Happy New Year 2009

We had a great party last night.  All our best friends and one family came over for our Fish Fry.  Our tradition is to have a big fish dinner Christmas Eve while waiting for Santa to arrive.  This year we missed as we were driving thru the storm of the century to go skiing in Canada.  

This is how we do our fish fry.  The crucial first step is turning on the deep fat fryer.  You can save your old oil in the fridge, filter thru cheese cloth.  Canola oil is good, you will need to supplement oil with each use.  All of this group of friends and family included vegans and glutenfree eaters.  Use corn flour for dredging any fish or vegies that seem to call for it.  This morning as I sat down to type I relized I forgot onion rings!  Arrrg.  The vegies we used last nite were potatoes, yams, zuccini; they can be sliced into french fry shape or chip shape.  The fish was some beautiful halibut steaks, which I cut into 1x4 or 5 inch strips, leaving the skin and fat layer on.  This is making my mouth water again typing about it.  Dover Sole, gutted, cleaned, but with the bone in, cut into thirds or quarters.  Sea scallops, quartered.  

Matt brought Trout from Billy Chinook, this we slow fryed in a cast iron skillet with garlic, onions and sweet pepper.  

Salad, wine, garlic bread, cheese.  Juice and Coffee.  Then stand around the Fryer cooking different things for a couple of hours, dipping them in sauces, and eating.  The trout needed no condiments.  

We cheered the New Year every hour, as it was possible some of us would be asleep at midnite Oregon time.