Fisherman’s Fish Packet

One of our favourite foil packet dinners – Fish and shrimp – inspired from years gone by.

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As a youngster growing up in Northern Ontario Canada my summer jobs were spent at vacation fishing lodges.

Northern Ontario Fishing Lodges

For the most part these were rustic resorts by a lake (not to be confused with the Marriott on the beach in Florida) offering a taste of the wilderness, relaxation, boating, canoeing, campfires and of course great fishing. The personality of these lodges was borne by the owner-operators, with their friendliness and tireless commitment to ensure that a guest’s vacation was special – understand that theirs was a labour of love for the lifestyle, as few of these entrepreneurs ever retire early or live their golden years in luxury.

One of these lodges was operated by Pat and Ed: Pat whose fun-loving laugh could be heard clear across the lake and Ed, a hulk of a man who was the epitome of a voyager and frontiersman.

It was here where I was introduced to foil packet cooking.

Fish Supper Day

Once a week was fish fry or fish packet day – my favorite day of the week, as there would be fewer dishes to wash and I would be able to enjoy the fruits of my labour; I was the fish filleting specialist and chief dishwasher, affectionately referred to as “Dishpan”.

On fish fry/packet day, the guests had the option of battered fish fried in oil or Pat’s famous fish packet, both cooked outdoors over open fire. By the way, these where always boneless fillets of walleye or northern pike, and we often had contests to see if anyone could tell the difference.

Fish Fry or Fish Packet?

As much as everyone enjoys a good old fashioned fish fry, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside, Pat’s fish packets always got the majority of the votes for the best of the best dinner. Her packets included a large seasoned fish fillet with combinations of onions, peppers, pre-cooked potatoes, cream corn, a seasonal vegetable like asparagus, spices, herbs and a couple pieces of sliced sausage – they were terrific.

Admittedly, there is a certain ambience to being served a personal dinner packet while sitting around a campfire having your favorite beverage with family and friends. But even today my taste buds pop in anticipation of the bounty of flavors while opening a silver foil packet – and the beauty is the preparation time is 10 to 15 minutes, there are absolutely no measurements and I cook my packets on the BBQ or in the oven.

Thanks Pat & Ed……..you knocked it out of the park!

The following recipe we prepared the other day while at our cottage. We had been working outside clearing brush and didn’t realize how late it was and we were eating a wonderful meal in 40 minutes.

This packet is a dinner for two and we pulled all the proteins out of our freezer (fish, shrimp and sausage) and therefore the cooking time is a bit longer (not 13 to 15 minutes for thawed or fresh) but didn’t require the potatoes to be pre-cooked. The prep time is 15 minutes and cooking time 25 to 30 minutes at approximately 375F degrees – it was terrific.

Enjoy…….

Foil Fish Packet Ingredients (1 Packet for 2)

• 2 medium sized onions chopped (any onion type will work)
• 1 celery stock sliced (not mandatory but we had some to use up)
• 2 medium potatoes thinly sliced skin on
• 1/2 red pepper (sliced into strips)
• 8 mushrooms sliced in half (not mandatory but we had some to use up)
• 2 pieces of fish (white style fish like walleye, cod, haddock..we had haddock)
• 2 hot Italian sausage sliced in half inch pieces – any sausage works or kielbasa

• 6 large shrimp shell on or off – we left on
• 2 Tbsp of olive oil
• 2 Tbsp of butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 Tbsp seafood seasoning – we use Old Bay
• 1 tsp of red pepper flakes
• 1 tsp of smoky paprika

Foil Fish Packet Preparation

• Use 2 sheets of silver foil to form the bed – about 24 inches long and double sheet (I double sheet packets to prevent tears and leaks)
• Spread the onion evenly across the silver foil
• Spread the potatoes, red pepper strips, mushrooms and celery across the top – salt and pepper to taste
• Spread the fish, shrimp and sausage across the top of the onions and potatoes

• Spread butter cut in pieces across the top
• Season the fish and shrimp with old bay seasoning, hot pepper flakes and smoky paprika
• Salt and pepper everything again
• Drizzle olive oil across the top

• Using another 2 sheets of silver foil to cover the bed of food. Tightly seal all the sides and edges being careful not to tear

• Place the packet in a preheated oven or onto the BBQ grill at 375 -400F degrees for 25 to 30 minutes

Read to enjoy – we served with salad and crusty sourdough bread.

Below is a printable recipe card from RecipesGenerator. Please give it a try!

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