Spice up the Sea!

Browsing through some old recipes that I’ve successfully horded over the years, I managed to come across the most amazing seafood recipes by a Mauritian chef Mesh Boyjoonnauth.  His combinations of spices and seafood are absolutely phenomenal and a must try! So out with the aprons and lets get cooking!

Seafood Curry

150g kingklip fillet, cubed

150g Calamari steak, cubed

150g prawns, shelled

150g shrimps

10ml fresh grated ginger

1-2 Cloves garlic, crushed

4 Cardamom pods lightly bruised

2 Cinnamon sticks

4 Cloves

8 Curry leaves, finely chopped

5ml Fresh thyme

10ml Cumin powder

60ml Oil

1 Onion peeled and sliced

45-60ml curry powder

2 Tomatoes Cubed

2 Chillies chopped

300ml fish stock

Salt and black ground pepper

30ml Fresh coriander, chopped

To make:

1. Marinate all the seafood in the ginger, garlic, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, curry leaves, thyme and cumin for 15minutes.
2. Heat the oil in a large pan and sweat the onion until tender.  Add the seafood and fry for 3-5minutes before adding the curry powder, tomatoes and chili.
3. Finally add the fish stock and cook for 5minutes.  Season to taste.
4. Sprinkle with coriander and serve with basmati rice.

Grilled prawns with Cognac Sauce

1kg Prawns, largest available

Juice of 2 lemons

30ml fresh parsley chopped

100ml Olive oil

Cognac Sauce

30ml oil

100g Lobster heads

100g prawn shells

1 Carrot Chopped

1/2 Onion Chopped

1/2 Leek chopped

45ml Chopped Fennel

10ml Cognac

20ml White wine

30g Tomato paste

2Litres water

10ml butter

50ml Cream

Salt and ground black pepper

To make:

1. For the cognac sauce, heat the oil and fry the lobster heads and prawn shells together with all the vegetables until coloured.
2. Flambe’ the cognac over the vegetables and then deglaze the pan with white wine.  Add the tomato paste and water.  Bring to the boil and cook for 1 hour.
3. Strain the sauce, finish with the butter and cream and season to taste.
4. Clean the prawns and season with the lemon juice, parsley, a little olive oil, salt and black pepper.
5. Heat the oil and grill the prawns until cooked through.
6. Serve the prawns immediately with the spicy rice and the cognac sauce.

Roasted Kingklip with Roasted vegetables and a mushroom and tarragon sauce

800g Kingklip or firm white fish fillets

10ml lemon juice

15ml olive oil

15ml chopped fennel

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

ROASTED VEGIES:

1 Green pepper

1 Red pepper

1 Squash

200g Carrots

200g Turnips

4 Large mushrooms

100g Asparagus tips

30ml Olive Oil

MUSHROOM AND TARRAGON SAUCE

40g Butter

1//21 Onion chopped

3-4 Sliced mushrooms

15ml Chopped Tarragon

50ml White wine

500ml Cream

15g peeled and cubed tomato

To make:

1. Marinate the fish in lemon juice, olive oil, chopped fennel and seasoning for 15minutes.  Roast for 5 minutes at 220 degrees.
2. Seed the peppers and cut into quarters.  Cut the squash into segments.  Cut the carrots and turnips into long strips.  Clean the mushrooms.
3. Pan roast all the vegetables in olive oil and season to taste.
4. To make the sauce, melt 30g butter in a saucepan.  Cook the chopped onion, mushroom and the tarragon for 3 minutes.
5. Deglaze the pan with the white wine and add the cream.  Bring to the boil and reduce to thicken.  Stir in the remaining butter and season to taste.  Finally add the tomato cubes.
6. Place the roasted vegetables in the middle of a plate.  Top with the roasted fish and sauce. Serve hot.

Coriander Rice

5ml Salt

2 Litres water

200g Basmati rice

15ml Coriander seeds

1 Bay leaf

1 Bunch coriander leaves chopped

To make:

1. Add salt to the water and bring to the boil.  Rinse the rice and add to the salted water.
2. Tie the coriander seeds in a muslin cloth and add to the rice.  Add the bay leaf and boil until the rice is tender.
3. Drain and rinse with cold water.
4. Stir in the chopped coriander.

And on that note HAPPY COOKING!!

a Little Thai to get you going…

Whether chilli-hot or comparatively bland, harmony is the guiding principle behind each dish. Thai cuisine is essentially a marriage of centuries-old Eastern and Western influences harmoniously combined into something uniquely Thai. Characteristics of Thai food depend on who cooks it, for whom it is cooked, for what occasion, and where it is cooked. Dishes can be refined and adjusted to suit all palates.

A proper Thai meal should consist of a soup, a curry dish with condiments, a dip with accompanying fish and vegetables. A spiced salad may replace the curry dish. The soup can also be spicy, but the curry should be replaced by a non-spiced item. There must be harmony of tastes and textures within individual dishes and the entire meal.

I have compiled a few tried and tested recipes to get you going

THAI SHRIMP WRAPS:

1/2 teaspoon vegetable oil
Dash of salt
1/2 cup instant rice
1 cup peeled and de-veined cooked tiny bay shrimp
1 medium carrot, shredded
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup bottled Asian peanut sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon soy sauce
2 burrito-size flour tortillas, preferably spinach-flavored

In a small saucepan, bring 1/2 cup water to a boil over medium heat. Add oil and salt. Stir in rice. Cover and remove from heat. Let stand, covered, until water is absorbed, about 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork, transfer to a bowl and set aside to cool.

Add shrimp, carrot, scallions, peanut sauce, cilantro, mint, lime juice and soy sauce to rice. Toss gently to mix.

Wrap tortillas in damp paper towels and heat in a microwave oven on high until soft, about 15 seconds. Spoon half of shrimp mixture onto lower third of one tortilla to form a 2 x 5-inch rectangle. Fold in sides to enclose filling, then firmly but gently roll up. Repeat with remaining tortilla and filling. Cut wraps in half on the diagonal and serve.

Thai Chicken Soup With Coconut Milk, “Tom Kha Gai”

Ingredients

500ml  soup broth (chicken stock)
4-5 kaffir lime leaves, shredded
4 or 5 2 inch pieces fresh lemongrass, bruised to release flavor
1 inch cube (or a bit more) ginger sliced thinly.
4 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoons lime juice
120g  chicken breast cut into smallish bite sized pieces
150ml coconut milk
small red Thai chile peppers, slightly crushed (to taste)
coriander (cilantro) leaves to garnish.

Note the number of red peppers is a personal choice. It can be as few as half a chilli per diner, to
as many as 8-10 per diner, but the dish should retain a balance of flavors and not be over whelmend by the chili peppers. We suggest about 8-12 chili peppers for this recipe.

Method

Heat the stock, add the lime leaves, lemongrass, galangal, fish sauce, and lime juice. Stir thoroughly, bring to a boil, and add the chicken and coconut milk, then the chile peppers. Bring back to the boil, lower the heat to keep it simmering and cook for about 2 minutes (until the chicken is cooked through).
Enjoy!

Thai Beef Salad, “Yum Nuea”

Ingredients

500g beef. Any beef can be used such as the top sirloin used in this recipe.

Salad

1/4 cup sliced onions, separated
2 tomatoes, wedged
1/4 cup sliced cucumber
1/4 cup thinly sliced Thai chile peppers

Sauce

1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup lime juice
1 tablespoon sweet dark soy sauce
3 tablespoons minced garlic
3 tablespoons minced ginger
3 tablespoons chopped coriander/cilantro (including the roots)
1/4 cup chopped green onions (spring onions)
1/4 cup chopped shallots (small red or purple onions)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon chili oil

Barbeque the beef, and thinly slice it into bite sized pieces. Combine with the salad ingredients, and mix
the sauce and toss the whole.

Serving

Serve with sticky rice, lettuce, condiments and dipping sauce. You can also put a few thai green peppercorns
on the bbq and add them with the garnish (makes a very nice touch, as this all goes together very well).

Condiments

Serve with the usual Thai condiments. You can also add fish sauce, dark sweet soy, and sriracha sauce if you wish.

dips

A useful “auxiliary dipping sauce” is made by mixing one part dark soy with one part Worcestershire sauce, one
part fish sauce and one part hot mustard.

Another dipping sauce is the following (known as nam prik narok in Thai, it is translated as “Hell Fire Sauce” in English).

Ingredients

oil to deep fry
2 pound of filleted white fleshed freshwater fish
2 cups Thai chile peppers
1/2 cup garlic
1/2 cup shallots
3 tablespoons shrimp paste
1/4 cup fish sauce
3-4 tablespoons palm sugar.

Flake the fish and deep fry until the flakes turn golden brown. Chop the chilis, shallots and garlic, then [charcoal] broil them briefly and beat the ingredients together in a mortar and pestle or food processor to form a smooth paste.
Place in a small saucepan or wok and cook on medium high until the mixture forms a bubbling paste.

The resultant sauce paste may be stored, when cold, in a tight fitting jar, for several weeks.

Variants:

This can also be made with pork (yum moo), or even with shrimp (yum khoong). An interesting variant is to use thinly sliced luncheon meat or even Spam. Vegetarians can experiment with using a julienned vegetable mix in place of the meat.

Thai Green Curry

Ingredients

1 cup chopped shallots
2 stalks fresh lemongrass (remove outer layer, thinly slice lower 6 inches of each stalk)
2 large cloves garlic
1 tablespoon chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro stems
1-2 tablespoons Thai green curry paste
1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 13 oz can coconut milk
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
1 14 oz package wide rice noodles
1 1/2 lb large shrimp

Method

Puree shallots, lemongrass, garlic, ginger and cilantro stems in blender with curry paste, sugar, salt, turmeric powder, and water until as smooth as possible (about 1 minute). Heat oil in a wide heavy pot over moderate heat until not but not smoking, then cook curry paste mixture, stirring frequently, until it just begins to stick to bottom of pot (8 to 10 minutes). Add coconut milk and broth and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 3 2/3 cups (8 to 10 minutes).

While sauce simmers, cook noodles in a pot of boiling salted water, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until tender (4 to 6 minutes). Drain in a colander and rinse under cold water. Drain noodles well and divide among 4 large bowls.

Add shrimp to sauce and simmer, stirring, until just cooked through. Remove from heat and ladle over noodles. Serve and enjoy!
Source: Gourmet November 2005

Pairing food with herbs & spices…

Herbs and spices can be so intimidating.  Given the fact that they have the power to either completely make a dish or ruin it, I decided to give an easy reference list to foods that they generally pair well with.

SPICES:

Allspice – Apples, beets, cabbage, caramel, cardamom, cinnamon, foie gras, game meats, ginger, juniper, nuts, nutmeg, onions, pears, poultry, pumpkin, root vegetables, seafood

Anise – Apples, beets, beef, caramel, carrots, chocolate, citrus, cinnamon, coconut, cranberry, figs, foie gras, game meats, root vegetables, seafood, stone fruits, tea

Caraway – Beets, cabbage, cheese, cured meats, dill, fennel, garlic, nuts, mushrooms, onions, oregano, potatoes, root vegetables, sausage, seafood, yeast breads

Cardamom – Apples, bananas, beans, caramel, cinnamon, citrus, coconut, coffee, coriander, curry, dates, ginger, grains, grains of paradise, nuts, pepper, pumpkin, sugar, squash, yeast breads

Chiles – Bananas, beans, cheese, cilantro, cinnamon, citrus, chocolate, coconut, corn, cumin, basil, beef, garlic, ginger, grains, oregano, potatoes, poultry, seafood, tropical fruits

Cinnamon – Allspice, apples, bananas, beans, caramel, cardamom, chiles, chocolate, clove, coffee, cranberry, curry, dates, game meats, figs, foie gras, ginger, grains, nutmeg, pumpkin, stone fruit, sugar, squash, tea, vanilla

Clove – Apples, beets, cinnamon, citrus, foie gras, game meats, ginger, grains of paradise, nuts, nutmeg, peaches, pineapple, pumpkin, root vegetables, sausages, stone fruit, tomatoes, vanilla

Coriander – Bananas, beans, cilantro, cumin, cured meats, curry, game meats, mint, parsley, poultry, root vegetables, seafood, tomatoes

Cumin – Avocados, beans, beef, cilantro, citrus, coconut, cucumber, garlic, grains, mango, mint, onion, parsley, poultry, sausages, seafood, tomatoes

Fennel – Artichokes, anise, apples, artichokes, basil, beans, blue cheese, cabbage, cilantro, dill, eggplant, figs, garlic, olives, onions, oregano, parsley, potatoes, thyme, tomato, sausage, seafood, veal

Fenugreek – Allspice, beans, cumin, cardamom, chiles, cinnamon, curry, game meats, ginger, potatoes, poultry

Ginger – Allspice, anise, asparagus, bananas, carrots, chiles, chives, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, cloves, coconut, coriander, cranberry, cumin, curry, dates, fennel, figs, garlic, jasmine, nutmeg, onions, pears, pepper, poultry, pumpkin, raisins, root vegetables, rose, seafood, stone fruits, sugar, tea, tropical fruits

Horseradish – Apples, beef, beets, blue cheese, capers, chives, citrus, cured meats, dill, nuts, mustard, onions, potatoes, sausage, seafood, root vegetables, vinegar

Juniper – Allspice, beef, blue cheese, cabbage, cilantro, cured meats, game meats, garlic, lavender, olives, oregano pepper, poultry, rosemary, veal, vinegar

Mustard – Anchovy, anise, asparagus, beef, beets, blue cheese, cabbage, capers, chiles, cured meats, fennel, honey, poultry, root vegetables, sausage, seafood, vinegar, yeast bread

Nutmeg – Allspice, asparagus, blue cheese, cabbage, carrots, cinnamon, cheese, clove, coffee, cranberries, cumin, eggs, foie gras, ginger, green beans, pasta, peaches, pumpkin, potato, sausage, sugar, vanilla, veal

Pepper – Allspice, artichokes, asparagus, beef, blue cheese, cheese, cinnamon, citrus, eggs, figs, foie gras, game meats, ginger, mushrooms, pineapple, poultry, seafood, sugar, tomatoes

Saffron – Basil, bay, berries, chives, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, cumin, curry, fennel, garlic, ginger, grains, mint, parsley, poultry, sausage, seafood, tomatoes

Sesame – Bananas, beans, cinnamon, citrus, coconut, eggplant, game meats, garlic, ginger, leafy greens, nuts, mustard, onions, pasta, pepper, poultry, root vegetables, rosemary, seafood, stone fruits, thyme, vinegar, yeast bread

Vanilla – Apples, bananas, caramel, chocolate, chiles, cinnamon, citrus, coconut, coffee, dates, figs, lavender, nuts, shell fish, stone fruit, tropical fruit

HERBS:

Below I have listed herbs and their pairing, but bare in mind the foods on the list are generalized. For instance, poultry could be chicken, duck, turkey, quail, or ostrich. Similar results could be had with pork and veal as well. Citrus includes lemons, limes, oranges, and the like. Grains could be rice, oatmeal, or quinoa. Of course, those foods do not all taste the same, but they all combine favorably with the title flavor.

There are foods that do not appear on the list, such as rhubarb, which will respond like foods with a similar effect, such as citrus, cranberries, tamarind, and tropical fruits. Experiment have fun with them see what you prefer

Basil – Artichokes, beef, blue cheese, coconut, eggplant, figs, garlic, leafy vegetables, mint, mushrooms, olives, oregano, parsley, peaches, poultry, raspberries, rosemary, seafood, thyme, tomato, vinegar

Bay – Artichokes, apples, bananas, beans, beef, blue cheese, citrus, dates, figs, game meats, grains, mushrooms, nuts, potatoes, poultry, seafood, stone fruits, tamarind, thyme, tomatoes

Chervil – Artichokes, asparagus, carrots, cheese, chives, citrus, eggs, grains, green beans, leafy vegetables, mushrooms, nuts, onions, parsley, pasta, potatoes, seafood, tarragon, thyme, vinegar

Chives – Asparagus, beets, blue cheese, chervil, dill, eggs, horseradish, leafy greens, mushrooms, olives, pasta, parsley, potatoes, seafood, tarragon

Cilantro – Avocados, beef, chiles, citrus, coconut, coriander, corn, cumin, curry, dates, fennel, figs, garlic, mint, oregano, pepper, sausage, seafood, tomatoes, yogurt

Dill – Anise, beets, blue cheese, cabbage, caraway, carrots, chives, cucumbers, eggs, fennel, mint, oregano, parsley, potatoes, seafood, tarragon, tomatoes, veal, yeast bread

Fennel – Artichokes, anise, apples, artichokes, basil, beans, blue cheese, cabbage, cilantro, dill, eggplant, figs, garlic, olives, onions, oregano, parsley, potatoes, thyme, tomato, sausage, seafood, veal

Lavender – Anise, apples, berries, cranberry, fennel, figs, foie gras, game meats, garlic, juniper, rose, rosemary, thyme, olives, oregano, potato, sage, stone fruit, sugar, tarragon, tea

Lemongrass – Berries, carrots, chiles, cilantro, coriander, coconut, curry, garlic, onions, pepper, poultry, parsley, seafood, tea, thyme, tomato

Mint – Basil, beans, beef, carrots, chocolate, cilantro, citrus, coconut, coriander, cranberry, eggplant, fennel, figs, game meats, garlic, grains, parsley, poultry, seafood, tea, yogurt

Oregano – Artichokes, basil, beans, beef, blue cheese, cinnamon, cumin, eggplant, fennel, garlic, mushrooms, nuts, parsley, pasta, poultry, seafood, squash, thyme, tomatoes, veal

Parsley – Artichokes, asparagus, basil, bay, beans, beef, chervil, chives, dill, game meats, garlic, mushrooms, grains, onions, oregano, pasta, potatoes, poultry, seafood, thyme, tomatoes

Rosemary – Apples, asparagus, basil, beans, beef, blue cheese, caramel, citrus, cranberry, game meats, garlic, grains, fennel, figs, mushrooms, nuts, onion, oregano, parsley, potatoes, poultry, raisins, sage, seafood, sugar, thyme, tomatoes

Sage – Anchovy, capers, citrus, cranberry, beef, blue cheese, game meats, garlic, green beans, lavender, mushrooms, nuts, parsley, plums, poultry, rosemary, seafood, thyme, veal

Sorrel – Chives, beans, beef, blue cheese, eggs, leafy greens, oregano, parsley, poultry, thyme, seafood, squash

Tarragon – Artichokes, carrots, chervil, citrus, eggs, foie gras, garlic, leafy greens, mushrooms, onion, oregano, parsley, potatoes, poultry, seafood, thyme, tomatoes, veal

Thyme – Artichokes, bananas, basil, bay, beans, blue cheese, carrots, chervil, citrus, cranberry, dates, dill, figs, mint, mushrooms, nuts, onion, oregano, parsley, potatoes, poultry, raisins, sage, seafood, stone fruit, tomatoes