cooking fish in leafs on fire, which leafs?
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I wouldn't use bracken as it's carcinogenic.
Shame really because the leaves are a nice size.
Later on in the year you could use corn/maize husks.
....If there's any growing in fields near you that is. Look out for the farmer though
Shame really because the leaves are a nice size.
Later on in the year you could use corn/maize husks.
....If there's any growing in fields near you that is. Look out for the farmer though
I've used spagnum moss. It's pleantyfull in the colder months, tasteless and the moisture stops the fish burning.
Great stuff moss. It's also mildly antiseptic. You can clean your hands well by rolling a ball of it around your palms.
Great stuff moss. It's also mildly antiseptic. You can clean your hands well by rolling a ball of it around your palms.
I have been using my grape vine leaves, I have a banana growing in the garden but I've not tried the leaves off it yet.
Matthew.Passmore
Settler
Burdock (Arctium Lappa) leaves are perfect.
for me the best way is to panass the fish and cook it over the flames as Shewie says.
for me the best way is to panass the fish and cook it over the flames as Shewie says.
Ponassing fish: http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=21932
From tony's images ...
Coltsfoot and Butterbur are also good leaves to use for wrapping any food for cooking in embers.
From tony's images ...
Coltsfoot and Butterbur are also good leaves to use for wrapping any food for cooking in embers.
Ponassing is definitely better if you're lucky enough to get a large fish.
If you've got lots of smaller ones, I reckon it would be better to use leaves.
If you've got lots of smaller ones, I reckon it would be better to use leaves.
Matthew.Passmore
Settler
yes sorry that's what I meant, wrong spelling. gives a really nice flavour.
is that will in that picture shewie?
you can cook more than just fish in leaves, ive done pigeon breast and rabbit before. although must admit with fish i cook it over the fire.
Yeah it is mate, on a Bushtruck course I did last month. Top bloke and quite handy in the knife making market I hear.
Matthew.Passmore
Settler
yer he is a good guy, he's on some tropical island somewhere atm. He does make some nice knives, would buy one if I had some money, he offered to give me a blade making lesson a while back, may have to take him up on it.
yer he is a good guy, he's on some tropical island somewhere atm. He does make some nice knives, would buy one if I had some money, he offered to give me a blade making lesson a while back, may have to take him up on it.
I think I remember him saying his folks have got property in the Bahamas somewhere, he was going touring with his misses for a few months I think. Jammy git
Now I think there are two main methods of cooking fish without a pot and pan; one uses leaves to help cook the fish the other uses leaves to flavour the fish and you can ofcourse mix the two. Many people choose a third recently illustrated here using scewers to spread the fillet quite highly over a fire. Now this is fine and you can also peg it to a board but in my experience it's not a great way to cook fish; the fish breaks up easily and you inevitably loose some, or it get's too charred and tough but it's up to you if it's your fish. They who pay the piper calls the tune.
Firstly get a fish or two
Then prepare it for cooking, I take the head off and gut it, that's it nice n easy.
Then for method 1, I wash it in fresh water (it doesn't have to be drinking clean, just reasonably clean as the cooking sorts out any contamination) then wrap the fish loosely in a parcel of wet grass after stuffing the cavity with wood sorrel.
Then all you do is add water to some loose earth-clay is best but if you haven't got access to clay, any earth will do as long as it's not too sandy or rocky. Now mix the wet earth up into a thick paste and cover the grass parcel completely in it. In this picture I have only the ends to do but's kind of hard taking pictures with muddy hands!
Now all you do is rake the embers of your fire back place in your mud covered fish and completely cover it in the embers of your fire and if you don't have enough embers, just keep adding fuel to the fire on top of the fish and let them burn down. In around 30 - 40 minutes depending on how big or how many fish you have in there you will have a lovley parcel of steamed fish. All you do is rake the fish out of the embers, break open the hard mud outer case and you will have a lovely steamy clean grass parcel which you cut open to reveal a beautiful steamed fish. Unfortunatley today I forgot to take the pics quickly enough as we ate this one!
The 2nd method I use is a basic grilling on the fire with the skin on. I use this method more than any other, it's the easiest but both are very tasty.
Make a grill up using willow if it's around. Make sure it's nice and green and a reasonable diameter.
Slash the side of the fish several times if it'sa big fish to allow the heat to penetrate in order to cook it inside. I usually rub in some herbs or spicies while doing this, cajun works well. Then spread your fish on your homemade grill and cook evenly if possible on both sides. Initially you may get some charring of the skin but don't let that fool you into thinking the fish is cooked, fish skin is very tough and it takes some time to cook through. I usually give it at least ten to fifteeen minutes depending on the heat of the embers. The skin may get black but it protects the flesh inside. Once cooking, the skin falls off and the bones just pull right out and it has that gorgeous BBQ flavour. And what's great is that there is no washing up. Your grill may charr a little but you can use it as often as you like until it burns through. Nice and simple, fantastic!
We had these two today aswell ...
WS
Firstly get a fish or two
Then prepare it for cooking, I take the head off and gut it, that's it nice n easy.
Then for method 1, I wash it in fresh water (it doesn't have to be drinking clean, just reasonably clean as the cooking sorts out any contamination) then wrap the fish loosely in a parcel of wet grass after stuffing the cavity with wood sorrel.
Then all you do is add water to some loose earth-clay is best but if you haven't got access to clay, any earth will do as long as it's not too sandy or rocky. Now mix the wet earth up into a thick paste and cover the grass parcel completely in it. In this picture I have only the ends to do but's kind of hard taking pictures with muddy hands!
Now all you do is rake the embers of your fire back place in your mud covered fish and completely cover it in the embers of your fire and if you don't have enough embers, just keep adding fuel to the fire on top of the fish and let them burn down. In around 30 - 40 minutes depending on how big or how many fish you have in there you will have a lovley parcel of steamed fish. All you do is rake the fish out of the embers, break open the hard mud outer case and you will have a lovely steamy clean grass parcel which you cut open to reveal a beautiful steamed fish. Unfortunatley today I forgot to take the pics quickly enough as we ate this one!
The 2nd method I use is a basic grilling on the fire with the skin on. I use this method more than any other, it's the easiest but both are very tasty.
Make a grill up using willow if it's around. Make sure it's nice and green and a reasonable diameter.
Slash the side of the fish several times if it'sa big fish to allow the heat to penetrate in order to cook it inside. I usually rub in some herbs or spicies while doing this, cajun works well. Then spread your fish on your homemade grill and cook evenly if possible on both sides. Initially you may get some charring of the skin but don't let that fool you into thinking the fish is cooked, fish skin is very tough and it takes some time to cook through. I usually give it at least ten to fifteeen minutes depending on the heat of the embers. The skin may get black but it protects the flesh inside. Once cooking, the skin falls off and the bones just pull right out and it has that gorgeous BBQ flavour. And what's great is that there is no washing up. Your grill may charr a little but you can use it as often as you like until it burns through. Nice and simple, fantastic!
We had these two today aswell ...
WS
Thanks folks for all the interesting and informative replies, some good stuff there that i hadn't thought about giving me ideas for different times of the year when certain foliage is abundant, most helpful of you. I'm no stranger to catching and eating fish but have never tried using leaves/grass/etc:, normally i just cook ''over'' fire and only '''ponass''' the larger fish over about 11/2 lb leaving the smaller ones as they are, the one thing i do different to Woodsmoke's pictures is leave the head on for handling or skewering though i do remove the gills, i have cooked many fish wrapped in wet newspaper but never leaves, thanks for the suggestions as to suitabilty, the moss i hadn't thought about but sounds good being available when leaves may be out of season, i use moss for storing worms which is much better than soil, i hadn't thought about corn/maize and yes it is plentiful around here so i'll try that as well, thanks for the warning on bracken bushwhacker, that's what i was after some tips on those plants to avoid as well as the useful ones, i'm not likely to come across a banana plant around here but thanks andyraf and good luck with your banana growing (''banana'' banana or ''plantain'' banana). Thanks folks i hope the fish are just as helpful by surrendering themselves this weekend so i can give it a bash.
Yeahbut - tell him he needs a fire under the fish if he wants to cook it. A hard stare isn't going to do the job!
;^)
Jim
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