Overcooked

Some birds for starters.

Black backed Stilt
Intermediate Egret in flight. I learned so much about photographing birds in flight when I was in Canada.
Same bird having a rest
Whiskered Tern [rare}. This is a great shot as they move very fast and twist and turn.

Anyway on to the main course. Old friends coming to eat and drink. The menu will be Sashimi, Octopus coctel, Leg of lamb and Japanese fruit.

Big Leg of lamb starts to defreeze.

The morning of the meal I get up early and zoom down to the Itoman Fish Cooperative https://www.google.com/maps/place/Itoman+fishing+cooperative+Fish+Center/@26.1381035,127.6587982,1344m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x34e567c221f4f19d:0x58162367592c3315!2sItoman+fishing+cooperative+Fish+Center!8m2!3d26.1380987!4d127.6613785!16s%2Fg%2F1td2k73b!3m5!1s0x34e567c221f4f19d:0x58162367592c3315!8m2!3d26.1380987!4d127.6613785!16s%2Fg%2F1td2k73b?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwMS4wIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Best sashimi on the island presented on white scallop shells and wonderful oysters!

Joy
Okinawan family breakfasting on the best seafood.
I breakfast on one huge oyster
I prepare the lamb
I start to cook the octopus. It is huge, I can barely get in in my biggest pan!

The action starts; Arisa san, Tomomi san, Ichiro san are local but Mary and Tim are on a brief visit from London. We all worked together at OIST.

World’s best sashimi and oysters! (photo Hunt)

After the sashimi, we get stuck into the octopus coctels. We were all so engrossed that no-one took a picture. However like sailors dying of thirst we slurped down an enormous amount.

Next came the leg of lamb. The first time I have done a leg of lamb in the air fryer and I blew it. I left it in too long and the lamb was too dry. What a pity.

Overcooked
Tim and Mary look on in horror (photo Okubo)

Tim and Mary bring Fortnum and Mason choccies from London.

Classy
We eat them with Shine Muscat grapes from Nagano, thanks Tomomi san, and Japanese pears from Imari, thanks Arisa san.. Quality!

In the amazing canteen of cutlery there is a pair of scissors.

Grape scissors top right

I have only recently understood that they are grape scissors. Apparently it was not done to pluck individual grapes from a bunch. Small bunchlets were snipped off using grape scissors, transferred to a plate and then eaten one by one. I have never seen the grape scissors used in my 72 years.

Tomomi san makes history! First use of grape scissors for at least 70 years.
Self explanatory
Idem

All the wine comes from Hanada san’s amazing wine shop. Go there. https://www.google.com/maps/place/わいんや目福口福/@26.2911813,127.7768583,212m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m6!3m5!1s0x34e512c4d211b55b:0x934452cbee9f1490!8m2!3d26.291485!4d127.777237!16s%2Fg%2F1td3csdj?entry=ttu&g_ep=EgoyMDI0MTAwMi4xIKXMDSoASAFQAw%3D%3D

Tomomi san, Mary, Tim, me, Ichiro san, Arisa san. You could not find funnier, more talented, better looking companions!

What a great evening! Pity about the lamb.

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2 Responses to Overcooked

  1. Alan's avatar Alan says:

    Indeed a pity about the lamb. Brings back memories of my cooking a lamb in your first perch in Okinawa – came out overcooked and dry also! Wasn’t even an air fryer involved! Have you got a meat thermometer?

    That sashimi looks great – amazed that after all that and the octopus octels you had any room for the lamb. Big eaters all of you and there was still the chocs and fruit to come!

    Got a variety of Indian and North-Western Chinese recipes to deal with left-over lamb. Any use or has it all gone anyway?

    On to the next excuse for nosh!

    • I gnash my teeth each time I think of the lamb. Not too worry I have lots of big chunks in the freezer. All the Japanese women I know are wonderful eaters. They take evident enjoyment in their food and are the best people to take out for meals. Left over lamb gone – dull stew.

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