If I had to give the fisherman’s daughter a personality, I would say she’s laid back, easygoing, and dreamy, but she wears duck boots and an old beanie she found in the back of her closet. I’m not sure if she’s ever had caviar, but I know she’s definitely had chips, probably by candlelight.
So when I chose the theme for this month’s Food & Gather post, I did it with this in mind. I wanted it to be grounded and fun. As if anyone who was part of it could let loose a little bit. The vibe would be a dinner you could eat in your socks, on the floor, around the fire. An understated luxury.
The goal of this dinner was for it to be simple enough to be approachable, but with a bump of something you don’t really get every day. Because I think, when you normalize not having enough or when it seems like things are getting heavy, you might need to take your shoes off and get close to the fire. The warmth is what makes you feel alive, especially after moving through a cold world, and what better way to make it better than by eating a good piece of fish?
Below, you’ll find how I planned the night and how I used what I had to create the ambiance and the menu. Take what inspires you, make it your own, and most of all, I hope it helps you create a joyful gathering.
Location
For us, dinner was held in our sunroom, under the Christmas lights we were still committed to. We used a tabletop we found by the dumpster. We cleaned it up, threw a tablecloth on top, and held it up with milk crates. It was just enough to slide our legs under, and it didn’t feel like a commitment. We’d stop by the table to snack on bread, fried fish, and beer. It was thrown together, but cozy.
Lighting
Like I said, we’re still committed to our Christmas lights. We hung them from the ceiling so they sagged from one side of the room to the other. My husband found a thick beeswax candle, but I think the fisherman’s daughter would have put candlesticks in empty glass bottles.
Seating
We sat on the floor. But you can sit in a chair, in case the table you found next to the dumpster has legs. I think a good source of inspiration would be Jessica Fletcher’s table in her Cabot Cove home. That’s a table you can keep in mind the next time you go dumpster diving.
Decor Touches
This part was difficult because we got hit with a snowstorm around the time I planned this, and it was too cold to go out. So we made do with what we had at home: dried flowers in old bottles, a tiny copper vase, a copper candelabra (which didn’t make it to the table, but it’s cute), and some handmade ceramics I saved from when I first learned how to do ceramics. We used half of an old globe bar we thrifted years ago, which is now falling apart. Alcohol bottles became decor, and we used mismatched cups, glasses, and mugs.
Menu — with Notes
Appetizer
Sourdough bread with clotted cream, strawberry compote, and sardine butter
Main
Beer-battered fish, fries, and beer
Dessert
Lemon icebox cake
Notes
Originally, I was going to make homemade strawberry jam, but I panicked and made a compote. You can absolutely buy jam at the store if you’re not confident in your skills; however, the compote was good. I used frozen strawberries, sugar, and water. I didn’t follow a recipe (thank you, confidence), but I’m sure there are plenty online.
If you decide to make sardine butter, follow a recipe. Don’t do what I did and just add sardines to butter. Turns out you also need lemons and chives. Give yourself grace, save the butter, and find a recipe. Also, just know that sardine butter smells insane. I was not prepared.
For the fish, I only use cod. I actually come from a pretty big fishing family, and they take fish seriously. No tilapia.
I got the dessert from a children’s book I checked out at the library for my son over the summer. I have since checked the book back in and lost the recipe, but I kind of fumbled my way through it. I would include it in this post, but honestly, I want to try it again with strawberries, so that recipe might come out in May.
Alright, that’s it. I hope you enjoyed this post, and if you end up wanting to eat at the fisherman’s daughter’s table, let me know.
Happy Gathering.
light & gather 
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