We had a wonderful time with our friends on the West Coast whitebaiting in “the planets biggest storm”. 10days of rain, floods, lightning and god roaring thunder. With four for bridge and a new game, “Settlers of Catan”, along the lines of monopoly and totally addictive, a well stocked wine rack, interesting friendly neighbors, no cell phone coverage, and enough bait for several good meals, we were more than happy. 
We came home to summer weather here and much better whitebaiting. At least the sealions don’t eat them, as they have decimated the flounder population in the river. Pootle had 5 sealions playing around the boat when he came in yesterday, right here in the “King Hole” in front of our house.
We tried a few ways of cooking the bait we did catch, and Pootles patties were the favorites.
WHITEBAIT FRITTERS [we don't actually measure anything, but this is roughly it]
For four people
2 cups bait
2 eggs
2tbsp flour
Stir all together and fry in a little hot oil.
Eat between two slices of buttered white bread for the ultimate sandwich.
There is a lot of baking taken on the trip and although I know there will be too much I still make things to take, just before I left our niece sent me a recipe for Date Loaf so I made one to take, it is so easy to make, moist and keeps well.
2 Tbsp butter
1 C water
1 tsp mixed spice
¾ c sugar
200gm of dates cut in half or chopped up a bit
Boil for 5 mins, then allow to cool (really important to be cold, not luke warm)
Add 1t lemon juice (I just use essence)
½ dsp of baking soda (mix into the date mixture first)
1 ½ cups of flour,
Mix together
Bake 1 hr at 160
Lisa said she usually doubles the recipe as the loaf just disappears in a nano second, it didn't last long with us either.
We all take wine and like to share our favorites, I've now got a couple of new quaffing favorites Montana Brancott both the Sauvignon and the sparkly, and Penfolds Rawson's Retreat Shiraz Cabernet, both reasonably priced at New World, and just the thing to help debating and solving the worlds problems whilst waiting out the flood and the return of calm clear water.
It was wine club on Friday [I have posted the wines we sampled at the end of this blog], and I made a Judith Cullen recipe “Sesame Chicken Cakes” from one of the lessons I attended at her house, [these lessons are well worth attending if you get the chance], and while reading through her recipes I found another old favorite “BBQ Beef Salad”, so I made that for our dinner the night before.
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I presented the chicken in a simple enamel bowl made in China.
SESAME CHICKEN CAKES - Judith Cullen
Chicken Cakes
500g boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat
2tsp toasted sesame seeds
1tbsp ginger grated
1tsp sweet chilli sauce
1tbsp soy sauce
1tsp sesame oil
3 or 4 tbsp peanut oil for frying
Chop chicken meat in blender until roughly minced. Transfer to a bowl and add remaining ingredients.
Heat oil in pan.
Form mixture into tbsp sized patties and cook until golden brown.
Drain on kitchen towel and arrange on platter.
Serve with dipping sauce.
Dipping Sauce
1 clove crushed garlic
1tsp sugar
1tbsp sesame oil
3tbsp white vinegar
4tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp maple syrup
¼ cup sweet sherry
1tsp toasted sesame seeds
Sprinkle of chopped spring onion, fresh coriander or basil
Blend all in jar.
Place in nice small bowl along side patties for dipping.
Can thicken this with a little cornflower in microwave and cool.
You can serve these hot or cold.
BARBEQUED BEEF SALAD Judith Cullen
I kg beef schnitzel sliced into pieces
Marinade
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 or 2 tsp sweet chilli sauce
4 spring onions, finely sliced [I didn’t have onions this time so used asparagus instead]
3 cm fresh ginger grated
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Mix and add beef slices, leave for an hour or so.
Heat a very heavy frypan or BBQ plate until very hot. [I used a wok this time and it was fine]
Add beef in batches, stir until cooked, about 5 mins, it goes sort of caramelised, don’t add all the marinade, just what clings to the beef as you lift it out with tongs.
You can serve this on individual plates with rice or noodles and a salad, but the best and scummiest way to eat it is:
Take a large platter and arrange on it:
200gms kimchee [Korean cabbage pickle, which you might have to buy at an Asian supermarket, but if you hunt around the Asian section of New World you will find all sorts of cheap pickled things that go well with this]
20 crisp lettuce leaves
2 sliced pears, nashi or any other firm kind
1 cup large white bean sprouts
small bowl of toasted sesame seeds
And the cooked beef strips
Guests take a lettuce leaf and fill it with a bit of all ingredients on the platter, roll it up and eat. Its a wonderful taste explosion and if you close your eyes it will take you straight to South East Asia.
Our walking group was going to go to “Fleurs” for coffee and a walk to the boulders today, but its dreadful weather so postponed the walk and made some Tahini I have been making it for years, my son taught me and it is much nicer than store brought.
TAHINI
Very lightly toast some sesame seeds, if they go too dark they taste burnt, while still warm, place in blender and blend until liquid. Place in jar, so simple, so good.
Some friends called in for coffee and I made cinnamon pinwheels but burnt the bottoms, we cut them off and the tops were delicious. I adapted this recipe very loosely on “spiced apple & ricotta pinwheels” from “Scones” by Genevieve Knights, which I got out of the library and don’t want to give back.
CINAMON PINWHEELS adapted from "Scones"
Preheat oven to 210c
200 gms of scone mix
50 gms castor sugar
Butter milk to mix [or milk]
Mix all together lightly and roll into an oblong.
Sprinkle over:
2 tbsp raw sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
a few sultanas
a few dabs of butter
Roll up along longest side, slice into rounds and place on tray cut side up.
Bake 10 to 12 mins and watch it doesn't burn!
WINE CLUB
Wine club was a tasting of Pinot Gris or Pinot Grigio. A popular Aromatic wine. (Commonly regarded as an aromatic fringe dweller).
Pinot Gris d’Alsace known as Tokay d’Alsace from Hungary and in France known as Pinot Grigio from the Alsace area.
Its also grown in Italy in the north east in the Trentino and Venezia area.
Wines in Tasting.
Start: Bancott Estate Reserve Brut Cuvee Chardonnay Pinot Noir.
In Top 50 in current New World.
Mount Michael 2008 Central Otago. Tropical fruits quince and ripe pear.
Aromas of peach and tangerine.
Hawkshead 2009 Gibbston Valley. Ripe stone fruit (pear and nectarine) 4 star Cuisne
Dawn Ghost 2009. Alexandra . 4 ½ stars in Cuisine.Best Buy
Durvillea Pinot Grigio 2009 Marlborough. New World top 50
St Clair Reserve Godfreys Creek 2007.Marlborough
St Clair Reserve Godfreys Creek 2008
Itaty.
DaVinci 2008 from Venecie
Lagaria 2008 from Venecia
Tieferbrunner from Alto Adige 2007
Back to New Zealand and final wine this evening.
Ata Rangi Lismore 2008 Hand picked late in the season to deliver optimum flavours.This is to achieve a richer style made famous in the Alsace region of France.
There wasn’t a bad one amongst them, our hosts for the evening did a fine job and I am defiantly going to buy some of these now. My favorites were the “Dawn Ghost”, the “Ata Rangi Lismore” and the Tieferbrunner The last of which I can probably not afford.
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