Patience, Politics & Loquat Liqueur

Bermuda Loquat Liqueur in progress

Here we are at the end of May with another of our precious public holidays come and gone.  Oops - and a Premier too.

Next up is the Queen's Birthday or whatever we are calling the June public holiday now.  I think it is National Heroes' Day.  Given that there is usually a political agenda at hand when naming them, this year I'm sticking with the Queen.  She gets the 'duty to country' bit. 

The makers of home-made Loquat Liqueur [LL] have a longer outlook.  When we got the recipe from a very classy auntie, she first stressed that we had to wait until after Cup Match (aka Emancipation Day & Somers Day)  before even thinking about bottling the liqueur. As you can see from the picture, the fruit hasn't yet dropped to the bottom of the fermenting jars, which is precondition #2.

We use the traditional recipe -  Loquats (stems removed), vodka, and rock candy.  Put it all in a couple of big jars during loquat season, and let them sit per the above instructions. 

Other than having the patience to wait until August, the other trick to a nice loquat liqueur is in the preparation for bottling.  This is where that juicing tool on your big old stand mixer comes in handy.

You see, straining off the liquid from the fruit is not enough.  To extract the full aromatic flavour with that hint of almond, compress the fruit through the juicer.  You will be left with a dryish pulp and a deep colour syrup.  Combine this syrup with the first strained liquid.  Then run through a cheesecloth, then a couple of coffee filters until the liqueur is clear and transparent.  Pour into a pretty re-purposed bottle, seal, stash and enjoy in the run-up to Christmas.  If you can wait that long. 

If you have LL left from your 2013 stash, or some Bermuda Gold sitting around that you were wondering how to use, here's a refreshing cocktail to enjoy now or whenever the political silly season flares up again.

Loquat botanical (not mine)

Loquat Sour

1 oz. gold tequila
1 oz. loquat liqueur
1/2 oz. lime juice
Seltzer
Ice cubes

Shake together and serve in a chilled glass. Garnish with a maraschino cherry. 

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The Simple Things

This week's post is a celebration of the simple things...family, our nature reserves, and all things we take for granted but are dear to our hearts and too quickly replaced with the stuff of everyday life...

 Here's the video...wait for the audio, it's perfect and I love Grace Potter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s-Pf_LhY2TM&feature=youtu.be

Cheers, Janet

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Handmade in Bermuda

Pearl Treasure

Happy Easter, All!  A big THANK YOU to everyone who has been viewing, liking and sharing this blog. Please keep at it!

About a year ago, a group of local crafters met to discuss setting up a cooperative to offer local hand made items and classes in various craft techniques.  Two of those ladies, Andrea Moniz and Jan Quinn, went forward with the idea.  Hand Made Bermuda Ltd. opened in the Clocktower Mall in Dockyard in July 2013.  Since then, the shop has blossomed with an array of local products.  Check their Facebook page and Twitter feed for full details on the myriad hand made products they offer or visit the shop.  They are open 7 days a week from 10 - 6.  You will find unique gifts, soaps, jewellery, beads, cards, and more.

Bermy Urchins Studio is represented at Hand Made Bermuda.  This week, I delivered my newest products to them and updated my website.  Here's a preview...

Bermy Bubbles

Bermy Bubbles

These spheres are made of air dry clay which has been applied over a foam armature and carved free form.   No two are exactly alike.

Artists acrylics and inks produce the vibrant colour contrasts, and are sealed with lacquer.  Waves, sun, sails and the ocean are referenced in this pattern.  The larger bubble here is about 6" in diameter and stands about 8" high.  The other one is 4" diameter and stands close to 6".  Both come gift boxed.

Whimsy Paintings

Perfect for a child's room or anywhere a pop of colour is needed.  These vibrant ink and acrylic paintings (not prints) were inspired by colouring book images.  On 8 x 10" artist canvas, each item includes a stand for display.

Nautical rope bracelets

Further to my post on Knots, I used my newfound skills, Marlow twine and New England brand ropes to create these nautical rope bracelets.   The hardware is genuine marine stainless steel. Will look great on your favourite yachtie guy or gal.

 

 

Beaded Bermy Urchins

Like urchins found sunken treasure and decided to wear the jewels...

Starting with vellum printed with my own nautical designs, these Bermy Urchins are sparkly little delights.  96 spines are wrapped and beaded.  A sea glass is embedded at the core.  Lacquered and sprinkled with Bermuda pink sand and glitter to evoke salt, the materials are transformed into 6" diameter sculpture.  Each one is gift boxed.

There's more on my website - like original art, shirts featuring prints of my art, and loads of Bermy Urchins.  Thanks again for your time and patronage.

A Superior Fishcake

He said it must be Friday, the day he could not sell anything except servings of a fish known in Castile as pollock or in Andalusia as salt cod. 

-- Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote, 1605-1616

Fishcakes are a seasonal treat in Bermuda, and ubiquitous on Good Friday.  Oh sure, the Food Festival highlighted them this year, and a few restaurants offer a fishcake on their menus.  But they are a nutritional and satisfying treat to make yourself in the cooler months - well, unless you are on one of the trendy diets.   

I have a long history with fishcakes.  They were a Saturday lunch staple in our family home - a byproduct of the 'Fish on Friday' supper.  This 'familiarity breeds contempt' experience once led me to shun them but I gradually returned to the fold and now consider myself a bit of a fishcake purist.

My rules:

1. They must contain salt cod - this means Canadian cod.  There are a lot of salted fish imitators out there - haddock from New England, the Malaysian 'Made for Bermuda' brand, and god knows what in the Chinese stuff.  I get my package emblazoned with the Maple Leaf at Lindo's.
2. Red-skinned potatoes in approximately equal proportion to the codfish.  Avoid baking potatoes as you need a sticky texture that only red potatoes will yield. If you must substitute a drier potato, you will need to add an egg yolk for binding.
3. Diced onion must be present. 
4. A crispy golden crust on both sides.  See instructions below.
5. Simple seasoning like thyme and parsley - no curry, turmeric, hot peppers or other spices used to mimic a Caribbean dish.

In Bermuda, fishcakes are traditionally presented on sweet 'hot cross' rolls and doused liberally with tartar sauce or mayonnaise.  Annually, I sniff that this is a device designed to mask the presence of inferior fishcakes.  And if you are watching your carbs, you can probably do without the bun or condiments. 

Here are a few tips to produce a superior fishcake like my own ;-)


Prep:

• Soak the salt fish in fresh water for at least 12 - 24 hours, changing the water at least twice and depending on how much saltiness you prefer.  (For all you Food Network fans:  A milk soak tends to soften the fish too much for fishcakes.)  Use enough of our pure Bermuda water to float the dry fish.
• Boil peeled potatoes until just fork tender and drain them well.  Then simmer your fish until it is no longer translucent and drain also.  Mash or mix together by hand just until you have identifiable lumps - don't whip to a puree in your processor.
• Sweat your diced onion.  Fresh Bermuda onions are a Spring treat and can be included raw, but common yellow onions are my norm.  Red onion might be too peppery or assertive but use it if you really like onion.  Vegetable oil and/or butter in the pan - you may want to pump up the flavour by sauteing in bacon fat if you are throwing all dietary caution out the window. 
• Add the diced onion to the fish and potato mixture.  Add seasonings of your choice like chopped fresh parsley, thyme, black pepper and (if you are an eastern Canadian who receives care packages) dried savoury.  Mix together, pat down and chill covered for at least a couple of hours and up to 2 days.

Cooking:

• Preheat a cast iron or Teflon skillet to medium.  Or use a griddle if you have one.
• Hand form patties with the chilled mixture.  Measure with a cookie/ice cream scoop or spoon for consistency.  I like mine on the small side and not too thick in order to pump up the ratio of crispy crust and moist interior.
• Dunk your cakes in seasoned flour to which you have added a little cornstarch.
• Add a mixture of butter and vegetable oil to the pan - enough to cover it well but not so much that you are now deep frying.  If you have a jar of duck fat that you've been wondering how to use - now is the time.  Add a spoonful to the pan.
• Saute the fishcakes in batches - patiently - until a golden crust forms.  Turnover the cakes and repeat. If your heat is too high, you will get nasty burnt flour on your crust.  You may need to add more oil/butter/fat for the second side or subsequent batches.  Overcrowding your pan will cause inconsistent cooking.
• Serve with a wedge of lemon. Sample and gloat.

Here's a link to the motherland of fishcakes courtesy of Newfoundland Rock Recipes.

For a deep dive into the star of the dish, I highly recommend that you download or order a copy of Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky.  This historical tale is  eloquently written and beautifully illustrated. It's where I lifted the Don Quixote quote above.

More locally, here's an elegant presentation of fishcakes from Island Thyme, a cookbook published by The Bermuda Junior Service League in 2005.  Fit for the Governor...

Credit: Island Thyme: Tastes and Traditions of Bermuda.  The Bermuda Junior Service League, 2005

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