Island Life by David Slack

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Island Life: The Grouse is done to a turn, my Lord.

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  • hamishm,

    In Melbourne one can get King George whiting , which would be the sort of fish Lockie could eat, one would imagine.

    Since Nov 2006 • 357 posts Report Reply

  • chris esther,

    Smoked mackerel pate on Shetland oatcakes, preferably whilst in Lerwick

    Salt cod fritters, preferably in South London

    +1 for fresh snapper, just pan fried

    just done scallops in a light curry sauce

    Since Apr 2008 • 13 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    *or just-done scallops with a leetle butter, sauv.blanc and freshly minced garlic (and white pepper, if you're that way inclined-)
    *Fresh herring in Ansterdam yes yes! I discovered that there isnt a local equivalent-
    *My Nanna's herb crowdie & coldsmoked salmon from the Waitaki on her quite fine oatcakes was very good too (never got past Aberdeen in my various short sojourns in Scotland-)
    *And Raymond, hey as 'baiter to 'baiter, you ever over this side of the hill...we have to wait a wee while longer before the season starts (am busy relocating the spiders from the nets at the moment-)

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • Rochelle Hume,

    Cockles (apparently actually clams) fresh from Whangateau harbour - Lockie's electorate and all - only just cooked, and eaten, still hot, off the barbie...(mind your fingers)

    Warkworth • Since Sep 2007 • 34 posts Report Reply

  • Raymond A Francis,

    Islander, yes I know that you start later, we have a stand on the Hast but I have never fished there.....as yet!

    Of course you can have whitebait fritters which are popular
    I rather like them quickly fried after a dusting of flour, works well when you only have a hand full for the day
    And when you have masses, poached in milk is just beautiful

    45' South • Since Nov 2006 • 578 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    Clams my arse. They will always be cockles to me, or possibly tuangi.

    1. Rock cod, gutted and split, cooked skin-side down on a grill over a wood fire, basted with butter.

    2. Warehou (or any firm fish), cut in chunks and simmered in a tomato/garlic/parsley sauce until just before cooked (they'll finish on the plate).

    3. Sprats, gutted, floured and fried in butter. Bones are the price you pay for deliciousness.

    4. Smoked eel (obviously the Anglo-Celtic part of me eats these).

    5. Fresh blue maomao, pan-fried. They go off quickly - you have to eat them right away - but they're amazingly tasty. Not available in your fish shop, you'll have to catch them yourself.

    6. Kedgeree (clearly Tom IS a gentleman), but I'd stipulate smoked kahawai, which is aggro enough in flavour to stand up to the curry and meaty enough not to fall to bits when you stir it up.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Islander,

    Stephen Judd - I understand that purveyors of surf clams are getting very antsy over cockles/tuaki being called 'clams'...it seems to be a very recent useage.

    Raymond, I think I've tried almost every way possible to cook 'bait; I agree, milk-poached is excellent, and flour-dusted for a handful also good (actually, while it's a bit tedious, because you have to cook 'em in small batches, and take great care your cooking medium doesnt get too hot, flour-dusted is good for a haul too.) If I catch only a few (happened way too often last year) I'll briefly cook 'em in butter and pour the pan contents onto a slice of sunflower & barley Burgen bread.
    Sashimi 'bait are a dismal failure.

    *'raw 'fish salad/ika ota/ kokoda (a really good one can be made with bled fresh kahawai)
    *Piper (only tried 'em once (in Auckland) - ka pai!)done like Stephen's sprats-

    are you looking and learning Lockwood???

    Big O, Mahitahi, Te Wahi … • Since Feb 2007 • 5643 posts Report Reply

  • David Slack,

    Ever since we saw the Fat Ladies do it this way, this is how we have our kedgeree. Minus the cream. It makes my heart quiver just to think of it.

    Devonport • Since Nov 2006 • 599 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    Baccalau! I had salt cod at a place in Lisbon, baked over sliced potatoes in a way that involved quite a bit of olive oil. Hooray for eating in a place full of locals.

    Ordinary cod as found down here is good too.

    Right this second I'm gonna back tuna sushi over salmon. This could change.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Stephen Judd,

    Ah, piper! Yumyumyum. Another one you don't ever see in the fish shop.

    A couple of years ago I was staying at Kawau Island and caught several piper off a wharf with a number 12 hook and little balls of bread. And it took me back about 30 years to catching them with my dad. I can't be sure any more, but I think off Mangonui wharf. They are such a classic kid-with-a-handline fish.

    The only thing about piper is that they look so otherworldly and fragile that somehow they give me more qualms about killing them than other fish.

    I believe you can souse them but I've never had the patience.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 3122 posts Report Reply

  • Lyndon Hood,

    There's a place outside Taupo where you can fish for prawns on with bamboo rods. Our group didn't catch all that many but I seemed to vaguely have the hang of it. I was the prawn king. A prawn star.

    They did make it obvious when you pulled them out of their warm pond and dropped them in iced water that this was no a place they wanted to be. And they took their time to stop twitching too. A piece I saw somewhere about the ethics of boiling lobsters alive - the certainly have the sensory apparatus to be very senstive to temperature - make me concerned about this. I tell myself prawns give the impression of basically being marine insects, but I'm not sure that holds up.

    Anyhow, we didn't really end up with enough for a feed, so we got a few frozen ones too. That chewy texture - it's the freezing.

    Wellington • Since Nov 2006 • 1115 posts Report Reply

  • Jackie Clark,

    *'raw 'fish salad/ika ota/ kokoda

    Oh yes, islander. Vey vey yummy. And I know it's not seafood, but it's my favourite food - Cook Island Mayonnaise.(pronounced minus). For those of you who don't know, it's potato salad with a punch. I do believe I could live on it.

    Mt Eden, Auckland • Since Nov 2006 • 3136 posts Report Reply

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