Seafood day in Saldanha

We recently had a group of friends up for a Sunday lunch, I had a hankering to do another seafood day and in the spa bath with a bottle of bubbly JC LeRoux Sauvignon Blanc I managed to convince Janet that it was a good idea.

Our regular weekend spa bath sessions is where I have learnt that Janet is much more open to some of my ideas so I wait until we have settled in and I have poured the first glass of bubbly before I broach the subject; "How about we do another seafood day babe? We haven't done one for a long time."

She thinks about it for a while, "Yes we could do.............." and so it begins.

As it turned out only fourteen of the twenty people we invited could make it but it was a lovely day filled with good food and much light banter and laughter, just what you want.

The first item on the menu; delicious, fresh Saldanha Bay oysters and they were quickly cleaned up.

Those were followed by fresh mussels and barnacles steamed in wine, lemon juice and garlic, also demolished in short order. The barnacles are not always available but at the moment there are plenty on the ropes down in the southern end of the farm so I took advantage. Not many people have eaten them before but they are creamy and delicious with a taste very close to that of crab.

Some of the mob tucking into the mussels and barnacles, there was very little left by the time I brought the "harders" (mullet) off the braai.

I got a bit busy/had too much to drink (please delete inapplicable) so I forgot to take photos of my friends enjoying them selves, but they assured me that they did.

These fish balls which I made out of a combination of fresh Jacopever and Yellowtail were delicious, even if I do say so myself and I will certainly be doing them again. By the time I had done the smoked Angel fish a little bit later which we served with potatoes and salad my friends were replete and were not interested in the White Stumpnose - these will make very good fish cakes for next time!

Dessert and coffee with cheese and biscuits completed the meal. Sorry for those of you who couldn't make it, remember it is difficult to get back on the list!

Let me know if you want a seven course seafood meal on the west coast, we'll do a good one for twenty people.