Cooking fish, Or Specifically Trout when you’re out backpacking can be a great and viable option for many what do a lot of backpacking. Because well, the biggest struggle most backpackers have is the fact that weight and space is extremely limited. However, if you have access to a food source out in the backcountry such as a lake, pond, or river filled with fish. Why not take advantage of it, right?
However once you have caught a fish, you’re going to need something to cook it, but it can be rather difficult given the fact that most of us backpackers only have our backpacking stove for cooking, and the pot that comes with most backpacking stoves isn’t really ideal for cooking fish.
Well, I guess you could always build a campfire and cook your fish in that, which could be a very viable option for you if you haven’t got access to a backpacking stove. However, how often the climate conditions change in some areas you may not be able to go about cooking your fish that way. Or you may just simply not want to cook your fish with the campfire, but rather use your backpacking stove?
Well, perfect you’ve come to the right place. Because this Post is going to be all about cooking your fish over a backpacking stove, or should I say in a backpacking stove given the fact that most backpacking stoves come equipped with a somewhat decent sized pot, Rather than a pan, or something alike. Which would be more ideal for this but we’ll find ways to make it work!
How To Cook Fish On A Backpacking Stove
So this brings us to the main topic, How do you cook a fish on a backpacking stove? Well, The easiest method to go about doing this is by simply boiling your fish by simply chopping it up into smaller pieces so it fits inside your Backpacking Stove. But there are definitely much more gourmet options you have. It just depends upon how much time and effort you want to put into meal prep. Below we will be going in-depth into the other tactics you have in terms of cooking your fish with a backpacking stove.
Most of the options that you will have when it comes to cooking fish with a backpacking stove will most likely depend upon your overall preparation of the fish beforehand. Because Well, I’m sure you have likely noticed that a fish will not fit inside the pot of a backpacking stove very well. For this reason, you will need to cut up the fish in too much smaller portions so that it fits…
Unless you have a custom-made backpacking stove that you have also equipped with a pan option. Or you have a pan option that comes along with your backpacking stove… But if not, Again, you will likely need to divvy up the fish in the smaller portions. Below we will go into how to do so properly, as well as other tactics and options you have for cooking your fish on the stove.
Ways To Cook Fish Using A Backpacking Stove
Now, here we are going to be focusing on ways to cook your fish using a backpacking stove that looks something along the lines of the JetBoil Listed below. Well, because this is a quite widely used stove that most backpackers opt to go with at least this design is… Because they are lightweight and don’t take up a whole lot of space. Which is ideal for backpacking! Now, do keep in mind that some of the ideas listed below were sourced from both my personal experience of cooking fish in the backcountry, along with what other backpackers prefer to do for cooking fish in their backpacking stoves.
Obviously, as we discussed above you are going to most likely need to cut your fish up into smaller pieces before placing the fish inside your stove. How much you cut up your fish, will totally depend on your personal preference, as well as whether or not the fish will fit in your pot. Me personally I like my fish cut up into smaller chunks, basically Bitesize. When I’m cooking using a stove of this size.
Boiled (Otherwise Known As Poached)
Now you may be saying to yourself, “what do you mean boiling fish?? That sounds disgusting”… I can honestly say, it sounded a little bit weird to me too when I heard it first. However, I’ve come to realize that it is a very easy and viable option for most who are cooking fish. Especially when you’re cooking fish in the backcountry out camping or backpacking because unlike most other methods for cooking fish out camping, boiling or poaching a fish can be quite quick as well as flavorful.
Plus many people like to poach their fish in different liquids or beverages. For example, some prefer to use oils such as olive oil, vegetable oil. Or you could use your favorite wine mixed with water… really there is a lot you could do with this in terms of creating a one of a kind flavorful fish. But it can just as easily be done with water, which is what I’d assume most would opt for. Nonetheless, if you’re opting for just straight water for poaching you fish? You could quite easily spice it up a bit by adding your favorite herbs and spices to the mix…
How to Boil / Poach Fish
First, add the seasonings and spices that you prefer to cook with to the fish meet about 15 minutes before placing into the pot. Then simply bring the liquid of your choosing do a slight boil. Begin placing the fish inside the water. Be sure that the fish is completely submerged in order to achieve complete cook through. Typically it takes about 10 to 15 minutes for a fish to be boiled correctly. However oh, this will greatly depend upon the overall size of your fish.
For more details about how to Boil / Poach fish check out This article
Fried Fish Bits
This method is going to require quite a bit of upfront effort in order to prep the fish so that you can fry it in the bottom of your pot. But it shouldn’t be too difficult if you have spent some time in the past working with, and preparing fish for the cooker.
How To Fry Fish on A Backpacking Stove
Depending on how much work you are willing to put into preparing your fish there are really two methods that you could go with.
First is after you have gutted and cleaned your fish. Simply cut off the portions of the fish that you do not want, then divvy up the fish into small portions.
The Second method, and probably the most preferred method would be to divvy the fish up into fillets, and as you do so, remove any portions of the fish that you do not want to eat. At this point, you should have a few decently cleaned slabs of fish meat. If you would like to skin the fish oh, that would be a good time to do so. Next, you will begin to slice the fish up into small pieces, about bite-size would probably be best.
The overall goal here is to be able to stir the bits of fish in the bottom of the pot so that each side and each piece of the fish will get seared.
Now Simply pour some olive oil in the bottom of your pot, and throw the fish bits in. Be sure to keep the stove on low, as it will be easy to burn the fish. But add your desired seasonings and be sure to keep stirring, otherwise, it will burn.
This is basically the exact same idea as frying a fish on a frying pan however the only difference here is we are trying to use a smaller surface. A much smaller surface… So in order to be able to achieve this oh, you need to be able to get your fish cut up into very small chunks / slices.
Baked On Low
This method will probably be the cleanest option of them all. You see the idea here is to basically create a small oven out of your stove. That is if you have some aluminum foil handy.
How To Bake Your Fish Using Your Stove
You can do this by simply cut your fish up into chunks to the point that they will fit nicely inside your backpacking stove pot, but before placing the fish inside your pot you wrap it in some aluminum foil. But before you do so be sure to add any spices or herbs that you would like to add for flavor. Enter now that you have your fish wrapped up in aluminum foil place it inside your backpacking stove.
It would be ideal if you could keep the fish just slightly off the bottom of the pot, as this will keep the bottom from burning. You can do this by simply forming a stand like feature out of the aluminum foil before placing it inside the pot. Now you will want to turn the stove on very low. Next place the lid on top of your stove pot. The stove pot will then be acting like a miniature oven, so it is very important that you have a lid that can be placed on top of your stove, as this will help retain heat.
Now, this method doesn’t necessarily require wrapping the fish in aluminum foil, however, it can help the cooking process.
If you haven’t got a lid for your pot, you could probably find something nearby that would work. Such as a thin Flat rock, a plate, or a larger cup…
Conclusion
Simply a little bit of creativity can go a long way especially when you are trying to cook fish with a backpacking stove. Given the fact that a backpacking stove is not really the ideal shape for cooking a fish. However, it can be done. Probably in more ways than listed above. But when it comes to cooking of any sorts obviously safety needs to be in the forefront of your mind. Use your intuition along with common sense when you go about cooking your fish or anything for that matter on your backpacking stove.
If you would like to check out some other tactics that could be very useful to you in terms of cooking fish in the backcountry be sure to check out my post Here. Otherwise, I hope you found this to be useful, and there was some value provided. Enter if you’d like to check out the backpacking stove that I currently use it is listed Here on Amazon. Otherwise, I’d look forward to hearing from you. If you have any questions or comments be sure to leave them below.
Happy backpacking!
Other Resources That May Interest You
If you’d like some other options in terms of cooking your fish in the wild? Be sure to check out my other post called Cleaning & Cooking Fish In The BackCountry. I go In-depth On the whole process of Field dressing, Preparing, and Cooking a fish when your camping…