Monday, July 30, 2012

What to do when ... Someone gives you a fish

Note:  This is the first in a series of essays designed to help Peace Corps Volunteers better adjust to life in Fiji, or just provide a quick laugh.  All of the stories in this series are based on actual events, but may have been altered significantly to protect the innocent or my dignity.

Have a fish!
 A lot of times people give me random things I don't need and didn't ask for (see the essay on Ura).  Sometimes what they give me is fish.  When it's fish, usually it's when I least expect it or when it can be of little use to me because (a) I've already cooked for the day, (b) I'm in the middle of cooking something else, or (c) I'm about to leave the house - probably to eat at a friends house or a soli or a funeral or something.  So, what do you do with the fish?  You can't throw it in the refrigerator since you don't even have electricity.  (For a while I did have a fridge and no electricity, so throwing it in the fridge was possible but sort of counter productive)  Any ideas?  Anyone?  FRY IT!!!

Although it has never been tested by science (that we know of), some Peace Corps Volunteers believe that frying fish makes it last longer without refrigeration.  "Up to a day - or even two,"  said one volunteer when asked how long fried fish lasts.  That being said, coming from the land of fish sticks and the Fillet-O-Fish you may need some guidance on how to fry a fish*.

Step One: Scale it!  This can be accomplished with a knife, it doesn't even have to be particularly sharp.  Hold the fish with the head in your hand and the tail near the crook of your elbow.  Scrape the knife along the fish from tail to head at some sort of angle.  Some people can do it without getting scales everywhere, but I am not one of those people.  I do this outside.  Also, there are some fish which don't need scaling.  You can determine what kind of fish you have by analyzing the scales in this manner: "Would I want to eat those scales?"  If you don't mind eating the scales, move to step two.

Step Two: Gut it!  Some Fijians don't even bother gutting small fish, but your cat will probably want to eat the guts, so it's best to do it.  There's a little hole on the bottom of the fish, cut from there toward the head.  Scrape out the innards.  I take out the gills, too.  They don't look like something I'd want to eat.  Feed all that gross stuff to your cat.  If your cat doesn't eat it, something else will, so don't worry about it.  Rinse out your fish inside and out.  It's now ready to be fried.

Flour Mix and Fried Fish

Step Three: Fry it!  You can just throw the fish in a pan with hot oil, but some volunteers like to dust their fish with some flour, salt and pepper.  This is really easy.  Just mix some flour salt and pepper in a plate and get it all over your fish.  Another common technique is to slice a bit into the fish in the thickest part.  This ensures that the fish will be evenly cooked through.  In any case, it's best if your fish fits in your pan.  You can cut it in half if it's a big fish, but the common thinking is that the more whole it is the longer it lasts.  Keeping that in mind, be extra careful when flipping your fish to cook it on the other side.  Sometimes mine falls apart.  Oh well.  I have a cat.

A bit to big for the pan
Step Four: Eat it!  Fried fish is great with fried onions, but alternatively you could flake the flash and use it the same as tinned fish in any recipe.  It's best to eat your fried fish with friends in the village, preferably the ones you've been mooching off the last few weeks when you didn't feel like cooking.  It will really impress them, since they think you don't know how to cook.  Or - if it's been a couple of days since you fried it - give it to the cat.

Fried Fish - Nearly Ready to Eat
Happy cooking!

*I am not an authority on frying fish and all guidance provided herein comes second hand from other Peace Corps Volunteers or from a really silly version of the Fanny Farmer Cookbook that I wouldn't trust to teach me how to boil an egg.  If you want a more expert take, go here.