Archive for the ‘spices’ Category
one of the few “answers to everything in the world”s
I commented on how he doesn’t have a “favourite dish by jenn”. How I loved his signature crispy fried noodles and perfect omlettes; classics executed perfectly.
He liked my take on Anjum Anand’s North Indian Chicken Curry, but it wasn’t until I accidentally created this slightly eccentric version of keema that he became a believer.
He *loved* the yogurt marinated ground beef, to which I added our leftover whey & simmered until goodness absorbed. We got to experience this wonderment again when, 6 weeks-ish later, the freezer bit the dust.
He says my keema’s perfect, and I have to do it again with all the defrosted mince. And you know what, I not only did it again, I effing made my own PERFECT naans to go with it as well! From scratch! Yes, yours truly!
nigella seeds pressed into the pliable softness
crispy but fluffy and v addictive!
Kneading is well therapeutic, and a great arms workout when you have to do it 10 minutes non-stop! There is no better fulfillment than a task well done, and it would’ve been cliched, but I should’ve taken a photo of our empty vessels to show a task well done.
And there’s more, literally.. I’m pairing the extra keema with orecchiette and some yellow cherry toms for lunch tomorrow. Always brings a smile to my face, a homemade lunch that tastes miles & miles better than throwing money at Greggs (albeit a perfectly respectable British institution).
fish pie
[angela hartnett's traditional]
poach fish in seasoned milk that’s been brought slow to boil w/thyme & bay leaf
make white sauce by sieving milk, gradually add to roux (equal amts melted butter & flour) whisking constantly then adding capers, parsley, quartered hard boiled eggs & squeeze lemon. pour over flaked fish & top w/mash. bake until golden brown.
[asian]
mash roasted sweet potatoes
heat coconut milk until hot, add lemongrass, ginger, garlic, curry paste (red/green/yellow), cook over high 1 min. take mixture off heat, add fish, peas, coriander & soy. top w/mash, cover & bake 15m. fridge til required then bake 25m more.
[Mtuza wa Samaki / Kenyan baked curried fish]
arrange sauteed onions over fish. grind / blend into paste: oil, chilies, garlic, chopped toms, white wine vinegar, grd cardamoms, grd cumin. pour over fish, season & bake 180c 30m or until just flaky.
[bengali fish curry]
marinade fish w/salt & tumeric. fry skin side first, until both sides golden & set aside. blend into paste: crushed mustard seeds, chilies & water.
add bengali 5 spice “panch phoron” (1tsp cumin seed, fennel seed, fenugreek seed, nigella seed, mustard seed) in prev frypan 1m, add chili paste & fry 4m. fish back in, season & water if necessary. bring to simmer & cook 10m, or until done. garnish w/coriander & serve.
hello world indeed
A blog borne of my increasing food-related curiosity, and to relief a certain blue-eyed boy from the incessant and not quite so internal dialogue that naturally results from this.
mire poix (french for 2:1:1 of white onions, carrots & celery) because before I knew its proper name, I referred to it as the ‘culinary equivalent to holy trinity’ and that concept fascinated me. mixed spice because it’s my staple spice. it’s my omnipotent answer to the slightest risk of blandness, be they in dishes savoury or sweet, Asian or Western.
and lastly, because everyone has an opinion on food. so much so that in a way it’s my security blanket, my ice breaker that does the same thing as, but is so much more meaningful than small talk about the (permanently miserable) weather.
chin chin to new beginnings.
minimalist chic
