ummm, homemade fish and chips…

Saturday was one of those days where each step I took seemed out a pace and out of place with the universe. Much like a dubbed low budget foreign film, nothing was in sync — lips, story progression or otherwise.  Considering Seattle’s last three days of sleet, snow and pelting hail in the presence of the daffodils, I was in good company.

With gardening off the agenda, I dared to be seen in public, venturing out in my middle-aged guy’s yoga outfit (rest assured,  not a stitch of stretch knit to be found). Yep, a Target T-shirt and cotton shorts a fashion statement do not make. When I learned the yoga class had been canceled, I masked my glee, commiserated with my fellow yoga peeps at the door of the closed studio, and then quickly moved on to Plan B: “What’s for lunch?”

Thriftway and fate answered the burning question for me as corn oil and fresh fish were on sale.  Two things that would have been left out of my cart had I not rediscovered my Sunbeam half pint deep fat fryer from last summer’s garage sale leftover box.  (How could I ever have thought to dispose of this kitchen indispensable.) And did I mention I had relatively fresh pancake batter in the fridge, a perfect coating to encase some succulent mahi mahi. (Poaching it never entered my mind.)

Here’s the recipe for a perfect lunch in lieu of spending an hour in a timeless and spiritual exercise for both body and soul: fish and chips, coleslaw,  and  tartar sauce (all homemade) with a healthy squirt of ketchup, courtesy of Heinz.

• Fish: Mahi Mahi deep fried in pancake batter

• Chips: Washington potatoes hand cut, and twice fried to add crispness, sprinkled with kosher salt

• Cole Slaw: cabbage tossed with a mixture of sherry vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise, salt

• Tartar Sauce: mayonnaise, lemon juice, shallots, homemade bread & butter pickles chopped

Thankfully for me, the universe tilted back to its rightful place on Sunday, and a yoga practice found its way into my day (fueled by the power of deep fried fish, no doubt). All was right with the world.