by Justin Thyme

Created on: January 08, 2009

There is always much to be said for cooking in nature's kitchen - the great outdoors. It is the way in which mankind survived for millennia, long before the advent of microwave ovens, conventional ovens or stoves. Fish is one of those ingredients especially well suited to this form of cooking - and this is my favourite of all ways for cooking trout.

I should point out at the very beginning that this method of cooking trout for some reason only works properly in salt or, at the very least, brackish water (the mix of fresh and seawater around river estuaries.) I presume this is in some way to do with the salt and mineral content of the water. This "recipe" therefore refers to sea trout, those trout which have inexplicably chosen to live in such waters rather than their natural freshwater habitat.

The first step - and the most difficult - is to catch our trout! Next, build a wood fire and ensure it is well alight, surrounded by stones to prevent any danger of it spreading to surrounding foliage. The subsequent steps are so easy, a child could perform them. I am sorry to be so graphical in the next paragraph but the information is included because it is essential and not simply for effect, I can promise you.

We have to gut the trout. Take particular care gutting the fish in this instance as remember there are no domestic comforts to assist you, Slit open the belly, pull out the innards and wash the trout in the sea/estuary water several times. Do not remove the head or the tail.

At this stage, take the large, broadsheet newspaper which we brought along with us first to read as we waited for our trout to bite, and secondly, for this very purpose and remove the outer double page. Wet it in seawater and wrap the trout in it. Take the second double page and repeat. Continue this process until the trout is tightly wrapped in the entire newspaper. Take the package and simply drop it in the fire.

We have nothing left to read now, so we have to find some way of whittling away the time until we see the outer sheet of newspaper begin to catch fire. This means obviously that the moisture from the newspaper and the majority of same from the trout has evaporated - and that our fish is cooked and ready to eat.

Use a stick to pull the package from the fire and either gently beat it or blow on it to extinguish any flames. Do not pour water on it! After a few minutes, it should be cool enough to slit open the paper along what is the belly edge of the trout and reveal our delicious meal as nature intended it.

Eat it with your fingers, perhaps by this time under the stars, and enjoy a taste of natural beauty at its very, very best.

Learn more about this author, Justin Thyme.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.