Broiled Pike Mackerel with Watercress (and Why I Can Never Be a Solo Blogger)

1 of 2 usable shots

[js]
I've already spoken of my love for pike mackerel, and since grilling is not an option at this moment in time, I just broil them in the oven on both generously salted sides until they're done.

Eaten with a sprinkle of lemon, they are quite heavenly.

When I came home one day a while back and wanted a decent lunch, I noticed the thawing pike mackerel in the fridge. Then I remembered I also had a bunch of watercress in the crisper.

Aha, why don't I do a mackerel and watercress dish, kind of like those fancy appetizers at restaurants? I hadn't actually seen a menu here with an appetizer like that, but I hazily recall that I've seen variations on this theme either in magazines and on TV shows.

It doesn't matter, the progeny of this dish, I suppose. I thought mackerel and watercress would be a "fancy" lunch, and with some potatoes, either boiled or pan-fried, this would be quite filling as well.

And I thought I can blog about this lunch too! It was quite sunny outside and I thought I could take advantage of the lighting before it got dark at 4 in the afternoon.

Simple enough, this blogging business, you know:
Make the dish, take pictures of dish, write about it. Done. ;)


2 of 2 usable shots

[js]
I just have to contend with these potatoes. In my conceptualization, this dish would be better with some kind of potatoes in there somehow.

The advantage of having two bloggers doing one blog is I can rely on the other to do the tasks that I do not feel like doing. Like peeling potatoes. Like boiling them. Or pan-frying them.

But TS wasn't home, so I would have to choose to make the potatoes myself. I took the potatoes under advisement, since I was getting to be quite ravenous at this time. There was more than one mackerel (four, to be exact) in the bag: I thought I'd see how it goes first before committing to the potatoes.

So I went my merry way, broiled the mackerel and sautéed the watercress. The watercress bundle was pretty sizable, so maybe I didn't have to have the potatoes and call this dish a watercress salad with mackerel instead.

I plated the dish as you see above and went outside to take pictures. All along I was thinking, this wasn't too bad. See, it usually is TS who takes the pictures. I usually do not want to fiddle with cameras.

In my mind, what I think she is doing when she has the camera is this: I figured TS went outside, placed the plate on the chair, and started snapping away.

I could do all that too.

I opened the door, placed the plate on the chair, and started snapping away.

I checked the pictures.

Hey.

Shadows
[js]
How come there are shadows on this thing? This can't be good. I mean, the pictures could be nicer. This wasn't as easy as I thought. What do I have to do to take a decent shot of this dish?

I started moving the chair in various positions (okay, admittedly, just one more spot on the deck) and started snapping away. There were still shadows!

No good, no good.

I had the bright idea of just holding the plate with one hand and then taking a picture. I must have not held on the plate tightly because as soon as I started to fiddle with the camera --

Ack!

There goes my dish! On the floor!



Sigh.

Oh well, I took a picture of the mess, cleaned it up, and then went back inside.

And those potatoes? See, even procrastination and laziness have their rewards. If I had done the potatoes, I would have cried even more because the potatoes would also have been wasted.

I enjoyed my half of the fish and half a bundle of watercress with some plain ol' rice.

And that's why I can never be a solo blogger.

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[eatingclub] vancouver Mackerel dishes:
Torched! Shime Saba (Japanese Pickled Mackerel)
Grilled Pike Mackerel
Fried Hasa Hasa
Simmered Saba with Daikon Radish (Saba Oroshi-ni)
Broiled Pike Mackerel
Broiled Pike Mackerel with Watercress (and Why I Can Never Be a Solo Blogger)