There is something to be said for The Naked Chef. He has deconstructed recipes and made them so simple to follow that Alekhya routinely rustles up something from his books. While I'm a particular fan of 'Jamie's Dinners', the Naked Chef has lots to relish, as we did this weekend.
I finally gave in to Lola's good advice and decided to try a packet of the frozen Bhasa fish fillets that we find on Dorabjee's. After having thawed them, Maa ( who was over and seems to be happy to make us dinner regularly) and I decided we'd pan fry them in olive oil and butter. They came out perfectly, just as Jamie said they would: golden brown and smelling divine. The Lemon Butter was infused with parsley and herbs and lemon and capers. Generously poured over the fish and accompanied with spring onion mash potatoes, we feasted and dreamed of sunny days by the sea side, transported to Goa which seemed a good choice on a hopelessly wet Saturday night.
Try it. Its simple. And effective. The fish was perfect, firm and fresh. The lemon butter was fragrant and delicious. We had to swirl it around in the pan after frying the fish, and mopped up the fish juices> We swirled till it turned caramel and added the herbs last ( so they wouldnt burn).
Try it. The rains will seem very far away.
Monday, July 18, 2011
Thursday, June 30, 2011
In love with Thai food!
15th May 2011:
Finally we leave on a long-planned and eagerly awaited holiday! Thai food was one of the reasons we chose Thailand over Malayasiaor a return trip to Singapore. And Thailand never disappointed even once!
Post a terrible flight with awful food ( KingFisher cattle class), Swarnabhumi Airport was heaven! Managed to grab a really good Phad Thai and Green Curry on Level 2, en route to Koh Samui. Swasdheeha to Thailand indeed!! :)
Our two weeks in Samui were pure bliss :) While the hotel breakfast was boringly predictable but nice ( we did get some amazing fresh fruit every day), we explored the island on our little honda scooter when we were't devouring muffins and pretzels on dive trips with Dive-Wishes & More (www.dive-wishes.com). Tom Ottlik was the perfect German host, ensuring a taste of authentic carrot muffins and salty pretzels, a very delightful snack post some very hunger-inducing dives! He also made sure the divers and snorkellers ate good thai food on various little islands.
Around Samui, we discovered the "Duck Shop", run by a local chef. It's offerings were small but delicious: duck noodle soup, duck roast, duck platter, pork noodle soup. Nothing quite like roast duck, brown and caramelly, freshly prepared to your liking. The small joint was popular and very cheap, and we ate many satisfying lunches there! The Duck Shop is on Mae Nam Beach, on the main road.
The La Salsa restaurant is run by a Belgian with a dog. The place is slow and quiet but wholly in harmony with Samui: peaceful, laid back and idyllic with it's view over the paddy fields and hills. We relished Thai Green Curry, Pork and rice soup, barbeque prawns, roast pork..... we went back a few times and were more than happy with the food there. La Salsa is also at Mae Nam.
One rainy, thundery night, Robin and I managed to find shelter in a packed local joint that claimed to have the best Hot Pot in town. I'm not sure if it was Steam Boat or Hot Pot but since it was crowded with locals we decided to try it out. Despite the rain-induced muck and the flies buzzing around at 11pm, we valiantly filled our little plastic baskets with veggies, herbs, noodles and assorted meats. The locals smiled and looked at us amused! The lovely lady who owned the joint and knew some english came and helped us get started. Soon we had our iron steam boat and kettle of hot water bubbling merrily on our table. Robin was in charge of the meat and I played with the herbs and noodles. The fragrant steam was heavenly and provided warmth in the cold rainy night. We tried beef, pork and fish. Interesting, but I think Steam boat is best enjoyed with a large party, not when you re wet, cold and starving!
Finally we leave on a long-planned and eagerly awaited holiday! Thai food was one of the reasons we chose Thailand over Malayasiaor a return trip to Singapore. And Thailand never disappointed even once!
Post a terrible flight with awful food ( KingFisher cattle class), Swarnabhumi Airport was heaven! Managed to grab a really good Phad Thai and Green Curry on Level 2, en route to Koh Samui. Swasdheeha to Thailand indeed!! :)
Our two weeks in Samui were pure bliss :) While the hotel breakfast was boringly predictable but nice ( we did get some amazing fresh fruit every day), we explored the island on our little honda scooter when we were't devouring muffins and pretzels on dive trips with Dive-Wishes & More (www.dive-wishes.com). Tom Ottlik was the perfect German host, ensuring a taste of authentic carrot muffins and salty pretzels, a very delightful snack post some very hunger-inducing dives! He also made sure the divers and snorkellers ate good thai food on various little islands.
The La Salsa restaurant is run by a Belgian with a dog. The place is slow and quiet but wholly in harmony with Samui: peaceful, laid back and idyllic with it's view over the paddy fields and hills. We relished Thai Green Curry, Pork and rice soup, barbeque prawns, roast pork..... we went back a few times and were more than happy with the food there. La Salsa is also at Mae Nam.
One rainy, thundery night, Robin and I managed to find shelter in a packed local joint that claimed to have the best Hot Pot in town. I'm not sure if it was Steam Boat or Hot Pot but since it was crowded with locals we decided to try it out. Despite the rain-induced muck and the flies buzzing around at 11pm, we valiantly filled our little plastic baskets with veggies, herbs, noodles and assorted meats. The locals smiled and looked at us amused! The lovely lady who owned the joint and knew some english came and helped us get started. Soon we had our iron steam boat and kettle of hot water bubbling merrily on our table. Robin was in charge of the meat and I played with the herbs and noodles. The fragrant steam was heavenly and provided warmth in the cold rainy night. We tried beef, pork and fish. Interesting, but I think Steam boat is best enjoyed with a large party, not when you re wet, cold and starving!
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