FOIL WRAPPED FILLETS OF FISH WITH TOMATOES, OLIVES AND HERBS
The best way to transport and store fresh herbs for a camping trip is to prepare and pack them before you leave home. Rinse them under cold water, then shake off any excess and wrap in damp paper towel. Place in a small airtight container and store in the refrigerator until you set off, then store in your cool box until needed.
SERVES 4
olive oil
4 skinless, boneless white or pink fish fillets
250 g cherry tomatoes, halved
about 20 pitted black olives
1 small handful fresh herbs, such as coriander (cilantro) or flat-leaf parsley, chopped
1 Tear off 8 pieces of foil, large enough to enclose a piece of fish and some vegetables. Make 4 double layers of foil – these will create individual parcels for cooking.
2 Drizzle a little bit of olive oil onto the top pieces of foil and smear it around. Place a fish fillet into the centre of each one. Divide the cherry tomatoes and olives between the fish and scatter over the herbs. Drizzle with a little more olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Carefully enclose the fish.
3 Place the fish parcels on a grill rack over the fire or on a barbecue and cook for about 18–20 minutes, or until the fish is cooked. Unwrap the fish carefully and simply sit the foil parcels in bowls so you won’t lose the delicious juices when unwrapping them.
4 Serve the fish in the foil accompanied by rice, potatoes or pasta.
QUICK FISH KEBABS
Although you could use wooden skewers for these kebabs, if you are cooking over a fire you may find they burn too quickly, so metal ones are better. If you do use wooden ones, soak them in water for 20 minutes beforehand to prevent them from burning during cooking.
SERVES 4
(MAKES 8 kebabs)
800 g skinless, boneless firm fish fillets, such as cod, salmon or monkfish
2 small zucchini (courgettes), cut into 16 slices
1 small red or yellow capsicum (pepper), seeded and cut into 16 pieces
juice of ½ lemon
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus extra for brushing
1 Cut the fish into 3 cm cubes and put into a large bowl with the zucchini and capsicum. In a separate bowl, combine the lemon juice and olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Pour over the fish and vegetables and toss to coat.
2 Divide the fish and vegetables evenly between the skewers, alternating between ingredients.
3 Grease a grill rack with oil then sit the kebabs over the fire or on a barbecue. Make sure you do not cook them too close to the fire, as you need the vegetables to cook without burning the fish.
4 Cook for about 12–15 minutes, turning regularly and brushing with any remaining oil and lemon juice. Ensure all sides of the fish get cooked as they can twist while being turned. Serve the kebabs with salad and potatoes, or pasta.
PESTO FISH WITH BEAN SALAD
It doesn’t really matter what fish you use for this recipe, but it is preferable if it is skinless and boneless. If you’ve just caught some flathead, it will work brilliantly – just clean and fillet the fish and try and give it some time to soak in the marinade. If you absolutely can’t wait, it will still taste great.
SERVES 4
4 x 180–200 g skinless, boneless fish fillets
4 tablespoons pesto
olive oil or vegetable oil, for brushing
BEAN SALAD
60 ml (¼ cup) olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
400 g tin borlotti beans, rinsed and drained
250 g cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1 small cucumber, chopped
2 handfuls rocket (arugula) or mixed salad leaves
1 Put the fish onto a plate and rub the pesto all over both sides of each fillet. Set aside in the cool box for 1 hour to marinate.
2 Meanwhile, make the bean salad. Whisk together the olive oil and lemon juice and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Combine the remaining salad ingredients in a serving bowl, pour over the dressing and toss well.
3 Place the fish on a lightly oiled grill rack over the fire or on a barbecue and cook for 2 minutes. Brush the tops with oil, then carefully turn over and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until the fish is just cooked – the cooking time will depend on this thickness of your fish.
4 Serve the pesto fish with the bean salad.
QUICK MILD FISH CURRY
Use white fish fillets for this recipe. You can either make this as a Thai-style curry or an Indian curry, depending on which curry paste you choose – Thai green, Massaman or a mild Indian curry paste all work really well. Vary the amount of curry paste to suit your family’s spice tolerance.
SERVES 4
1 tablespoon vegetable or olive oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
1–2 tablespoons curry paste
600 g white fish fillets, such as flathead, ling or cod, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 x 400 g tins coconut milk
125 g baby corn, quartered
200 g snow peas (mangetout), sliced
1 handful coriander (cilantro) leaves (optional), to serve
steamed rice, to serve
1 Heat the oil in a camp oven or heavy-based saucepan. Add the onion and garlic, cover, and cook over low heat for 5–10 minutes, stirring regularly until the onions are golden brown and developing a good flavour.
2 Stir in the curry paste and cook for 1 minute. Add the fish, stir to coat in the paste mixture, then add the coconut milk. Cover and bring to the boil, then place over a gentler heat and simmer for 5 minutes.
3 Add the baby corn and snow peas and cook for about 3 minutes. Scatter over the coriander leaves, if using, and serve the hot curry with steamed rice.
EASY FISH AND VEGETABLE STEW
You can use almost any fresh fish for this stew, although avoid using oily fish such as mackerel. The sugar is used to counterbalance the acidity of the wine and tomatoes, but isn’t vital. You can also add carrots to this stew if you have some. Roughly chop and add them at the same time as the potatoes.
SERVES 4
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
12 small waxy potatoes, quartered
250 ml (1 cup) white wine
400 g tin chopped tomatoes
600 g skinless, boneless fish fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 handful green beans, trimmed and cut into 3 cm lengths
2 teaspoons sugar (optional)
1 Heat the oil in a camp oven or large heavy-based frying pan over a fire or gas cooker. Add the onion and garlic, cover, and cook for 5–10 minutes, stirring regularly until light golden.
2 Add the potato and cook for a couple of minutes. Pour in the wine and let it boil for a minute or two, scraping the base of the pan with a wooden spoon.
3 Add the tomatoes and about 125 ml (½ cup) water, or just enough to ensure the potatoes are submerged. Cover with a lid and simmer for about 25 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.
4 Add the fish, beans and sugar, if using, and season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cover and cook for 5 minutes, or until the beans are tender and the fish is cooked.
5 Divide the fish stew between bowls and serve immediately.
FISH FILLETS WITH CRUNCHY ASIAN COLESLAW
Most kids like sweet chilli sauce, so don’t worry about the coleslaw being too spicy. This recipe is really all about the salad. If making this in advance, don’t add the dressing until you are ready to serve, otherwise the cabbage will wilt.
SERVES 4–6
4–6 fish fillets, such as ling, snapper or salmon
olive oil, for brushing
ASIAN COLESLAW
¼ Chinese cabbage or white cabbage
¼ red cabbage
1 carrot, grated
about 30 snow peas (mangetout), thinly sliced
juice of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce
1 To make the Asian coleslaw, remove the core from both cabbages, then shred each cabbage into short strips widthwise. Place in a large bowl with the carrot and snow peas and toss to combine.
2 In a small separate bowl, combine the lime juice, fish sauce and sweet chilli sauce. Pour over the coleslaw and toss to combine. Set aside while cooking the fish.
3 Brush the fish all over with olive oil and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook the fish on a grill rack over the fire or on a barbecue for about 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through – the exact cooking time will depend on the thickness of the fish.
4 To serve, divide the coleslaw between serving plates and place a fillet of fish on top.