What's for dinner?

[mellie]

To think....this was probably exactly how the Hawkesburry and even Sydney cove
would have been many generations ago.... absolutely teaming with fish.

So what was wrong with our colonies.. no excuse to be hungry unless they had a fish allergy lol Sooks

[mellie]

By the time I bought a holiday van& annex in Greenmans Valley, I had secret ambitions on becoming a fine fisherwoman....( apologies kids, I said it was for them only) ... unfortunately, the river seemed to be completely fished out. However Ken, man who owned the holiday park used to catch Jewies, and the odd bream. He'd go out at night though, and I could only fish during the day with kids so...

Anyway, perhaps I'll have better luck in a months time up where my parents live, at Cococabana or McMasters ( Maccas) beaches... with a piece of croissant or teacake on my hook.

Minus the kids. Mum can babysit.

Admittedly, I've only ever been estuary, river fishing.... or spear fishing with dads 100 year old spear, so... I may need to research this a little before we leave.

I'll need a beach rod too.

I ended up selling my holiday van because the kids got bored with going, and our stays no longer justified the site fees.
I miss the smell.

If ever you are up that way, check out Greenmans Valley holiday Park.

Great memories, beautiful spot, we waited 3 years on a waiting list to get that van, didn't even have an annex before we bought it. River front views.

But teenagers are teenagers, and they got sick of going, wanted to stay home hanging out with friends, so wasn't worth keeping it.

A nice couple bought it so...



Has a rainforest and ancient caves with strange writing on the walls. Locals have remarked that the symbol's are of all sorts of crack-pot reasoning... but it's a beautiful spot.

Perfect for boating, kayaking, canoeing etc

Hiking, caving, this was why it was so special, and completely water front yet didn't seem to flood unlike up river parks. Strange.

Apparently a murderous newly released convict raped and murdered a woman ( not his) and killed her kids there, hence the local name....dead man's hand/finger.... Apparently when the troopers caught him they tied rocks to his feet and at low tide, all you could see was the dead man's hand sticking out of the water.

Lol.... lots of eerily true stories about Greenmans Valley.
Quite historical and interesting.

Unfortunately, just no fish left.

[tllwd]

I do have an outdoor firepit and it has a wrack to cook on.
Would this work, if I used the desired wood / and chips?

Try this bbq smoker box first
https://www.bcf.com.au/p/bbq-smoker-box ... w7sm_iWtok

When smoke cooking try to keep temperature low, 50-70C for hot smoking fish, higher for red meat, even higher for chicken or pork. Control temperature by positioning food away from heat source. Different woods will give different flavour and colour, have to experiment to find what YOU LIKE.
Brining is most important to produce a flavour you like and for safety if it is a long smoke.
BTW, you can smoke all sort of foods like meats and cheese and seed/nuts.herbs, etc..

[mellie]

I do have an outdoor firepit and it has a wrack to cook on.
Would this work, if I used the desired wood / and chips?

Try this bbq smoker box first
https://www.bcf.com.au/p/bbq-smoker-box ... w7sm_iWtok

When smoke cooking try to keep temperature low, 50-70C for hot smoking fish, higher for red meat, even higher for chicken or pork. Control temperature by positioning food away from heat source. Different woods will give different flavour and colour, have to experiment to find what YOU LIKE.
Brining is most important to produce a flavour you like and for safety if it is a long smoke.
BTW, you can smoke all sort of foods like meats and cheese and seed/nuts.herbs, etc..

The allure of smoking and charring meat / fish is definitely a man's thing.
You cook the meat/fish and I'll make the salads

That process is just too much hard work for me, I am pretty basic with seafood, I love whiting but my favourite is flounder ( good luck finding some ) and I just flour it and fry it in quality butter until the butter turns a golden nut brown.
A squeeze of lemon and it's done.

Seriously, with fish so fresh and delicious, why would you need to bother with anything else, save eels, mullet, Jewies etc.

I might give freshwater fish a crack, but only from a spring fed CLEAN lake or Salmon from the clear running streams.

And only if someone else cooks it, because if it smells bad or muddy when it's cooking, this will cheese me off it.

[mellie]

I do love Tasmanian wild caught salmon. So.... I am not saying no, just a conditional yes to giving fresh water fish a go.

Unfortunately, I was traumatised by that filthy trout farm I took my children to in western Sydney. Can't remember where it was, just remember thinking how filthy the water was. He was feeding them pellets, perhaps too many, it honestly smelt like a filthy pond that hadn't been drained or cleaned for ever.

I doubt that smoking or flavouring those poor fish would have helped any, but the looks on people's faces when they tasted it was priceless. ....

I couldn't wait to get out of there, was making me sick.

[mellie]

Have you tried fresh water Yabbies?

My eldest daughter catches them locally ( special spot) and she loves them.
I have yet to try them myself however.

[mellie]

Oh, and to anyone considering fishing, swimming, canoeing
etc at our beautiful freshwater spring fed Lake Esmond, I would really appreciate it if you didn't discuss this on other public boards. We'd like to keep it beautiful.

It's known as Ballarats ",other lake" and our Ballarat fish hatchery keeps it stocked with a variety of different species.

Has a great playground too.

Warf, rod holders, free bbqs clean amenities and BINS so you can cook your catch or whatever you've brought.

Tip - bring grease proof paper to lay on bbq.
Keeps plate clean and your food more hygienic.
Lake is very very deep, so bring inflatables, to lay in and wade in.

Many many years ago it was a quarry, and the machinery hit the spring so it rapidly began to fill.
The workers didn't even have enough time to get all the machinery out so when on the very rare occasion ( I've never seen it, lived here several years) you can see the tip of the crane apparently.
Anyway fish thrive in this amazing lake council didn't intentionally provide for our aquatic enjoyment so we send tourists to Lake Wendouree and this lake is for locals. And anyone else who knows about it.

If you have gold pans, bring them too.

If anyone can post pictures properly ( ie, not me) I don't mind, as this forums private anyway.

Also, you can walk to Sovereign Hill ( tourist trap) from here, but if you are considering coming up with or without family, it's definitely a destination in it's own right. An affordable good day out.

Just remember to clean up afterwards.

Bring warm clothing, we are higher up than many people realise, hence it's the coldest city in Australia.

[mellie]

I've often wondered why police didn't bother searching for Samantha Murphy in this lake.
It's particularly deep, and so close to the trail she went missing from.

A woman's body was found in St Georges Lake by a swimmer at Creswick, long after it had decomposed.

Instead, they paddled around in diving gear in someone's tiny little dam.

Lake Esmond is the closest decent sized body of water to where Samantha went missing, I'd have thought that would have been a reasonable place to search first.


Getting back on topic now....



Tonight we are just having a thai rice salad and crumbed fish.

I use the pre- cooked coconut rice for a very simple salad.
Very simple.

[Bobby]

I had a chicken Maryland tonight with a spud and veges.
The chicken and spud was cooked inside a stainless steel pot with a plate on top for one hour
on the lowest temperature on my smallest gas element.
I put Worcestershire sauce and white pepper on it to improve the flavor.
It was quite good.

[mellie]

I had a chicken Maryland tonight with a spud and veges.
The chicken and spud was cooked inside a stainless steel pot with a plate on top for one hour
on the lowest temperature on my smallest gas element.
I put Worcestershire sauce and white pepper on it to improve the flavor.
It was quite good.

Looks great Bobby but....

1 Hour Bobby? That's a lot of electricity for just one meal.
Do u own a turbo oven?
Better and healthier than an airfryer. Kmart $55 12 litre

Life changing.

Please trust me, my Christmas gift to you.
$50 kmart