Success or Mess: Rhymes with Dish Results

Let me start by saying, I’m glad I tried this. Then let me admit that I knew 20 minutes in, this was not the dish for my burger-lovers. Why?

• I should have known when the recipe said to save the shells and bits of fish you normally discard it was too risky.
• It smelled up the house something fierce. Even though I started early, it took a lot of work on my part to make it smell less like crab-boil.
• It made me crabby because I was worn out after the whole thing, and instead of sitting down to share a Spanish feast, we ended up eating pizza. Full disclosure, it was my call on the pizza. When I tasted the dish, it was good, but not what I was going for, so pizza was the right choice.
• They would have politely moved it around their plates, but I’d prefer it if the experience made them want to eat more seafood, not jump off a pier to avoid it.

Not a success, but catastrophe was avoided. I learned a few good ways to clear the smell out of the house in case it happens again.

1. Open windows. Obvious, but even in winter, a little helps.
2. Bacon. Cooked or charred, cooking bacon on your stovetop makes the house smell, well, like bacon.
3. Aromatic tea. I boiled some water and let a few bags steep as I cleaned up. It tasted good too.
4. Lemon – lots of lemon. Use it in the sink, or run a small piece through the disposal (if you have a disposal), you can even use it to help clean the counters. This stuff rocks!

Next time, it’ll be quick marinated seafood. Grilled. Outside. Maybe even consumed outside, but that’ll be a while since I’m looking at snow right now. Cheers!