Local and seasonal.
Sometimes though, food combinations come together in the strangest of ways; flashes of genius, even if I say so myself ...
Armadillos!
Armadillos? Soft on the inside, crunchy on the outside!
I have some cottage cheese that wanted finishing. So, what to do? Shallow fried? Why the hell not!
Mix together your cottage cheese with tapioca starch (or manioc flour, or polviho azedo, or whatever you call it in your language ... I guess rice flour would do at a push). I kept adding flour and mixing until it made a stodgy puck.
Add in some flavour - I went with asafoetida and a minced chilli. In retrospect, a little salt would have been good.
Into about an inch of hot coconut oil drop balls of this mixture in and let it fry off. The balls will rise to the surface as they cook. Retrieve onto a piece of kitchen roll to absorb the excess fat and enjoy!
They puff up, crisp up and have a gorgeous crispy, chewy texture.
Swordfish Curry
Delicious as the cheese balls are, they're not a meal ...
I made up a main of roasted red peppers, red onion, garlic and chilli, blended to make a wet sauce into which went quartered cherry tomatoes, pieces of squash and pieces of courgette to cook through.
Once reduced, I stirred through cubes of swordfish, added a few peas, some ground coriander, fresh coriander, poppy seeds, black pepper and celery salt for a vibrant punch of flavour.
Garnish with fresh coriander, serve with the cheese balls and a light rocket salad of leaves, thin sliced cucumber, poppy seeds, cider vinegar, splash of olive oil, a little sea salt and some pine nuts.
Cracking!
