Monday
Stuart ran out of Sugar Puffs - who eats Sugar Puffs? I mean, what's
wrong with Porridge? (and yes it IS a proper noun! it's PROPER
food"). Oddly theyre called "Smack" in Spain, which has led to an
interesting sounding breakfast menu.
Other than this the days excitement was provided by someone
apparently called Ralph. Bit of a surprise really, but it turns out
Ralph is a second Mahi Mahi - expertly "caught" by Hannah while
sleeping in her bed, and hauled in by pretty much everyone else (you
really don't have to slow the boat down, you just have to "man up"
and pull harder!)
Hannah took lessons this time in the "after catch" process - the
messy bit involving a knife, so next time we're all looking forward
to watching her exercise her new found skills (I'm a bit concerned
about the knife in her hands though, can you gut and fillet a fish
with a spoon I wonder).
So just for the record, that's two Mahi Mahi at the cost of one lure
(which the skipper cut away after heaving-to over the fishing line).
Tuesday
I'd like to introduce you to our Catriona and her amazing Mahi Mahi
Cakes. But, well, Catriona is in the middle of the Atlantic with us
(luckily) and we ate all the Mahi Mahi Cakes, so to make it up to
you all here's the recipe.
Ingredients
1 full side fillet of Mahi Mahi (a little over a metre long)
1 large potato of left-over mash from yesterday
1 large potato of fresh mash
bit of salt
bit of pepper
an egg (for an egg wash)
a lemon (slice it yourself!)
healthy serving of good balance
1 randomly sloping floor
No porridge whatsoever (a bit disappointing if you ask me)
First steam the fish in the oven with a bit of salt and pepper and a
slice or two of lemon (no you're NOT allowed to use a baking tray,
MAKE one). While the fish is steaming you can be making the fresh
portion of mash, or if you're really organised and you've got that
sorted, then be sociable and pop next door to borrow a cup of sugar
you don't need, just don't forget the fish is in the oven - so only
one beer with the neighbours!
Let it cool down, don't want you burning yourselves, then flake the
flesh off the skin and "just get yer hands in and just smoosh it all
together basically" (I'm assuming she means the fish and the mash).
Now make patties - cakes to you posh folk - and lightly coat it in
the egg wash and put it to one side because we've just discovered
you actually do need to pop next door to see if can borrow a cup of
breadcrumbs. Got 'em, good - coat those patties in next-doors
breadcrumbs and pop 'em in a frying pan, lightly fry until the color
of a mid-Atlantic sunset and serve - with the rest of that lemon you
sliced earlier. I had high hopes there might be a bed of porridge
supporting this, but apparently I'll have to wait until Porridge
O'clock to exercise my culinary skills.
Bingo! Mahi Mahi Cakes, so pop down to your local market right now
and get a hold of a side of Mahi Mahi!
Right, well that's Ready Wobbly Cook done with, so in other news
(these would usually be in that ticker tape at the bottom of the TV
screen, but this is email, so live with it) ...
- Woman attacked by flying fish while chatting with neighbour in the
early hours. In case you're wondering, it was Catriona - seems she
and fish have a thing for one another.
- Crew take Monday night off from Mahi Mahi binge to savour a
delicious Thai Red Curry prepared by Stuart.
- Wind blows in the right direction for a whole day!
- The skippers hat is now 686 miles to the north west of us. If you
happen to spot it, there'll be a beer waiting in St Lucia.
OK, that's it, you can go watch TV now. Or perhaps you should be
taking a little time to work out how to make THIS trip next year!
Me? Oh I have to go where the rest of the crew have hidden the
Porridge Oats.
Until Later
Your friendly Porridge Chef
abhcbeih