Goan Fish Curry

The Portuguese also traveled to the Americas and occupied parts southern India, and there is evidence to suggest they were responsible for the introduction of chillies to the region of Goa, which occupies part the south western coast of India. Having traveled through India and Goa I have had the chance to taste some of the fantastic food the subcontinent has to offer.

All through Goa you can buy this delicious fish curry, often made with Pomfret, though any firm white flesh fish will do. The beauty of Goan cuisine is its diversty of influences. Unlike other parts of India, the major religion here is Christianity which means people are free to eat beef and pork, which are off limits to many Hindu and Muslim Indians. Along with this, the influence of the Portuguese has meant you can find spicy Goan sausage and other Portuguese influences scattered throughout menus. Finally, the climate and location mean that tropical fruit and coconut trees grow well here and these in turn find their way onto your plate.

This fish curry combines the fish with a simple spice blend, a strong sour note of tamarind and thickened with fresh coconut. A really simple curry that really took me back to lazy days along the beaches of Goa.

Bacalao al ajo arriero

As the Spanish spread through the Americas they too discovered capsicum and chilli and brought it home to Spain. Today capsicum and chilli play a pivotal part in Spanish cuisine, particularly through the use of pimenton, or Spanish paprika. Pimenton is made from dried ground bell peppers and has a distinctive smokey flavour and is used in a variety of Spanish dishes, and is used to spice sausages such as chorizo.

The dish I have chosen to make is quintessentially Spanish. The combination of salt cod, or bacalao which is a key ingredient throughout Spain and Portugal, along with roasted capsicum and combined with tomato and smokey pimenton, is perhaps the antithesis of the mole poblano in terms of simplicity, but definitely partnered in terms of balance. A close tie for dish of the week, this dish illustrated what I believe to be the simple essence of Spanish cuisine. The peppers were roasted and blackened in the oven, which develops their sweetness and brings out their innate smoky flavour. Salt cod has a wonderful strong fishy flavour and firm texture and while it is soaked and rinsed many times, still holds a salty taste. The acidity in the tomatoes cuts this saltiness down and the addition of good quality pimenton lifts this dish to another level. The addition of freshly chopped parsley brings a freshness to the dish which completes the balance. This dish is a real winner and was quick and easy to prepare and will definitely find its way back onto our menu.

Picadillo

The second dish I have chosen, which is also from the Americas, is one which we should be familiar with but not by the same name. Picadillo is derived the Spanish work "picar" which means "to mince" or "to chop" and is a made from minced beef which is spiced and can be mixed with vegetables. In the US this dish is often just referred to as "chilli" and in Australia we often use it to fill our tacos. Across the Americas you will find it served up on rice or even as the filling for empanadas. The recipe I used was relatively dry compared to the Australian version and the spice came from jalapenos which provided a more pepper like hotness than using dried chillies or powder.

Oven Roasted Chicken Maryland with Mole Poblano

Researching the history of the capsicum really opened my mind up to the history of what is definitely one of my favourite ingredients. I am going to refer to bell peppers as capsicums and chillies as chillies this week so as not to confuse you - or myself for that matter. Since chillies originated in the Americas, at least as early as 7500 BC and have been cultivated there since 6000 BC, it is fitting that I choose a dish to match. The first dish out of the kitchen this week is a Mexican classic, chicken with mole poblano. Now, for most Australians we have only been exposed to the "Tex Mex" served up at establishments like Montezuma's with nachos, tacos and burritos. However true Mexican cuisine is far removed from these dishes.

Mole poblano - what a fantastic sauce which is like nothing else I have tasted! The incredible depth of flavour in this sauce stems from the use of chillies. I used three types of chillies, and over 10 chillies in all. However before you envisage your face turning a bright red and steam pouring from your ears like a Warner Brothers cartoon from one spoonful, think again. Two of the types of chillies I used were very mild. I used dried mulato and pastilla chillies which have a rich, complex taste and intoxicating fragrance. I paired these with a habenero chilli which is incredibly hot, but equally fragrant when cooked. The sauce also contained tomato, almonds, raisins, spices such as cinnamon and cloves and a small amount of dark chocolate. The sauce is a perfect example of building depth in flavour. Like the construction of harmonies in music, each flavour strikes a different note and the experience in your mouth starts with the scent of spice and chilli, then moves to the spice and nutty sweetness on the palette and finishes with a warm heat from the chilli and touch of bitterness from the chocolate. Roasted or smoked chicken is the perfect match for this mexican culinary masterpiece.

Capsicum

This week's ingredient is...CAPSICUM. So here in Australia use the term capsicum to describe one variety of capsicum which are generically called bell peppers. The term capsicum actually refers to a whole genus of plants native to the Americas but is now cultivated and used widely in cuisines around the world. The genus includes what we commonly know as chilli, jalapenos, cayenne pepper and a range of others ranging in taste from sweet to very hot such as the habenero. Capsicum has been part of the human diet since at least 7500BC. In 1493 Diego Álvarez Chanca, who was a doctor aboard Columbus' second voyage to the West Indies in 1493, brought the first chillies to Spain. Around this time the Spanish, who occupied Mexico, traded heavily with Asia and it was through this trading that chillies spread to India, China and the rest of Asia. Chillies are also thought to have been spread by the Portuguese to who occupied the southern states of India. Today capsicums of all varieties are used across the globe in a stunning range of cuisines and used in many varied ways. This week I am going to only be able to showcase a minuscule amount of dishes that use this phenomenal ingredient. In truth I could take you across the globe with chilli - its penetration is so deep and ingrained today in so many dishes.

Individual Egg Custards with Cinnamon Soldiers

With eggs as this weeks ingredient I couldn't wait too long before heading to desserts. This dessert was inspired by Melbourne-based chef Shannon Bennett, who I believe does something along the same lines. This dish is a play on my earliest memories of eating eggs - soft boiled in an egg cup with little "soldiers" of toast. I loved this as a kid, there was something so satisfying about dipping the toast in the cracked open egg and lifting it out covered in rich steaming yolk. To make this into a dessert I filled some cracked open egg shells with a rich steaming custard made with fresh eggs, sugar, vanilla bean and milk, and slowly heated over a low heat until it coated the back of a spoon, and sprinkled with a touch of nutmeg. I then made french toast with double cream and dusted it in a cinnamon sugar. This was a terribly moorish dessert and one that the heart foundation will never give the tick to.

Trio of Omelette

Sifting through the way eggs are used in different cuisines one thing was evident and that was that so many of them had their own version of what we would call an omelette. I decided to showcase this by choosing three of the more famous variations. The first version had to be the classic French omelette. There seems to be a lot of discussion on what makes a true French omelette, but from my research this omelette is only just cooked and when folded over often is still a touch runny on the inside. I did choose to fill this omelette which may stray form the classic style but is an accepted addition. I mixed through a blend of parsley, chives and tarragon to start with and filled it with a light layer of ashed chevre. The second of the three was the stalwart and icon of the Spanish tapas menu, tortilla patatas. This omelette has a layer of potato and onion at the base and is cooked in the pan and finished off under the grill. I added a slice or two of chorizo sausage to add a little spice. It really is a great simple Spanish dish and the key is not over cooking the potatoes so they hold their form and cooking evenly by finishing off under the grill. The last omelette is the Japanese Tamagoyaki, a rolled omelette flavoured with soy sauce, mirin and sometimes dashi. The key to this dish is definitely technique. The Japanese use a square pan and pour a little of the mixture down and then roll to one end of the pan and repeat this process rolling the new omelette into the previous one until you have a roll with many layers. I topped this with freshly grated daikon raddish and a sliver of shittake mushroom. I would not ever serve these three together in a restaurant as their flavours vary so much, however it was very interesting to sample these different takes on the humble omelette.

Bacon and Eggs

I thought I would start off this week with an egg dish that so many of us enjoy as a treat on a Saturday morning - bacon and eggs. I couldn't just whip up the usual though, so I decided to add a touch of class to this everyday dish. To start with, instead of regular hens' eggs I chose some fresh quail eggs. Next the bacon is gone and is replaced with a delicious prosciutto and even the toast had a face lift being traded in for a butter rich brioche. To add another dimension I whipped up a classic french hollandaise which is made from an emulsion of egg yolks, a lot of butter and vinegar or lemon juice. It really is the perfect sauce for eggs and is well worth the effort. To finish off the most decadent bacon and eggs I have ever made, a light sprinkle of truffle salt added a beautiful earthy smell and taste to finish it off.

Eggs

New week and a new ingredient, and this week it's Eggs. Although commercially hens' eggs are by far the most widely eaten in the world there are many different edible varieties. Duck, goose, quail, ostrich, guineafowl and gull eggs all appear in dishes across the world and avian eggs are the most commonly eaten. However in some cultures turtle and crocodile eggs are also considered a delicacy. Perhaps a delicacy that you may not immediately associate with eggs is caviar, which is the eggs or roe from a fish, usually the sturgeon or salmon. The most sought after caviar is that of the Beluga Sturgeon with some varieties reaching prices of up to $25,000 per kg. Needless to say, this will not appear in any dishes this week. The French use egg yolks in their classic sauces such as hollandaise, the whites beaten to soft peaks and used in souffle and of course the whole egg used to make a classic omelette. The Chinese use eggs widely in a variety of dishes including Fu-Yung eggs and the intimidating century egg which is preserved for several weeks to months until they turn dark green in colour. The Japanese use egg in classic dishes such as Okonomiyaki, a type of savoury pancake and Tamagoyaki, a rolled omelette. In Morocco you will undoubtedly find eggs cracked and cooked on the top of your kefta tagine. Wherever you are in the world eggs will find their way onto your plate in one form or another.