the unwanted fish parts. 

Remember to bury the fish parts you’re not using as the smell might attract curious or even predatory animals in the wild.

3. Decide Which Cooking Method to Use

How to cook fish in the wild depends on what cooking equipment you have. You need to decide whether you prefer to steam or grill your fish.

4. Cook Your Fish

The method of how to cook fish outdoors is also determined by whether you have cut your fish into a steak, a fillet, or whether you’ve left it whole.

Remember to season your fish to prepare it for the cook, and use some oil to keep the fish from sticking on the cooking utensils.

Try not to flip the sides too much as it would cause the fish to break and turn into deformed mush.

5. Check the Cook

You’ll know when your fish is done when you insert a fork in and flakes of meat can be seen.

Since you cook on the embers of the campfire and not under the direct flames themselves, make sure that you give your fish enough time to cook.

Fish cooked outdoors usually takes about thirty minutes to cook to perfection.

6. Serve Hot

Once the fish is cooked, serve it hot around the campfire and enjoy! To add something extra to your fresh fish meal, you can steam some fresh vegetables to serve with your fish! 

You can see how a thorough understanding of cooking fish in nature can be a source of great fun and help you make many unforgettable memories with all your campfire buddies! 

Conclusion

Fresh fish develops an incomparable smoky flavor when cooked on a campfire, which is why more people go fishing every year in order to get a chance to prepare and relish the fish cooked in the great outdoors. 

While it’s important that you have all the tools and equipment you need for preparing a rustic feast, newbies around the campfire should also remember the vital need to know how to cook fish in the wild and not attract animals. One way to do so is to make sure that you dispose of the inedible fish parts properly.

Fishing offers an unmatched enjoyment, but eating your catch at the peak of its freshness is something even better.