OT River Camp Cook (PIC heavy)

KiterTodd

While not BGE related, and while similar to an earlier cook... it was just too pretty of a camp to not share it with you folks who I know appreciate the outdoors with the addition of a fun cook.

Camped on the river Friday night.   I always bring this heavy steel pan with me when I go camping.  It tucks nicely in a kayak and I've cooked such a wide array of food in it over the years.  It continues to deliver...  steaks, stews, sauces, fried fresh caught fish, eggs, pancakes, cookies, you name it.  It's a good pan.

Anyway, I went with a stew that I'd made once before.  I'll skip the recipe because I have it listed HERE in a thread from a couple years ago.  It's the same thing, I just changed up the seafood to whatever looked good and fresh in the market.

So, into the stew went some spicy andouille sausage, fresh tuna, fresh NC shrimp, and some mahogany clams.  Only thing I'd change is the clams.  These ones were too big.  They took longer to cook than the little neck clams I usually use.  Thus, in the process I overcooked the tuna a bit.  BUT, this sauce is incredible!  Wish I could bottle the remnants and take it home.   Onward...

The cook;


The next morning we cooked up a pound of bacon.  And made some breakfast burritos that were stellar.  You can't see all the goodness inside that wrap, you just have to trust me.  Bacon wasn't my usual choice of  24 oz. thick cut smoked bacon, but we were river side, all good. 


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And a few shots of the camp site -
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My tent in the foreground, and my buddy's hammock tent under the shelter of trees in the back.

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Now that was a rejuvenating camp-out.

shtgunal3

Awesome post dude. Great camping spot. Looks like a great time.

KiterTodd

I do have to say one more thing about this sauce, because I don't always nail the sauce and this was simple, and incredible.  No reason this would not work on any similar cook on the egg.

So the sauce is "just" a can of chicken stock.   That's it!  kind of...

So I pour it in after the meats are browned, then I put the clams in.  The stock lets the clams steam and open up.  I may dump in a little beer or white wine if it reduces too much...kind of whatever is in my hand.  I also put in a shake of bbq rub when it was about done, threw in a handful of fresh herbs, and a splash of cream.

I can not remember a better stock/stew/broth...whatever...that I have tasted in recent memory.  One more shot of it just before I took it off...



Hey, I just noticed that jalapeno in there!    I forgot about him.  That and the sausage would probably explain the heat.  Spicy!

Theophan

Oh, man, that looks SO GREAT!  The whole experience.  Amazing!

blind99

killer cook!

boy would i be nervous about eating spicy foods while camping... especially with my ass stuck in a kayak!

KiterTodd

blind99 said:

boy would i be nervous about eating spicy foods while camping... especially with my ass stuck in a kayak!

HA!   I do have to say that I ran off to dig a hole mid morning.  
But it could've been the beer, or the coffee, or the burrito...

Hi54putty

Awesome set up. I am currently in the market for a few kayaks. What do you recommend for casual shallow river kayaking? 

theyolksonyou

This post doesn't suck. Stellar all the way around. 

bgebrent

Both the food and the scenery look great brother!

saluki2007

Great job Kiter.  I'll be camping on the river this coming this weekend as well.  Just something about eating food from a camp fire on the river that does a body/mind good.

RedSkip

Beautiful spot you have there, hopefully you can keep it a family secret!

Focker

Beautiful post all around.

MotownVol

Wow, my kind of trip.  Love river fishing.   I know you enjoyed the food, hopefully the fishing was just as good.

KiterTodd

Hi54putty said:

Awesome set up. I am currently in the market for a few kayaks. What do you recommend for casual shallow river kayaking? 

I have a Dagger Blackwater 11.5.  I know they still make some version of it.  I have been very happy with it.  We do simple rapids in it (class I and II, no skirt needed) in addition to flat water lakes, it handles great.  It has a skeg you can drop down in the back so tracking nicely in flat water or against a side wind.   It also holds a ton of gear.

Ended up buying a second boat for the wife and pretty much whenever a friend wanted to come along and needed something to paddle.  I got a Dagger Zydeco which is a 9' boat and also excellent.  Cheaper but works just fine.

Only thing is neither of them is a "fishing" kayak.  So if you do that, I'd check for something with integrated rod holders.  I bought these two as the manufacturers were just figuring out there is a huge fisherman market for kayaks.

My buddy was in a 14' boat...more of an excursion craft.  It did fine as well.  The longer the boat the faster you glide with less paddling effort.  But, it also is a little more work to spin it around in tight quarters.

saluki2007 said:

Great job Kiter.  I'll be camping on the river this coming this weekend as well.  Just something about eating food from a camp fire on the river that does a body/mind good.

I can't agree more.  Every time I river camp with someone for the first time, the initial thing I mention  is food.  Their instinct is usually to bring cold sandwiches, energy bars and nuts...  

I have to let them know we'll be eating like proper well-fed fishing guides out there with hot shore dinners and breakfasts.  Not like backpackers nibbling on nuts, berries and dehydrated spaghetti out of a bag.   We're eating like men! 

MotownVol said:

Wow, my kind of trip.  Love river fishing.   I know you enjoyed the food, hopefully the fishing was just as good.

I have to say, the fishing was the best it's been for me in years.  I actually didn't fish at night this trip but should have.  I could see and hear the catfish venturing into the shallows and they are a lot of fun to catch after dark.  However, the next day I fished for smallmouth and it was excellent.


Thanks for the feedback. Makes it worth putting a post together and sharing the experience. 

NC_Egghead

Awesome post and great looking cook! Your campsite looks like a sweet place. My last canoeing, camping, fishing trip was with my son when he was in Scouts. We went to the boundary waters in northern Minnesota. Awesome small mouth fishing there and the scenery and wildlife was unbelievable. 

Phatchris

Killer cook and post, beautiful river/lake.

JethroVA

Awesome!  great photos

KiterTodd

Phatchris said:

Killer cook and post, beautiful river/lake.

That's the Potomac River, about 25 miles upriver from the capitol.  Beautiful stretch.  Lightly traveled...and yes, clean water.   (down by DC, it gets a bit funky)