Fishy hobos

I was first introduced to hobo meals while in Boy Scouts. It was safe for our parents to send us off for a camping trip, something that required cooking at least one meal other than breakfast, with a chunk of ground round, accompanied by a mixture of onions, carrots, thin sliced potatoes and other things wrapped securely in aluminum foil. All we had to do was build a fire, place the foil packets in the coals at the bottom of the fire and have enough patience to allow them to cook – hopefully without overcooking. We envisioned these as something that would be eaten in the camps on the edge of many towns across the country, hence the name hobo meals.

I was introduced to a different version of this about 30 years ago while fishing a king mackerel tournament at Hatteras Village. Part of that dinner included hobo meals made with Spanish mackerel and sliced sweet onions.

It was excellent, and to many of us, the Spanish mack hobos overshadowed the London Broil, which was also top shelf. A little London Broil was left over, but none of the Spanish mackerel packets.

That was the beginning of a love of fishy hobos, and we have done it with a variety of fish and from campfire-simple to more complex meals. Our three favorite fish for this are Spanish mackerel, dolphin and rainbow trout. These three mesh nicely with May, and sometimes we add potatoes and a few shrimp to make the meal more special.

Fishy hobos

This is about as simple as a recipe can be. You can also do this on a grill, but it needs to be done carefully, over medium heat and with indirect heat if possible. Also, if using a grill, don’t stack the foil packets, but spread them across the grill grate. I know we’re talking about cooking these in the coals at the base of a campfire, but this typically doesn’t cook as quickly as you might think. It must have something to do with heat rising.

Take the time to be sure the fillet is bone-free. This is easier with mackerel or dolphin, and takes a bit more time with rainbow trout. However, the ease of eating it is worth the time and effort. The basic version is just fish, onions and seasoning, but it can be expanded to include shrimp, potatoes and more.

This article features a dressed up fish hobo. We used a couple of nice dolphin fillets for the fish, and knowing the thicker fillets would take a little longer to cook, we added some thinly sliced potatoes and a few fresh shrimp. We probably should have added wine for sipping with the meal, but we were camping, and sweet ice tea was just fine.

Seasoning is an individual thing. I don’t add any salt, but I use salted butter, along with Cavender’s seasoning, which includes salt among its ingredients.

The preferred cooking method is in a campfire, so use tongs, a pot holder, or oven mitt to pick up the packets. Be careful unwrapping them. Some steam will certainly be released.

INGREDIENTS:

Fish fillets (Spanish mackerel, dolphin, or rainbow trout)

Thinly-sliced Vidalia onions

Butter (use the real stuff)

Garlic, to personal taste

Cavender’s All Purpose Greek Seasoning

Salt and pepper

Buttery-flavored non-stick cooking spray

Aluminum foil

Optional:

Shrimp

Thinly-sliced potatoes

PREPARATION:

Clean and wash the fillets (and shrimp if you’re using them).

Slice the onion very thin (and potatoes if you’re using them).

Spray the dull side of the aluminum foil with the non-stick cooking spray.

Place a fillet (or two if they’re small) on the aluminum foil.

Sprinkle salt and pepper on the fillet(s) to personal taste. I don’t use any salt.

Sprinkle the garlic evenly across the fillet(s).

Lay slices of onion across the fillet(s) and sprinkle them medium well with Cavender’s.

Put a tablespoon of butter on top of the onion slices.

Wrap the foil around the fillet(s) leaving a little space, but sealed well.

Place the foil packets in the coals of a campfire for approximately 15 minutes (a few minutes longer for large or thick fillets).

Remove from fire and let stand for 3 to 5 minutes.

Open the foil packets and serve the fillets with care to contain the butter.

This goes great with a lot of things. Steamed vegetables or a potato can be wrapped in foil and also cooked in the campfire. A fresh salad or lettuce wedge is also good. If you cook this in a campfire, s’mores should be made for dessert. If cooked on a grill, bread pudding is a good dessert choice.

Be sure to cook enough, especially when serving this to someone for the first time. It’s really good and even many finicky eaters will enjoy a second serving. Think about this recipe for one of your good catches of Spanish macks, dolphin or rainbows this spring. The odds are very good that if you try it one time, you’ll eat it again. It’s one of my wife’s favorite meals when we’re camping and a great alternative to fried, baked or broiled. Enjoy!