Blackened Fish Fresh from the Stream

Fishing is not only a way to enjoy the outdoors, but also a way to get some very fresh fish to eat at the table, or even better, right out of the pan, streamside.

In your kit of tackle, you should always carry some spices like salt and pepper, in case you run into a situation where you might be lucky enough to dine on your newly cleaned catch. It goes without saying that you are going to need a good field pan to stick over a stove or your campfire, a seasoned cast iron skillet works just perfectly.

Gut and clean the fish, but leave the skin on. Season the sides with what you have, one simple additive to carry along is soy sauce, heck, you can just use the packets from your local take out joint. Let the fresh fish soak for ten minutes or so while you warm up the pan. If you drip some water into it, sizzling should occur right away. This is the perfect time introduce the fat. If it is summer, and you can't bring along some bacon, don't forget the hunter's friend: Spam. While the fat is needed for the fish, you can have some crackers and spam bits while you are cooking the main dish.

Grease in the hot pan? Good! Place the fish flesh side down and stand back from the steam that is going to rise up. It should only take a few minutes until the outer surface of the meat is charred, and the whole fish cooked through, ready to serve, right next to the babbling brook. If you have something cold, open it up, and relish a dish that many people have never tried, blackened fish right from the water.