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Monday, August 3, 2015

"Under the Sea" Fricassee



My daughter and I just went to see The Little Mermaid (the musical) at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival in Montgomery.  It was aMAZing!!  I recommend that if you live in the area, with kids or not, get tickets for this production!  The costumes, special effects, acting, singing, dancing...EVERYTHING was simply marvelous!  Check for tickets here: Alabama Shakespeare Festival (The Little Mermaid)


(photo from ASF's Facebook page)


When Sebastian is singing to Ariel about how great it is to live under the sea, he has several food references.  I didn't realize until recently this line in particular:
"Under the sea
Nobody beat us
Fry us and eat us
In fricassee
We what the land folks loves to cook
Under the sea we off the hook
We got no troubles
Life is the bubbles
Under the sea" 
Read more: Disney - Under The Sea [From The Little Mermaid] Lyrics | MetroLyrics 


I have heard the word, Fricassee many times but never given it much thought.  When I realized Sebastian was saying that, I looked up the definition.  Fricassee is simply small pieces of meat that are cooked and then served in a stew-like sauce that thickens during cooking.  It can be chicken or seafood.  

I decided to make my own Seafood Fricassee in honor of Sebastian (no crab of course!).
Those poor, unfortunate souls!
(photo from ASF's Facebook page)

I made up my recipe by reading some other Fricassee recipes on Pinterest.  I cooked it in a similar way to the ones I read about, but added the seasonings I like to use.  Here they are:
Ginger
Sea Salt
Curry
Chilli Powder
Turmeric
Cracked Pepper
Lime Zest and Juice
Fresh Cilantro (not pictured)


Under the Sea Fricassee

1 24 oz. bag Frozen Shrimp
2 large fillets white fish (like Tilapia) (cut into bite-sized pieces)
2 cups White Rice
1 can Diced Tomatoes
1/2 a White or Yellow Onion (chopped)
1/2 a Green Bell Pepper (chopped)
Zest and Juice of 1/2 a Lime
1 Shallot (chopped)...(minced garlic would also be great)
2 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons Flour
1 teaspoon Ginger
1 teaspoon Curry
1 teaspoon Chilli Powder
1 teaspoon Turmeric
Handful of chopped Cilantro
Sea Salt and Pepper to taste
Directions:  Cook the rice by the directions on the bag.  Melt the butter in a large pan over medium heat.  Add the flour and stir constantly until lightly browned.  Add the onion, bell pepper and shallot (or garlic) and stir for about 1 minute.  Add the diced tomatoes and all the seasonings.  Add some of the cilantro and the fish and shrimp and allow the mixture to cook until the meat is done (maybe about 10 minutes).  Serve the fricassee over the rice topped with more fresh cilantro.

This recipe was so quick and easy to make!  It turned out quite tasty and would be a great recipe to do on a busy night.  Next time, I'm going to cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and make Chicken Fricassee.


We also had an Under-the-Sea-looking dessert:
Dragonfruit 
We had bought this at an Asian market once before.  I saw it while gathering ingredients for the ocean-inspired meal and thought it would be appropriate because of the way it looks.  You eat the white, seedy part.  It kind of tastes like a melon.  It's yummy!


I have a very dear friend who lives in Montgomery.  She is an Anchor for WSFA 12 News.
Meet my friend, Jenn Horton.
We became friends at church camp about 20-ish years ago.  She has been special to me ever since.  We've never lived in the same town, so it was always a long-distance friendship.  During summers, we would go spend a few days at each others' family homes.  You know how things go sometimes...life gets so busy and for no real reason, we lose touch with people as we age.  I haven't seen her in years.  I knew she was in Montgomery, so when we got our play tickets, I sent her an email.  We met for lunch before the play!
It was so wonderful to see her and catch up!  It was just like old times and felt like we had never missed any time together.


After writing this post, I cannot get that song out of my head!  So, until next time...
"The seaweed is always greener
In somebody else's lake
You dream about going up there
But that is a big mistake
Just look at the world around you
Right here on the ocean floor
Such wonderful things surround you
What more is you lookin' for?
Under the sea
Under the sea"  
 -Sebastian the crab

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