by Leon Pantenburg

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Ronnie Anglin, my neighbor in Mississippi, had a well-stocked pond, and I had a key to the gate. The bream (we called them bluegill, up north) and bass were prolific and in danger of over-populating. I had a standing invitation to remove as many as possible.

At least once a week during the summer, I’d stop by his house, pick up Keith, Ronnie’s 11-year-old son, and we’d go fishing. We’d take the catch back to Ronnie’s to clean and freeze. Then, about once a month or so, we’d have a fish fry and Bluegrass pickin’ party. Talk about great memories!

This combination of Camp Chef double burner propane stove and Dutch oven are perfect for frying fish for larger numbers of people. (Pantenburg photo)

In many parts of the country, a fish fry is the conclusion of a successful day of angling. With fried fish as the main course, side dishes are generally made of whatever summer vegetables might be in season.

In Central Oregon, where I live, there are several species of prolific fish that are in no danger of overharvest. Always check the regulations, but in some lakes or rivers, there are no catch limits on crappie, large-mouth bass and bluegill.

In other areas, such as Central Oregon’s John Day River, catfish have been stocked to provide sport- fishing opportunities and good eating. In these instances, wild fish can be eaten without guilt, and there is no better method of enjoying your catch and feeding a lot of people than with a fish fry.

Here’s how you put on a fish fry:

Lean fish works best for frying. The general rule of thumb is that white-fleshed fish is lean, while dark or pink flesh is oily. Good candidates for a fish fry include bass, crappie, catfish, walleye or bluegill. Large, oily fish, such as salmon or trout, aren’t the best choice for frying, because the end result will tend to be greasy and soggy.

It’s possible to deep-fry whole, cleaned fish, but then you must deal with the bones when dining. The best approach is to fillet the larger fish. Once the fillet is cleaned and skinned, cut it into pieces about 1 to 2 inches wide, and no thicker than 1½ inches.

Dip the fillet into a mixture of milk and egg, then dredge it in a flour or cornmeal mixture. If you’re using a batter, all that has to be done is dip the fillet.

Off grid cooking methods, used outside, work best for cooking for a crowd. I use a pair of 12 or 14-inch cast-iron Dutch ovens on my twin burner Camp Chef propane stove for frying. This takes the heat, the smell and any oil spattering outside.

The trick to deep-frying fish is to have very hot oil: 375 to 400 degrees. This is the point where vegetable oil bubbles if a small amount of batter is dropped in. Use a candy thermometer to ensure the correct temperature. Vegetable oils for deep-frying must have a high burning point. Corn, canola, peanut, cottonseed or safflower are popular because they don’t change the flavor of the fish.

Usually, when fish turns out greasy, it is because the oil cooled down too quickly. Start with about 400 degrees, then when the cool fish hits the hot oil, the breading will form a tasty golden crust. The fish will cool the oil when it goes into the fryer, so keep an eye on your thermometer to maintain a steady heat.

Test a piece when the batch is done. Underdone fish is transparent and watery, and doesn’t flake easily with a fork; overdone fish is dry and hard when tested. Just-right fish is opaque and moist and flakes easily. You’ll reach this just-right state by cooking the fish for 3 to 5 minutes or until it floats and is golden brown. Don’t crowd the fish, or the oil will cool too much.

If cooking several batches of fish, let the oil reheat to at least 375 degrees before adding fish.

These two Dutch ovens, with oil, on a double burner Camp Chef propane cooker, can easily handle the cooking part of a neighborhood fish fry.

If the fish and batter are cold, and the oil is hot, the coating will seal immediately. The cooked fish will be moist and flaky inside, crisp and brown in the outside. Drain cooked fish on a cookie sheet lined with a paper bag.

Serve the fish hot, right out of the oil, with side dishes. Then sit back, enjoy, and be thankful for the good food and fellowship that can come from time spent outdoors.

In the South, hush puppies, a type of fried corn bread, and coleslaw are virtually mandatory at a fish fry. Here are some recipes to help you get started:

Beer Batter

1 C all-purpose flour

3 TBS cornstarch

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp paprika

Dash nutmeg

1 C beer

1 TBS vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, mix dry ingredients. Blend in beer and vegetable oil until smooth. Dip fish into batter and deep-fry.

Basic Flour Breading

1 egg

1 TBS milk or water

1 C all-purpose flour

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

Blend egg and milk. Mix flour, salt and pepper. Dip fish in egg mixture, then in flour mixture. Deep fry.

Corn Meal Breading

1 egg

1 TBS milk or water

1 C fine ground cornmeal

3 TBS Italian-flavor bread crumbs

1 TBS flour

Salt, pepper, paprika, Old Bay seasoning or Cajun seasoning to taste

Blend egg and milk. Mix corn- meal, bread crumbs, flour and seasonings. Dip fish in egg mixture, then in flour mixture. Deep fry.

George’s Hush Puppies

Hush puppies are the traditional southern side dish to accompany fried fish. (This recipe was concocted by my friend, the late George Halford, one night before a fish fry in the Washington, D.C., area.)

2 C cornmeal

2 TBS all-purpose flour

2 eggs

1/4 C canola oil in batter

1/4 C honey

5 green onions, finely chopped

1 C buttermilk

4 tsp baking powder

Dash of garlic salt

In a large bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, egg, cornmeal, garlic salt, honey, green onions and buttermilk, stir thoroughly with spoon. Stir in baking powder. Heat oil to 400 degrees in large Dutch oven. Drop batter by spoonfuls into hot oil, and fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Fried Sweet Corn

6 ears fresh, white sweet corn (yellow sweet corn can be used, but it won’t be as tasty)

1 TBS butter

Salt and pepper to taste

Husk and clean the corn. Using a very sharp knife, cut the tips of corn into a baking pan. Then, use the back of the knife to scrape and milk the cob, letting the juices run into the pan. Pour the corn into a large bowl, and add salt and pepper to taste. Heat a skillet over medium heat and drop in butter. When butter is melted, put the corn and juices in skillet. Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes until the corn is smooth, creamy and hot.

by Leon Pantenburg

People getting started in Dutch oven cooking are often somewhat intimidated when it comes to participating in a Dutch Oven Gathering or cookoff. One of the fool-proof recipes that is usually recommended to these folks is Buckeroo Beans. This recipe, from Amber Franks, and published in the Central Oregon Dutch Oven Cookbook, Volume One, makes use of several kinds of beans.

Dried or storage foods can easily be substituted for the fresh equivalents. Another nice aspect of this dish is that the beans can be cooked and simmered over a campfire in a Dutch oven.

Check out the recipe – you’ll find yourself making it even when you don’t need to prepare a meal under

survival circumstances!

Buckeroo Beans

1 lb ground beef

1 large onion, chopped

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 c ketchup

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2 tsp vinegar

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp each of oregano, basil and dill

2 (14 oz) cans of kidney beans

1 (6 oz) can baby lima beans

1 (24 oz) can Boston style baked beans

In a 12-inch Dutch oven, brown hamburger with the chopped onion. Add seasonings and beans (undrained except for the lima beans). Mix together and add ketchup, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Cook at about 325 degrees for about one hour.

I slogged along in the ranks, Springfield slung over my shoulder, headed toward the sound of the guns. As an embedded journalist in the Confederate infantry, I was covering the battle of Champion Hill re-enactment between Vicksburg and Jackson, Mississippi

The Civil War replica, left, and the more contemporary military canteen cup have many uses in a survival kit. (Pantenburg photos)

Except for the Nikon and ballpoint pen hidden in my haversack, all my accouterments and weapons were authentic. It didn’t take long to form opinions.

The heavy wool uniform was like wearing a sweatsuit. The small kepi offered virtually no protection from the sun. The canteen was too small, the leather shoe soles were slippery and the authentic food really sucked.

But several common items proved invaluable. My cotton bandana was soaked in water and worn around my neck to cool and protect it from the fierce sun. A flint and steel kit could stand up to the hard marching and campaigning, where as matches didn’t last in the heat and humidity. Hardtack was durable, but tasteless.

But the large quart tin cup was a stellar performer. It served as my mess kit, and worked really well

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for boiling coffee and heating rations over a campfire. Water stations were set up all over, and we’d stop frequently to hydrate, replenish canteens and pour water over our heads. But the most appreciated use came as we were marching back after the battle.

A sutler set up along the line of march, and would fill any cup with cold beer for a dollar. He would
take an IOU, and he did a land office business.

I’ve included a tin cup in my gear for many years. When I hiked the John Muir Trail in 1976, I carried a metal Sierra cup on my belt. At every running stream, I’d use the cup to get a drink. I also mixed instant oatmeal in it, and used it for just about everything.

That was my first wilderness trip where a tin cup proved its worth. Give some thought to adding one to your survival gear.

Here’s what I have used a metal cup for:

• Mess Kit: I used a 40-ounce blue enamel cup and a plastic spoon as my only eating utensils during a nine-day canoe trip through the Boundary Waters. Weight was critical because of the frequent portages between lakes. During that trip the utensil was also used for picking blueberries, dipping water out of the lake for purification, brewing coffee, rinsing off after a sweaty portage, and various other tasks.
• Cooking: I typically carry an aluminum can alcohol stove in my 24-ounce metal cup, along with four ounces of alcohol in two small plastic containers. That is just enough fuel to last a day of cross-country skiing, snowshoeing or elk hunting. I put the metal cup directly on top of the alcohol stove, and brewing up a hot drink is quick and easy. If you have to warm up a hypothermic person, this tool can be a lifesaver.
• Campfire cooking: Save your stove fuel for emergencies. Time permitting, you can make a small fire and purify water or cook a hot meal over the flames. And it looks and feels really cool to do that!
• Bathing: NEVER pollute a water source by rinsing the soap off your body into it. Instead, fill your cup with water, get a good distance away from the source, wet yourself down and lather up. Rinse off the same way. You can also use the cup to hold water for brushing your teeth.

The cup can also be handy for dipping water out of suspicious source before purifying. In a pinch, you could also dig with it, but I wouldn’t waste my time digging a hole to make a solar still!

The tin or enamel ware cups are cheap and can be found anywhere. Include one in your survival gear and you’ll be surprised how useful it is!

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by Leon Pantenburg

The new Lodge cookbook is a must-read for outdoor cooking foodies.

I love cast iron cookware in all forms, am a charter member of a Dutch oven cooking club, and a Dutch oven cookoff competitor. At last count, I own seven cast iron camp ovens, three Dutch ovens, a stack of skillets, a square cornbread pan and a two griddles. My antique cast iron includes several Griswold skillets, a deep gumbo pot and a fish cooker.

I believe a camp oven (the style with three legs, and a lid designed for holding coals) is a must-have in any preparedness or survival kit. Further, I contend that simple, tasty recipes that can be cooked outdoors are survival tools.

With that background, I would have to classify the latest slick stock, full-color cookbook from Lodge as cast iron porn. It’s like free heroin to an addict, or a “Drinks on the house!” to an alcoholic. As soon as I got a copy, I sat down and read it cover-to-cover.

Lodge, FYI, is the only cast iron cookware manufacturer in the United States. Founded by Joseph Lodge in 1896 in South Pittsburg, TN, the company continues to manufacture a full gamete of cast implements.

Lodge quality is a given. While I own several other brands of cast iron, most of my camp ovens are Lodge. I rely on the Lodge even heating, overall quality and consistent cooking times in competitions as well as family reunions.

The cookbook is divided into several useful sections, which include breakfast; soup, stew, gumbo and chili; the main course; desserts, breads and biscuits and caring for cast iron.

The recipes come from all over and the ones I’ve tried are fantastic. The book is also a good read. If you’re like me, you love reading the stories behind the recipes, and the ways they may have originated. And any good cast iron cook will look at the book and immediately start thinking about how they can tweak or improve certain food selections.

There is also a heating chart that suggests the number of coals for different-sized camp ovens to obtain certain cooking temperatures. A section on taking care of your cast iron is also invaluable.

I give this cookbook two thumbs and five stars. There is something in it for the beginner or the experienced Dutch oven cook.

by Leon Pantenburg

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Cast iron cookware will last forever if you take care of it. But what happens if an implement is neglected and develops some rust? Or what about that crusty, dirty relic of an unsuccessful camping trip you find at a garage sale? At what point does it become unsalvageable?

This stack of garage sale cast iron skillets can be restored to usefulness with a little work. (Leon Pantenburg photo)

Here is a quick way to re-season any piece of cast iron. Essentially, all you’re doing is removing all the rust and residue, wiping down all the surfaces with a cast iron conditioner, and baking the oven outside in a hooded barbecue grill.

I’ve been using this method for years to periodically re-season and touch up the cast iron that belongs to a local Boy Scout troop. All these camp ovens have been used for several years, sometimes under duress and severe conditions, and they still work to help provide a mouth-watering meal!

Obviously, the more abused and rusty the implement is, the more work will be involved to bring it back into service. In some instances, I’ve had to take a particularly cruddy piece to an auto body shop and have it sandblasted.

But all this effort is worth it when you end up with a good piece of cast iron that will last indefinitely.

For a more comprehensive look at seasoning cast iron, click on Restoring a Cast Iron Treasure.

Check out the video below!