Catch of the Day

Pictured above: BB & Jason

First time fishermen

Taken out 18mi, with no land in site

The two men fished alongside 48 others
In the high seas of the Atlantic
aboard the ship Swoop

Fishing for hours (5 to be exact)

Each found their sea legs
Caught their catch
And returned to shore w/the rest of the loot



In a sunken, make-shift, filleting station -
a man, his apprentice, and the apprentice's trainee
filleted upwards of 200 fish

WARNING! If you are squeamish, look away from the upcoming pictures

(this means you Mom)

 

Had I not been so koi coy, I would have asked for the fishheads and bodies to make stock

Maybe next time.

With BB and Jason's abundance of filleted fish

and only a couple of mouths to feed

Storage became an issue.

BB chimed in with a helpful hint:

Freeze the fish in water to prevent freezer burn

That night

I grilled 2 fillets

Prepping them two separate ways.

the 1st had only salt & pepper.

the 2nd had smoked paprika, dried thyme, lemon zest, and pepper

I also prepared and grilled a fillet in parchment paper.

The fillet sat on (homegrown from BB & Kim's garden) onions and tomatoes

3 garlic cloves tucked between the layers

lemon slices on top

No Seasonings

(this way being the favorited fish of the night)

I also forgot to mention the mammoth steak we grilled

&

the 30lb box of oysters BB & I tackled

... more recipes of Red Snapper to come. (and none of them consisting of freezer-burnt fish)

Chicken & Dumplings

Comfort Food Mecca. Destination: Chicken and Dumplings.

 

If Campbell's Soup is Mmm Mmm! Good, then my Chicken & Dumplings are Mmm Mmm! Better.

that's right. I said it.

Which came first? The Chicken or the Dumpling? Today, it will be the Dumpling.

Mix

2c All Purpose Flour

3teas Baking Powder

3/4teas Iodized (not Kosher) Salt

1/2teas dried Thyme

1/4c chopped fresh Parsley

Cut in

1/4c (or 4TBL) Shortening

Add just to combine

1/2c Evaporated milk mixed with 1/2c Water

As instructed, mix.

Plop in the shortening

Mix for a minute. Literally. Mix for a minute.

Floured shortening. Or shortened flour.

I'm a Kings of Leon fan.

Sometimes you don't need all of the milk. People get mad if you don't warn them about this.

Looking good.

Dump out.
They don't call em dumplings for nothing!

This is what I do with my dough.

Squash it.

Squish it.

Shape it.

Act like I know what I'm doing until it eventually comes together.

Shower in flour.

Pitter

Patter

til flattened out.

"I will cut you" - Bon Qui Qui

Flour-shower time. Again.

Sep-a-rate

Plate

With the dumplings sorted, time to move on to its counterpart. The chicken.

And when I say "chicken," I mean a creamy soup comprised of onions, carrots, celery, stock, evaporated milk, & yours truly - (shredded) chicken. Seasonings & herbs included, of course.

Heat over medium

2 TBL butter

1 TBL oil

Add

2 Onions (diced)

2 stalks Celery (sliced diagonally)

2 Carrots (unpeeled & sliced diagonally)

First of all, I've got to brag about my homegrown Texas onions BB brought to me.
Thanky!

Cook (over medium heat) uncovered for 10 min.

Season with
1/2teas Kosher (not Iodized) Salt
1/2teas ground Black Pepper
1/2teas dried Sage
3TBL chopped Fresh Parsley (I also chop & add the celery leaves)

no celery leaf left behind.

Cover
Cook (over med-low heat) for 10 min.
Uncover

Add
1TBL Better than Chicken Boillion
6c Water

Bring to a boil
Add
Dumplings

Poke & prod to make sure the dumplings are submerged

Simmer UNCOVERED for 10min.
then
COVER and simmer 8min.
Uncover

after 10min. uncovered.

after 8min. covered.

Add
3c Shredded Chicken
the rest of the Canned Evaporated Milk (about 1/2c)
Cook for another 2min.

Don't forget to make a wish, if a wishbone is present!

Taste
Season accordingly (I usually add more pepper & a little extra parsley)

Serve up by the ladleful.

Eat up by the bowlful.



Til your heart is content and all is right with the world again...

...even if you got the short end of the wishbone. Which I did.

Damn it Jason.