The chief reason that I do not post up in the traditional "Ingredients ... Method" manner is because I simply do not cook like that. Furthermore, I feel very strongly that primal eating should not be like that - it should be a case of taking what food we have and making the very best of that with what we have available rather than specifically buying in a bunch of ingredients to make up a meal verbatim, missing all the fun of impromptu cooking.
This very dish is put together in just that manner. In fact, all "curry" dishes are put together like that - start with the key ingredient and flavour it up with "store cupboard" ingredients.
Here, fish. Nothing Goan. North Atlantic Pollock.
So, the ingredients ...
- Seafood - the focus of the dish. Anything between half to a pound of seafood will do, any type, any origin, but make sure it is wild.
- Curry Paste - Make your own. Chop a large onion, some garlic, ginger, chillies, add cumin, coriander and turmeric at the least, fenugreek and asafoetida perfume things further. Black pepper and a little fish sauce for saltiness and more fishiness. Blend.
- Tomatoes - One or two will do. Any variety, but plum are probably best.
- Coconut Milk - one standard can. 400g, is it? Again, check the ingredients: coconut flesh and water will do just fine. If it's a little light, just beef it up with some dessicated coconut later on.
- Aromatics - Bay leaf and black mustard seeds.
- Boiled Egg - All meals are better with an egg, and this is perfect with a boiled egg over the top.
- Rice - White rice. If you don't do rice, cauliflower rice will do just fine or steamed greens would be gorgeous.
This will feed two.
... and the method:
Begin by preparing the fish. Gut, scale, fillet and skin ... or have your fishmonger do it for you. Pollock is a very cheap fish here in the UK, seen as a great alternative to cod and haddock, but does have a stronger structure perfect for curry. This pollock was fished from the North Atlantic.
Now, the tomatoes. Draw and X into the bottom of one or two tomatoes and immerse in boiling water for a minute. Remove and set aside to cool down.
Lower an egg into the water and boil it. 8-10 minutes for hard boiled.
Peel and chop an onion, a few cloves of garlic, some ginger, a few chillies and your spice blend: cumin, coriander and turmeric at the least, fenugreek and asafoetida also feature in mine, along with some cayenne pepper for a little more heat, black pepper and a good splash of fish sauce.
Blend the spice paste and fry off in some coconut oil in a skillet.
Drop in the fish, chopped into pieces along with some frozen prawns.
Open up a can of coconut milk. Something around 400ml will do fine. Pour it in and scatter in a tablespoon of dessicated coconut.
Push in a bay leaf and a tablespoon of black mustard seeds.
Let that simmer and reduce while you cook your rice, or steam your veggies, or whatever it is you're cooking to accompany. It will darken a touch as it reduces.
Ready to eat?
Serve up with the rice or veggies as a bed, spooning the curry over and chopped egg alongside. Garnish if you like - I did, with a few leaves of parsley.
Very good, indeed!
As I said above, this will feed two ... or one hungry Yorkshireman who, with a little self-restraint kept some back as leftovers for breakfast.
Combine the leftovers with some chopped lamb's liver and sliced mushrooms, stirring in a few peas if you like. Again, boiled egg alongside. Notice the double yolks? We've had loads of these recently - like two eggs for the price of one.
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| Goan Seafood & Liver Biryani. |
