by Tim MacWelch
For example, the U.S. west coast is home to razor and geoduck clams along with many species of bay clams and other mollusks. Eastern clams include the Atlantic surf and soft-shell, among others. Regardless of the location, most of these creatures can be unearthed from their sandy nests using the same guidelines.
GUIDELINES
FIND THE RIGHT SPOT Learn where your local clam beds are located, and try to discover the “hot spots” in those areas.
GO AT LOW TIDE This means more area to successfully dig. Minus tides are best—get there two hours before peak low tide. During times of less swell, your quarry is likely to be closer to the surface. And closer to the surface means closer to your plate.
LOOK FOR SIGNS A clam’s neck near the surface of the sand will produce a distinct “show.” Look for small holes, round dimples, or indentations in dry sand, or pound your shovel handle in receding surf. If you’re lucky, the pounding will reveal a show—or two.
DIG FAST Some clams are sluggish creatures, but others are lightning fast. The Pacific razor clam is one of the fastest diggers, and it can bury itself faster than some clammers can dig.
017 GET A LINE ON CRABS
The ideal way to catch crabs is with a crab pot (which works on the same principle as a standard fish trap), but making one isn’t easy. Luckily, crabs can also be caught with a simple handheld, baited line.
Just tie a piece of bait, such as a chicken leg, to the end of a weighted line. The weight needs to be heavy enough to drag the bait to the bottom, even in a current. Cast the baited line roughly 4–6 feet (1–2 m) out into the water. This short line helps with easy retrieval and avoids wasting time while you battle the currents. Now wait—and remember, patience is a virtue.
When a crab grips the bait, you’ll notice the line tightening. Don’t yank the line or lift the crab from the water! Haul it in very slowly, until the crab is visible—only a rare one will hang on aggressively enough to make it to dry land, so be sure you have a dip net handy. Try this technique off jetties and piers for the best chances.
018 DIVE FOR LOBSTER
Lobster hunting, or bug diving as it’s sometimes called, is about as hardcore a shellfishing technique as you can perform. It puts you in their world, under the water, reaching around in crevices and holes that could contain a lobster—or something much meaner.
Speedy grabs and swatting motions are the most successful method of bagging a lobster. But there’s obviously a lot that can go wrong. Since lobsters primarily move around at night, you’ll have to find protected spots where they hide during daylight hours. These underwater shelters can also contain sea urchins, moray eels, scorpion fish, and other sea creatures that bite, stab, and sting.
One of the best pieces of gear to make this pursuit safer for lobster hunters is Kevlar gloves. These cut-proof, puncture-proof gauntlets protect against urchin spines and many other dangers of the deep.
019 FOLLOW THE COON’S EXAMPLE
Looking for shellfish away from the sea? Find the nearest rivers with sand bars or mud flats and look for evidence of raccoon mollusk-digging activities. Freshwater mussels and related shellfish are often abundant in these riverine environments.
Look for little holes dug throughout the mud or sand. Also watch for raccoon tracks and empty mussel shells that have been strewn about. These are proof of two things: there are raccoons nearby, and there are shellfish in that mud (that is, if the masked bandit left any for you).
As with clams (see item 016), look for shows, and sift through the sand and mud to collect your prizes.
020 WORK FOR SCALE
Whether by trap, by hook, or by hand, you have caught one or more fish to satisfy your hunger. Now you need to clean the animals and prepare them for cooking. Fish are the easiest animal to skin and gut, but there are a few ways to make things go more smoothly.
Most fish have some sort of scales; they’re there to protect the fish against all kinds of injuries. Their toughness also makes them difficult to digest, should you decide to eat the fish as-is. You can always fillet your fish and remove the skin completely, but removing only the scales will preserve the valuable calories stored in the skin. Keeping the skin also helps to preserve the fat contained in the fish, which is important for both flavor and nutrition.
You can purchase simple fish-scaling tools, or you can improvise them on the spot: use a knife, a sharp stone flake, or shells. You can also screw bottle caps to a stick or strip of wood to create a toothed scaler. Whatever you use, just scrape the fish from tail to head to begin removing scales, preferably before gutting. When you don’t feel or see any more scales coming off, scrape your fingernails from tail to head to check for stragglers, and scrape again as needed.
021 FINISH THE JOB
Now for the part you’ve been waiting for: gutting the fish. It’s a very easy task, especially with a sharp blade.
You can remove the head by chopping it off, and you’re free to snip off the fins, but these steps are certainly not necessary. Don’t waste the organs you remove, as they make great fish bait and trap bait. Don’t discard the head, either—use it for soup stock to make a broth full of minerals and good fish flavor.
STEP 1 Cut into the fish’s underside, starting between the gills and slicing down to the anal vent. It’s okay if your knife tip slices through a few organs—fish aren’t that germy.
STEP 2 Now use one or two fingers to swipe out the innards, and you’re basically done for head-still-on cleaning. You can use your thumbnail to scrape the body cavity of blood and leftover entrails.
STEP 3 It’s also a good idea to rinse the fish out. Rinse it quickly in cold water and then keep it out of water for firmer flesh. Store on ice or cook immediately.
022 ENJOY THE SCALES
Fish with tiny scales and sparsely scaled fish can be gutted and prepared immediately— no scaling necessary. I am a big fan of trout with the scales still on, as well as catfish and smaller fish that I’m lucky enough to catch in small traps. These finger-size fish don’t even need to be gutted. Fry them or roast them whole, ideally until they are crispy, and crunch on them (bones and all) like a kind of fishy cracker.
023 LEARN HOW TO FILLET
Bigger fish will yield some big, beautiful fillets, and cutting your own is a great way to portion out a larger catch. This process will differ depending on the fish and its particular bone structure, but here’s one way to get started.
STEP 1 Use a sharp, flexible fillet knife to make a deep cut behind the gill plate and at the tail on one side of your fish.
STEP 2 Make a connecting cut down the fish’s back to join the gill cut and tail cut.
STEP 3 Begin slicing down the fish, using the backbones as a guide. Make long cuts from head to tail, eventually cutting down to the belly, and peel off the fillet. If you have not gutted the fish, be careful to avoid piercing the body cavity.
STEP 4 Repeat the process on the other side of the fish.
STEP 5 Waste not, want not. Remove the innards, chop up the remaining fish, and simmer in water to create a savory fish stew.
024 PRESERVE FISH WITH SMOKE
Now that you’ve caught some fish, it’s time to figure out what to do with them. Before the days of freezers and canners, smoking, drying, and brining techniques were used to preserve the catch. Today, we can use some of these long-perfected practices to preserve and season the catch of the day.
Smoking fish can produce some remarkably flavorful results, and it can be done without much in the way of modern conveniences. There are two traditional ways (using the same setup) to smoke fish and other foods.
HOT SMOKING This technique uses a closed box to hold in the smoke and the heat. The fish is cooked by this heat and permeated with a smoky flavor. Fish prepared in this manner can last up to a week at room temperature.
COLD SMOKING Cold smoking is done at cooler temperatures for a longer period of time. The goal in this method is long-term fish storage, which requires the fish be dried rather than cooke
d. It should not get hot enough in the smoker to actually cook the fish: temperatures under 100°F (38°C) are ideal.
025 PUT THE CHIPS DOWN
You won’t be smoking anything without a good source of smoke, which means that wood chips are the most vital part of the operation. A modern smoking setup can involve a hot plate (portable electric burner) heating a pan of dampened chips. More traditional methods (sans electricity) involve a pan of hardwood coals from a fire with wet wood chips sprinkled over the top. Determine your method based on your nearby tree species.
Make sure you avoid any local species that are toxic. My local bad guys in the eastern U.S. are black locust, yew, buckeye, horse chestnut, rhododendron, and mountain laurel. You’ll also want to skip bitter resinous woods like cedar, cypress, redwood, fir, pine, spruce, and other needle-bearing trees.
TREE
APPLE
FLAVOR
Apple wood, found in orchards, makes a sweet smoke perfect for poultry and pork.
TREE
HICKORY
FLAVOR
Hickory chips produce a rich, sharp flavor and make hot, long-burning coals.
TREE
MAPLE
FLAVOR
Chips from maple wood are excellent for smoking tasty cheeses.
TREE
MESQUITE
FLAVOR
Native to the southern U.S., mesquite wood produces smoke with an earthy flavor.
TREE
ASH
FLAVOR
Ash wood chips produce a lightly flavored smoke that’s great for fish and poultry.
TREE
OAK
FLAVOR
With a heavy smoke flavor, red oak is good on ribs and pork, and white oak yields lasting coals.
026 SMOKE YOUR CATCH
While it is possible to smoke smaller fish whole, filleting and hanging them properly allows them to smoke more evenly, as the greater exposed surface area lets the smoke penetrate deeper into the flesh. And when you’re dealing with larger fish, this step becomes a necessity.
Cut small fish along the backbone and press them flat.
These flattened fillets can be hung on rods, laid out flat on a rack, or draped over a pole.
Cut larger fish, like salmon, into U-shaped steaks and hang them on hooks in your smoker.
027 GET SALTY WITH BRINED FISH
Brining can be used as a marinade to infuse the meat with flavor before smoking, or it can be used as a method of preservation in and of itself.
SALT AND SPICE MARINADE Add 1.3 gallons (5 l) water to a stainless or enamel pot and bring to a boil. Pour in 3 pounds (1.5 kg) salt, 3/4 cup (150 g) white or brown sugar, 2 tablespoons (30 g) whole black peppercorns, and 5 sprigs oregano. Once the salt and sugar are dissolved, cool the brine to room temperature and add several of your fish. Place in a cold spot or in your refrigerator for two to four hours. Remove the fish, allow them to drain, and then smoke as normal.
PRESERVING BRINE Soak the fish for one to two hours in a mild brine made from 1 gallon (4 l) water and 5 tablespoons (75 g) salt. Remove the fish and allow them to drain off all surface moisture, then coat with salt and stack them in a crock or large glass jar. Alternate layers of salt-encrusted fish with layers of salt. Place a weight on top of the fish to press them down. Over the next few days, the salt will pull the fluid from the fish and create a potent brine. Once the salt has drained the fish of their fluid, rinse the fish (and your crock), and refill with a new brine made from 2.5 pounds (1.2 kg) salt and 1 gallon (4 l) water. Store the crock in a cool, dark place, and replace the brine every couple of months.
028 DRY THEM, YOU MIGHT LIKE THEM
One week of low humidity and warm sunshine can turn your fresh, juicy catch into fish jerky, which can be enjoyed as is for up to a year or used to make a tasty broth. Dried fish can be stored at room temperature, provided the flesh stays bone-dry. Avoid fatty fish (like catfish, eel, and salmon), as the fat turns rancid under the skin.
In order to air-dry, you’ll need a stretch of dry weather. If your area is damp or you’re in the middle of a rainy season, air-drying isn’t a safe option. If the weather is right, you’re good to go.
First, clean and dress your fish as quickly as possible after catching, then give them a rinse in a salty brine, towel dry, and pack them in salt for 48 hours. Then, rinse them again, and they are ready to dry. Hang them properly (see item 029), then store in a cool, dry place.
To reconstitute, crumble the fish—head, bones, and all—into simmering water as a soup starter.
029 MAKE A FISH SHED
Direct sunlight can melt the fats in fish, thereby destroying all your hard work. Luckily, any kind of simple roof can protect your drying fish from a passing shower and direct sunlight. If you only have a few fish to dry, you can hang them under a porch or the eaves of your house. Those who found more success on their fishing trip will need a fish-drying shed.
Four posts and a flat or peaked roof are all you really need, along with a rack or wire-mesh stand to allow air flow around the fish. During the drying process, you’ll need to bring the fish pieces inside at night and on inclement days. You’ll also need people nearby to scare off animal marauders. If flies or other insects are a problem in your area, build a small, smoky fire near and upwind of the shed to waft smoke over the drying fish and drive off pests.
Do not put the fire under the fish, as air-dried fish need to stay raw in order to be preserved safely. Dry them for a week and then test them by pushing your finger into the flesh of the thickest piece: If the dent stays put, you need more drying time; if it doesn’t make a dent, or the dent pops back out, you are done.
030 BUILD A SMOKER
Virtually any box, container, or tiny shed can become a smoker for fish, meats, and even animal hides. Take what you have available, and turn it into a serious smoke box.
APPLIANCE-BOX SMOKER Use a giant cardboard box or crate from a new appliance to create a cold smoker. Cut out the bottom or leave it open on bare ground. Use sticks or metal rods poked through the box to make a rack for the food. You can even use wire to dangle your catch from the ceiling of the box. Cut a door in the side, and place a pan of coals and wood chips on the ground inside. You can also use a hot plate and a pan of damp wood chips.
ELECTRIC-RANGE SMOKER Repurpose an old electric range into a smoker by cutting a hole in the bottom of the oven compartment and using the metal drawer to hold your pan of coals and wood chips. For an easier approach, just place a pan of coals in the bottom of the oven compartment and use the existing oven racks to hold your fish or food.
PERMANENT SMOKE HOUSE Build or repurpose a very small shed for hot or cold smoking. Stove piping or a clay drain line can be used to pipe smoke into the structure, and the smoke can be supplied by an old wood stove or a similar fire box.
031 SUPERPLANT: PINE
PINE FOR THIS EVERGREEN
Pine trees can be found throughout the world, and a variety of species are native to the Northern Hemisphere. Pines are easily identified by their needles, which are found in clusters of 2–5 in most of the world, and they also bear telltale pine cones. These versatile trees provide us with food, fuel, glue, and many other useful things. Make sure you have the right evergreen, and go crazy with the plethora of piney products available to you.
KILL YOUR STANK
Few things scream “human in the woods!” like the scent we carry around at all times. Most animals have keen senses, and you’ll need to fool their sharp nose to have any success at trapping or hunting. In areas where pine is available, crush the green needles and wipe the slightly sticky material all over your clothing and exposed skin. Your evil human scent will be camouflaged by the biting scent of pine (see item 058 for more).
TRY SOME BARK
Yes, you can eat tree bark. It’s a safe and nutritious wild food as long as you use the right part of the bark from the right species of tree. To clarify, I’m not talking about the crusty, corky part of the bark. T
he bark section of choice is the cambium layer, which lies right next to the wood. It can be obtained in large amounts year-round by “skinning” a single tree or by taking advantage of living limbs that have broken off during storms.
The bark is relatively nutritious, packing about 500–600 calories to the pound (450 g), but it may be bitter depending on the species and the tree’s growing conditions. Most inner bark contains digestible starches, some sugar, vitamins, minerals, and tons of fiber—so brace yourself for a good internal scrubbing.
Other trees with edible inner bark include slippery elm, black birch, yellow birch, red spruce, black spruce, balsam fir, and tamarack.
HAVE SOME TEA AND NUTS
In addition to the inner bark, you can also eat pine nuts and needles. The soft, fatty nuts can be picked from large pine cones and eaten raw or cooked. You can get 10% of your daily potassium in 3.5 ounces (100 g) of pine nuts, which have approximately 640 calories. Steep a spoonful of chopped pine needles in a mug of hot water for fifteen minutes to make a tea containing five times your daily requirement of vitamin C. (Note: Pine needles may be harmful to unborn babies. Also, there may be toxins in the needles of the western ponderosa pine and the southeastern loblolly pine, so avoid these species.)