Kenfessions: Partagas E2 – Seppeltsfield Barossa Savoury Allsorts Gin - Hennessey Master Blenders No 3.

[Ken Gargett]

Partagas E2 – Seppeltsfield Barossa Savoury Allsorts Gin -

Hennessey Master Blenders No 3.

 

Couple of very interesting matches here, one quite bizarre. 

But first, as is traditional (when I remember), the cigar. The Partagas E2. The more I see Partagas, the more I love them. And I have seen a fair whack, so I love them a lot.

This Kenfession is from back just before Premier Pumpkin (very cruel to call her Princess Penelope, even if she is the spitting image) slammed the borders shut. Down at Hastings Point in NSW. Was down there for some quiet to get some work done, but also a bit of fishing, which went well. could not resist a few pics. 

The Partagas E2 – surprised to learn that they... continue to full article. 

[NSXCIGAR]

50!?

Does that come in lower than the Monte C?

[Chef]

A shame. I just ordered a box. ? ? 

[Ken Gargett]

21 minutes ago, NSXCIGAR said:

50!?

Does that come in lower than the Monte C?

no. this was a one-off (normally really like these). all Monte C's were devil excrement. 

[NickV]

Ken great post as usual. Was skimming the site and read that you actually eat bluefish? Do you at least bleed it out as soon as you catch it? Around here only a few brave souls eat them. We stick to flounder, sea bass, striped bass, blackfish, and tuna mostly. 

[Ken Gargett]

Just now, NickV said:

Ken great post as usual. Was skimming the site and read that you actually eat bluefish? Do you at least bleed it out as soon as you catch it? Around here only a few brave souls eat them. We stick to flounder, sea bass, striped bass, blackfish, and tuna mostly. 

thanks.

normally bleed them before they are even off the hooks. or instantly after that. i remember seeing rick stein (tv chef) eating them out of the med. raved about them. one of the guys who comes with us insists that tailor/bluefish freshly grilled when caught in the med are the best fish he has eaten. says a different flavour to ours. 

i am told that yours can have worms - ours don't - which would make them an absolute no-go. but also that there are differences in flavour. yours do get bigger so that might be a factor.

freshly grilled, shortly after being caught, they are magnificent. one of the best fish in the sea. after that, curries or stews. 

[NickV]

15 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

thanks.

normally bleed them before they are even off the hooks. or instantly after that. i remember seeing rick stein (tv chef) eating them out of the med. raved about them. one of the guys who comes with us insists that tailor/bluefish freshly grilled when caught in the med are the best fish he has eaten. says a different flavour to ours. 

i am told that yours can have worms - ours don't - which would make them an absolute no-go. but also that there are differences in flavour. yours do get bigger so that might be a factor.

freshly grilled, shortly after being caught, they are magnificent. one of the best fish in the sea. after that, curries or stews. 

Yes they must be very different between regions. I don’t think it’s the worms as much as the overall fishy taste in ours. Can’t say I know what a curry or stew is. Guessing either a local fish or another one where you aussies call it a separate name from us Americans. 
 

They are fun to catch though, as far as inshore fish go. My favorite are Tuna fish. They fight and run like mad. Strap on the belt to fight them and go to battle. I even eat fresh sushi right on the boat off the fish. So much fun. 

[Ken Gargett]

23 minutes ago, NickV said:

Yes they must be very different between regions. I don’t think it’s the worms as much as the overall fishy taste in ours. Can’t say I know what a curry or stew is. Guessing either a local fish or another one where you aussies call it a separate name from us Americans. 
 

They are fun to catch though, as far as inshore fish go. My favorite are Tuna fish. They fight and run like mad. Strap on the belt to fight them and go to battle. I even eat fresh sushi right on the boat off the fish. So much fun. 

curry or stew. as in if they are not freshly caught, i use them in a curry or in a stew. as in fish curry or fish stew. 

thanks for the mention of tuna, gives me the opp to post this pic. got it on a fly just offshore at mooloolaba a while back but never get tired of showing rob what a decent fish looks like. great fun.

i got this when i took a morning off during a food and wine festival. i always catch/release but my guide said that as i was going back to noosa for the festival, a bit up the highway, why not take it and get one of the chefs to slice it for sashimi. i thought tetsuya was there (i think he is the greatest chef we have ever seen in australia - came out from japan when young and has done brilliantly - and also one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. to digress, i did an interview with charlie trotter some years ago before he so sadly passed away. he raved about tets. was in awe of what he could do). so into a big bin it went and off i went. rang a mate to find tets. the mate was in a foul mood - no idea why - and said he was not there. i get to the festival and amid the thousands there, the first bloke i walk into is tets. 

all of this is leading somewhere. i asked him if he would be interested in joining a few of us that afternoon. i'd provide the fish, he could slice it, i'd get halliday to bring some champagne and away we'd go. tets was horrified. insisted that under no circumstances must anyone touch the fish for three days. no bleeding. nothing. apparently like hanging beef or game. insisted that it was way better after three days. 

which meant i went home with the thing and for the next two weeks, i had tuna steaks, tuna sashimi, tuna casserole, tuna salad, tuna on the corn flakes. never wanted to see another tuna again. but it was good. 

i have asked a lot of chefs subsequently. about 30% are as adamant as tetsuya was about leaving it for three days. the rest have never heard of doing that. not surprisingly, it tends to be the really good chefs who are part of the 30%. 

anyway, that was all because you mentioned eating tuna. 

 

[NickV]

55 minutes ago, Ken Gargett said:

curry or stew. as in if they are not freshly caught, i use them in a curry or in a stew. as in fish curry or fish stew. 

thanks for the mention of tuna, gives me the opp to post this pic. got it on a fly just offshore at mooloolaba a while back but never get tired of showing rob what a decent fish looks like. great fun.

i got this when i took a morning off during a food and wine festival. i always catch/release but my guide said that as i was going back to noosa for the festival, a bit up the highway, why not take it and get one of the chefs to slice it for sashimi. i thought tetsuya was there (i think he is the greatest chef we have ever seen in australia - came out from japan when young and has done brilliantly - and also one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. to digress, i did an interview with charlie trotter some years ago before he so sadly passed away. he raved about tets. was in awe of what he could do). so into a big bin it went and off i went. rang a mate to find tets. the mate was in a foul mood - no idea why - and said he was not there. i get to the festival and amid the thousands there, the first bloke i walk into is tets. 

all of this is leading somewhere. i asked him if he would be interested in joining a few of us that afternoon. i'd provide the fish, he could slice it, i'd get halliday to bring some champagne and away we'd go. tets was horrified. insisted that under no circumstances must anyone touch the fish for three days. no bleeding. nothing. apparently like hanging beef or game. insisted that it was way better after three days. 

which meant i went home with the thing and for the next two weeks, i had tuna steaks, tuna sashimi, tuna casserole, tuna salad, tuna on the corn flakes. never wanted to see another tuna again. but it was good. 

i have asked a lot of chefs subsequently. about 30% are as adamant as tetsuya was about leaving it for three days. the rest have never heard of doing that. not surprisingly, it tends to be the really good chefs who are part of the 30%. 

anyway, that was all because you mentioned eating tuna. 

 

Awesome story. A lot of luck in running right into him. A shame he didn’t join you, I’m sure he missed out on some great spirits and cigars. Nice fish as well. Is that a bluefin? Hard to tell from the pic. Crazy you can get them and still see land out there. I have to go 50-70 miles off the coast and even then it’s only a few months per year. 
 

allow me to return the favor and show you what a real fish looks like.

 

 

[Ken Gargett]

3 minutes ago, NickV said:

Awesome story. A lot of luck in running right into him. A shame he didn’t join you, I’m sure he missed out on some great spirits and cigars. Nice fish as well. Is that a bluefin? Hard to tell from the pic. Crazy you can get them and still see land out there. I have to go 50-70 miles off the coast and even then it’s only a few months per year. 
 

allow me to return the favor and show you what a real fish looks like.

 

 

terrific fish.

mooloolaba is an amazing fishery. at one stage, i could have actually cast to the shore we were that close (and i am a rubbish caster). they do come in close if there is bait. 

another time, a few years ago, on the beach where it is protected away from the surf, in a line up of cars waiting for the ferry, the water ten foot from shore suddenly exploded. a school of small fish were attacked by tuna. amazing to watch. have seen plenty of dolphins around there and the old man used to talk about the dugongs, and no doubt lots of sharks, but i'd never seen tuna like that. 

[Kaptain Karl]

Did someone say tuna? ?

[dshot]

I've had some E2's turn on me like that before it's a shame. I stopped buying them because I was always second guessing if it would start off great and then turn into this harsh mess.

[mprach024]

53 minutes ago, Kaptain Karl said:

Did someone say tuna? ?

That’s a lot of fish right there

[Kaptain Karl]

1 hour ago, mprach024 said:

That’s a lot of fish right there

About 200# off the Tres Marias Islands about 100 miles off Puerto Vallarta. That thing brutalized me for 2 hours. It was my first real big tuna so I did not have great technique and it was MEAN. Didnt take a long run, just bulldogged the hell out of me! 

[NickV]

5 hours ago, Kaptain Karl said:

Did someone say tuna? ?

How did you fit such a big fish in that little can?

[Meklown]

On 11/10/2020 at 9:32 AM, Ken Gargett said:

tets was horrified. insisted that under no circumstances must anyone touch the fish for three days. no bleeding. nothing. apparently like hanging beef or game. insisted that it was way better after three days. 

Indeed I have had the pleasure of having several different types of preparation. One of the longest - marinated in soy sauce and aged for 10 days was absolutely fantastic. Definitely a different experience from those that are not aged. 

[SirVantes]

On 11/10/2020 at 9:32 AM, Ken Gargett said:

tets was horrified. insisted that under no circumstances must anyone touch the fish for three days. no bleeding. nothing. apparently like hanging beef or game. insisted that it was way better after three days. 

Jiro ages the tuna for his sushi for up to ten days, so...