eG Foodblog: robirdstx (2011) - My Spring Break: By The Bay And Throug

[Shelby]

Galveston Island Part III - Harborside, The Strand, And More. After leaving Katie's we found a place to park just off The Strand and took off on foot to work up an appetite for lunch. Here is some of what we saw on our stroll.

The Olympia Grill - Greek food - haven't dined there yet.

Willie G's - good stuff!

Fisherman's Wharf - one of my favorites - great deck for dining outside!

We wandered into this wine shop!

Black Pearl - I dined here last time I was in Galveston

and this is what I had - wonderful grilled fish tacos!

Today we are having lunch at the Gumbo Bar.

First up, a thirst quencher.

Many choices!

After placing our order, we watched the action.

DH had the Lil Daddy Chicken & Sausage Gumbo. This is the small size!

I had the Shrimp Po-Boy Shorty and the Fresh-cut Potato Fries.

I actually just said "ohhhhhhhh mmmmmmmm yummmmm" outloud over that shrimp.

[robirdstx]

Back at home and it was time to cook our snapper. DH got the grill going while I started some rice, in the rice cooker, to go with the fish. I must tell you that this is the first time either of us has cooked a whole head-on fish. We were keeping our fingers crossed.

In preparing the snapper for the grill, I rinsed and dried it then brushed a mixture of softened butter, minced garlic and grated ginger root inside the fish. I brushed the outside of the fish with olive oil and put it in its cage.

By the time we got the fish on the grill it was already getting dark so not the best photo.

What I had read about grilling whole fish led me to believe it would cook pretty fast and I didn't want to overcook it, so we brought it in after about 20 minutes. It looked okay on the outside but it was still raw inside. Not good! So instead of putting it back on the grill, we preheated the lower oven to 350F and baked it for another 15 minutes. Prefect!

We had the fish with pico de gallo, shreddedd red cabbage and a spicy remoulade. The sauce is a mix of mayo, dijon, dry mustard, olive oil, rice wine vinegar, paprika, green onions, garlic, cilantro, anchovy paste and lemon juice.

After we ate, I picked the rest of the meat off the bones and head. There is an amazing amount of meat on the head! Monday's dinner is going to be fish cakes.

[heidih]

Great job on your first whole fish. Yes, fish heads yield some lovely sweet meat. Do you think you will do it again?

That shrimp po'boy really got me drooling. Have not had one since I was last in New Orleans.

[andiesenji]

Great job on your first whole fish. Yes, fish heads yield some lovely sweet meat. Do you think you will do it again?

That shrimp po'boy really got me drooling. Have not had one since I was last in New Orleans.

Some fish heads do have plenty of tasty meat. Back in the '70s, when I could still have ocean fish, my husband was a sport fisherman and often came home with sheepshead (similar to the hogfish in the Gulf) and one of the Portugese owners of the fishing boat gave me a recipe for a stew made from the heads. They are rarely seen in fish markets because they hang out in kelp beds and aren't that easy to catch commercially. The meat is very delicate and tasty.

It has been three decades since i visited Galveston (a side trip while in Houston for a series of dog shows over two weekends with 4 "free" days between) and I really appreciate seeing your photos.

We also drove down to Corpus Christi another day and after all this time I have probably mixed the memories of the two places in my head.

I remember in one place we could wade out in the very clear water a very long distance and saw a lot of fish feeding with their heads on the bottom and their tails flashing at the surface.

Thanks for sparking some pleasant memories.

[robirdstx]

I actually just said "ohhhhhhhh mmmmmmmm yummmmm" outloud over that shrimp.

I did much the same thing. The shrimp were big and tender and just darn tasty.

[robirdstx]

Great job on your first whole fish. Yes, fish heads yield some lovely sweet meat. Do you think you will do it again?

That shrimp po'boy really got me drooling. Have not had one since I was last in New Orleans.

Thanks Heidi. I think we will do whole fish again but probably not on our grill. It is a gas grill and it just did not add anything to the fish. And that cage made a mess of the skin!

I've been wanting to go back to New Orleans. Its been six years now.

Edited March 14, 2011 by robirdstx (log)

[robirdstx]

...Thanks for sparking some pleasant memories.

You are most welcome.

[robirdstx]

What are your dinner routines? Do you usually make at home? For how many people? Do tell!

Hi Chris. We have most of our meals at home and its just the two of us. My DH doesn't usually quit working until after 6 pm and by then he doesn't want to go out again. Fortunately, I like to cook!

[robirdstx]

Shortly after I finished posting Sunday's photos yesterday morning, the skies opened up and we had heavy rain, thunder and lightening. Scratch Monday's plan A and go with plan B. About a week after commiting to do this week of blogging I put the first part of plan B into action.

Pate Fermentee for a couple of loaves of Vienna Bread:

The pate fermentee was then placed in a lightly oiled ziplock baggie and put in the freezer.

I had moved the dough to the fridge on Saturday in anticipation of baking on Tuesday but Monday worked just fine.

[rarerollingobject]

Great job on your first whole fish. Yes, fish heads yield some lovely sweet meat.

The best parts are, of course, the cheeks. Digging the cheeks out of a whole cooked fish is one of my very favourite things about fish cookery..a cook's treat if ever there was one!

Great blog, robirdstx, really enjoying it.

[robirdstx]

After letting the pate fermentee to sit out of the fridge for about an hour, I started on the final dough.

Dang! I forgot to take a photo of the dough in the bowl before I placed it in the microwave to rise. I like using the micro as a proof box. I heat some water in a measuring cup for a few seconds just prior to putting the dough in to make a nice warm environment. Using this method has really helped to cut down on the time it takes the dough to double.

Nicely doubled!

Divided into two equal pieces.

Covered and allowed to rest for 20 minutes before shaping.

I loosely covered the loaves with plastic wrap and set them aside to rise for a couple of hours.

[robirdstx]

While the dough for the bread was proofing in the micro, I got started on the snapper fish cakes.

I had about 8 ounces of meat leftover from Sunday's snapper.

I made up a mix of egg, dijon, worchestershire sauce, creole seasoning, mayo, parsley, green onion and panko and gently folded the snapper in.

There was enough for six nice sized cakes.

I gently flattened the fish balls and coated each patty with more panko.

Then into the fridge to rest for about an hour to firm up.

[Kent Wang]

I grew up in Galveston. Looks like the place hasn't changed too much since then.

Can I ask what town you live in?

[robirdstx]

The best parts are, of course, the cheeks. Digging the cheeks out of a whole cooked fish is one of my very favourite things about fish cookery..a cook's treat if ever there was one!

Great blog, robirdstx, really enjoying it.

Thank you. I just wish that eyeball hadn't been looking at me while I did it.

[robirdstx]

I grew up in Galveston. Looks like the place hasn't changed too much since then.

Can I ask what town you live in?

The Island looked pretty sad after Hurricane Ike made its direct hit in '08, and there are still a lot of boarded up buildings, but its looking better every time I go down.

I'm just up the highway, half-way to Houston, in the Clear Lake/Galveston Bay area.

[robirdstx]

Fish Cakes Part II

Into the frying pan. I used peanut oil and let it get nice and hot first.

The cakes browned up nicely in just a couple minutes per side.

Drained briefly on paper toweling.

Dinner!

I didn't cook the other two cakes; they went into the freezer in a ziplock baggie for another time.

[robirdstx]

After dinner it was time to bake the bread.

The bread made the whole house smell so good!

Since its just the two of us, I slice each loaf in half, keep one half in the pantry for immediate use and store the rest in the freezer until we are ready to use them.

[Genkinaonna]

That bread is beeeau-ti-ful! I love the way the house smells when I bake. I wouldn't have the self restraint to save half a loaf, it's just calling out for some butter and jam...

Enjoying the blog!

[robirdstx]

That bread is beeeau-ti-ful! I love the way the house smells when I bake. I wouldn't have the self restraint to save half a loaf, it's just calling out for some butter and jam...

Enjoying the blog!

Thank you! We did have a slice or two.

[robirdstx]

Here's a teaser for what's for dinner tonight.

DH's hobby is blacksmithing. He was making a portable forge and just happened to have this fourteen and a half inch piece of 1/4 inch steel plate leftover.

[Peter the eater]

Here's a teaser for what's for dinner tonight.

Pizza Texas style?

[robirdstx]

Yes, we are having pizza tonight. I don't know about Texas-style, more like personal-style. Thanks to information on this forum and others, DH made the pizza steel for me last Saturday.

First, a good washing and then a thorough drying.

I had read to season the steel with bacon grease, salt, green onions, and garlic to get rid of the metallic taste, much like seasoning a new wok.

The steel started to rust almost immediately, so on to a hot grill. First the bacon grease, salt and green onions.

Then more bacon grease, salt and the garlic.

Blacksmithing tongs come in handy for turning the steel to do the other side.

After a good wipe down and a brushing of olive oil, on both sides, the steel went into a 550F oven for 30 minutes for the final step.

[Peter the eater]

DH made the pizza steel for me last Saturday

I can think of no greater expression of love, dedication and hunger.

[heidih]

Anxiously awaiting the cooking result. Even if it does not go well it was an awesome idea (kudos to the guy)

[Dejah]

Beautiful fish cakes and bread, robirdstx! I've only ever made crab cakes once. Now I'll try making the fish ones because of your inspiration.

That pizza steel will be one of a kind. Looking forward to pizza!