Fish Pie - Use up your Leftovers

Our friends Mary and Heinzie were staying for the weekend to help celebrated the Beloved's Turn of the Decade Birthday.

After a good kick off start on Friday, Saturday had to be a quiet night, so that we would be in good form for the big Party on Sunday.
A couple of weeks previously our friend Skid, brought us up from Taupo... a trout, caught by his fair hands only 15 hours before. I was worried that we wouldn't want it straight away, so it went into the freezer for a later date.
Perfect time to bring it out.
Saturday night dinner.

I cooked the trout the only way I know how.
It is a very delicate fish and I think it needs some flavour boost.

Take your headless, gutted fish
Season the fish inside and out with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Fill the seasoned cavity with thin slices of red onion and lemon

In a large baking dish, place some more sliced onions and lemons
Use this as a trivet and sit the fish on top.
Pour over some white
Cover with foil and into a 180C oven

Cook till a skewer slides through the fish

This should take about 20 - 30 minutes, depending on the size of the fish

This method of cooking keeps the flesh moist and delicious

Then you remove the skin and slice off the flesh
Trout is a very boney fish so be careful
So I served it with Mashed Potato and Garlic Green Beans.
Delicious

Sometimes, I make a dressing with the juices but I now have a new seafood dressing...
which I am loving.
So simple
Got the idea from the Trusty Triple Tested Recipe Book

I have made a couple of changes. Rum instead of Brandy
But use Brandy if you have it
They suggested Chili Sauce but I love Sriracha Sauce so I used that

1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced Celery
1 teaspoon minced red onion or shallot
1 teaspoon Cider or White wine Vinegar
 Freshly ground Black Pepper
1 tablespoon Sriracha Sauce
2 tablespoons Rum or Brandy
1 teaspoon parsley
Sea salt

Blend well
Put into the fridge, best to let it set for a couple hours
Perfect with trout or any seafood

So I have digressed too much
Back to the Fish Pie

Of course there was leftover Trout, also leftover Hot Smoked Salmon
Which we had had on crackers, as an appetiser
Heaps of Mashed Potato and also Green beans
Over catering again!
What to do but Fish Pie of course

So I made a Bechamel sauce
For the Roux

4 tablespoons butter 
1 small onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon mustard, I used Dijon
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Zest (finely grated) and juice of 1 medium lemon
2 cups milk, warmed
2 bay leaves

First make your Roux
Melt butter
Add onions cook gently till soft and translucent
Add flour
Stir well and cook out the flour taste, about 3-4 minutes
Season with Salt, pepper and mustard
Add grated lemon zest
Meanwhile warm the milk with the bay leaf (to infuse the milk)
Remove the bay leaf
Add to roux
Stir briskly and then use whisk to make sure there are no lumps
Add lemon juice
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary

Meanwhile, prepare your fish
Break up the Salmon and carefully break up the trout
Look out for those pesky bones
I also defrosted a dozen prawns

Add to Bechamel Sauce
Along with the fish I added the Green beans
Covered with Leftover Mashed Potato

Baked at 180C till all bubbly and golden about 25 minutes

Voila
Fish Pie

We did manage to have a couple of shots and the compulsory Photo, with the appetiser
Wouldn't be a Heinzie visit, without that

Yet Another Milestone - Dale's 70th Birthday

It seems we can never let a birthday go by, without some form of celebration and the occasion this year, was Dale's 70th birthday.

The Birthday Boy

From a Beautiful Baby to a Handsome Old Man! Great Years Dale

Luckily, we seem to have plenty of photos to illustrate that, no matter how old we are, we still have a great time, with Family and dear Friends. Katie put this Video together for Dale's 65th, with Soundtrack by Craig. I discovered it a couple of days ago.
Great family history. Friends might recognise a few faces


The actual day of birth was earlier in the week and we had lunch with Terry and Lois who unfortunately weren't able to join us at the Bash, Same place, different time.

Lois and Dale

Terry and Dale

So we all gathered at the Windsor Castle on Sunday April 6th. So thrilled so many people were able to come.  Visitors from out of town, Los Angeles, Hawkes Bay, Wellington, Lower Hutt, Mt Maunganui, Hamilton and even the North Shore!

Of course it was a great occasion. Celebrating 25,550 days of a full on life. Thank you Deb for the calculation, NOT

Dale and Ngaire

Some visitors from out Of Town

George, Annie, Jane, Sunflowers and Dale

Big Hugs Pale Dale from the Sperms, Glimpse of Darran on the right

Penny, Diana and Marianne

George holding court

Two Wrighsons and a Visitor from Hawkes Bay

Our pride and Joy. Mia, Cleo, Sophia and Joseph

Rocky, Dan, Johm and another visitor from Hawkes Bay

Gilli, Helen and Jeannie

An Aries Selfie, could almost be twins

Looking very quizzical!

Just got off the Devomport Ferry. Jan, Gerry, Sharon, Pete, Elpie and David...The Arrival

The Departure - Took a while - Costing the taxpayer a fortune. Old people On The Buses

Old People waiting for the bus

Looking a little like Browns Cows

Just thought it was very funny at the bus stop

Sorry I digressed Back to the party

Henizie between 2 of his dancing partners Lana and Julia

Dale with Karen, John and JT Lurking in the background

Who's holding court, Craig, or Jules

Larry preparing for his Job as Team Photographer

Dave, Diana and a touch of Marianne

Star of the Day not bad for 70 really

Ms Sherl, Dale and Johnny

The thorn between 2 roses. Sheryl and Debbie

Craig and Dave

Lucy, Sexy and Jules and a surprised Jeannie

Annie and Debbie,, lurking ion the back Penny, Lana a touch of Gilli and John Hughes

In their own shot Penny and Lana

Deb, Barry and Dale

Barry and Dale

Add Craig and it makes 3

2 Debbies and 1 Elpie

Cath and Lana

Brian and Barry, with Rocky lurking in the background

Gerry and Diana in deep conversation behind Sharon and Jeannie

Daddy and Daughter, Like Peas in a Pod

Deb and Dale

Chris, Rob, Annie and Rocky

Debbie and Lucy

Karen and Shannon

Jeans and Karen

Mr Dan

A Rob Thorn, between Faine and Jane

Tina and Tim, John and Grunter

Jude and Bridgie

Ms Cara

A slightly surprised Helen, watch out for your finger Shannon

What a lovely couple,

Another lovely couple

Katie and Debbie

Larry and Elizabeth

Jeannie, Annette and Birthday Boy

Lana, Jeannie and Johnny

Catching up Heinzie and John Morton

Lisa and Ms June

Two J's, June and JT

Debbie Flanked by two Older Men John Mac and Dale

Lovely to have the family around us

Marianne, Gerry and George

John Hughes and Ms Sherl

It's been about 20 years since Dale last met Brian

So far So Good

Dale being wrangled into Place by Jane and Bridgie, so he could watch his Mia perform

Done

Dan getting Mia ready

Mia, you did us proud

Dale surrounded by Women again... Sophia and Gilli

Mr Knig with Mr Cullimore Two beards No waiting

Always plenty to say from Ms Gilli. Poor Gerry

Two Heinzies surrounding Steve.

Debbie and Jeannie D

Lovely shot ladies, Jules and Elpie

Anne and Murray, now that's a good looking couple

A Photo Bomb - Elpie, Debbie and Catherine

Anna chatting to Elizabeth, Shannon engrossed in the Montage of Photos

Nice back Nigel. Better than nothing I guess

 Of course, what a Wrightson Party be without Music and Dancing

First Up Mr John 'Hank B' Morton

A Medley of The Shadows Greatest Hits

Who needs Hank Marvin?

 So When John Finished.
Along Came Craig
He opened with
"Those were the Days My Friends"
So appropriate - there should be a song "These Are Our Days My Friends"
and "Still Crazy After all These Years"

Craig

So back to The Present, Dan and Grunter, the Very Famous in New Zealand and  Dubai
The CVE

Grunter and Dan

ACTION

Heinzie - The Girls Favourite Dancing Partner with Lana

So while Heinzie works out, the next generation Chat... BK and Tim

With Bridgie

With Cara

With Julia

Crowd goes wild

CVE in action

Looking like a Congo Line has formed

Finally found a shot of Lisa on the left and Glenys on the right, dancing of course

While the girls play. Tim watches

There are some people who have manged to escape the camera or only appear in a small way

That's OK, I have pictures of them

Bert and Ernie AKA Shaun and Darran with Ms Jeannie

Two extras from the Sound of music AKA Ian and Lisa

A Dancing Elsje

An elusive Brian taken with our dear departed friend John at RCYC party a few years. Wish you were here John

Finally

I have to finish with a montage of some shots of the mad friends at our events, over the years.

Thank you for joining us, Without you all it would be nothing

The Launch of The Royal Cajun Yacht Club

Sexy and CJ Sperm

Dressed by Andy, Dan, Michael and Dale set for Journey North

When Joyce visits ,we always have a lunch or two

Revels in Raro

Look what a few drinks do to people

Donny and Marie aka Helen and Dan

Larry Deb and Bridge

Ms Mary and Moi at one of my birthdays

Geoff and Laurian

Ha ha Mr Heinz

Ha ha again with Ms Heinz

Outing on Cajun Moon , Auckland at it's best

Boys trip to Barrier

Chef Pete's pants getting caught in the rubbish locker

The Launch of Cajun Moon

More Fun on Cajun Moon

Mmmm reflections at another RCYC party

Go Elpie and Bridgie

Tepanaki with Gerry in "Rower Hutt"

Wonder woman with a Little House on the Prairie refugee

Ha ha Dancing partners

$12M dollars worth of men, Dave and Shannon

Lovely Karen

Ian and Lisa, not quite as Glam as when they were Nazis!

Pearl's a Singer

Dave and Ms Mary

Mr Green, Ms June and Ms Penny

The Plane, The plane

Annie, Lana and Jules

Bridesmaids

Lana, Jan and A stunned Mullet aka David 

JT in Paris

Warrior Deb in Croaria

Birthday Boy bit under the weather in Croatia

Who needs a walker when you have Larry and Geoff

Cheers Queers!

Ahhh Sexy

Couple of friends in Hawkes Bay

Cousins and Longtime Friends, Anne and Sharon

Nice One Rocky

Annette with Jan and in the background Katie and Fi

Wrightson Girls

Steve, Moi and Cath Reunion Lunch at The Windsor

Sorting out the world Terry and Steve

Our Day at The Cricket Years ago

Dale's 41st birthday. Ms Sherl

The Smoking Days Pete, Debbie and Glen

Tripping the light Fantastic, Edgar and Catherine

Lois, Jeannie and Jan

Jude with Bridgie

Gerry and Diana

Heinzie Photo Bombing the Raro Team

Classic Sound of Music Shot

Mmmmm Birthday Boy

Cajun Moon with the Burts

Rugby World Cup Stu, Sherl and Dale

Nice One George

Barb and Terry

Rock n Roll Gerry, Dave and Dale

It's Allllll Right

Hostess on the floor

Brian, Our own Elvis

Mr McCready and Mr Burt

California 1988 with Lucy and Sharon

Girls, Joyce here, another Lunch

Another Wrightson birthday with Jeannie and Annette

Mich and Karen

Brad and Dale

Nice one Steve

Whay Hay, Joyce, here again, more food and drink

Quiz Team 2012

Breakfast with Lana and The Rubins

Whakatane, rest time between drinks

Ms Jeannie circa 1971

Nice One Rocky?

Club Mac Rocky, Rog and Gerry

Sometimes it is just too hard to stand

Ha ha Ms Cleo

Rotoiti 2013

Home again

Motley Crew

Nice shot Mother and Son

BK living the good life

Dale surrounded with longtime friend and a constant companion

Girls on Bacchus

Cullie and Lana

Angry Bird

Andy surrounded by lovely ladies

Mmmmmm

Mmmm again

Let's go around the Horn Dale

1980's excesses

Arabs on Cajun Moon

Kampai

John Hank B Morton

You want to smoke your pipe Terry,? Outside please. Portofino Parnell Rd

Attractive look Laurie and Ngaire

Got them before they nodded off Tony and Dale

In good voice Churton Street Party

Anyone for tennis? or Maybe Jolly Hockey sticks

Cool couple. Cardboard Cutout

In UK with Barry, Chris, Annie, Jules and Laurie

Perfectly Placed Laurie

At one of the Napier weekends with Laurie, A, the Stewarts and Gay

Loie, Jeannie and Jan Reunion at The Windsor

Friends for over 40 years

1986 with Jan, Dave and Linda

Johnny and Dale

Pete and Dale

I feel a song coming on

In London with Glen Cullimore 1968

Photo Bombed by Heinzie

Murray and Michael At The Villa in TuscArney

1967 with Ricky in Tahiti

George and Marianne at Jazz Fest in Hawkes Bay

Hiria in Raro

Mr King The Plumber

Joseph's 12 Birthday in Rotoiti

Tipatinas at Katie's Love Boat Birthday

The Love Boat, Your Captain and Your Bartender

Our precious Jewels 

Churton Park 1969 Dave and Craig

Sisters in Law 1970

Two Jeannie...no waiting

Lana's Japanese Night with Glen Cennano

Anna and Elizabeth at The Love Boat Party

Drinks in Oriental Bay. 1966?

Auld Lang Syne Farewell to us September 1967

DJ and Lu's wedding

The Unilever Gang

Love this shot, Stu's 40th

Milton and Dale, Twins and Erin and me almost Twins

Dale with Gerry and Dave V

Ellen Vaughan with us

Knackered

Rock and Roll Phil 1978

Sheryl, Vicky and Michael

Wine please Vicar

Dale's Favourite Girls

Mr Heinz with one of his favourite Dancing Partners Bridgie

Tony and Annie

Rocky Bay with Debbie and David

Old friends and Colleagues Derek and Dale

Annie Dales Trusted Companion for many years

Cant have a party without the Band

God This life of Mine...Exhausting

And for the final word,  Thanks Everyone for Making this day Special.
So many wonderful Memories
So much Fun