Sunday 1st January 2012

HAPPY 2012 EVERYONE!
I did intend for one of my resolutions this year to be to keep on top of my blogging. Oops! I'm about a month behind on my posts! I must prioritise my spare time better and motivate myself more!

This morning I woke up extra early and went for my second day of abalone fishing. It looked overcast in the morning and I was going to stay in bed but then decided I really should make an effort and make the most of the license that I purchased!

When we got to the beach, we were greeted with a choppy, grey ocean. I ventured out as far as to get myself soaked while trying to put my flippers on, but decided the water was too rough and I just didn't have the energy to battle it.

Benoit managed to catch some and we headed back to his place to make lunch.

Benoit shows off his coconut chopping skills.

Vegetable Stirfry

Abalone and Chicken Stirfry

Sunday 4th December 2011

This morning I struggled out of bed at 4:30am to get ready and make the drive to Benoit's place to go abalone fishing for the first time. It was a gorgeous morning with no breeze, which meant the water should be nice and calm. It just so happened that low tide would coincide with the time we were allowed to get into the water to beginning looking for the little delicacies.

This is my catch that I brought home!

I sat outside to shell and clean them.

While I was cleaning the abalone, I noticed with a shriek of delight that my sweet potato has finally started to grow! I buried it months ago along with some potatoes but while the potatoes flourished, there was nothing to be seen at the spot where I buried the sweet potato. Until today!

Abalone Stirfry
Up at 4:30am, I resisted the urge to take a nap and instead got alot of housework done. By dinner time, I was craving something simple.

Congee with Barramundi, Ginger and Spring Onion

Wednesday 19th January 2011

We went crabbing today in Mandurah, fully intending to return home with a huge haul, but we were devastated when all we caught was one.

One single crab.

We chilled out at The Merchant
for a coffee and shared a piece of vanilla slice!

After the drive home, I was made some cheesey toast!

Dinner at work consisted of a microwave dinner that I picked up from the shops en route. Coles' Bechamel Beef Lasagne.

Not bad at all!

The plan was to cook my single crab for supper tonight but I was distracted so I made myself some Spicy Vietnamese Noodles with Pork instead.

Wednesday 12th January 2011

This morning I dragged myself out of bed at 4:20am to go crabbing at a jetty in Mosman Bay somewhere with a friend. I would have preferred to have gone to Mandurah where we would have been guaranteed to get crabs, but this place was closer.

We used some gorgeous snapper head that Lisa's hubby would
have preferred to make a fish head curry with.
We caught nothing. =/
Oh, except several trumpeters and a blowie.

I went home, showered and slept until the early afternoon. My stomach finally woke me up and I had to make dinner.

Hokkien Noodles with Pork and Vegies
and lots of Mum's fried chilli paste

Sunday 2nd January 2011

Today part of the Benoit Gang were heading down to Mandurah to catch crabs. In anticipation of the hard work, I made sure to get up early and make myself a substantial breakfast.

We dropped nets with chicken carcusses for bait off the jetty below one of the bridges and then we waited.

My hands were pretty rope burned from hauling up the nets. We should bring gloves next time. Or attach our nets to electric winches that can be operated by a foot pedal so we have our hands free for more important things...like eating chips and drinking beer.

*sigh* A beer would have been lovely today.

We caught about seven sized crabs and also managed to get some mussels growing in the pylons below the jetty. When the wind picked up and our nets were useless in the current, we drove home to Ivy's Mum's place so that she could cook our catch for us!

Blue Mana Crabs in Sweet Chilli & Egg Sauce

Fried Man Tao for dipping in the sauce.

Mussels in Tomato & White Wine Sauce

Ivy's Mum's Bee Hoon - I think I had like four helpings of this!

There's nothing like catching, cleaning and preparing your own food. Crabs are best eaten fresh. The meat just slips right out of the shell! Delicious!

Suffice it to say, I slept well tonight.

Sunday 5th December 2010

Today is the last day of the abalone season in Perth. I was one of the many keen people to get up early and flock to the Perth shores to spend an hour fishing for these little delicacies.

I didn't go into the water as I don't have a license to catch the abalone, but I watched from the shore as the guys braved the cold water between 7am to 8am. In this hour, each person is allowed to catch twenty abalones of legal size.

In the last few moments leading up to 8am, I went to dip my feet in the water and saw a fluoro green netting bag floating in the shallow water. I thought I had better fish it out to throw in the bin, but when I lifted it out of the water, I discovered there were several abalone in there! I looked around, expecting a frantic Asian rushing up to snatch their haul from me, but no one was paying the slightest bit of attention to me.

So, I did what any abalone loving person would do. I happily added the abalone I found to our haul. Yes, technically I didn't have a license, but one of the guys lost their haul so I suppose it's the ocean's way of give and take.

Back at Benoit's place, he and Ivy removed the abalone from the shells and then I cleaned them up with a toothbrush. I have never seen abalone in the shell before but have eaten plenty of it. Dad and my cousins go each year to catch these little creatures and either Mum or Dad clean them. So, while I've seen them standing over the kitchen sink scrubbing away at them, I haven't actually prepared them myself. There's always a first for everything!

I think we did a pretty good job at cleaning and preparing them!

We sliced a few and I cooked them in a stirfry with snow peas, carrots, shitake mushrooms, garlic, spring onions, soy sauce and oyster sauce.

Rehydrating the shitake mushrooms.

Benoit got busy preparing some pancakes to go with our Peking Duck. The pancakes are supposed to be steamed but we panfried them.

Benoit removed all the meat from the Duck.

I diced up all the ingredients for Benoit's san choy bow filling. Shitake mushrooms, waterchestnuts, bamboo shoots, carrots, coriander, spring onions and garlic.

In my haste, I put the san choy bow filling on the pancake
that's supposed to be for the Peking Duck!

Oops, forgot the piece of delicious Duck skin!

Mmmmm

There's no denying that food tastes better when you've gone to the trouble of catching, cleaning and preparing it. Sure, you might be exhausted by the time you flop into your chair, but it's all worth it.

At home, I felt like some soup - Pork & Pasta Soup with Vegetables

I bought this new cheese grater that is soooo easy to use!

You pop a block of cheese into the chamber, turn the handle and voila!

Grated cheese!