Posted on 07/02/2009 4:58:27 PM PDT by mojito
ONE evening last week, almost every seat was occupied at Au Cinquième Péché, a bistro in the bustling neighborhood called the Plateau. And almost every table was sampling an appetizer plate that included a specialty of the restaurant’s French-born chef, Benoît Lenglet: a seared, rare loin, dark red in color, with a texture and taste akin to beef tenderloin. But the meat was not beef. It was seal.
Across town, at Les Îles en Ville, Andrée Garcia, an owner and chef, has elevated seal from an occasional specialty to a regular feature. The most frequent preparation there, Ms. Garcia said, is a filet-mignon-style cut of seal that is pan-seared, then roasted briefly in the oven and finished with a cranberry sauce. She has noticed a pattern among the customers who order it: many are tourists from France. “The French are against seal hunting,” Ms. Garcia said, “but when they come here, they want to eat it.”
Denis Painchaud has served seal dishes since he opened Auberge Chez Denis à François in Hâvre-Aubert, Quebec, 20 years ago, but he has learned patrons prefer it as an appetizer rather than a main course. His seal starter is marinated in wine, spices and herbs, and is served with caramelized onions. “I would say 90 percent of the people like it very much,” Mr. Painchaud said. “It’s very, very seldom when someone says, ‘I don’t like it at all.’ ”
The handful of restaurants in Canada that serve seal received an unexpected boost last month, when the European Union banned imports of commercially caught Canadian seal products after a two-year debate that threatened to erupt into a trade war.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Some nice mellow Gordon Lightfoot music playing in the background and a great cut of seal - I think a fella could “get lucky” after that!
The survivors developed an immense appetite for seal ~ and best of all they serrendipitiously were outfitted with the sort of liver necessary to handle meat with 25X the usual level of iron found in mammals.
Current American laws regarding seals and the importation of seal meat are commiting genocide against those 2 million Americans whose natural food is seal meat.
Poor Gordon, I love his music but after years on the bottle he sings about as well as one of those seals! I think Dream Street Rose was about his last good product.
Seal Brain Fritters
2 Seal brains
1 tb Salt
1 tb Vinegar
Water to cover
2 tb Egg powder, mixed with
6 tb Luke warm water
1/2 c Flour
1/4 c Milk
1/2 ts Salt
1/4 ts Pepper
1/4 ts Mixed herbs
2 tb Melted butter
Fat for deep frying
Wash the seal brains in salted water. Remove loose skin and blood. Soak the brains in fresh cold water for 1 hour, changing the water two or three times. Cover with water to which 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon vinegar has been added and boil for 15 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Mash the brains until soft and light. Mix the flour, eggs and milk together, beating well to make a soft smooth batter. Add the brains, melted butter, herbs, salt and pepper to the batter, and mix well. Drop tablespoons of the mixture into hot fat and deep fry until golden brown.
Drain the fritters well before serving. Serves 4
Could somebody rummage around and find that “Ultimate Politically Incorrect Pizza” story from a UK tabloid from maybe three years ago. Whale blubber, seal sausage, you name it.
EEEEEUUUUWWWWWW! You just made me nauseous. Let me get past the tenderloin idea first before we start getting into the organs already! Gee-sh!
I prefer my seal with a side of fava beans and a nice chianti.
Seal. The other white meat.
Well, I guess I'll wait before I share my recipes for Seal Flipper Pie and Savory Seal Hearts.
I think the booze is long behind him. He’s been an avid runner for a number of years and, at 70 and not in need of the money certainly, he still goes out with his 5 piece band and plays the shows. He doesn’t have the power in his voice that he once did. Remember this man was in a coma for several months 5 or 6 years ago and many say he would have died if not for his healthy exercise and lifestyle. He’s slowed down and toned down much of his singing to compensate but still does it well.
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