Thursday 8 February 2007

Like shooting fish in a barrel

My suspicions that Saturday's output would go to seed midway during the week were indeed founded. After having squirrelled away most of the vadai into the freezer before the encroachment of surfeit (one of my regular visitors), I realised that my kala channa masala and aloo gobhi weren't very salty and could thus be eaten on their own without rice or roti. The result? A fridge that emptied itself sooner than my legs could regain their feeling. *Shilpa continues to box her calves*

Mercifully, while making space in the freezer for the vadai, I came across some salmon filets and made a mental note to cast them somewhere in my weekly list of dishes to cook.

OK, here's a poll - I'd like to know how many of you are as geeky as I am : every Monday, I look through my fridge and pantry and actually sit down to draft 3 separate dated lists (make that 4 if I'm buying Asian ingredients) - what leftovers there are to finish and the estimated number of servings (1), what I feel like eating next (2) and what needs to be bought (3 - 4). Logically, the longer List (1) is, the shorter will be Lists (2) and (3) for the week. List (3) relies heavily on List (2) which in turn relies on my imagination. Not something I have heaps of at the start of a week!

Whatever glowing remarks my friends and bosses past and present have to make about me, they'd hardly include "organisation". Ever. So it might come as a surprise (not to mention mild outrage) to them that I make this much effort for something as ephemeral as food. Hey, a girl's got to have priorities, right? :)

Well, List (1) was pretty paltry by Tuesday, so I had no choice but to quickly fill in List (2) and came up with a fuss-free way of using salmon - in a one-dish meal I can say was one of the first things I learned how to make after leaving the roost - Salmon Kedgeree.



How to: Cook about 2 cups of rice (Basmati or Thai) to get a kilo of cooked rice and set aside. Rub salt onto all the surfaces of 2 large salmon filets and let them season for about half an hour. Boil 4 eggs, then shell and chop them.

Fry salmon filets in hot oil (enough to cover the base of the pan) until they brown then roughly flake the flesh with a fork and set aside. Using the same oil, fry some crushed garlic and chilli or curry powder to taste until garlic softens, then add rice, 1 tsp salt (if necessary) and 1 cup of chopped parsley. Mix well, then add salmon flakes and eggs. Heath through and serve.

The cut green chilli tucked away in the corner just serves to feed my current addiction, so don't mind me!

Variations: Smoked salmon, salt cod, trout, haddock or any other firm salted fish. Coriander or dill to replace the parsley. Lentils with the rice.

Body Count: 2 salmon filets

10 comments:

tigerfish said...

Hey ger, this is not called geeky. This is a diligent and organized you! If you say geeky, then I fall in the same gp. :O I usually have list(2) and list (3) and basically, they go through a massive iterative loop. This is geekiness - IF (What I want to eat) is this, THEN (buy this, this and that); ANDIF I've (bought this, this and that), GOTO(think of what other dishes can be prepared); ENDLOOP (when what I wanna eat AND what I buy AND what else can be prepared using what I buy, are all satisfied condtions, leaving me with minimum leftovers).
LOL!

Shilpa said...

Oh Tiger, I get what you mean! Actually, I do exactly the same thing, but mentally, and was too embarrassed to express it in such terms, haha!!

Bong Mom said...

LOl:) Very nicely written.
You actually do that...ahem !!! So very organised
I do cook ahead on the weekend though and then try to save it at high security :) Mid week is the next cooking day

Bong Mom said...

BTW your salmon dish looks nice, I have some salmon sitting & waiting in the freezer now I know what I can do

Melting Wok said...

shilpa haha I noticed you use "kilo" haven't heard tt word for a while. Anyway, you really jot down your list ? wowww..I rely on my brain power haha, maybe have a small shopping list, but I tend to lose the list b4 I go grocery shopping :( But, I am still trying very hard hehehe, very bad huh ? e;thing else, I portioned out nicely in the freezer and refrigerator. Need to learn to be more discipline like you & tiger. But tt tiger's formula got tiny problem, she always complain no this and no that, hehe

Shilpa said...

Hi Sandeepa, thanks as usual for your compliments! :) Oh yes, do you also resort to hiding food from the husband once in awhile? Haha! At least yours can cook! Midweek is when I'm grouchiest, so if I do cook during the week, it's usually Thursday, because the next day is the last workday of the week, etc and that's enough to make me perky again. :) Tell me how your kedgeree/khichidi goes!

Hi Melting Wok, I suppose you must have lived in the US long enough to start thinking in pounds, huh? Oh no, I have goldfish memory that's why I need all these lists! :) If I don't keep a list, I'll be wasting a lot of time in the candy and chips aisles, that's a guarantee! But my-my, portioning everything out in the fridge? That sounds meticulous!

Cheers gals!

jacob said...

i guess i'm the other extreme. no matter what's in the frisdge, i can't help but give in to what's on my mind. kedgeree is another word for kichdi, innit? nice!

Shilpa said...

Hi Jacob, absolutely, kedgeree is the anglicised form of khichdi! :) I'm only human, so yes, no matter how well-stocked my fridge and freezer are, like you, I sometimes cave in to what I feel like eating, and not what I have on hand.

Anonymous said...

I don't think I have ever made a list of what to make for the next week. But I envy your list making skills. Recipe sounds good.

Shilpa said...

Hi Gini, thanks for coming by! :)No need to envy my list-making, that's as organised as I get! :)