Ichthy, not icky

Adnan suggested I blog about the Fish Market again, and the goods we get there.

First, the prepared food from the fry shop.  The food there is off the hook, so to speak.  We try to hold off going there as long as we can, but then once a week or so one or the other of us will comment, 'Well, if we can't think of what to have for dinner, we could always just pick something up from the fish market...'  That statement offered up like it's a casual suggestion that suddenly popped into one's head among myriad others, instead of the furtive, hopeful airing of a constantly-clamoring obsession that grips one's brain with clawed fish fins and gnaws...

Anyway.  They've got all kinds of fish, which you can get either batter-fried or grilled.  Even 'Whole Flounder' is on the menu.  I like it best when they have Lemon Fish on special.  (Don't know what a lemon fish looks like, but it sure tastes good.  Yes, I am learning to enjoy fish.  I'm as surprised as you!)  There are fritters, which are an eggy pancake and can contain scallops, mussels, or whitebait.  A la carte oysters, squid rings, scallops, prawns.  Combination platters:  the Decky, Skipper's, and Diver's Catch Meals.  Typically, Adnan will walk over and bring home two boxes filled with all manner of loveliness.   The three of us with molars picnic on an old towel on the floor in the living room with our bottles of ketchup and tartar sauce between us, and make happy noises, and always comment on how little it cost.  Amiri's favorite is the prawn kebab:  five fat shrimp on a skewer, flame grilled with garlic butter.  Last time, he ate three kebabs and asked for more. 

We also have had good luck with our purchases from the store.  Adnan loves their salmon sashimi.  (Yeah, although I have developed a new-found fish appreciation, I still can't join him on that one...I'm still recovering from the horrors suffered during my nauseated pregnancies when every. single. dinner host. generously served me fragrant, oily salmon.)  The last time we were there, I found the Specials Bin, a barrel filled with ice holding all kinds of marked-down treats on cling-film wrapped styrofoam trays.  I got some shrimp and calamari for about $5.  Which became this, one of the best meals I've made in a while, if I do say so myself:

Garlic Seafood Salad

two handfuls of raw shrimp, cleaned and shelled, and sprinkled with salt

two raw calamari tubes the size of your palm, cut into strips and sprinkled with salt

half an onion, minced

five big cloves of garlic, minced

olive oil

butter
lemon juice

oregano

crushed parsley

Cook the onions on medium heat until translucent in a 50/50 mix of Too Much oil and butter.  Turn the heat up to high and add the garlic, lemon juice, oregano and parsley.  When the garlic starts to brown, add the shrimp and toss it all around for two minutes.  Then add the calamari and toss it all around for another two minutes.

Arrange a plate with torn curly lettuce, dressed with a balsamic vinaigrette if you like.  Top with couscous made with saffron, minced mushrooms, and the rest of the minced onion.  Cover with the sizzling-hot seafood and add some fresh-grated parmesan cheese.