More on Survival cooking... Use a corn husk...

Not to long ago I was out at the lake drowning some worms...
I caught a nice bass and any good outdoorsmen will tell you the best time to eat a fish is right when it comes out of the water... problem is I didn’t have a pan or foil with me... what to do, what to do...

that's when I noticed the corn field nearby and remember helping my folks make tamales... heck I'd even thrown corn right on the BBQ husks and all and they came out great!!!
I didn’t see any reason I couldn’t use a husk to cook my Bass...

well what I did was borrow a few ears form the probably not to friendly farmer...carefully peeled the husks back...soaked then in water so they would steam up really good... then wrapped up my fillets to which I added a little vinegar salt and pepper... then stuffed it right in the coals...I cant say for sure how long I left them in the fire... I normally dont wear a watch when I go fishing... it defeats the purpose of my going fishing ya know... but I smell when it was done and let me tell ya... those husks had imparted their light corn flavor... well later today I'm going to try the same trick only using chicken... lemon pepper chicken... on my BBQ...

I know it's not quite a survival deal... but it works and tastes great too... for you more hard core buff's if it makes you feel better I have fired eggs and make pancakes using a shovel for a skillet... great way to heat up your MRE's too...

reply to post by DaddyBare


That actually sounds pretty darn good, I think I've got my cooking project for today haha.

I've been doing this on my grill for ages DB. Try wrapping some thick Bison burgers in the husk. But I usually let the husk soak for a few hours in lightly salted water. I also usually cook my corn on the grill with the husk left on. Damn, now I'm hungry.

That's a great idea man! Nice ingenuity you got there.

reply to post by DaddyBare


YUM! Food of the gods. Nothing tastes better that eating your fresh catch, outdoors, when your tired and hungry. Brings back fond memories, fishing with my graddad. Corn husks, great idea, how simple.

In Hawaii we used Ti leaves. Here's an example of gourmet, survival style fish. Da kine! No ka oi!
youtu.be...

reply to post by DaddyBare


Now you are making me hungry...

Wrapping food in corn husks to cook is a great Idea. I wonder what other leaves can also serve the same purpose in a SHTF scenerio

reply to post by crimvelvet


Banana and coconut fronds both work well as cooking wrappers. I've also seen old recopies that my Mema had that called for wrapping sausage in oak leaves and baking it instead of frying. I also use to live next door to a family from Lebanon. The wife would sometimes wrap meats and fish in fresh picked mint and parsley. Stem and all. I'm not a big mint fan but the few times I ate with them, it was freakin delicious!

Just remember that when you cook with vegetation type food wrappers, you need to soak them in water till they are saturated or you risk them catching fire when you cook.

But if you want the best wrapper, use bacon!

love your cooking threads..keep em coming.not too many corn husks in scotland though,am sure some mad organic farmer is trying somewhere but never seen it.seen recipes for hay wrapped chicken a few times,or stray wrapped.maybe thats familiar to you???but never tried it,i wonder what woods you could shave into 3 or 4 mm sheets and bake fish between,i know willow is poisonous...anyone know?

reply to post by vipertruck99

I don't know of any woods, but I remember seeing a tv program for kids .
It showed the kids cooking the fish by covering the fish with clay
that they found nearby. They just put the clay covered fish in the fire.
I suppose it wouldn't hurt to wrap the fish first in corn husk before the clay.
I hear that grape leaves are edible ,so maybe wild grape leaves
would work too.

reply to post by DaddyBare


Nice tip DB, and nicer mental image of you sitting next to some hot coals from a small camp fire, cooking your catch.

Another couple of SHTF cooking tips..the simplest method is to gut the fish, sharpen a green stick (sapling or something that's still alive, not dry) and stick the sharp end through the side of the fish near the tail, bend the fish sideways, insert the stick in the side mid way up the fish, then again at the top near the head...then cut a few slashes into the side of the flesh. Poke the other end of the stick into the ground and angle it about 45 degrees so the fish is angled over the coals.

A bit more complicated way is to get clay from the river bank or whatever, cover the fish in thick clay (about an inch think all over it, don't leave any gaps) sealing it in, and place the whole thing in the coals. The clay hardens with the heat, and the fish cooks in it's own juice...pulls scales right off when you crack open the clay too. (This method works for hedgehog / porcupine and pulls the spines off with the hard clay too)

reply to post by DaddyBare


Hi Daddybare....tonight we are up north and made sweet corn. Had the kids husk the corn and they put in a paper bag, of which we later burned on the campfire, but yeah, I can see how those would come in handy. For more than one purpose, really.

reply to post by DaddyBare


Thanks for the tips.

I usually roast the corn on the barbeque grill with the husk. It gives both the steamed and fire roasted corn flavors Try it if you havn't

The only problem using field corn is that you don't know what chemicals have been sprayed on the field.

Originally posted by spikey
reply to post by DaddyBare

 

A bit more complicated way is to get clay from the river bank or whatever, cover the fish in thick clay (about an inch think all over it, don't leave any gaps) sealing it in, and place the whole thing in the coals. The clay hardens with the heat, and the fish cooks in it's own juice...pulls scales right off when you crack open the clay too. (This method works for hedgehog / porcupine and pulls the spines off with the hard clay too)

Indeed. This also works especially well for wild poultry. Gut the bird, cover in mud, as you explained, and toss in the fires or bury in a pit (best for bigger birds or multiple birds), with hot coals and rocks. Dig it up or take it off the fire and pull the clay off, and the feathers fall off too.

Now you got me thinking...I cook trout over coals wrapped in aluminum foil. I know about the green stick/coal method, but foil is easier.
When cooked about 3 minutes on each side the scales pull off the flesh and then the flesh pulls off the skeleton, so no bones to fuss with. I imagine trout could just be tossed on coals sans foil...the scales peel off anyways?

Originally posted by windword

Originally posted by spikey
reply to post by DaddyBare

 

A bit more complicated way is to get clay from the river bank or whatever, cover the fish in thick clay (about an inch think all over it, don't leave any gaps) sealing it in, and place the whole thing in the coals. The clay hardens with the heat, and the fish cooks in it's own juice...pulls scales right off when you crack open the clay too. (This method works for hedgehog / porcupine and pulls the spines off with the hard clay too)

Indeed. This also works especially well for wild poultry. Gut the bird, cover in mud, as you explained, and toss in the fires or bury in a pit (best for bigger birds or multiple birds), with hot coals and rocks. Dig it up or take it off the fire and pull the clay off, and the feathers fall off too.

Nice, thanks for that windword.

The only problem i can see with both of our methods is in estimating the correct cooking time required.

Though I'd imagine it would just be a matter of re-covering the bird or fish or whathaveyou again and returning to the coals or pit if underdone. I suppose experience is the key.

Originally posted by FrenchOsage
Now you got me thinking...I cook trout over coals wrapped in aluminum foil. I know about the green stick/coal method, but foil is easier.

When cooked about 3 minutes on each side the scales pull off the flesh and then the flesh pulls off the skeleton, so no bones to fuss with. I imagine trout could just be tossed on coals sans foil...the scales peel off anyways?

I think just placing it directly on the coals would cause it to lose a lot of moisture...not too sure, but it would be the simplest way of all if it didn't burn it.

I've seen food wrapped it all sorts and cooked on or over hot stones or coals (not personally, but read about and seen on the box), palm leaves, banana leaves, cabbage leaves and so on, so i guess it works for all sorts as long as the plant isn't toxic to us.

reply to post by spikey


Even some toxic plants can be used if prepared correctly.

reply to post by FrenchOsage


Trout I will just lay on the grill... no foil...
your right about the scales falling off... but you need something to hold the fish in...
it'll be damn hot when it comes off the fire like that... then you just scoop the meat up with your fingers... Emm emm good...... using your fingers makes it easier to pick out the small bones unless you like the crunchy bits...