You can shop beneath your boat if you have a fishing license.
It’s great to cook fresh seafood on the beach. Shellfish plus crab dunked in garlic butter for starters with an Australian Chardonnay. Followed by BBQ’d salmon, an array of sliced tomatoes, Bocconcini cheese and red onions along with foccaccia bread dipped in balsamic vinegar and olive oil.
After scavenging for seafood, start a small fire below the tide line and set a BBQ grill on rocks about 6 inches above the coals to start cooking.
1. FOILED FISH
For baking fish packets, preheat oven or BBQ to 450°F or burn campfire to coals. Prepare a double thickness of foil12x24” and brush the center with oil. Each packet will hold two firm fish fillets (5-6 oz each)
a. ASIAN FISH
1 c cooked rice, 2 c bok choy coarsely chopped, 2 scallions ch, 2 fish fillets, 1 small can water chesnuts drained or 1 c match-stick daikon, 1 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1 clove garlic minced, 2 tsp soy sauce, 2 tsp dark sesame oil, splash chili oil. Fold over foil to make an airtight parcel. Bake 20 minutes
b. GREEK FISH
1 c thinly sliced fennel, 1 small tomato sliced, 8 thin slices red onion, 2 fish fillets, 2 tbsp olive oil, juice 1 lemon, 1 tbsp fresh dill ch, dash salt and pepper.
c. ORANGETTI FISH
Pierce a spaghetti squash several times with a large fork. Place in baking dish and cook at 375°F for ~1hr until flesh tender. Scoop out as much of the ‘spaghetti’ onto the foil sheets as desired. Top with fish. Sprinkle with fish sauce and ½c shredded carrots. Bake packet 20 minutes.
d. CATCH OF THE DAY
Cup the foil around the fish, and sprinkle inside and out of the fish with salt, pepper, garlic, cayenne, butter/oil and lemon slices. Add 4 T. of wine for each fish. Pull foil edges together and seal, leaving a small air space inside. Cook approximately 1/2 hour over fire or camp stove.
e. SALMON
Stuff with cooked rice that has been lightly sauteed with diced onion, celery and grated carrot with garlic, and lots of lemon slices. Wrap in foil and grill. Or grill on top of a cedar plank that has been soaked in water for a couple of hours. Check every 10 minutes or so.
2. SALMON MARINADE
At home, marinate and freeze the salmon to serve on Day 1. You can also use the marinade with extra-firm tofu. It’s incredible! I usually use the “sploosh” method of measuring —so these amounts aren’t precise.
1/2 cup tamari
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp lemon juice
1-2 clove garlic,
crushed 1” ginger, peeled and chopped finely.
Ideally, grill or
Stuff salmon with cooked rice that has been lightly sauteed with diced onion, celery and grated carrot with garlic, and lots of lemon slices. Wrap in foil and grill. Or grill on top of a cedar plank that has been soaked in water for a couple of hours. Check every 10 minutes or so.
barbecue the marinated salmon.
Freezing seems to help the flavour —it’s fabulous. If you don’t have time, fry the salmon in the marinade.
3. SHELLFISH
Set mussels, oysters and clams on top of the grill, along with a small pan of garlic butter to melt. As each shell opens up pour in a touch of wine and simmer for a minute. OR Place a dry cast iron frying pan on the heat and add the shellls. When the juice they contain hits the pan it steams up and creates a smoky taste.
a. CHINA POOT MUSSELS AND CLAMS Serves 4
Scrub and remove byssal threads from 4-5 lbs mussels and/or clams In a large saute pan (or wide saucepan), bring the following ingredients to a simmer:
2 cups medium white wine
1/4 cup minced shallots
4 cloves minced garlic
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 bay leaf
Simmer 3 minutes. Increase heat to high, add shellfish, cover and cook, stirring once or twice, until shells are opened (4-8 min). Discard any unopened ones. Try this: Add 1 tsp curry powder and sprinkle cooked mussels with chopped cilantro and basil.
b. BARBEQUED OYSTERS
Check first about red tide/paralytic shellfish poisoning.
Choose oysters with a cupped shell on one side so they will sit level on the BBQ or grate over coals. Cook till the shells open (usually 15-20 minutes). Open and discard the top shell and add favorite BBQ/seafood sauce to each oyster. Continue cooking till sauce bubbly and oysters start to shrink. Rotate them frequently.
4. TUNA
Tuna in a foil pouch is compact and needs no can opener. Check out cafeteria condiments in small pouches – for ‘just enough’ mayonnaise, soy sauce, mustard, etc.
a. TUNA SURPRISE (amounts are per camper)
200g pasta (or 1 box Kraft Dinner)
2 tbsp dried peas
2 tbsp dried corn
½ can tuna
¼ – ⅓ c dried cheese
½ c milk
3 tbsp butter or margarine
20g cheddar grated
At noon: rehydrate dried vegetables. At dinner: cook pasta, drain and mix in all rest of ingredients. Top with grated cheddar
5. PENNE AND PRAWNS WITH RED PEPPER CHIPOTLE CREAM SAUCE
450 gms Penne past (6 portions)
600 gms medium prawns peeped and de-veined
500 gms sour cream
5 tbsp chipotle sauce
1 onion sliced
6-8 cloves garlic minced
3 large red peppers diced
Cook the pasta in salt water
Saute the onion, garlic and red peppers in oil until peppers soft and breaking down. Add prawns and sauté for few minutes. Add sour cream and chipotle sauce (mix 2 chipotle peppers canned in adobo sauce minced very fine, 1 c non-fat sour cream, ¼ tsp salt.) Combine the pasta and sauce.
Accompany with sliced jicama, cucumber, carrot, guacamole.
6. FISH TACOS
18 corn tortillas
Campers Batter: Combine 1 c pancake mix and ¾ c beer until just blended. Could add lemon or herbs. Water will make a batter crispier and milk will make it more tender. If batter left over, use to make tempura.
Fish 2 lbs. Rinse fish and pat dry before dipping in batter. Deep fry in oil for 4-5 minutes until golden brown. Drain on towels and serve hot.
Papaya and Cilantro Salsa: 1 papaya peeled, halved, seeds removed and diced. Add finely diced: ½ yellow bell pepper, ½ red bell pepper and 1 small tomato peeled and seeded, 2 bunches cilantro coarsely chopped, 1 tbsp olive oil, juice of 3 limes, salt and pepper and mix.
Taco Fixings. Try lettuce, onion, peppers, tomatoes, cucumber.
Serve with guacamole and salsa.
7. COCONUT PRAWNS
24 medium large uncooked prawns
1 large egg beaten
¾ c flour
¾ c shredded coconut
½ c seasoning: garlic powder, cayenne powder, black pepper and paprika
Traditional method: Remove vein from prawn. Mix flour and seasoning mixture in bowl. Whisk egg in separate bowl. Put coconut in shallow dish. Dip each prawn in the flour, then egg then roll in the coconut to coat. Allow coating to set.
Heat 2cm vegetable oil in frying pan till fairly hot. Fry prawns ~2 min or until golden brown. Turn once. Drain on paper towels. Serve with favorite dipping sauce.
Oven method: Preheat Outback Oven while preparing prawns. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden brown. This is much healthier.
CHIPOTLE CREAM DIPPING SAUCE. Mix 2 chipotle peppers (canned in adobo sauce) minced very fine, 1 c non-fat sour cream, ¼ tsp salt.
8. SHRIMP CURRY WITH FRUIT Serves 10
At home: Bag ½ c each: raisins, dried diced skinned apples, dried sliced banana, dried diced pineapple, dried chopped celery, and dried diced onion
Bag separately: 1 c whole cashews, 1 c coconut milk powder.
3 packages Mayacama’s Clam Chowder soup mix or Potato Leek soup mix
½ c chutney (cranberry is great)
2 tbsp Patak’s Biryani Curry paste
Bag 2 tbsp each ground cumin and coriander
2 tins large shrimp or 5 oz dried cooked large shrimp
Bag 5 c basmati rice
½ bulb garlic
In camp: If using dried shrimp, boil until soft. Re-hydrate dried fruit and vegetables by covering with boiling water until soft. Whisk in coconut milk powder and soup mix. Add more water if needed. Press in garlic, curry paste and spices. Toast cashews briefly over stove in a fry pan and add to sauce. Bring 10 c water to boil, stir in pinch salt, bouillon cubes and rice. When at boil, remove, insulate lid and let steam until done. Serve rice on plates. Top with fruit curry sauce. Add several spoonfuls of shrimp per plate. Accompany with poppadums, chutney and raita (1 grated cucumber with skin on, 2 tbsp mayo, ½ bulb crushed garlic, 1 tbsp lemon juice)
10. HOME BAY HOT POT
A nice blast for the taste buds. Near Home Bay on Jedediah Island is the place to fetch fresh oysters and fish to replace the canned seafood. Serves 4
1 package Red Thai curry paste
4 or 5 tbsp peanut butter
2-3 tbsp tomato paste
1 can coconut cream
2 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, chopped
10 cloves garlic chopped
1 cubic inch chopped and bruised ginger
1 large yam, cut in cubes
2 small beets,
sliced 4 small carrots,
sliced 1 medium zucchini, cut in cubes
1 red pepper, cut in cubes
1 can large clams
1 can salmon
In a large fry pan or saucepan, saute curry paste in 2 tbsp of olive oil for 1 min. Add the onions and garlic. After another minute, stir in the coconut cream, tomato paste and peanut butter. Saute till onions soften. Meanwhile in a second pot, steam-cook the vegetables in a minimum of water, adding the liquid from the salmon and clams. When the vegetables are soft, combine with the sauce and stir in the seafood. Heat through. Serve with biryani rice or pasta. (Make Biryani rice by adding a package of biryani spice to the rice).
11. PADDLER’S PAELLA serves six
1 or 2 legal crabs (check regulations)
2 dozen each-clams, mussels and prawns
12 chicken thighs
1 tsp oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
2 sticks of chorizo
2 medium red onions
2 red peppers
1 small can of spicy tomato sauce
2 1/2 cups of rice-washed and drained
4 cups hot water
2 pinches of saffron (the real stuff is essential)
2 handfuls of green beans
2 tbsp capers
1 handful black olives
salt and pepper
Make a mash of oregano, garlic, 2 tbsp oil and the vinegar to rub into your chicken. Add salt and pepper to taste. Heat the rest of the oil in a dutch oven or large non-stick pan and brown the chicken-then pile in the chorizo, chopped onion, peppers and simmer on low for ten minutes. Add the tomato sauce, water, saffron, beans and rice. Stir well and cover, cooking on medium until most of the liquid is absorbed. Add capers and olives.
Steam cleaned crab and scrubbed shellfish in a little of the chardonnay you’ve been drinking. Mound paella on a platter and decorate with seafood and lime and lemon wedges.
12. ANGEL HAIR PASTA IN SMOKED SALMON CREAM SAUCE serves 2
At home: reduce all packaging, plastic wrap chicken or veggie base.
In camp: First pot: bring appropriate water to a boil. Second pot: sauté 2 cloves garlic in olive oil medium heat for two minutes, stir in ½ c onion chopped, ½ c red bell pepper ch, ½ tsp dried basil veggies, saute 10 minutes. Add 1 c water or wine, 3 oz vacuum sealed smoked salmon, juice of ½ lime, ½ tsp basil, ½ tsp Worcestershire, 1 tsp chicken or veggie soupbase, black pepper to taste and 4 oz light cream cheese. Simmer until you obtain smooth creamy texture. During last couple of minutes add 9 oz angel hair pasta to water in first pot and boil while stirring for two minutes. Stop just short of what you think is done. Drain; stir in cream sauce and serve.
Variations: Add broccoli to sauce with the water/wine. Add fresh cilantro to sauce in place of Basil (very good with the lime), and a squirt of red pepper sauce. Use fresh shrimp, clams or scallops in place of salmon if you can obtain.
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13. SHRIMP CURRY WITH FRUIT (for 10)
At home: Bag 1/2 cup each of raisins, dried diced skinned apples, dried sliced banana, dried diced pineapple, dried chopped celery and dried diced onion.
Bag separately 1 cup whole cashews and 1 cup coconut milk powder
3 packages Mayacama’s Clam Chowder soup mix or Potato Leek soup mix
1/2 cup chutney in Nalgene container (cranberry is great)
2 tbsp. of Patak’s Biryani Curry paste in smallest Nalgene, sealed with duct tape
Bag 2 tbsp. each of ground cumin and coriander
2 tins of large shrimp or 5 oz. dried cooked large shrimp
Bag 5 cups basmati white rice
2 non-MSG chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 bulb garlic
At camp: If you are using dried shrimp, boil it until soft. Re-hydrate dried fruit and vegetables by just covering them with water and boiling until soft. Whisk in coconut milk powder and soup mix. Add more water if necessary to have a good sauce consistency. Press in the garlic, curry paste and spices. Toast cashews briefly over stove in a fry pan and add to sauce. Bring 10 cups water to boil, stir in a pinch of salt, bouillon cubes and rice. When it comes to a boil, take off the stove, place on insulated pad with lid and let steam until done. Serve rice on plates. Top with fruit curry sauce. Add several spoonfuls of shrimp per plate. Accompany with poppadums, chutney and raita made by combining:
1 grated English cucumber (leave skin on)
2 tbsp. mayonnaise
1/2 bulb crushed garlic
1 tbsp. lemon juice
14. PADH-LER THAI Serves 2
8 oz rice stick noodles – soak in warm water for an hour or more, then drain
½ c firm tofu cut into ½ “ cubes marinated in dark sweet soy sauce
4 tbsp oil
5-6 cloves garlic, minced
¼ c dried shrimp (1 can or ½ lb raw, peeled, de-veined; buy only pink shrimp – grey indicates they are old. Put dried shrimp in sieve, rinse quickly with hot water and set aside to drain)
¼ c chopped chives or red onion or 2 scallions
½ c roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
½ c (1 packet) Padh Thai sauce or ¼ c fish sauce mixed with ¼ c sugar, 2 tsp tamarind concentrate and 5 tsp water.
Cilantro, cucumber chunks and lime wedges for garnish
Saute in 2 tbsp oil the garlic. Add rice noodles, 2-3 tbsp water and Padh Thai sauce. Stir and push to one side of wok or pan
Scramble an egg in wok. Add shrimp and stir fry till cooked. Add 2 more tbsp. oil. Add rice noodles and stir-fry for 4-7 minutes until firm but tender. Add tofu, scallions, peanut and Padh Thai sauce. Stir-fry about 1 minute. Stir in bean sprouts. Serve hot garnished with cilantro, cucumber and limes. Set out a dish of chili flakes for those who like it hot.
