Tag: recipes

Another Recipe: Squid Surprise

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Image result for images of fried squid rings

I called this “Squid Surprise” because it was so full of surprises. I was surprised it took all day to make. I was surprised when the whole big trayfull of it was gobbled up in just five minutes. And I was amazed by how good it was.

True, it’s just ordinary fried squid rings, available in any seafood restaurant. But it was my only culinary triumph, never to be repeated.

1 pound frozen squid

breading, whatever kind you like

If you are sane you can buy frozen squid rings. But back when I made this dish, they weren’t so easy to come by. I had to settle for a solid block of whole frozen squid.

Thaw under cold running water. It will take you quite a while to thaw the squid to the point that you can separate them.

Cut off the heads (actually, you can use them–and most people do), dig into the tubes, and remove all the guts. Be sure to remove that thing that looks like a piece of cellophane. It serves to stiffen the squid’s body, and tastes like cellophane.

Now cut the tubes into rings. This, too, will take a while. And once you’ve got all the rings you want, apply the breading.

Next, fry them. I used a frying pan full of oil. Yes, it spattered all over the top of the stove.

How long to fry them? Depends on how you want them to taste. Keep tasting as you fry, and once you’re satisfied, stop frying.

Place them on paper towels to sop up the oil.

If the breading you used has its own flavors and spices, voila. It it was plain, you can flavor the rings with lemon juice. Or you can just enjoy the delicate flavor of the squid as is.

Like I said, it took me all the livelong day to do this, and the people at the party wolfed them down in just a couple of minutes–which is why I never did it again.

Grilled Eels: Simple but Delicious

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Image result for images of little backyard hibachi

I guess it’s time we gave God thanks for filling the world with delicious food and creating us with the capacity to enjoy it.

Today, among the very few edibles I have successfully prepared, I’d like to talk about eels–freshly caught, and grilled on your own little hibachi on your back porch.

First you have to catch them. The best way to go about catching eels is to let it be widely known that you are fishing for flounder. You’re bound to attract eels. And now I will skip over the fun of getting an eel off your hook, and on to the matter of cleaning it. For this you will need:

Hammer

Nail

Pliers

Sharp Knife

Cleaning the eel is the hard part. They are, after all, extremely slippery. So what you do is, you nail the eel’s head to a tree, make a starter cut through the skin, and then use the pliers to peel off the whole skin in one deft movement. You’ll be amazed by how easy it is, if you do it right. And then it’s a simple matter to remove the internal organs. The rest of the recipe follows:

1 eel (more, if the eels are small, or if there are more than the two of you for dinner)

Hibachi with coals.

Aluminum foil.

Pats of butter as needed.

Cut the eel into servings. What we’re going to do is cause the zillion little rib bones to melt away without a trace. Wrap each piece, with a pat of butter, in foil and place on the hibachi.

Grill slowly for about 30 minutes. The foil will protect the eel from burning, but you do want to melt those rib bones.

And that’s pretty much all there is to it! You won’t believe how tasty those eel sections are, especially with a drop or two of lemon or lime juice, and a pinch of parsley. Don’t use a lot of extras, because grilled eel has a delicate flavor and the meat is very tender.

And now my mouth is watering!

Hamburger and Rice Dish: The Alibi

Posted By: leeduigon(patty)Posted On:

Image result for images of hamburger and rice

My wife thinks I ought to tell you why Lee’s Tasteless Supper is so… tasteless. I am afraid the alibi will be more damaging than the accusation, but let’s see what happens if I follow her advice.

I only use salt on French fries or corn on the cob. I use black pepper on casseroles. That’s the only use I get out of seasonings.

I do like chopped onions, but as a single man I never learned to chop them properly.

I can’t stand tomatoes or any kind of cheese, so I would never add them to any dish that I meant to eat. Once when I was a very little boy, I was served some stewed tomatoes, which I had never seen before. When I asked what they were, Aunt Joan said they were leopard hearts. I could never abide the taste of a tomato after that. (Joan was still in her twenties at the time, so cut her some slack.)

Finally, I kind of liked my rice-and-hamburger dish just as it was. I didn’t think it was tasteless!

P.S.–Also never on my menu: catsup, mayonnaise, mustard, jam or jelly, vinegar, most cooked vegetables, and a few other things.

Now everybody’s going to think I’m crazy.