40-Day House Dry Aged, Reverse-Seared Ribeye with Carmelized Onions & Mushrooms

This post sets a record and a few firsts. The new record is the length of the title: it is the longest of any post that I have written on this blog over the past eighteen years. As for the firsts, this post is the first time that I have cooked with a house dry-aged steak, the first time I have utilized a reverse searing technique, and the first time that I have prepared this side of caramelized onions and mushrooms. All together, this is also the first time that I have ever enjoyed a steak like no other that I have ever had before. 

It all began with an advertisement from my local butcher, Chop Shop Butchery. They advertised a wine tasting that featured a Portuguese red blend, a Spanish white roija and an Italian pink prosecco. All three wines caught my attention and, well, it is the Chop Shop, which I had not visited in a while. There were some meat-related items that I was definitely interested in buying while I was there. 

However, I ended up buying something that I never thought I would ... a dry aged steak. I travel a lot and eat at many different steakhouses. Some of the higher-end steakhouses boast of their dry aged steaks, which usually come with a sticker price over $100 for the experience. There is something inside of me that objects to spending that much for a steak, especially when I can buy one of a fraction of the cost and prepare it myself. When I went to the Chop Shop, I saw their in-house, dry aged ribeyes, and I asked the question: how much per pound? It was still a lot of money, especially for one steak. But, it was a lot less than what I would pay at the restaurant. Of course, I have to donate the labor needed to prepare the steak, something that I was more than willing to do. 

Given it was the first time that I was working with this type of meat, I decided that I would do another first ... reverse sear the steak. Now, I have made many steaks over the course of my life. (This blog serves as evidence of that fact.) However, my typical preparation, whether on a grill or a pan, is to sear first and then finish off at a lower temperature. I have not done the reverse ... start low and slow and finish off on a grill or under the broiler. 

The end product is perhaps the best steak that I have ever had. All of the steaks that I have eaten in the past follow a typical pattern: a nice crust-like envelope encasing medium rare to rare meat. And, while I love that pattern, this meal opened my eyes to what I have been missing. The dry-aged beef had the softest texture that I have ever experienced with beef. I could never picture a bite of a ribeye that could "melt in my mouth." But, this steak came very close to that experience. 

And, to go over the top, I prepared a side of caramelized onions and mushrooms, which was also perhaps the best side that I have ever made for a steak. The side helped make the entire meal something that I could have experienced during a meal at a high end steak house. My bill was a fraction of that cost. And, I enjoyed every minute of it. 

40-DAY HOUSE AGED, REVERSE-SEARED RIBEYE WITH CARMELIZED ONIONS AND MUSHROOMS

Ribeye Recipe from Steak Locker; Onion Recipe from Chef Bolek

Serves 1 Hungry Chef

Ingredients (for the steak):

• 1 ribeye steak, dry-aged for 40 days (buy from a local butcher)
• Sea salt
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 sprig rosemary
• A few sprigs thyme
• 3 tablespoons butter

Ingredients (for the Onions and Mushrooms):

• 1 Vidalia onion, sliced with 1/4 to 1/8 inch slices
• 8 ounces portabello mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt
• 1 tablespoon Port
• 1 tablespoon thyme, chopped
• 1 teaspoon flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns

Directions:

1. Prepare the mushrooms. Heat a cast iron or other pan over high heat. Add the mushrooms with a healthy pinch of Kosher salt, stirring occasionally until they start to release their water and begin to cook down. Add one tablespoon of olive oil, a pinch of black pepper, and continue to cook the mushrooms until they have browned. Remove the mushrooms from the pan to the bowl and set aside. 

2. Prepare the onions. Heat an cast iron pan over high heat. Add the onions, a healthy pinch of Kosher salt, and stir occasionally until the onions begin to release their water and begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining tablespoon of olive oil, lower the heat a little, and stir occasionally until the onions are cooked down and brown. Add the Port and stir the onions, cooking about 1-2 minutes longer. Remove the onions to the pan and add them to the mushrooms. Mix the onions with the mushrooms. 

3. Prepare the steak. Season the steak on all sides with sea salt. Heat the oven at 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Add the steak and begin to cook the steak low and slow for 45 minutes. Check the temperature. Continue cooking the steak until it reaches 135 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the steak and set aside.

4. Finish the steak. Heat the oven to 500 degrees. Add the cast iron skillet to the oven for 20-30 minutes. Once the cast iron pan is heated, place on the stove top, add 2-3 tablespoons of butter, 1-2 cloves of garlic, springs of rosemary and thyme. Add the steaks and sear for 2 minutes on each side. Remove the steaks, tent with aluminum for 10 minutes, and then serve. 

5. Finish the onions and mushrooms. Return the onions amd mushrooms to a pan over medium, heat. stir. Add the thyme, parsley, and pink peppercorns

PEACE.

City Chicken

There was a trend at one point in American culinary history where cooks would create "mock" dishes. One such dish was "mock chicken." As early as 1908, there were recipes -- such as one that appeared the Winchester News (a newspaper in Winchester, Kentucky) that called for two pounds of veal being cut up into pieces, breaded and fried in oil. "This is excellent," the article boasted, "equal to fried chicken."

By 1926, "mock chicken" got a new name, "city chicken." Newspapers, like one in Binghamton, New York, and another in Washington, D.C., published recipes for "city chicken." The moniker came from an article published in a Binghamton, New York newspaper. The recipes followed the initial steps of mock chicken, starting with 1 pound of veal and 1 pound of pork. The instructions called for the meat to be cut into chunks and then threaded onto wooden skewers. The skewers were then rolled in beaten eggs and cracker crumbs. The breaded skewers were then fried in a pan until browned on all sides. At this point, one would have been "equal to fried chicken," but these recipes went a few steps further. They called for the browned chicken skewers to be put in a roaster with two cups of water (or alternatively, add the water to the pan), covered and then cooked for an additional length of time. Once the skewers were finished, one was supposed to remove the skewers, add a cup of "rich milk" and then make a gravy.  The mock chicken got all dressed up. 

By the time of the Great Depression, the city chicken became a very popular dish. The reason involved basic economics: chicken was too expensive. There were no factory farms at the time, and, the farms that existed needed chickens more for their eggs than their meat. (A dead chicken produces no eggs; a dead rooster ultimately meant no new chicks.)  Given the scarcity of chicken meat, and consequently, its high price, most Americans -- who were already struggling to make ends meet -- turned to beef, pork and even veal. This reality was one of the reasons why pork farmers referred to pork as "the other white meat." The farmers were not boasting about the health benefits of eating pork, they were trying to convince people to substitute cheaper pork for the chicken that they really wanted.  Moreover, the dish returned to its more basic "fried chicken" roots, with the extra steps for "gravy" disappearing from recipes. 

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Eventually, chicken became more abundant and, as a result, more affordable. Yet, city chicken lived on, mainly in immigrant communities and working class families across the midwestern United States. Polish and Ukrainian families -- from Detroit, Michigan to Scranton, Pennsylvania, and many points in between -- adopted the dish. That was the case for my family, even as late as the 1980s. I can recall my grandmother making city chicken for us to eat, as well as extra servings that would be frozen and taken home with us for dinners on other days.   

As is the case with many dishes, city chicken began to recede on to the pages of history. As I grew up and moved out, I never thought about the dish, let alone prepared it or ate it. It was not something that I searched out, and, having moved out of the Midwest, it was not something that readily appeared on menus or tables where I lived. Yet, on a recent trip to visit my parents, I was sitting at the kitchen table and I got to thinking about city chicken and my childhood. The memories of seeing breaded pork skewers, both in the freezer and on the plate came back to me. I then decided that it was time to try to make this recipe myself. It would be the first time that I have ever made City Chicken and it would decades after I had last eaten the dish. 

I found a recipe from a PBS Western Reserve, which is the public broadcasting service in Cleveland, Ohio. That seemed appropros. I followed the recipe, but, my lack of artistic skills revealed themselves as my skewers resembled anything but chicken legs. Still, the endeavor was worth it. A chance to revisit a little of my own culinary history, as well as the more broader American culinary history. 

CITY CHICKEN

Recipe from PBS Western Reserve

Serve 4

Ingredients:

• 1 whole pork tenderloin
• 6 6-inch bamboo skewers
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Dried thyme
• 1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 2 eggs, beaten or more, as needed
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, or as needed
• 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, or as needed
• 2 cups vegetable oil, or as needed

Directions:

1. Prepare the pork. Cut tenderloin into three sections, the thick center section and the two end sections. Cut the thinner end portion into chunks. Slice the thick center section lengthwise into even halves. Cut the center sections and thicker end portion into 1/2-inch slices. 

2. Prepare the skewers. Thread the pork pices, starting with the smallest pieces and working up to wider pieces, onto each skewer to resemble chicken drumsticks. Season skewered "drumsticks" with salt, black pepper, thyme and cayenne pepper on all sides. 

3. Prepare the breading. Whisk eggs together in a bowl. Pour flour into another bowl. Put the bread crumbs into a third bowl. Gently press the "drumsticks" into flour to coat and shake to remove excess fluor. Dip "drumsticks" into egg and press into bread crumbs. Place finished drumsticks on a plate in a single layer and refrigerate, uncovered for 15 minutes. 

4. Finish the dish. Heat the oil in a cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until the suface of the oil is shimmering. Cook "drumsticks" in the hot oil until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towl lined plate, lest rest for five minutes. Season with salt and serve immediatey.  

PEACE.

Turkey Giblets a la Bourgeoisie

"... if it be true that real happiness consists in making others happy, the author can at least feel a sense of gratification in the thought that his attempts to satisfy the cravings of the inner man have not been wholly un-appreciated by the any he has had the pleasure of serving...."

-- Rufus Estes

Rufus Estes has a story, and quite the story it is. He was born a slave in 1857 in Murray County, Tennessee. He was the youngest of a family that included seven boys and two girls, all of whom -- with their mother -- were owned by D.J. Estes. When the Civil War broke out, the male slaves ran away to join the Union forces, leaving the younger kids to work the plantations. Rufus carried water from the spring to the house, drove cattle to and from the pasture, and did other work. 

After the war ended, Rufus's mother moved her family to Nashville, Tennessee. Rufus sought work, whether it was milking cows (for which he was paid $2.00 per month) or carrying hot dinners to workers in the field (for which he was paid $0.25 per month), Rufus gave all of his earnings to his mother. By the age of sixteen, Rufus got work at Hemphills, a fine dining establishment in Nashville. By the age of twenty-four, he had emigrated north and found a job at a restaurant in Chicago. 

Rufus Estes

Two years later, Rufus Estes started on a track that would define the rest of his life. He got a job with the Pullman Service, which he held for fourteen years. Estes recalled that "some of the most prominent people in the world traveled in the car assigned to me, as I was selected to handle all special parties." The "special parties" included Henry Morton Stanley, the explorer; two Presidents, Grover Cleveland and Benjamin Harrison; and many others.  After leaving the Pullman Service, Estes was hired to run a private car for the president of the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gould Railroad, which he worked from 1897 to 1907, and, thereafter, he worked as a chef for United States Steel Corporation in Chicago. 

After a career of serving as a chef to the rich and powerful, Rufes Estes became an author, writing Good Things to Eat as Suggested by Rufus: A Collection Practical Recipes for Preparing Meats, Game, Fowl, Fish, Puddings, Pastries, Etc. Published in 1911, his book represents one of the first cookbooks written and published by an African American chef. The recipes contained in that cookbook represent, in Estes' own words, "the labor of years." Estes' labor opens windows into the past, offering glimpses of what people prepared and ate during the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, as well as views of what the elite ate in the palace cars that ran the rails from coast to coast. Dishes such as Bird's Nest Salad to Turkey Truffles (a "fat turkey" stuffed with a mixture that includes three to four pounds of truffles), that is not all, it also gives us a view into what the working class and poor ate as well, like Codfish Hash or Broiled Pig's Feet. 

I read Good Things to Eat and decided to prepare a recipe suggested by Rufus Estes. I wanted a recipe that could bridge the gap between the poor and the rich.  I wanted to prepare something that could have been just as likely to have been prepared for a working class person as it would some rich perosn. I found that dish in Turkey Giblets a la Bourgoisie. Estes's recipe uses the parts of a turkey -- the heart, gizzard, liver and turkey neck -- that most people would discard (especially today), and elevate those ingredients in a delicious way. The recipe produces a wonderful small plate or appetizer that can precede a roast turkey meal. I would suggest serving this dish with some toasted slices of bread, which guests could use to eat the flavorable mixture of turkey and herbs. 

Given I still have Rufus Estes's book, I plan on making more dishes suggested by the accomplished chef. All of these recipes, like this one, are part of my historical cooking journeys that are catalogued in my Federal Project Number One. So, please check it out every once in a while. Until then ....

TURKEY GIBLETS A LA BOURGOISIE

Recipe from Rufus Estes, Good Things to Eat

Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

• Turkey giblets (pinions, feet, neck and gizzard)
• Piece of butter
• Flat leaf parsley
• Sprig of thyme
• Green onions
• Garlic, 1 clove
• Bay Leave
• Flour, spoonful
• Stock, spoonful
• Salt
• Pepper

Directions:

The giblets of the turkey consist of the pinions, feet, neck and gizzard. After having scalded pick them well and put in a saucepan wiht a piece of butter, some parsley, green onions, clove of garlic, sprig of thyme, bay leaf, a spoonful of fluor moistened with stock, salt and pepper. Brown to a good color. 

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Ireland

 "Laughter is brightest in the place where the food is."

-- Irish proverb

This proverb recognizes that food, especially good food, can create community, bringing together people in an environment of hospitality and inclusion, which leads to happiness and joy. While that recognition is a truism, the proverb originated in a country, Ireland, whose history is marked with roughly seven centuries of colonization, deprivation, and famine. That history hardly produces circumstances where food, let alone laughter, abounds.

Yet, the history of the Irish people and their cuisine goes back much further than British colonialism. Indeed, Irish cuisine spans some 8,000 years and that history has been well documented. As chef, restauranteur and writer J.P. McMahon once observed, "[f]ood has always lived in the background of Irish poetry and folklore, simmering quietly, never quite at its centre, yet essential to its scent and materiality." Indeed, one needs only look to Irish literature to get some insight into the ingredients, dishes and meals that have been served across the Emerald Isle over time. And, As Mairtin Mac Con Iomaire and Eamon Maher wrote in Tickling the Palate (2014), "Irish literature is replete with descriptions of food." 

Take, for example, The Hermit's Song or Marban to Guaire. It is a poem written in the 8th century C.E. The poem reads:

To what meals the woods invite me

All about! 

There are water, herbs and cresses,

Salmon, trout.

A clutch of eggs, sweet mast and honey

Are my meat,

Heathberries and whortleberries for a sweet.

Round me grows,

There are hips and haws and strawberries,

Nuts and sloes.

And when summer spreads its mantle

What a sight! 

Marjoram and leaks and pignuts,

Juicy, bright.

All of those wonderful ingredients and not one of them was a potato. (Potatoes are a relatively new ingredient, having been introduced in Ireland about 400 years ago.)

This wealth of ingredients and dishes fell out of reach for most Irish over time, and the literature describing Irish cuisine became more barren. Much of this occurred during the period of English and British colonization, which began in 1169 but brought the entire island under colonial rule during the 17th century. The colonialist policies, along with British landownership, forced much of the population into poverty.  And, by 1840, nearly 75% of the Irish were poor. Their cuisine became one that is often described as the food of the poor. The Irish survived by raising and eating what they had on hand, whether it was sheep or root vegetables -- like the potato -- that they could cultivate in their own gardens.  Indeed, the potato was vital to survival. As Dr. Mac Con Iomaire observed, the Irish found that they could grow "enough potatoes on one acre of poor or marginal land to feed a family of ten, with very little work." But, when the potato blight hit Ireland, the loss of this critical foodstuff led to the Great Famine and Great Hunger, with at least one million dying and another million leaving Ireland. 

As one would expect, Irish literature reflected the more difficult times. The ballad, "The Praties They Grow Small" is a work that starkly evokes the hunger of the Irish people: 

Oh, the praties they grow small,

Over here, over here

Oh, the praties they grow small

And we dig them in the fall.

And we eat them skins and all, 

Over here, over here.

Oh, I wish that we were geese,

Night and morn, night and morn,

Oh, I wish that we were geese,

For they fly and take their ease

And they live and die in peace,

Eating corn, eating corn.

The long periods of deprivation took their toll in so many ways. And, as writer J.P. McMahon explored in their work, that deprivation continued to present itself in Irish art and literature, long after the end of colonialization.

Since its independence, Ireland -- along with its people and their cuisine -- have indeed recovered what they have lost with a return to the wealth of ingredients from both the land and the sea. For one thing, the Irish are known for their cheeses, whether it is the Dunbarra, a brie style cheese from County Cork; the Durrus, a washed rind cheese from West Cork; or the Drumlin, a raw cow's milk cheese from County Cavan. (Not all Irish cheese begin with the letter "D" but I chose these three to show the range of cheeses from north to south of the isle). Then there is also the seafood, whether it is mussels in cream, served along the shores of the Galway Bay, or the Dublin Bay prawns. And, of course, the there are beef, lamb and mutton dishes, such as Irish Stew, corned beef, and spiced beef.  

MAIN COURSE

Irish stew has always been prepared with what farmers and their families had on hand. Prior to the late 16th century, the stew consisted basically of mutton (or goat), onions and water. After the potato was introduced to Ireland in the late 1500s, farmers and cooks began adding slices of the tuber to help thicken the stew. 

One of the earliest written recipes for Irish Stew, which reflects the combination of mutton, onions, potatoes and water, comes from the O'Brien family, who lived in southern Ireland during the 1600s. The Countess of Thomond wrote down the recipe: 

To make an Irish stew of mutton Season the bones of a neck of mutton with pepper and salt, put it down with a layer of onions, put them in a covered stewpan, to keep in the steam & as much water as will cover it. The chops must be very tender, but as they are all put down together, the potatoes must be taken out first, as they burst. 

Over time, as more ingredients became available, cooks would add them to the stew, such as substituting lamb for mutton. And, that is what I am doing here, as the preparation of Irish Stew will satisfy this personal culinary challenge for my Around the World in 80 Dishes. 

STOBHACH GAELACH (IRISH STEW)

Recipe from New York Times

Serves 6 to 8

Ingredients:

• 3 pounds lamb shoulder, cut into 2 inch chunks
• Salt
• Pepper
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 pounds onions (about 6 medium), cut into wedges
• 1 pound of carrots (about 6 medium), cut into 3-inch lengths
• 4 cups chicken, veal or beef broth
• 1 large sprig thyme
• 3 pounds russet potatoes (about 12 small), peeled and halved in 2-inch thick slices

Directions:

1. Brown the lamb. Pat lamb dry and season well with salt and pepper. Put oil in a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium high heat. Brown meat on all sides, working in batches. 

2. Cook vegetables. Set meat aside and add onions and carrots to the pot. Season with salt and pepper. Cook vegetables, stirring, until lightly browed, about 3 minutes. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 

3. Continue the stew. Return meat to pot, add broth and bring to a simmer. Put in thyme sprig and arrange potatoes on top (it's fine if potatoes are not completely submerged. Season potatoes, cover pot and transfer to oven). 

4. Continue the stew. Bake for about 1 hour, until lamb is quite tender when probed with a skewer or pairing knife. Remove fat from the top of broth. Ladle stew into shallow bowls and serve. 

SIDE DISH

Colcannon is a uniquely Irish dish that features mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage. As Dr. Mairtin Mac Con Iomaire once described it, colcannon brings together the ancient and the modern of Irish cuisine. The ancient is represented in the cabbage or kale, which has been grown by the Irish on farms or in gardens for centuries. The modern is, as you may have guessed by now, the potato. The combination of the two ingredients creates a filling dish that could sustain a working person, whether in the fields or in factories, for a long time. 

And, as you also may have guessed, colcannon has its place in Irish art and literature. The first reference to the dish comes from a diary entry written in 1735 by William Bulkely. Mr. Bulkely was traveling from Wales and found himself in Dublin on Halloween night. As he recalled, "Dined at Cos. Wm. Parry, and also supped there upon a shoulder of mutton roasted and what they call there Coel Callen, which is cabbage boiled, potatoes, and parsnips, all this mixed together. They eat well enough, and is a Dish always ahd in this Kingdom on this night." 

There is also a children's song, "The Auld Skillet Pot," that provides a rather vivid description of the dish. The lyrics include: 

Well, did you ever make colcannon made with lovely picked cream

With the greens and scallions mingled like a picture in a dream

Did you ever make a hole on top to hold the 'melting' flake

Of the creamy flavored butter that our mothers used to make

Oh you did, so you did, so did he and so did I

And the more I think about it, sure the nearer I'm to cry

Oh weren't them the happy days when troubles we knew not

And our mother made colcannon in the little skillet pot.

Guided, and perhaps inspired, by this history and art, I decided to make colcannon. (I have to admit that I needed that inspiration because neither cabbage nor kale rank very high on the list of my favorite ingredients to cook with or eat.) And, while I will not be composing songs or writing poems about this dish, I have to admit that it was very good ... and filling.  

COLCANNON

Recipe from The Spruce Eats

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 large (about 2 pounds) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 2 teaspoons fine salt, more to taste
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature, divided
• 3 cups coarsely chopped kale or other seasonal greens (leaves only, tough ribs discarded)
• 4 medium green onions, thinly sliced, white and green parts divided
• 1 dried or fresh bay leaf
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard powder
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Boil the potatoes. Put the potatoes into a large (4-quart) saucepan. Add 2 teaspoons fine salt and enough cold water to cover the potatoes by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until the largest potatoes are tender (they will yield easily when pierced with a fork and break apart), about 12 minutes. Drain in a colander set in a sink while you prepare the greens. Set the saucepan aside; you will use it again. 

2. Prepare the greens. Melt 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter in a medium skillet over medium, heat. Add the kale (or other seasonal greens), white parts of the scallions, and the bay leaf and cook, stirring occasionally until the kale is tender, about 5 minutes. 

3. Add the milk. Add the milk and dry mustard. Once the milk simmers, reduce the heat to low and keep warm. 

4. Finish the dish. Return the drained potatoes to the reserved saucepan. Add the remaining 4 tablespoons of unsalted butter and the green parts of the scallions. Mash with a potato masher until nearly smooth. Add the kale-milk mixture to the saucepan, discarding the bay leaf. Stir to combine. The mixture may initially appear too liquidy, but it will thicken as the potato starch absorbs the mosture. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper to taste and serve. 

*     *     *

This challenge was a success, especially given that I ate the Colcannon despite my aversion to kale. The Irish stew was also delicious and, although I was a little worried about the size of the lamb chunks and other chunks, they cooked nicely. (Tip: maybe cook stuff a little longer, maybe 15 minutes more.) There is so much more that I could write about, both with respect to Irish cuisine and its reflection in art and literature. There is also so much more I need to make, whether it is Mussels and Cream from the south of the Island or Greencastle Chowder from the north of the Island. There will definitely be additional posts about Ireland and its cuisine. Until then ...

PEACE.

Akotonshi

Living in the Chesapeake Bay region, I often find myself having a parochial view about blue crabs. I know that blue crabs can be found around the world (see my post about their invasion of Italian waters), but I admittedly think very regionally about blue crabs when it comes to cooking. Bury them in Old Bay or XO and steam them. The only true crabcakes are Maryland crabcakes. It becomes ingrained in a person the longer they live in the area.

Yet, there is so much more to blue crab dishes. I previously posted about a crab dish from Ghana -- Ghanian Crab Stew -- but I spent more time talking about rice than I did blue crab. As it turns out, the crusteacean has quite the place in Ghanaian cuisine and culture. So, it seems appropriate to return to Ghana when I was looking to prepare a crab dish based upon a cuisine far beyond the waters of the Chesapeake Bay. My efforts would take me to the brackish waters in southern Ghana, such as the estuary of the Volta River, where the river waters meet the Atlantic Ocean, and the various lagoons that are parallel to that ocean.

At one point in time, there was an abundance of blue crabs, shrimp, shellfish, and fin fish in these brackish waters. These populations benefitted from mangroves, which sprouted up in various areas along the lagoons and deltas, and which provide protected areas for crabs, shellfish and fish. They also supported fisheries across southern Ghana. Those fisheries, in turn, provided incomes that sustained families from Agbletokwei to Kpotitsekopre. 

However, those fisheries have faced a range of issues in recent years. Much of the mangroves have been cut down, causing a loss of habitat for crustaceans like the blue crab. Overfishing generally, and the rise of industrial fishing and illegal fishing, have also contributed to the loss of populations, as has the increased amount of pollution from industrialization. As the populations of crab, shrimp and fish decline, so does the ability of small-scale fishermen and women to make a living and provide for their families. 

There have been efforts to try to support small scale, local fishing. For example, back in 2021, the U.S. Agency for International Development provided millions to help restore Ghanian fisheries. That program focused on sardines, mackerel and anchovies, which meant more of a focus on the Atlantic Ocean (which is still needed), than the brackish coastal waters. (The current Trump administration is trying to destroy USAID, depriving the entire world -- including the U.S. -- of the benefits from international development assistance.) More recently, in July 2025, the Ghanian government passed the Fisheries and Aquaculture Law, which helps protect small scale fishers who use traditional canoes from illegal fishing vessels. This law is also focused on the ocean, rather than the lagoons and rivers of the country. 

I hope that a more wholistic approach may be pursued, one that recognizes the interconnectedness of the rivers, lagoons and oceans, thereby addressing all of it. This effort would also require a focus not only on the water, but also the land, such as restoring the mangroves and the habitats for aquatic species, which is happening in certain parts of Ghana, like in the Keta Lagoon. These efforts have seen positive results, For an overview of what is being done in that lagoon, check out this video from Terraformation:

We have the power to undo the damage we have done, but it takes commitment and, most importantly, time.  With more mangroves come more aquatic species, like blue crabs. And, with more blue crabs come dishes like Akotonshi.

AKONTOSHI

Recipe adapted from African Food Network

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 8 whole crabs or 1 pound of cooked crab meat
• 2 large fresh ginger pieces
• 2 cloves
• 4 tablespoons cooking oil
• 2 large onions, minced
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 3-4 large tomatoes, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 2 large green bell peppers, finely chopped
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
• 2 teaspoons dried thyme leaves
• 2 teaspoons grains of paradise, growned to a powder (optiona0l)
• 4 medium minced African bird peppers (or hot Thai peppers)
• 1/2 to 2/3 cup dried shrimp
• Plain bread crumbs
• Parsley
• Salt 

Directions:

1. Prepare the crabs or crab meat. If cooking whole crabs, clean them and bring a large pot of water to a bowl. Add the ginbger cloves and crab and cook for 15 minutes. Remvoe crabs and meat, keep shells for plating. If using crab meat, mix crab meat with 1/4 cup of water that has been boiled with ginger piece and cloves for 15 minutes.  Drain the water, flake the meat and set aside.

2. Saute the onions, tomatoes and spices. In a heavy pot, heat the oil to medium and add the other ingredients in the following sequence, stirring for a minute for so between each ingredient: onions, ground ginger, tomatoes, tomato paste, green pepper, cumin, nutmeg, thyme, grains of paradise (if using), paprika, masked peppers and dried shrump. Reduce heat and simmer for about 4-5 minutes, stirting constantly until vegetables are cooked.

3. Add the crab meat. Then add the crab meat and stir for another couple of minutes to heat it through. 

4. Finish the dish. Remove from heat, and spoon the crab mixture into the crab shells or ramekins if you began with crab meat. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of each serving and toast under an oven broiler for a couple of minutes. Be careful not to let the crumbs scorch. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve immediately. 

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: South Africa

I have gotten to where I am in life not because of something I brought to the world but through something I found - the wealth of African culture. 

-- Hugh Masakela 

When reading these words, they sound like the notes emanating from the trump of the famous South African jazz musician. "The Father of South African jazz, Masakela was known for his anti-apartheid songs, such as Soweto Blues and Bring Him Back Home." His music encouraged and inspired South Africans in their struggle to end the racist system of apartheid. That struggle eventually prevailed on May 4, 1990, when an agreement was reached to establish a democratic government -- of all the people and by all of the people -- by 1994. And, in that year, South Africa held its first fully democratic election, in which the Rainbow Nation (a term originated with Archbishop Desmond Tutu) elected Nelson Mandela as its first black President.

South Africa has always interested me, as it represents one of the best examples of how a diverse people can tear down a racist system and replace it with one based on equality and freedom. To be sure, South Africa has its issues, particularly economic issues which have perpetuated and, in some respects, worsened the economic divides amongst its people. But, there is a wealth of South African culture, one that transcends dollars and cents, or Rands. One that is truly invaluable.

My Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge invites me to learn more about this wealth. The Rainbow Nation, South Africa, is truly a diverse one, as evidenced by the fact that it has eleven official languages (Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Sepedi, Sesotho, Setswana, siSwati, Tshivenda, Xhosa, Xitsonga and Zulu). This diversity presents a lot of potential dishes for a main course. There are, of course, many dishes from the various African nations who live in South Africa, along with dishes from other significant ethnic groups, such as curry dishes from India and Malaysia, who were brought or made their way during the colonial period. And, there are, of course, the dishes of the colonizers themselves, such as the English and the Afrikaans. There are so many options that it took a very long time to decide. And, in the end, the decision was made not by myself but, interestingly enough, by Chef Gordon Ramsay. 

While I was preparing a meal one afternoon, I happened to have Gordon Ramsay: Uncharted on the television in the background. The show chronicles Chef Ramsay's travels to various parts of the world, where he spends a week learning about the people, their culture, and their food, all tied together by a challenge to prepare a meal at the end. This particular episode followed Chef Ramsay as he learned about South African cuisine in the KwaZulu-Natal province, with a particular emphasis on the Zulu cuisine, but a recognition of other influences. He prepared a whole fish on the braai, learned how to make Ushatini and Chakalaka, and discovered the importance of pelepele or piri piri. 

Ramsay's adventures provided a roadmap for this particular challenge. I am going to make the principal dishes from that Uncharted show: whole fish on the Braai, which will satisfy the challenge, along with the sides of ushatini and chakalaka. I will even make pelepele (or peri peri).   

MAIN DISH

For the culinary challenge, I prepared a whole fish for the braai. Gordon Ramsay's preparation of this dish was very simple, basically just some salt on the fish before placing it on the grill. My recipe involves a little more preparation and ingredients. 

WHOLE FISH ON THE BRAAI

Recipe from Fish Wife

Serves 2

Ingredients:

• 1 whole fish (such as Red Roman, red snapper)
• 1 red onion
• 1 handful of cilantro
• 2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced chiles
• 2 teaspoons grated ginger
• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1 lemon

Directions:

1. Prepare the fish. Score both sides of the fish.  Chop the red onion and the cilantro and stuff into the cavity of the fish. Grate some lemon rind and add to the cavity. Mix together the garlic, chiles, ginger and soy sauce. Spread one-half of the sauce over both sides of the fish. Keep the remaining half for basting the fish. Place the fish on a fish basket that can be flipped.

2. Grill the fish. Heat a charcoal or gas grill over high heat. Cook the fish over the heat for 20 to 25 minutes, flipping over 3 to 5 minutes. Using a basting brush, paint the fish with the marinade with every flip. When the fish is done, remove from the heat and allow to rest for a few minutes. 

SIDE DISH

Chakalaka is a South African side dish that is often served with the braai. Its origins lie in the townships around Johnannesberg, where Mozambican mineworkers lived and worked. These mineworkers would combine tinned food, like beans and tomatoes, with chiles to create a dish that they could eat with pap (porridge). Chakalaka represents an effort to take something that was brought to the region by colonialists (tinned food) and making it into something indigenous. 

CHAKALAKA

Recipe from Cooking Channel

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 2 green Thai Bird's eye chiles, seeded and chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed
• 2 ounces ginger, finely grated
• 2 tablespoons mild curry powder
• 1 green bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 yellow bell pepper, finely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 5 large carrots, scrubbed, topped, tailed and grated
• 14 ounces canned chopped tomatoes
• 12 ounces tomato paste
• 14 ounces canned baked beans
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

1. Saute ingredients. Heat the oil in a pan and fry the onions until soft and translucent. Add the chiles, garlic and half of the ginger (reserve the other half to add right at the end). Add the curry powder and stir to combine. Add the bell peppers and cook for another two minutes. Add the carrots and stir to make sure they are well combined with the other ingredients and coated in the curry powder. Add in the tomatoes and tomato paste and stir. Cook until the mixture is well combined and slightly thickened, about 5 to 10 minutes. 

2. Finish the dish. Remove from the heat and add the baked beans, thyme and remaining ginger. Stir to combine; season with salt and pepper. Serve hot or cold. 

RELISH

Ushatini is a South African version of a salad or relish that I have seen around the world. In the Americas, it resembles salsa or pico de gallo, with tomatoes, onions and chiles. In the Middle East, it is halfway to a salad e-shirazi (all it needs is cucumbers). Yet, ushatini is South African with its use of the piri-piri chiles (or, in my case, Thai green chiles). It is a great accompaniment to the Braai, as it should be spooned over the grilled meat or seafood.  

USHATINI

Recipe from Cookpad

Ingredients:

• 1 red onion, diced
• 2 big tomatoes, diced
• 3 chiles, minced
• Vinegar, to taste
• Salt, to taste 

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and mix well. 

CONDIMENT

The final part of the Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge involves the preparation of peri-peri sauce, or what was referred to in Uncharted as "pele pele" sauce. This condiment was made possible by the Portuguese, who brought chiles to South Africa (as they did around the world), which served as the basis for the sauce. This is a very spicy sauce given the types of chiles used. 

SOUTH AFRICAN PERI PERI

Recipe from African Bites

Ingredients:

• 10 hot chiles (habanero, scotch bonnet or Thai chiles)
• 1 medium onion
• 4 cloves garlic
• 2 tablespoons bouillon powder or Maggi cubes
• 2 basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons parsley
• 1-3 roma tomatoes
• 1/2 to 1 cup vegetable oil
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:

1. Prepare the sauce. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and onions and discard the pepper stems. Then puree the tomatoes, onions, garlic, pepper, parsley, basil, and bouillon powder in a food processor with as much oil as needed to make a thick-ish puree. 

2. "Cook" the sauce. Pour the pepper mixture into a small saucepan, bring to a boil, reduce heat, and slowly simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent burning. Adjust seasoning with salts.

 3. Finish the dish. Let it cool, pour into a mason jar or a container with a lid, and store it in a fridge for up to a week. For the pepper sauce to last longer, fully cover it with oil. 

*     *     *

In the end, I think these dishes turned out well, even if they may not have reached the standards of either Gordon Ramsey or his hosts when he visited South Africa. The dishes enabled me to participate in an endeavor to learn more about South African cuisine, especially the dishes of the indigenous peoples. This challenge was a success and motivates me to my next one. Stay tuned for more....

PEACE.

Crab and Crawfish Etouffee

"We have a common language with food."

-- Chef Leah Chase

Chef Leah Chase was a culinary icon in New Orleans, known as the "Queen of Creole Cuisine." Her restaurant, Dooky Chase, was a center of Creole cuisine and culture, earning her many awards and honors. But, Chef Chase's contributions go far beyond food. 

The restaurant, Dooky Chase, had an important role in the civil rights movement. It was one of the very few places in New Orleans where African Americans could meet and discuss the struggles of the time. Local civil rights leaders would meet in the upstairs meeting rooms of the restaurant, while Chef Chase would serve gumbo and fried chicken. Some of those meetings involved Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Freedom Riders. As they began to organize the bus boycott in Montgomery, Alabama, King and others would meet with local civil rights leaders at Dooky Chase to learn about the similar boycott in Baton Rouge.

The struggle for equal rights is an important part of our history as a country. That history is under attack. Such an attack is not simply an attack upon African Americans, but it is an attack upon all of us. It is an effort to deny a painful part of our past, out of a mistaken notion that our admitting to our shortcomings somehow makes us weak. To the contrary, acknowledging our shortcomings actually makes us stronger, because it is the first step toward fixing our past mistakes and building a better future. 

All of this requires us to know our true history, which inevitably and unquestionably demands that we acknowledge the contribution of everyone to our combined existence. This acknowledgment in particularly embodied in Creole cuisine. When one thinks of Creole food, perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is its relationship to French cuisine, most likely because of the Acadians who migrated from Canada to the Mississippi delta. But, the true history of Creole cuisine is so much more. It is a true melting pot, incorporating African American and Native American ingredients, processes and traditions. Creole food is truly a common language that unites multiple groups of peoples, each unique in their own history, but each of whom share a common bond. 

I wanted to acknowledge that common bond when I prepared this recipe of Crab and Crawfish Etouffee. I used my No Man's Land seasoning. The mix uses a Creole seasoning base but adds sundried tomato powder and crawfish powder, both of which are ingredients drawn from the culinary history of enslaved Africans. The combination of those powders added an earthiness and almost an umami to the dish, whcih easily made up for the lack of pork or sausage. In the end, this dish was perhaps one of the best dishes that I have prepared in recent months. 

CRAB AND CRAWFISH ETOUFFEE

Recipe adapted from Food & Wine

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds crawfish. tails and meat removed
• 4 1/2 cups of water
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup all purpose flower
• 1 medium sized yellow onion, finely chopped
• 2 large celery stalks, finely chopped
• 2 large green bell peppers finely chopped
• 10 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning (or No Man's Land Seasoning)
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 4 thyme sprigs
• 1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over
• Kosher salt
• Long grain rice, for serving

Directions:

1. Prepare the crawfish. Rinse well. Remove the tails and remove the meat from the tails, reserving the shells from the tails. Bring 4 1/2 cups water and reserved shells to a simmer in a large saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat; let stand for 15 minutes. Strain stock and discard shells. Set aside 4 cups crawfish stock.

2. Prepare the base. Melt butter in a large heavy saucepan over medium heat. Whisk in flour. Cook, whisking constantly until light blond in color, about 3 minutes. Add onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the creole seasoning, bay leaf and thyme and cook, stirring constantly 1 minute. Add stock, cook, stirring occasionally until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes. 

3. Add crawfish and crab meat. Add the crawfish and crab meat. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes. Discard the bay leaf and thyme sprigs. Season with Kosher salt to taste. Serve over rice.

PEACE.

No Man's Land Seasoning

Every student in the United States learns about the Louisiana Purchase, which was the moment in history where the United States "purchased" a large swath of already inhabited territory that ran from the bayous of the Mississippi delta up to the northern plains. Yet, this anglicized history (which completely ignores the indigenous peoples who lived on this land for centuries and downplays the others who came since, such as fugitive African-American slaves) omits what, in my humble opinion, is the most interesting aspect of that event. 

Down towards the Mississippi delta, there was an area of land between the newly acquired land and the territory that was under Spanish control. I happened to come across this part of history while searching for dishes to make as part of a Mardi Gras dinner for my beautiful Angel. The history involves what is known as the "No Man's Land" or the "Neutral Strip."  It is something that, from a kid growing up in a suburban city in the North, I had absolutely no idea about. As I researched this history, along with the people who lived in that area, I felt compelled to memorialize what I learned in more than one way. 

Sometimes described das a place filled with an outlaw culture or a region with a reputation for a tough and isolated place, the region is better understood as a bastion for those cultural groups who wished to find a home where they could preserve a way of life they cherished. 

-- Louisiana's Final Frontier

Source: Explore Louisiana

No Man's Land existed between 1806 and 1819, a product of negotiations between U.S. Army General James Wilkinson and Spanish Lieutenant Colonel Simon de Herrera. Spain would remain west of the Sabine River, while the United States would respect an arbitrary border that had been established by the Spanish with the French. This agreement left a sizeable strip of land where there was no governing authority.

The absence of authority did not mean that there were no people. No Man's Land was already the home of indigenous peoples, many of whom -- like the Yowani, Choctaw, Alabama, Biloxi and others -- moved there decades earlier to escape the British. They were later joined by squatters, runaway slaves, and army deserters, but also other settlers, whether those looking to establish a farm in the hills or living closer to the Sabine River where they could find work.  The people of the No Man's Land were diverse. They brought with them their own cultures, traditions, and foods.  whether indigenous, Cajun, Creole, African, Spanish, and French.

I wanted to prepare something that provided a nod to the diversity of this area but not necessarily be tied down by specific rules. My starting point was a standard Creole spice mix, which heralds from Louisiana. Typically, a Creole spice mix or seasoning consists of cayenne pepper, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and thyme. Some recipes add related or like ingredients, like paprika or white pepper. 

For this recipe, drawing inspiration from the No Man's Land and its people, I decided to make one substitution and one addition. First, I drew from the foodways of African slaves to substitute sundried tomato powder for the paprika. Second, I abandoned all the rules to introduce a very unique ingredient from the African foodways: dried crawfish powder. This powder an element of umami to the mix, which, along with the tomato powder, provided very earthy notes to the Creole seasoning. 

 

NO MAN'S LAND SEASONING

Recipe adapted from Southern Living

Prepares 1/4 cup

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon sundried tomato powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon crawfish powder (optional)

Directions:

Combine all of the ingredients in a small bowl and stir until well combined. 

PEACE.

Around the World in 80 Dishes: Seychelles

Seychelles is an interesting combination of the littlest and the greatest. The one hundred and fifty-five islands that comprise the country, which lie in the Indian Ocean, make Seychelles one of the smallest countries in Africa by square miles. The estimated 100,600 people who live on those islands makes the Seychelles the least populated country in Africa. Yet, Seychelles has the highest nominal gross domestic product (GDP) per capita of any African country, which means its residents have relatively the highest standard of living. It is also ranked the highest electoral democracy in Africa, and forty-third in the world. That is quite the combination for a country whose islands laid uninhabited prior to the 18th century.

The French were the first to occupy and claim the islands in 1756, naming them after Louis XV's Minister of Finance, Jean Moreau de Sechelles. As the French settled on the islands, they brought with them an order that was familiar in the colonial era. Helene Frichot, an architectural author, recounted this historical order in one of her essays:

Originally, when the French plantocracy settled, habitations -- strips of land - were marked from mountain peak to shore, parcelled out for the mostly large, conservative, Catholic families. These families assumed a certain order of things, divided strictly along lines of colour: those who owned and governed, and those obliged to labour. As Mairi O'Gorman argues in her research on the Seychelles, property, espeically when organised according to a plantation regime, is racialised: ownership assumes whiteness, while labor is delegated to Brown and Black people.

And, French settlers brought with them enslaved African men, women and children to work on these new plantations. The British Empire took control of the islands less than fifty years later, with the Treaty of Paris in 1814. The British allowed the use of enslaved Africans to continue, and they began to bring indentured servants from the Indian subcontinent and other parts of Asia to work on the islands. The result was a society that had French plantation owners, the British administrative elite, and a large number of African and Asian laborers, traders and shopkeepers. 

This mix of people and cultures on the islands led to the emergence of the Seychellois Creole, an ethnic group that combines African, Asian and European influences into one common identity with a language and culture of its own. The Seychellois Creole language, Seselwa, is rooted in French, but it has incorporated aspects of African and Malagasy languages, as wells as terms and phrases from English and Hindi. E, kot i konsern manze, lenfliyans Lafrik, Lazi e Eropeen is disifil pou manke. ("And, when it comes to food, the African, Asian and European influences are hard to miss." - My attempt at Seselwa using Google translate.)

Le Jardin du Roi, Mahe, Seychelles
(Source: Runaway Lodge)

As for Seychelles cuisine, its story can be told, in part, with reference to a garden, Le Jardin du Roi, that the French settlers started in 1772.  One of those colonists, Pierre Poivre, wanted to get into the spice trade. Poivre himself was quite the story. He spent his early years as a missionary, living in Cochinchina (later known as Vietnam), Guangzhou, and Macau. He left missionary work to join the French East Indies Company, where he presumably came into contact with the spice trade. By 1772, he was living between Mauritius and the Seychelles, and wanted those islands to be part of that trade. Poivre's entre into the spice word was not very Christian-like. He decided that he would set out on a vessel to Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) and the Moluccas (now part of Indonesia). His goal: to steal the spices and bring them back to French-controlled islands where they could be planted and then France could have its own source.  Poivre actually stole the spices and brought them back to the Seychelles. However, as Poivre returned from his voyage in 1780, the governor mistook Poivre's vessel for an enemy ship. The governor destroyed the growing garden. Spices were too valuable to have fall into the hands of the enemy. 

Le Jardin du Roi ultimately survived and grew into 25 hectares where more than 120 species of fruits and spices were cultivated. That variety is one of the defining characteristics of Seychellois Creole cuisine. Recipes use a range of spices, including chiles, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, nutmeg, turmeric, and much more. The cuisine also features a range of seafood dishes, which one would expect from an island nation. 

MAIN COURSE

This personal culinary challenge showcases a cuisine that reflects how influences from around the world come together in amazing dishes. The challenge involves the preparation of a Seychellois Octopus Curry. The cephalopods could be found around many of the islands, such as Cousine. That availability led to this curry, which is a popular dish in the Seychelles. 

This demand created a fishery for octopi in the Seychelles. Many look for the creatures around the coral barrier reefs, while others, like a fisherman named Dave Auguste, go further out into the ocean. Auguste has fished for octopus for more than twenty years. When the COVID pandemic hit, the tourist trade (which is important to the Seychelles) crashed, and so did the market for expensive seafood like octopus. As the world gradually reopened and tourists returned, so did the demand for octopus. 

Dave Auguste with his catch (Source: United Nations, Photo: Douglas Okwatch)

Dave Auguste found one longer lasting change ... there were less of the cephalopods to catch. This change is not the result of COVID, but other factors.  In an article published by the United Nations, Auguste explained: 

There are fewer and fewer octopuses now. Before, I used to find them close to shore, but now I have to go further out. Again, for the last ten years or so, going out to sea has become more complicated because the sea has become rougher and the currents stronger. If I am not careful I can drift away from shore.

Indeed, climate change has affected the work of those who fish the waters around the Seychelles.  Auguste explained that there has been a change in rain patterns: "we used to have rainy periods that lasted several days, now it rains the same amount for one day and it all runs off into the sea." The prolonged rains and the runoff cause the waters close to shore to take on a reddish hue. The octopi do not like the tinged water and move further offshore. An additional factor is that, due to warming temperatures in the sea, there are some areas of the barrier reefs where up to 90% of the coral have died.

Not all of the news is bad. The Seychelles has taken proactive steps to stem the damage caused by changes in the climate. These steps include imposing quotas on seafood catches, expanding the range of protected marine areas, and implementing reef restoration projects. This has required some adjustment and adaptation, especially for those who work in the seafood industry, which makes up 27% of the Seychelles gross domestic product. This sacrifice, as well as, the conservation efforts, may not be enough if the climate continues to change. 

Turning to the challenge, I have prepared whole octopus in the past, but I decided for this dish that I would use pre-cooked octopus, which is available online or from some warehouse stores. Each package usually has 2-3 large tentacles, which may be less than a kilogram but still enough to prepare a meal for at least 2-3 people. The pre-cooked octopus also saves a lot of time (basically you can skip step 1). 

OCTOPUS CURRY

Recipe from Tourism Seychelles

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 kilogram octopus
• Salt
• Pepper
• Fresh coconut milk (substitute 1 can coconut milk or cream)
• 2 teaspoons saffron
• 1 onion
• Fresh thyme
• 3 garlic cloves
• Ginger (a little bit)
• 1 teaspoon curry powder (or to taste)
• Cinnamon sticks
• Curry Leaves
• Oil

Directions:

1. Prepare the octopus. Add the octopus to a pot and fill it with water. Boil until tender, about 45 minutes to 1 hour depending upon the size. Use a fork to check if the octopus is soft enough. Once the octopus is done, cut it into pieces

2. Prepare the curry. In a saucepan, add the oil, onion, garlic, ginger, saffron, curry powder, cinnamon sticks, thyme, salt and pepper. Mix and the add the octopus pieces. Fry the octopus pieces for a few minutes and then add the coconut milk and stir. Cover the saucepan and let it simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, as the sauce thickens. 

3. Finish the dish. Once cooked, serve with some white rice, lentils and papaya chutney. 

SIDE DISH

Ordinarily, as noted above, one would prepare white rice to serve with an octopus curry. Seychellois cuisine is known for its creole rice, a dish that is shared -- in some common form -- by creole cultures around the world. Rice is a staple food in the Seychelles, often accompanying main dishes. Yet, cultivation of rice cannot occur on a large enough scale on the islands to support its population. (Indeed, while the Seychelles may have an abundance of spices and access to seafood, it actually imports much of its other food.) Most of the rice comes from India, with smaller amounts imported from countries such as Pakistan, the United Arab Emirates, France and South Africa.

This personal culinary challenge gave me an opportunity to prepare creole rice and, to do so using the wide range of spices drawn from the subcontinent and southeastern Asia. The recipe shows that diversity with garlic, ginger, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, pepper and turmeric. I knew that I had to prepare this dish, which I served alongside the octopus curry.

SEYCHELLES CREOLE RICE

Recipe from Amy's Cooking Adventures

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 red bell pepper diced (about 1/3 cup)
• 1/2 onion diced (about 1/3 cup)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 bay leaf
• Pinch of ground cinnamon
• Pinch of ground cloves
• 1/2 cup basmati rice
• 1 cup water
• Fresh parsley to garnish

Directions:

1. Saute the vegetables. Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the bell pepper and onion and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic, spices and rice and cook for another minute. Stir in the water and bring to a low boil. 

2. Finish the dish. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until the water is absorbed. Fluff the rice, garnish with parsley and serve. 

*          *          *

To be honest, I had not expected to do a personal culinary challenge involving the Seychelles. I had previously done one for Mauritius, when I prepared an amazing duck curry. However, I really wanted to prepare this octopus curry and that led me to add this to the Around the World in 80 Dishes challenge. It is a decision that I will never regret, because it opened a door to exploring a creole culture and cuisine that draws inspiration from the diverse populations that have come to live on the Seychelles islands.  

Each of these dishes was a success, and, perhaps, some of the best dishes that I have prepared in recent weeks. This challenge has inspired me to move on to the next one. Check back to see where I end up. Until then ... 

PEACE.