For a lot of people, fishing weekends are the whole point of owning a caravan. I don’t fish myself, but I can see the appeal of a long, peaceful weekend with the water… And delicious fresh fish as your reward! Even if you don’t go fishing, this recipe is an ideal way of making the most of the fresh, local seafood if you stay by the seaside. Fresh fish is best cooked outside, on a campfire. This recipe is a god one when you don’t want to set up a full barbeque, but do want to cook on a real fire – it works best when the fire has dyed down and there is only the very occasional flame left. While this recipe might be a bit optimistic at the moment, spring is on it’s way, so it won’t be long before there’s nothing you want to do more with an evening than while it away next to the glowing embers of a fire.

Fishing in the sunset

Fish (whatever’s fresh and local, or that you’ve caught), gutted and ready to cook

Olive Oil

Salt

1 lemon

Cous Cous, about 50g per person

Cherry tomatoes, a large handful per person

1. To prepare the fish, lay in on a large doubled over piece of tinfoil. Drizzle with olive oil, rub with salt, and lay a couple of slices of lemon over it. Leaving a little room around the fish, wrap the tin foil and fold tightly, to make a parcel with the fish in the middle.
2. Carefully put the fish in the hot ashes of the fire for twenty minutes. While it’s cooking you can prepare the rest of the meal.
3. Slice the cherry tomatoes into quarters and put them in a large bowl. Pour over the cous cous, drizzle generously with more olive oil and thoroughly squeeze the remaining lemon over the mixture. Boil some water.
4. When the fish has been in the fire for 15 mins, pour boiling water over the cous cous, so the water level is about 1cm above the level of the food. Cover quickly with a plate and leave for 5 mins.

When the time is up, fluff up the cous cous with a fork and serve on the plates. Very carefully, using tongs, remove the fish from the fire and open up the parcel – beware that a gust of steam will come out. Serve the fish with the tomato cous cous.