Before I get screamed at for "ruining" fresh fish let me say the idea of back woods fried fish was not my idea.... However I have come to think of it as an unbeatable meal.

Four or five years ago we started experimenting with deep frying in the Q.  We bring a couple of Nalgenes to hold oil (even hot) and a little thermometer to check oil temp... Then in goes the battered fish.  We also bring in Onions and Potatoes to make chips and onion rings.

All I can say is wow!!!

We cook over flame - this takes an hour or more to do it right, and make sure you have plenty of cooking wood as you will need to maintain oil temp.  Potatoes first - little salt and they are perfect.  Fish next and you have one heck of a meal.  Bring plenty of paper towels for soaking up grease (save and they make excellent fire starters too!).

However - we like beer batter, takes oil baths very well and crisps up nicely.  What we do not like is carrying a six pack of beer... it is tough to keep people out of the beer and the weight sucks!  

So, who has some good batter recipes they use at home?  BTW tried "Shore Lunch" brand and we are not thrilled.  We would love one for Jalapeño poppers - even the beer batter just never sticks - but are a great easy appetizer the first night. Ones that do not use beer would be helpful too...

Cheers!

I'm thinkin' those onion rings & jalapeno poppers will add some new urgency to the next days travel.  ;D

What we do, to save carrying all the extra crap for that kind of meal is to stop at Gordy's Hi Hat in Cloquet on the way up and back.

I was at a friends house a couple weeks ago and we were eating fish and the batter was great....he used just plain Jiffy brand ..corn muffin mix.   I think I will mix it in with my regular mix.  It adds a little sweet corn bread taste to the fish...sort of like hush puppies.  Ill let you know how it works....will be in Q this time next week.

Old_Salt - I bought this two years ago   (You need to Login or Register to save on the weight!  But every time I make space in the bag with some piece of lighter gear, some other food or beverage finds it's way in to fill the void!

Thanks Angler, I am right behind you on the 13th of July.  Please leave some fish.

Thanks!

travelinman wrote on Jul 1^st, 2008 at 12:42pm:

I am right behind you on the 13th of July.  Please leave some fish.!

Looks like a busy put-in day.  I'm in on the 13th at B'house.

BTW:  I tend to use Zatarain's Southern Style batter.

dd

Trav....I have one of those also.....its the best thing in the world for an afternoon nap!   as far as the fish...dont worry, my appetite isnt THAT big

Wow, the 13th will be busy... We go in Iron up to Argo, or so I was thinking.

We were hoping to have trout for lunch - any way we can and even a surf and turf dinner... But if there are too many traffic jams along the way we may just have to settle for surf and turf dinner ;)

Catching up on some reading while I have time here in Scotland.  This topic intrigued me...let me say a 'proper' fish & chip dinner is nothing like what you are talking about.   So far my experince with fish & chips over here is less than all the hype.  
To make a proper fish & chips... take a nice fillet of something, use a batter that has almost no flavor, and fry...Add the chips which are potatoes cut into 1/2" wide strips under cook them slightly, serve with mushy peas and maybe beans over the fires.  vineager is the condiment of choice usually or maybe brown sauce, which is a thin gravey of sorts with little taste.
:P
I suggest if you travel to Europe bring tabasco sauce, salt, and cyanne with you to improve many of the dishes served.
I have spent about 8 weeks this year in the UK, and will not make a BW trip this year, I love reading about the experiences others are having.
What I would give to have your fish & chips travlinman.

fishinbuddy wrote on Sep 1^st, 2008 at 12:51pm:

I suggest if you travel to Europe bring tabasco sauce, salt, and cyanne with you to improve many of the dishes served.

 Having spent 18 months in the Army, stationed in Germany, I can attest to the "blandness" of some European food.
 Germany/France/Spain/Italy among others seem to know what spices are, but England/Scotland/Ireland, have the blandness, most tasteless "ethnic" dishes I ever had.
 IF you spend anytime in Canada, other than in the big Metropolitan areas with International cooking influences, the rural foods are for the most part very bland and tasteless. I travel with a mini-bottle of Tabasco and get the strangest looks when I add it to just about anything I order ;D
 If you watch any of the cooking shows on the tube, you don't see very many dishes from the British Isles featured. You would think with the dreary weather they have over there, they would welcome some spice in the kitchen ;)

solotripper wrote on Sep 1^st, 2008 at 4:02pm:

fishinbuddy wrote on Sep 1st, 2008 at 12:51pm: I suggest if you travel to Europe bring tabasco sauce, salt, and cyanne with you to improve many of the dishes served.   Germany/France/Spain/Italy among others seem to know what spices are, but England/Scotland/Ireland, have the blandness, most tasteless "ethnic" dishes I ever had.  IF you spend anytime in Canada, other than in the big Metropolitan areas with International cooking influences, the rural foods are for the most part very bland and tasteless. I travel with a mini-bottle of Tabasco and get the strangest looks when I add it to just about anything I order ;D  If you watch any of the cooking shows on the tube, you don't see very many dishes from the British Isles featured. You would think with the dreary weather they have over there, they would welcome some spice in the kitchen ;)

Perhaps a QJ Kilt is in in order... I don't know... slowly I'm becoming a convert.  Even learned recently there is some Welsh blood coursing it's way through these German / Russian veins.

Cooking shows eh, Solo Trip?  Not a big fan... but that's OK by me.  I suppose cooking in a kilt would be preferable when the stove is hot. :-[

k

 I like to eat healthy, tasty, nutritious food, so since there's not a Mrs ST, the occasional cooking show helps me do just that.
 Its amazing how simple it is to eat well and save money at the same time.
 Cooking in a kilt, I don't know, seems like Wool wouldn't be the coolest in a hot kitchen but to each his own?
I prefer a t-shirt/shorts and "Kiss the Cook" apron ;D

tip from my friend....throw a farmers match in the oil as it's getting pretty hot....when it self-ignites....the temp's right for the fish.  Seems to work for me the last three years.

Kawishiway wrote on Sep 1^st, 2008 at 5:07pm:

Perhaps a QJ Kilt is in in order... I don't know... slowly I'm becoming a convert.  Even learned recently there is some Welsh blood coursing it's way through these German / Russian veins. Cooking shows eh, Solo Trip?  Not a big fan... but that's OK by me.  I suppose cooking in a kilt would be preferable when the stove is hot. :-[ k

K, I found out my Great Grand Mother was born not far from where I am staying.  I looked up my Tartan, (colors) by both family name and clan.  In pricing Kilts I found a good kilt was about 200pounds, or $400.  Then add the other stuff required like socks, shirt, sash, knife you get to $800 quickly.  Although maybe we could get our own Tarten if we have enough heritage to merit it...hmmm ::)