THAT IS FISHY

A charitable interpretation would be, that I reckon the sales assistant had wrapped the small packet of fish so efficiently, s/he could not see what it was when the job was done. 

The customer that came and bought the well-packaged fish, some time ago, was yours truly, me.  I bought it because I saw a label stating the contents were undyed natural smoked haddock.  When home, I put the packed fish as was, in a clear freezer bag and placed it in the freezer.  Today, rummaging around in the freezer, I saw the label ....just the thing, we'll have Kedgeree tonight.  Maybe, I'll prepare rice now, I thought, then I decided to do it later.  I left the bagged contents to defrost while went out to town pay some bills.

Salivating at the thought of the flavours of the meal to come, I got the rice out, but then, first, checked to see if the fish was ready for cooking.  Just as well I did.  As I took one bag off, then another, and yet another, the colour of the contents did not quite gel with the description on the label--natural-- undyed--this was looking decidedly orange-ish through a white plastic food bag.

Our evening meal became flash fried sweet chili - coated slices of salmon.

A MIXED BAG

Today has been a mixed bag of doings, mostly at the computer, once the essential domestic chores were done. I've got washing blowing on the line, and it is not very warm out there. My cropped trousers and short-sleeved blouse may metamorphose into heavier clothing before I put my nose outside the door again today.

 Hubby has been out fishing and as I write, is probably preparing and fileting fish on the home made work area in the garden. You pay a high price in the shops for fish; at one time, a beef steak was the bees knees, and you paid a premium price for it. Today fish is a similar or higher price, even where we live, close to the sea shores. The Spanish load up fish, velvet crabs, and other shell fish on their refrigerated lorries nearly every week, then drive off to the Mediterranean with the North Atlantic harvest. 

I hear that relatives are ministering to their pretty 14 year old pet cat; it sounds like the last rites are being given. I'll go and visit before the family go to see the vet. Bye for now.

FISHY GIFTS

I'm lucky, in the last month, we have had a good  sea harvest of mackerel, some coal fish, and cod.  The sea fishing season, quite short where I live, is nearing its close, which means that there will be no need to concern myself for much longer, where I am going to store the excess of fish that is arriving here at home.

Late last week and again, today, various friends and neighbours have been the recipients of fishy gifts.  One, a farmer offered us eggs, which we declined.  Last Winter he regularly left vegetables from his crops, in our garden.  Today though, the farmer's wife was insistent on gifting us a large juicy cabbage.

If I do not cook fish five days a week from now on, there is a enough fish stored to keep us fish-fed till early 2011. If there are just a few more days of  fishing hauls, we will have to obtain another freezer, just a small one.  Even so, I am not sure where I would install it.

To make space for the sea food catches,  three meals in the last two weeks were not fish-centred.

I have  broiled fish with gentle spices;
I have coated fish in flour with flavourings to flash fry it;
I have baked fish in butter;
Mackerel has been BBQ'd with thyme;

I am beginning to feel I am about to sprout fins.