Let's just say I had my hands full this week. Mr. Fish had surgery last Friday to stitch up a hernia and I was tasked with taking care of him while he recovered. No problem, I thought. I can fetch things for him and cook for him and maybe give him a Tylenol or two.
Turns out it was a big ol' hernia and the recovery included emptying a wound drain bag, monitoring his pain meds and giving him a shot every day. Wait. What? A shot? I am going to give him a shot?
Of all the girls in my family I am the least suited for nursing, not because I don't care but because I get the creeps. I told the nurse who was instructing me that I wasn't sure I could do the shot. As a fishmonger, I told her, I could fillet him if necessary but I didn't think I could stick a needle in him.
Anyway, we managed just fine. I found that after drinking a considerable amount of wine I really had no problem sticking the needle in. I got the shots administered and the bag emptied and the medicine delivered. It looks like he is going to live.
Species Spotlight
John Dory has a large dark spot on each side of its oval, flat body and long spines on its dorsal and anal fin. The myth is that St. Peter caught the John Dory and left behind his fingerprints as the dark spots on the fish.
John Dory flesh is sweet with a finely textured medium flake and is very delicate. In the United States John Dory is a by-catch from vessels trawling in deep water for flounder and squid. In Northern Europe it is considered one of the holy trinity of gourmet fish along with Dover sole and turbot.
John Dory has pretty shiny silvery and yellowy skin. The English name John Dory is derived from the French 'jaune doré' meaning 'golden yellow'. If you have a choice, always buy fillets because this fish has some sharp nasty spines and are difficult to fillet.
Cooking For One
My recuperating husband wasn't too interested in eating the first few days after the surgery so I experienced what some of you may deal with often: what to cook for a dinner for one. We make such a big deal about meals as social events but really there is nothing wrong with eating alone. Don't limit yourself to a unrecognizable meal from the freezer that you wouldn't consider serving to a guest. Treat yourself! And what better way than to visit Kathleen's Catch for a healthy meal.
One of my dear friends sent me this email this week and it made me think about how we manage our dinner meals when we are no longer cooking for kids.
Sorry, I was in Publix when you called, playing cat and mouse with a very long-winded neighbor whom I did not have time for today. I didn’t have time to be at Publix at all, but as my husband pointed out, our cupboards were bare and we’ve spent enough on Door Dash, GrubHub, and Uber Eats for one month. Maybe a year.
There are so many issues here I just don't know where to start.
#1, Come to Kathleen's Catch where you will be in and out in no time and won't have to dodge people when you are in a hurry.
#2 No time? Bare cupboards? The truth is that this particular friend lives quite a ways from a Catch but if you are within 20 minutes of one you really have no excuse to have an empty fridge.
#3. Door Dash? GrubHub? UberEats? That's all fine once in a while but a healthy home cooked meal is just about as easy.
If you are abusing yourself this way, pay attention here. We sell many of our fish in single portions which just can't get any easier for a dinner for one. Your meal is on the table in no time because you don't have to cut or trim - just throw it in the pan, the oven or on the grill. In ten minutes or less you have your dinner. If you want to crank it up a notch, buy a marinade off our shelves and marinade it for 10 minutes before cooking.
We sell delicious risottos that are ready in a snap if you need a quick side dish. I ate a dinner last night at a very upscale local restaurant and had a piece of halibut over risotto and while it was very delicious, wasn't any better than a meal I prepare with my packaged risotto, my halibut and a bottle of our Terrapin Ridge dressing.
Besides our portioned fish, if you are cooking for yourself, why not plan a day ahead and call us to order a small lobster for you? You can cook that lobster at home in no time. Add a salad and dinner is ready. Bonus: if you are eating alone, you don't have to be ashamed of making a mess of yourself while you eat the lobster.
If you have a little extra time on the weekend, why not put together a gumbo or a seafood stew? You can freeze it in portions and then toss in the seafood while you are reheating it.
Since you are eating alone, you can have whatever you like without having someone judge you. I, for one, am very happy I learned to love raw oysters after I got married. Mr. Fish is not a fan and the look on his face as I happily slurp remind me that if I loved oysters before I got married things might have turned out very differently.
When you are looking over recipes that you want to prepare just for yourself, try to find the ones with the fewest ingredients. These tend to be the easiest to scale down.
It's okay when you are shopping at the Catch to ask for 6 shrimp. We will gladly count them out for you so that you don't end up buying more than you need. Stir fry a handful of sliced veggies, toss in the shrimp for a few minutes (not too long! ), splash on some soy sauce, sesame oil or ginger. Heat up yesterday's rice or make some new and bang! dinner's ready.
If you are considering dinner for one tonight and thinking Why Bother?, the answer is BECAUSE YOU ARE WORTH IT!
A Few of the Available Fish This Weekend
John Dory
Black bass
Amberjack
Striped bass
Arctic char
Mahi
Cobia
Red snapper
Swordfish
Cod
Fluke flounder
Chilean sea bass
West coast Dover sole
Steelhead trout
Rainbow trout
Tuna
Cooked crawfish
By special order only (order Friday for Saturday delivery)
Sheephead
Redfish
Monkfish
Catch to Go
Speaking of meals for one, you just can't go wrong with our oven ready meal, Catch to Go. Through Sunday it is Oven Baked Cheesy Crab Pasta which is completely and totally delicious.
Next week starting Monday, try this:
Mustard and Pepper Crusted Swordfish
with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and Roasted Balsamic Brussel Sprouts
And Finally
Next weekend is the Blessing of the Fleet in Darien, GA and I am reminded of that because a sweet customer, Evelyn, gave this to me.
I keep this on my desk because it reminds me every day that the bounty of the sea is a blessing that we should treasure and respect. There are not many ways to make a living that rely so heavily on providence. I never want to forget that the blessings of the sea are my blessings too.
Blessings, (rather redundantly)
Kathleen
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