fish boil~

My good friend Jack had asked once if we were obsessed with food?  Well.... YES we are... especially good food ... and that's exactly what we had last night for supper!

We were invited over to the Beaver Lake Bear Hunters camp for their annual fish boil.

It starts out with getting the BIG caldron filled with water and placed over the fire pit.  The cook, Reed ~ tosses in a handful of "secret spices".  The firewood is stacked around the kettle to bring it up to a good boil.

More wood is constantly being added to the fire ~ it takes about 45 minutes to get it to a hard boil.

During the waiting period ... it's cocktail hour!

The cook says it's ready.

In goes the first layer of ingredients... carrots.  After Reed says it's time ...  then some  potatoes are added.

Reed says it all has to be done in layers so it all comes out at the perfect cooking time for each ingredient.

Next ... the whole onions are piled on.

On top of each layer the top basket is put back on to avoid anything floating out into the water.

The caldron is put back over the fire ... until Reed says it's time for the fish.

Back over to the table with the basket ...
 In goes the salmon.

Back to the fire again.  

It's still cocktail hour ~

Brooke was told to keep an eye on things.

Reed takes the "pink handled" spoon and ladles off some foam. Yep... if you're going to make this you have to have a pink handled spoon.

 

It's still cocktail hour ... we're all waiting for Reed to tell us when cocktail hour is over and it's time to eat.

Then Reed lets out a hollar, "Heads up ... it's time!"
Just at that moment ...
POOF!!!

The whole fire pit is just flaring wild ~~ the boil on the fish has gotten to the point where it boils over the edge of the kettle and all the grease from the fish boils off.

Now to remove everything ~

Out comes the salmon ~

and all the veggies ~

Staci has her bowl full ... she was wondering what the rest of us were going to eat!

What a wonderful meal it was.

Fresh salmon, baby carrots, fresh red potatoes and onions ...

followed up by my contribution to the meal ... a warm deep dish apple pie made in a big enough pan to feed 20 people and a warm raspberry doughgen straight from the oven.

Are you drooling yet?

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel