The Salmon of Doubt

There is something fishy going on around here.

There is more than a small measure of ambivalence in my relationship to fish. As a child I would not touch the stuff. I would starve rather than eat the Pilchards served up for Sunday tea and at Saturday lunchtime, I would request a “cake” with my lunchtime chips.  Not a rissole – those nasty mashed-up things covered in breadcrumbs, but a proper fishcake – two slabs of potato sandwiching a little fish and the whole dipped in batter before frying in proper dripping. These wonderful confections are known in some other parts of Yorkshire as a Fish Patty (Leeds, I am looking at you!) but bear no resemblance at all to the Orcadian patties, which are mashed up and more like a rissole with a batter coat instead of crumbs and which are normally made with meat. Confused? You will be…

… you see, oddly enough, one of the best places to find a fishcake is in Lincolnshire, where many chippies sell a “Yorkshire Fishcake”! Ah, such memories of seaside holidays in Cleethorpes and Skeggie.

Of course, back in my yoof, fish mostly came complete with skin and bones. *shudder* Frankly, it made me heave. The fishcake was my solution to this delicate problem.

As I grew, and fishmongers became more civilised, I found that I actually enjoyed a  fillet of white fish.  In fact, I grew to love Cod. Plaice and Sole also had their place and I really enjoyed a little Smoked Haddock – unsmoked Haddock, less so. Living in strange Northern Parts, I have had to adapt my tastes and will now eat a battered Haddock in the absence of Cod, though cannot claim to always enjoy my fish supper (normally consumed at lunchtime). I do dream however of making a pilgrimage back to Morley and The Mermaid one day, for one more portion of The Best Cod Ever.

Tuna has its place too and I like a Tuna Mayo sandwich or potato topping, as long as the tuna is cold. Hot tuna? Bleugh!

Throughout my life one thing has remained constant. I do not eat Salmon or any oily fish other than canned Tuna. (Did not?) Lately we have been experimenting with Smoked Salmon and I find that I can take it in small quantity if it has sufficient other flavours added to calm things down a bit.

All this is a long-winded way of saying that fundamentally I do not like the taste of fish and eat only those varieties that don’t taste “fishy” to me.

Mr L’s taste buds concur, on all counts.

So, what is this?

Somethin' fishy happenin'
Somethin’ fishy happenin’

I have decided that it is time to grow up and to acquire a taste for Salmon, which is good protein and has all those Omega-thingies an’all. That being so, and today being a Fast Day, I have purchased two peedie 100g fillets of the foul pink stuff and we are going for it. After all, I managed to acquire tastes for olives and garlic, didn’t I? A little application cannot hurt. Or can it?

Forgive me if I doubt my ability to stomach this dish.

I’m using a recipe from The Fast Diet Recipe Book, which involves covering the fillet in Pesto. We figured that might help us to negate the fishy flavours… and the fresh Pesto from Kirkness & Gorie is absolutely delicious.

I’ll complete this post after lunch.

Lunch
Lunch

One Pesto-grilled fillet of Salmon on grilled veg (courgette ribbons and pepper slices), with a side of warm Puy Lentil salad.

Theoretically a nudge over my 500 calories but I didn’t cook all the veg allowed, nor did I use the entire pesto allowance, and we didn’t eat the salad up –  so I am probably on the cusp. Mr L has 100 cals left, so he may well finish the salad at tea-time, with a little rocket and a crispbread.

You know what? we really enjoyed it, and the Salmon was not in the least bit fishy! We have agreed to try further salmon experiments.

Who’d a’ tho’t it?

Once my lunch has settled, I really must get on the treadmill – I’ve missed two days now.

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