Photo by GMVozd via iStock
For me, one of the best parts of overlanding is getting to camp, setting up shop, and getting a great meal going over the campfire.
Between the smell of the campfire smoke and the food, and the sound of dinner sizzling away, it just doesn’t get any better!
If you’re going for a classic camping dinner, it’s hard to beat freshly caught trout (or whatever fish you catch) grilled over the fire.
That being said, let’s get to the details of one of my favorite campfire fish recipes!
Campfire Fish Recipe: Rosemary Lemon Trout
Photo by Solovyova via iStock
This fish recipe is not only really tasty but it’s also really simple as it requires just a few ingredients:
- Fresh trout (or the fish of your choice) fillets
- Fresh rosemary (figure two sprigs per fillet)
- 1-2 lemons (figure half a lemon per fillet)
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Aluminum foil
- Non-stick cooking spray
The directions for this campfire fish recipe are simple…
Get the campfire going with some nice, hot coals that are lit throughout. Then place aluminum foil onto the grill, pressing the foil down into the grill to ensure the fish fillets get nice grill marks. Then spray the foil with non-stick spray. Add one sprig of rosemary to the foil for each fillet
Place the trout fillets on the rosemary sprigs. Drizzle olive oil on the fillets and squeeze fresh lemon juice onto each fillet. Add salt and pepper. Place another sprig of rosemary on top of each fillet.
Cook the fillets for about four minutes, or until the fillets begin to turn white. Then flip the fish to cook the other side for another four minutes. The fish will be ready to eat when it easily flakes apart using a fork.
Enjoy!
Campfire Cast-Iron Recipe: Charred Asparagus
Photo by cookedphotos via iStock
A nice side dish for your campfire fish is charred asparagus.
A lot of folks like to pan fry the asparagus over a campfire, but I prefer to put it in a cast-iron skillet to get a nice char on it.
Here’s what you need:
- 1 pound of asparagus
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest plus the juice of one lemon
- Salt and pepper
This is a quick recipe that takes about 10 minutes from start to finish…
Begin by getting your cast-iron skillet on the campfire. The skillet should be raised above the fire a few inches to give the skillet medium heat.
Add olive oil to the skillet and let it warm. Add the asparagus and gently stir to coat with the olive oil.
Cover the cast-iron pan and cook the asparagus for about three or four minutes. Turn each sprig to ensure even cooking and to get a nice char all the way around. Continue cooking uncovered for about five more minutes. The asparagus will be tender and a vibrant green color when it’s ready.
Pull the pan off the fire and add the lemon zest, fresh lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste. Voila – you’ve got a nice campfire dinner!
How I Cook My Campfire Recipes
When I cook while I’m camping or overlanding, I want to ensure I have the right tools for the job. For me, that means having the Schenk.
I’ve spoken about the Schenk before (like using it for my Kobe burger recipe, shown above) and have sung its praises as one of the best cooking tools I have.
What makes the Schenk so valuable is that it can be configured in a variety of ways.
For this particular recipe, I can attach the Schenk to the side of a fire pit and use it to grill the fish. Then I can remove the grill, raise the cooking platform, and use the cast-iron skillet to cook the asparagus on lower heat.
All of this is possible because the Schenk has an adjustable ground rod that enables you to vary how close or far the cooking surface is from the fire. What’s more, it has a foot stabilizer if there’s no fire ring to attach it to, that way you can still have a solid cooking surface.
I’ve used the Schenk on a variety of occasions to cook a wide range of food and it has proven time and again to be a supremely handy cooking accessory. If you love to overland and cook, the Schenk should be on your list of things to get!
Learn more about the Schenk in my review and be sure to check out their website to get one for yourself!