BY
STEVE STARLING
For many of us who go fishing, the promise
of providing a meal or two of fresh seafood
for ourselves, our families and our friends
is a major attraction. Naturally, we need to
balance this with our responsibilities to the
law, the future of the resource and
prevailing public attitudes, but thankfully
there’s still room for both catch-and-release
and catch-and-kill angling in this country.
We owe it to ourselves and to the fish we
keep to look after our catch and maintain it
in the best possible condition between the
water and our plates. An Engel portable
fridge/freezer can be an invaluable tool in
this process.
CARING FOR THE CATCH
Bacteria begin to multiply in the internal
organs and flesh of a fish from the moment
of death. If they reach high enough
concentrations, these bacteria may begin
to seriously degrade the flavour and
nutritional value of the fish. Ultimately, they
can also pose a health risk to anyone
consuming the fish.
The greatest concentrations of bacteria
occur in the stomach cavity and intestines,
particularly if these organs contain partially
digested food. Removing the fish’s innards
and washing its stomach cavity then
wiping it dry with kitchen paper will
dramatically reduce the growth and spread
of bacteria.
Bacteria multiply much faster at higher
temperatures, and more slowly in colder
conditions. For these reasons, cleaning fish
promptly and keeping them cool is a vital
part of the process of preparing them for the
table.
Get into the habit of killing, bleeding and
cleaning fish as soon as possible after
capture, then lower their body temperature
by the use of ice, an ice slurry, or by
wrapping them in paper or clingwrap
plastic and placing them directly into your
Engel.
ICE SLURRY
The best option when caring for fish in the
field or out on the water, especially prior to
cleaning them, is to place them in an ice
slurry. This is a mixture of cube or chunk
ice and saltwater; ideally ordinary sea
water. If the ice itself has been made with
sea water to begin with, so much the better.
In the field, you can make ice in your Engel
by freezing water in plastic containers.
In an insulated cooler, add just enough sea
water to the ice to make a thick slurry.
Place the fish directly into this slurry after
killing and bleeding them. Push the fish
well beneath the surface of the slurry. An
ice slurry keeps fish very cold and
maintains their colour and eye clarity,
greatly enhancing both their appearance
and keeping qualities. However, avoid
leaving fish in a slurry for more than four to
six hours, and remove fish earlier from any
slurry that is heavily tainted with blood and
slime, or in which all the ice has melted.
Clean or fillet the fish as soon as they are
removed from the slurry, dry them and
wrap in plastic, aluminium foil or paper
before placing in the Engel.
FREEZING FISH
Fish can be frozen for consumption at a
later date, but almost all seafood benefits
from being eaten fresh; within 12 to 48
hours of capture. Treated this way, its
flavour and nutritional value are at their
very best.
Fish and other seafoods can be stored
unfrozen in your Engel for several days
without significant deterioration, so long as
they are maintained at temperatures below
5 or 6 degrees C and not allowed to lie in
melted water. Fish that’s to be kept for
longer periods should be frozen as soon as
possible after capture.
To freeze fish or fish pieces, wrap them
tightly in cling wrap or aluminium foil to
exclude all air and bring the temperature
down as rapidly as possible. The colder the
holding temperature, the longer frozen fish
will maintain its quality. Frozen fish should
not be kept for longer than three months,
and species with high oil or fat contents
(trout, salmon, tuna, mullet, herring and so
on) are best consumed within a month of
capture.
Fishing and outdoor adventure is not a
game to fishing writers and TV celebrities
Steve “Starlo” Starling and Kaj “Bushy”
Busch. When the pair began filming for the
new TV series ‘Hooked on Adventure’ they
made sure they were well equipped with the
most efficient and reliable gear. According
to Starlo and Bushy: “When it comes to
portable fridge/freezers there is only one
choice in mind - Engel”.
FISHING
WITH ENGEL
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