My Dad was a Captain, who not only knew everything about the sea- but also knew how to catch, clean and cook many of its inhabitants. Just like you miss the way when sitting in the passenger seat, I never really learned how to catch, clean or cook like my Dad did- certainly not with his level of skill, perfection and *grace*. I caught fish because he tied the hooks, baited my line and put me on the "spot". I ate perfectly filleted fish ( no bones, no waste, no 'icky bits' ) because he cleaned them with a surgeons precision, and I always enjoyed the most perfectly cooked fish because he executed it so. Even in the last few months of his life- when walking, talking and living was so hard, he STILL cleaned a fish twice as good as any fisherman and in half the time. So, Why pay attention when someone is doing all of this amazingness for you? I don't want to say that I 'regret' not paying better attention, but I will say that it was an epic fail. Alas, I suppose that some things are genetic, or at least if you've seen something enough times its bound to sink into your brain somehow...because yesterday I fileted my first fish! I took a few minutes before the task at hand to close my eyes. With my eyes shut I allowed memories of my Dad cleaning fish to show me the way...how to hold the fish, the way to position the knife, where to begin. My Dad would have frowned at the knife that's was using, but other than that I think that he would have been proud. I missed a bit of meat on the first piece of fish but then I found my rhythm. I certainly felt like 'my fathers daughter' when all was said and done. Even Nir chimed in at the end, "We'll Cailin, I know that your Dad would be so proud...you did Great"....
Kill Em and Eat Em.
No comments:
Post a Comment