Passport & Plate - Three Fingered Farmer's Fish Curry
Seychelles | Wednesday, February 19, 2014 | 4 photos
Ingredients
MASSALE:
1 tbs coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black peppercorns
4 cardamom pods, crushed with flat side of knife
1/2 tsp ground chilli
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
CURRY:
600g firm fresh fish (I used red snapper), cut into bite sized pieces
1 large onion, chopped
1-2 tbs massale
1 tsp ground turmeric
3 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 inch piece of ginger, grated
2 tsp dried thyme leaves
1-2 tbs tamarind paste (or lime juice with sugar)
1 can (400ml) coconut milk
How to prepare this recipeMASSALE:
Mix together and dry roast on a medium heat. Once fragrant (be careful not to burn it!), remove from pan into mortar & pestle and grind. Set aside for later.
CURRY:
Fry onions with a dash of oil if not using non-stick pans until they are soft and begin to release their smell, add the massale and turmeric and mix.
Once everything is awash with the golden turmeric, add the garlic, ginger and thyme. Continue heating until you can smell the garlic and ginger, then add the coconut milk and tamarind paste/lime juice.
Simmer, stirring occasionally for about 10 minutes to allow flavours to blend and thyme leaves to soften.
Add the fish and let cook until fish is tender and flakes when stabbed with a fork. Depending on the type of fish you use, and the size of the pieces, this can take about 20 minutes.
Serve with rice, on a sandy beach at sunset.
The story behind this recipeWhen I was 18, I travelled to the Seychelles for an internship in marine conservation. Coming from the busy and crowded Hong Kong, the quiet life of the Seychellois people came as a bit of a culture shock. The internship brought together people from all corners of the world, many of whom had had previous jobs and were chasing a lifelong dream; two of these people happened to be married. They also happened to be Italian and English. And chefs.
I had always loved cooking but never had the chance to cook for 25+ people before. I learnt so much from them, and soon enough, we were travelling around the islands to all the local dives together.
Living near us was a farmer who only had three fingers on one hand and four on the other. He was always friendly, teaching us to make things with breadfruit and laughing at us when we spluttered out his home-brewed traditional Seychellois version of moonshine. His laughter lines were etched across his sunkissed face, and he was always madly gesturing, while stumbling around asking us what we were doing with the fishes today. When we found a kitten and gave it to him, he fed it bread and milk and carried it everywhere with a big grin.
One day he caught a fish and invited us over for dinner. This fish curry is what he cooked. This was the meal that his late wife made when he realised he loved her. He proposed to her that same night. When he said he'd share the recipe with us, I knew he was sharing a bit of his heart.
Every time I make this meal, I miss the him and I miss the Seychelles. It brings back the warmth of the sun and the heat of the sand; the splash of the waves as they break on my feet. Going there, meeting the people and learning their stories brought me out of my shell in a way I could not imagine. This recipe reminds me of the value of adventure.
Having said that, it's no bat curry.
