Lucious Leftovers…bacon not required, but always welcome 🐄 🐷 🐔 🍤 🥚

MidCakePa said:
It’s mussels season at Costco. We love to grab a 5-pound bag and steam them in wine mixed with herbs. We eat some straight from the shell, dipping crusty bread in the savory broth. What’s left, we remove from the shell and stir them into cooked pasta the next day. Can be simple (butter, olive oil, garlic) or more complex (red sauce spiked with wine). Either way, we enjoy all five pounds.
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I have to ask, if the shells are part of the 5 lbs, how do you enjoy those? I know what you meant, but my overactive mind leapt into creative overdrive! Fueled by the heated up bowl of the last of the pot roast pasta I mentioned in the Bacon Thread. But I can sure smell that with droid garlicky broth; I am a confirmed bread dunker, preferably late-bake extra-sour SF sourdough.
 
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OldAFRet said:
Depends on how hungry one gets, doesn't it? Today Soul Food is still glamorized, but prior to the late 1960s when that term was coined, it was simply "trash" food that only poor people (regardless of ethnicity) ate. Poke salad, persimmons, pawpaws, fatback, pork chitterlings, okra, rutabagas, catfish, mullet, croakers, opossum, alligator, nutria, etc. My dad had a "you kill it, you eat it" rule, so I've had all those as well as racoon and black rat snake.
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Of your list, this Florida boy has had most of them...haven't had chitlins, nutria, or raccoon. As for black rat snake...no, but Eastern Diamondback...

That's just a list of Southern food...

But mullet...that's the bait I use to get better fish. Still...I said that about flying fish until I had my first flying fish sandwich in Barbados...now...if I can get them...

Perhaps I should try some bait...er, mullet.
 
Capt MJ said:
I have to ask, if the shells are part of the 5 lbs, how do you enjoy those?
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A bit tough to chew and digest, to be sure! 😏

Speaking of dunking bread: I’m a big fan of Acme Bread Company in Berkeley. They have a great little outpost in SF’s Ferry Building. A hunk of boule topped by some Humboldt Fog from up the coast in Arcata…heaven. Sheer heaven.
 
Capt MJ said:
I have to ask, if the shells are part of the 5 lbs, how do you enjoy those? I know what you meant, but my overactive mind leapt into creative overdrive! Fueled by the heated up bowl of the last of the pot roast pasta I mentioned in the Bacon Thread. But I can sure smell that with droid garlicky broth; I am a confirmed bread dunker, preferably late-bake extra-sour SF sourdough.
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How in the heck did Siri sneak in and replace “good garlicky broth” with the droid thing?!
 
flieger83 said:
Of your list, this Florida boy has had most of them...haven't had chitlins, nutria, or raccoon. As for black rat snake...no, but Eastern Diamondback...

That's just a list of Southern food...

But mullet...that's the bait I use to get better fish. Still...I said that about flying fish until I had my first flying fish sandwich in Barbados...now...if I can get them...

Perhaps I should try some bait...er, mullet.
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You haven't lived until you've had pecan wood smoked mullet. Flying fish is good too, but I never fished for them - just had one or two land in my boat occasionally.
 
I didn't get the idea we were talking about silver carp. I thought we were talking about the flying fish of Barbados.
 
THParent said:
I didn't get the idea we were talking about silver carp. I thought we were talking about the flying fish of Barbados.
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When I see "Flying Fish" here, I think of the Sea Robins that we used to see and often catch out in the Atlantic off the coast of NJ when we were out fishing for Flukes and whatever else we could get. We were told that the Sea Robins were not edible so they were all thrown back, not even used for bait. We also used to throw back Blues (Bluefish) as they were reputedly not very good but they fought well and were thus fun to catch.
 
I'm learning all about fish here. I have never smoked salmon, but I want do the whole brine, sugar, smoke thing.
 
THParent said:
I'm learning all about fish here. I have never smoked salmon, but I want do the whole brine, sugar, smoke thing.
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We smoke a skin on salmon filet (from sams…best we can get in landlocked Midwest. But it’s actually very good!!) very Sunday. A sale of lowerys and drizzle of honey, and thinly sliced lemon is all it takes! On a tray made of foil to keep the honey, that crisps up the very thin edges.

Leftovers go on good quality bagels and cream cheese for the week, and salads. Depending on the quantity left.

So good. The secret is to not overdue it and make it into salmon jerky. There is a learning curve with fish!!

We have never brined one. Curious how that turns out…
 
OldRetSWO said:
When I see "Flying Fish" here, I think of the Sea Robins that we used to see and often catch out in the Atlantic off the coast of NJ when we were out fishing for Flukes and whatever else we could get. We were told that the Sea Robins were not edible so they were all thrown back, not even used for bait. We also used to throw back Blues (Bluefish) as they were reputedly not very good but they fought well and were thus fun to catch.
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We went fluke and winter flounder fishing all the time in NJ. Then the population went way down; almost to zero. Now with the new regulations and bag limits, I have no idea how the headboats can even stay in business.

I love bluefish. I'll wrap it in foil with italian dressing and bake. Definitely takes the fishiness out of it. On larger blues, there is a decent sized piece of meat on each cheek. It is about the size of a scallop. Very tender, and not 'fishy' at all.

I'll be heading to the beach later this week for some striper action the the surf. They are back in town!
 
Since we're down from four kids to one, I now intentionally cook with leftovers in mind. I cook the whole pound of bacon to have some around for sandwiches later in the week. I smoke 4-6 pounds of chicken thighs to have some in the freezer for a quick microwave blast and then on to a salad (or sandwich - I eat a lot of sandwiches.) Extra mashed potatoes can go under other foods like cacciatore, or over shepard's pie, or get its own starring role as potato pancakes.
 
StPaulDad said:
Many leftover proteins (chicken, steak, pork, etc) can be diced and tossed into a bottled marinara sauce with a few fresh herbs to make a better sauce. It's not art, but it's very low effort on a wet fall or winter evening.
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I love those words low effort. I wish I heard it before my dietician appointment.
I used to do that with meat for Totinos. :)
 
Capt MJ said:
I have to ask, if the shells are part of the 5 lbs, how do you enjoy those? I know what you meant, but my overactive mind leapt into creative overdrive! Fueled by the heated up bowl of the last of the pot roast pasta I mentioned in the Bacon Thread. But I can sure smell that with droid garlicky broth; I am a confirmed bread dunker, preferably late-bake extra-sour SF sourdough.
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In NC we use them to ënhance and grow the local oyster beds
 
brewmeist said:
We went fluke and winter flounder fishing all the time in NJ. Then the population went way down; almost to zero. Now with the new regulations and bag limits, I have no idea how the headboats can even stay in business.

I love bluefish. I'll wrap it in foil with italian dressing and bake. Definitely takes the fishiness out of it. On larger blues, there is a decent sized piece of meat on each cheek. It is about the size of a scallop. Very tender, and not 'fishy' at all.

I'll be heading to the beach later this week for some striper action the the surf. They are back in town!
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Bleed those blues after you catch them and then, as you describe, bake them up!! Yummy!! You can do the same with Ambersnapper (amberjack) but I don't care for them.

As for my previous comment re: flying fish...I have no idea how the Bajans catch them, I never have caught them on line but as OldAFRet said...I've "caught" many on the boat when they decided to land.
 
Wow, made a really good ‘chili’ last night. And in the instapot at that! I should note that there are two families, that I cook for, living under our roof for the time being…so ‘easy’ is a bonus BIG time 💯

A couple cans of chili beans, toss in crushed tomatoes, sautéed on hand veggies, appropriate spices…and then all the leftover proteins. A good solid dose of liquid smoke, and red pepper flakes. Serve with all the proper ‘fixins.

REALLY good on our first hints of Fall 🍁
 
Whoa 🤤 forgot about this thread! A welcome revisit!!
 
Leftover 🍕 pizza. Super Fast Go to snack, breakfast, lunch, dinner.
 
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