Wok Charred Edamame with Togarashi

The last time that I visited Fort Lauderdale for work, I went down to the hotel restaurant for a drink and dinner. The food is pretty good, but sometimes it can be hit or miss. As I sat at the bar drinking a nice local brew, I decided to get an order of Wok Charred Edamame with Togarashi. I love Edamame, and, the name of the dish, with its reference to Togarashi, piqued my interest.

I have previously posted about Togarashi. It is a uniquely Japanese spice blend that is heavy on the chile pepper, but includes some other interesting ingredients, such as dried seaweed and hemp seeds. The key thing to remember about Togarashi is that the preparation involves seven ingredients. That gives you Shichimi Togarashi.

Having prepared some Shichimi Togarashi for myself, I decided to recreate the dish that I had at that Fort Lauderdale restaurant. I searched the Internet and came across a few recipes, which I used as a starting point. The recipes called for ingredients that I would have expected in the dish, such as rice vinegar, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.

However, in the end, the recipes fell a little short from what I had in the restaurant. The restaurant version had a more reduced, slightly sticky sesame sauce that coated my fingers with a very delicious chile sesame mixture as I ate the Edamame. This turned the dish into a "finger-licking" good appetizer. My re-creation of Wok Charred Edamame with Togarashi produced a runnier sauce and, hence, cleaner fingers. Still, the flavors were essentially there, especially the Togarashi, which makes the dish. 

WOK CHARRED EDAMAME WITH TOGARASHI

Recipe adapted from multiple sources

Serves several

Ingredients:

• 4 cups edamame in shell, thawed
• 1 tablespoon shichimi togarashi
• 2 tablespoons peanut oil or vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, toasted

Directions:

1. Prepare the edamame.  Heat a wok over high heat. Add the peanut oil or vegetable oil. and Add the edamame. Toss the edamame until they are coated with the oil. Then add the rice vinegar and togarashi. Toss again to ensure that the edamame are covered with the spice blend. 

2. Finish the dish. Allow the edamame to sit in the hot wok for about 30 seconds to char. Then remove from heat, stir in the sesame oil and the sesame seeds. Transfer to a bowl and serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Jambalaya

While there is no dispute that jambalaya comes from Louisiana, there is a fair amount of uncertainty as to where "jambalaya" comes from. One school of thought is that the word itself originated from Provence, France. There is a Provencal word - jambalaia - that means "mixed up." Then again, the name could be a mixture itself, from the French word for ham, jambon and the African word for rice, ya. (Although, I have serious doubts about this theory, because I cannot find an African language that translates "rice" into "ya.") There is still another thought that the origin is Spanish, with the combination of jamon and paella. 

One of the most interesting theories is that the word "jambalaya" is actually derived from the Atakapa, a Native American tribe who lived along the Gulf Coast in what is present-day Texas and Louisiana. The Atakapa would say, Sham pal ha, Ya! This translates roughly into "be full, not skinny, eat up!"

Whatever the name's origin, what is beyond dispute is that jambalaya is a mélange of influences. Perhaps the most obvious influence comes from western Africa, with the use of rice and its similarity to jollof rice. There is an equally apparent influence from southern Spain, with the dish resembling paella and probably the use of tomatoes (rather than saffron).  There are French influences, mostly in the form of the spices used, which may have come from the Caribbean as well. 

Yet, there is still some mystery surrounding even the culinary influences, as the written record of recipes for jambalaya date only back to the late 19th century, even though the dish itself goes back much further in time. As for this particular recipe, it is a rather straightforward version of the dish. The absence of tomatoes pushes this dish more into the Cajun column than the Creole one (as the latter is known for its use of tomatoes in the preparation). I have also used turkey based products, such as smoked turkey sausage and turkey thighs, because that is the only meat that my beautiful Angel eats. You can use the more traditional ingredients, such as Andouille and chicken thighs in its place.

JAMBALAYA

Recipe adapted from Kitchn

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the seasoning):

• 1 tablespoon garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon onion powder
• 1 tablespoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon white ground pepper
• 12 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Ingredients (for the jambalaya):

• 2 medium scallions, sliced thinly
• 1 small yellow onion, diced
• 3 medium celery stalks, diced
• 1 medium green bell pepper, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 (about 12-ounce) package smoked turkey sausage
• 1 pound turkey thighs, skinned, trimmed, and de-boned
• 1 pound of shrimp
• 8 ounces lump crab meat, picked
• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons neutral oil, divided
• 2 cups medium or long grain rice
• 2 1/2 cups turkey broth 

Directions:

1. Make the seasoning. Combine garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, white ground pepper and cayenne pepper in a small bowl. Stir well to combine. 

2. Prepare the vegetables. Thinly slice the 2 scallions and set aside for garnish. Dice 1 small yellow onion, 3 medium celery stalks, and the green bell pepper (about 1 cup of each). Mince the three garlic cloves.

3. Prepare the meats. Cut the sauce into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Cut the turkey thighs into bite-size pieces. Season the turkey with 1/2 teaspoon of the salt and 1 tablespoon of the seasoning. Carefully rinse the crab meat in a colander and pick out any shells. Season the shrimp with 1 tablespoon of the seasoning. 

4. Brown the sausage. Heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the sausage in a single layer and cook until browned on the cut sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a platter using tongs and repeat until all the sausage has been browned.

5. Brown the turkey. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon canola oil to the drippings in the pot. Add the turkey and cook until brown, about 2-3 minutes per side. Using tongs, transfer the turkey to the plate with the sausage. 

6. Sauté the vegetables. Add the onion and garlic mixture, remaining seasoning and remaining salt. Cook, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot and stirring occasionally until the onions are translucent, about 2 minutes. Add the celery and bell pepper, continue to scrape up the browned bits and continue to stir occasionally, about 2 more minutes. 

7. Add rice. Add the 2 cups of rice and cook, stirring frequently until the rice is opaque and toasty smelling, about 3 minutes. 

8. Add liquid and meats. Pour in the turkey broth and bring to a boil. Add the turkey and sausage and any accumulated juices to the pot and give everything one good stir to mix together. Cover, reduce the heat to low, and simmer undisturbed until the rice is cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes. 

9.  Sauté the shrimp. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a small sauté pan. Add the shrimp and sauté until opaque, 2-3 minutes per side. 

9. Stir and let sit. After the rice is cooked through, add the shrimp to the top. Give the mixture a gentle stir on top. Cover again and remove from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. If the rice is still too wet, take the lid off so the extra liquid evaporates. If the rice is a little dry, keep the lid on a little longer to give the rice more time to absorb the liquid.

ENJOY!

Togarashi

Anyone who knows me can tell you that I love spices and that I love to make spice mixes. I also like to learn about spice mixes, as this blog shows. I have made spice mixes based on historical recipes, such as Kitchen Pepper. I have also made spice mixes from around the world including, by way of example, Hawayil from Yemen, Suya from Ghana, and Nine Spice Mix from Palestine. 

This post offers me a chance to make a spice mix from Japan. The mix is known as Togarashi or Shichimi Togarashi. 

The story begins during Japan's Edo Period, around 1625 C.E. which happens to be around the time that chile peppers were introduced in Japan. The place was the Yagenbori Herb Shop. The shop was located in the Higashi-Nihonbashi district of Tokyo. It is at this shop where the first mixture was made. At the time, it was referred to as yagenbori, after the shop. It was used principally for medicinal purposes. Over time, however, the mix made its way into the kitchen for culinary uses. 

Togarashi is typically prepared from seven ingredients (and, hence, why it is also referred to as Shichimi Togarashi, as Shichimi is "seven" and "Togarashi" is "peppers" in Japanese). The seven ingredients may vary slightly by region, but it typically includes red pepper, poppy seeds, sesame seeds, hemp seeds, nori (or anori), sancho (a Japanese pepper) and orange peel.  Notwithstanding the variations, there is one thing that remains constant. There can only be seven ingredients. Any additional ingredient will result in Hachimi. That's a different blog post.

TOGARASHI

Recipe from the Daring Gourmet

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons red chile flakes
• 1 tablespoon dried orange peel
• 2 teaspoons white sesame seeds
• 2 teaspoons black sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1/2 teaspoon poppy seeds
• 1/2 nori sheet, toasted over open flame, crumbled

Directions:

1. Toast the seeds. In a dry skillet, lightly toast the white and black sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Transfer to a bowl and let them cool completely. 

2. Prepare the spice mixture. Place all of the ingredients, along with the nori, in a spice/coffee grinder and pulse until coarsely ground. It should be coarse and not a fine powder. 

3. Store the mixture. Store in an airtight jar. For best results, use within a few weeks. 

Swahili Fish with Creamy Coconut Sauce

There is a small island along the shore of the Kenyan coastline called Lamu. The island has the oldest and best preserved Swahili settlement in eastern Africa. The settlement - Lamu Old Town - dates back to the 12th century and is now one of UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. As the U.N. agency describes the town, "[b]uilt in coral stone and mangrove timber, the town is characterized by the simplicity of structural forms enriched by such features as inner courtyards, verandas, and elaborately carved wooden doors." The town has also become a center for learning about the Swahili culture and the Islamic religion. 

Nearly ten years ago, the culture and cuisine of Kenya took center stage at the Smithsonian Institution's Folklife Festival. While I did not attend the festival that year, I have been to the festival in the past. Each year, the Smithsonian Institution provides a spotlight for a few different cultures from around the world. One can learn about art, cuisine, history, music and much more at various stalls and stands across the National Mall. 

Back in 2014, one had an opportunity to learn about the Kenyan cuisine as part of a program called Kenya: Mambo Poa. The demonstration included this recipe, which is for Swahili Fish with Creamy Coconut Sauce. As Michaela Wright wrote for the Smithsonian Institution, the dish comes from Lamu island, where it is served for special occasions. It is also served of the iftar, the feast eaten by Muslims at night during the Ramadan holiday.

The cooks who prepared this dish - Amina Harith Swaleh and Fatrma Ali Busaidy - at the festival explained that they usually use 8 to 10 pounds of fish, such as red snapper or kingfish, for this dish. I did not have or intend to use 8 to 10 pounds of fish (primarily because neither my beautiful Angel nor myself would eat that much). So, I modified the proportions and cooking times to allow for about 2 pounds of fish (basically one large red snapper). 

If one had this dish on Lamu island, they would most likely be served a millet or what porridge during Ramadan, or with bread and rice at other times. If I make my way there, I will definitely try it as I take in the sights and sounds of that island. 

SWAHILI FISH WITH CREAMY COCONUT SAUCE

Recipe from Smithsonian Institution

Serves several

Ingredients:

• 8-10 pounds of firm, white fish (such as red snapper)
• Juice of 3 limes
• 6-7 garlic cloves, pureed
• 1/4 cup of pepper
• 3 tablespoons of salt
• 2 16 ounce cans of coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon tamarind
• 2 1/2 tablespoons turmeric
• Pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Prepare the fish. Toss the lime juice, pureed garlic, pepper and salt into a large plastic bag. remove bones and scales from fish, but no need to remove head. Place fish (whole) into bag and marinate for two hours.

2. Broil the fish. Remove fish and place on baking sheet. Broil the fish at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until cooked through and lightly browned.

3. Prepare the sauce. Pour coconut milk, tamarind, pepper and turmeric into a medium saucepan and let simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add salt to taste.

4. Finish the dish. Plate the fish. Remove sauce from heat and carefully use a spoon to coat both sides of the fish in coconut sauce. Pour any extra sauce on top. Serve warm with bread or rice. 

ENJOY!

Stir-Fried Walnuts with Dried Prickly-Ash Pepper Leaves

My exploration of the Mindfulness Foodways (and, for that matter, my cooking in general), has encountered some obstacles in recent weeks. A variety of issues have prevented me from being able to be in the kitchen. Those same issues have impacted my ability to meditate, as I find myself too exhausted to do much of anything. 

Yet, it is those moments when I need to meditate. I am not a Buddhist and I have had no formal instruction. (Just like I am not a chef and I have had no formal culinary instruction.) My interest in mediation led me to the Plum Village, which is the Buddhist temple and mindfulness center founded by Thich Nhat Hanh. The teachings of Master Thay impressed me insofar as it opened my eyes to all the ways that I could meditate throughout the day: whether it was while walking, while sitting and even while cooking. 

For a while, I would meditate at various points during the day. Events and issues would inevitably begin to overwhelm me and I would lose my focus on mediation. I would go days without meditating, trying to concentrate on the issues that lay before me. That is where I have been over the past few weeks (which explains the lack of posts on this blog). 

Even in the maelstrom of these issues, there have been moments where I have been able to find some peace, which enabled me to try to meditate while cooking. All it takes is a simple recipe, like this one for stir-fried walnuts with dried prickly-ash pepper leaves, which comes from my Buddhist temple cookbook. I could focus on the ingredients, which, at first, seemed out of reach. After all, few households around where I live would have dried prickly ash pepper leaves. (Those are the leaves from the plant that gives us Sichuan peppercorns.) Taking some breaths and centering myself in the present moment, I remembered that I had some curry leaves from my favorite local Sri Lankan market. I also knew I had the other ingredients, such as the  perilla oil and rice syrup, in my pantry.  

This very simple recipe gave me a moment that I needed. I could meditate for a moment as I prepared a dish that was different, and very enjoyable. I just need more of those recipes and moments.  

STIR-FRIED WALNUTS WITH PRICKLY-ASH PEPPER LEAVES

Recipe from Wookwan, Wookwan's Korean Temple Food, at pg. 77

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 300 grams of walnuts, washed and dried
• 10 grams of dried prickly-ash pepper leaves (or substitute)
• 1 tablespoon perilla oil (or untoasted sesame oil)
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 1 tablespoon rice syrup
• 1 tablespoon roasted sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon fine salt

Directions:

1. Stir-fry the walnuts. Heat a pan, add the grapeseed oil and walnuts. Stir-fry well and add salt. Add in the rice syrup and stir. 

2. Add the leaves. Add the prickly-ash pepper leaves and stir. Turn off the heat and add perilla seed oil and sesame seeds. Stir well to mix. Plate and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!

Oysters with Nuoc Cham

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There was a point in time when I was experimenting with all sorts of mignonette sauces, seeking out the best ones to serve alongside raw oysters. The sauces include a Green Sauce, as well as ones made with balsamic vinegar, beer, or champagne. The experimentations continued; but, honestly, none of them stood out as something that I really wanted to make again, and again, and again. 

Recently, I got to thinking about a sauce that I really do love ... nuoc cham. My introduction to this sauce came about from my efforts to learn more about Vietnamese cooking. The sauce caught my attention because of how it balances sweet, sour, salty, bitter, and spicy. In addition, the backbone of nuoc cham is fish sauce, which adds umami to that balance.

Indeed, the history of nuoc cham is inextricably tied to the history of fish sauce. And, that history appears to be subject to some debate. There is quite a bit of literature about the development of fish sauce in the West, whether by the ancient Greeks (who called it garos) or the Ancient Romans (who referred to it as garum). Some of that literature (such as the one I have linked) suggest that fish sauce traveled east to Eastern and Southeastern Asia. However, there are other sources that propose the idea that fish sauce developed independently in Asia, rather than being an import from the West. 

Regardless of where it originated, there is no doubt that fish sauce - and nuoc cham - are very popular in Southeast Asia. Every country's cuisine has some form of the sauce, but it goes by a variety of names, including not only nuoc cham (Vietnam), but also tuk trey (Cambodia), nam pla prik (Thailand), budu (Malaysia), and ngan-pye-ye (Myanmar). 

In any event, my recent use of nuoc cham got me to thinking that it might make a great "mignonette" to be served alongside raw oysters. It is definitely a different taste, but the balance of flavors works well, especially with larger, meatier oysters. For this dish, I used Chincoteague Salts, which come from the Chesapeake Bay. These oysters tend to be more on the briny side. The brininess worked well with the sauce. The other flavors, namely the fish sauce, the chile and lime juice, still balanced the added saltiness from the oysters.  

Needless to say, I may dispense with mignonette sauces altogether and just prepare nuoc cham whenever I have or serve raw oysters. It is that good.

OYSTERS WITH NUOC CHAM

Nuoc Cham recipe from Luke Nguyen, The Food of Vietnam, pg. 358

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 2 dozen oysters, rinsed and shucked
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 3 tablespoons white vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 red bird's eye chile, thinly sliced 
• 2 tablespoons lime juice

Directions:

1. Heat the liquid ingredients. Put the fish sauce, vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan with 1/2 cup of water. Place over medium heat, stir well and cook until just before boiling point is reached. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool. 

2. Finish the dish. Just before serving, stir in the garlic, chile and lime juice. Store in a tightly sealed jar in the fridge for up to five days.

ENJOY!

Chicken Tikka

Emperor Babur (born Zahir ud-Din Mohammed) established the Mughal Empire. He marched his armies from Kabul into the northern reaches of the subcontinent.  Babur conquered broad swaths of land, but just not as much as his ancestors, Timur (on his father's side) and Genghis Khan (on his mother's side). 

Yet, as the story goes, this great emperor had a fear of ... chicken. The fear was not necessarily of the bird in its live form, clucking around while pecking for food. Emperor Babur feared dead chickens. More specifically, dead chickens with bones in them. The great emperor was scared that he would choke to death on a chicken bone. That would not be a very good final chapter for an emperor. 

To avoid such an ignoble end, it is said that the emperor ordered his cooks to remove the bones from the chickens when they were prepared. The chicken was still bathed in spice-laden yogurt, threaded to skewers and placed over charcoal. The only change was that there would be no chicken bones to be found. This dish came to be known as Chicken Tikka, which is basically a boneless chicken version of Tandoori chicken. 

This recipe is a very simplified version of what is prepared by chef Vikram Sunderam, the owner and chef of Rasika. In my humble opinion, Rasika is one of the best, if not the best, Indian restaurant in the Washington, D.C. area. Chef Sunderam's original recipe calls for ingredients such as pathar ka phool (a seasoning made from bark) and deghi mirch (a Indian red chile powder). The substitutions contained in this recipe really do make it easy to have this dish as part of a regular course of meals throughout a week. 

Finally, the recipe calls for a Cilantro and Yogurt Sauce as an accompaniment to the chicken. When I clicked the link, I was taken to a Tzatziki recipe, which does not seem very Indian in nature. The link should have taken me to a Raita recipe, such as this one from the Modern Proper.

CHICKEN TIKKA

Recipe from Vikram Sunderam, available at Food & Wine

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 1 cup plain whole milk yogurt
• Kosher salt
• 2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
• Cilantro and Yogurt Sauce, for serving

Directions:

1. Prepare the chicken. In a spice grinder, pulse the mustard seeds with the five-spice powder, pepper, turmeric, cayenne, and bay leaf until fine. Transfer the spice powder to a medium bowl. Add the ginger, garlic and yogurt and season with salt. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

2. Grill the Chicken. Light a grill. Remove the chicken from the marinade and brush the pieces with the melted butter. Oil the grate and grill the chicken over high heat, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and cooked through, about 8 minutes. Serve with the Cilantro and Yogurt Sauce.

• ENJOY!

Vietnamese Grilled Whole Fish

There are a wide variety of fish dishes in Vietnamese cuisine, which is only to be expected given the country has 3,260 kilometers of coastline. There are also several major rivers that run through the country, such as the Song Da, Song Chiang, and, of course, the Mekong River.

One of the most interesting subset of dishes are the whole fish dishes. Setting aside the relatively easy preparation, I find that it is the sauces that one prepares alongside the whole fish to be one of the truly interesting aspects of Vietnamese whole fish dishes. The sauces provide an extra level of flavor that often enhances whatever spices, herbs and citrus are stuffed into the fish. 

Take, for example, chef and author Charles Phan, who has quite a few whole fish recipes out there. My parents gave me his cookbook, Vietnamese Home Cooking, as a gift. I decided to make the whole fish recipe in that cookbook, which is set forth below. The fish was delicious, but it was that dipping sauce that, for me, completed this dish.

The dipping sauce represents what the Vietnamese call "Ngũ Hành" or the five tastes. It is an excellent balance of those tastes, namely, spice, salt, bitter, sour and sweet. The chiles provide the spice; the lime juice offers the bitterness; the fish sauce contributes both the sour and the salt; and, the sugar provides, as you can guess, the sweet. The balance in this dipping sauce led me to dipping every bite-sized morsel of the fish into the sauce. 

VIETNAMESE GRILLED WHOLE FISH

Recipe from Charles Phan, Vietnamese Home Cooking at pg. 181

Serves 2

Ingredients (for the fish):

• 1 (1 1/2 to 2 pound) whole branzino, cleaned with head and tail intact
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 by 1-inch piece of ginger, cut into thin coins
• 2 large Thai basil sprigs
• 2 large cilantro sprigs
• 3 thin lemon slices
• 3 thin lime slices
• 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil

Ingredients (for the dipping sauce):

• 2 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 teaspoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon minced Thai chile

Directions:

1. Prepare the grill.  Prepare a hot fire for direct heat grilling in a charcoal grill (you should be able to hold your hand 1 to 2 inches above the grate for only 2 to 3 seconds). When the coals are ready, place a cast iron griddle or large cast iron frying pan on the grill grate and let it preheat until very hot.

2. Prepare the fish. While the fire is reaching temperature, rinse the fish in cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Season the inside with salt and pepper and then stuff the cavity with the ginger, basil, cilantro and lemon and lime slices. Drizzle the oil on both sides of the fish and set aside. 

3. Make the dipping sauce. To make the sauce, in a small bowl, stir together lime juice, fish sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, and Thai chile until the sugar has dissolved. Set aside.

4. Grill the fish. When the griddle or pan is very hot, add the fish and cook it without moving for about 6 minutes until the skin is a deep golden brown and no longer sticking to the griddle. To check, gently try to lift the fish; of it does not release easily, continue to cook until it does. 

5. Continue to grill the fish. With a large, wide spatula centered at the middle of the fish, flip the fish and cook on the second side until golden brown. After 1 minute, begin checking to see if the fish is done. Insert a knife into the fish and wiggle it gently; the flesh should be barely clinging to the bone. If you feel resistance, continue cooking, repeating the test until the flesh offers no resistance.

6. Finish the dish. Transfer the fish to a plater and serve immediately. Accompany with the dipping sauce. 

Goan Clam Curry

Some say "Goa is where my heart belongs"; but, for me, the saying needs to be amended to read, "Goa is where my stomach belongs." There is something about the cuisine. Goa may be the smallest state in India, with the fourth smallest population of any Indian state. However, its cuisine punches way above its weight, both figuratively and (due to the abundant use of chiles) literally. It is that punch that appeals so much to my gut.

What drew my attention to this cuisine is perhaps one of the most well known of Goan dishes ... Vindaloo. The fiery curry -- in all of its forms (whether pork, lamb, beef of chicken) -- is one of my favorite dishes. Yet, while Vindaloo may be one of the most popular dishes, there is so much more to Goan cuisine. 

This small Indian state lies along the western coastline of India. Its 103 kilometers of coastline offer not only great beaches (from what I have read), but access to a steady source of seafood. This includes fish such as kingfish, mackerel, sardines and even sharks, as well as shellfish like crabs, prawns, lobsters, squid and mussels.

All of this seafood provides the basis for a range of different dishes. These dishes include, by way of example, Fish Curry (Xitti Kodi), Shark Ambot Tik, Samarachi Kodi, and Crab Xacuti. I would not have come across any of these dishes (at least not yet) if not for the fact that I found a recipe for a Goan clam curry. That recipe got me to look further into Goan cuisine, thereby opening the proverbial book on something that I had overlooked for the longest time. 

Source: Times of India

The summer months are often considered the shellfish months in Goa. The bays of Goa - such as Sancoale and Chicalim - are home to oysters, mussels and clams (known as tisreos) that are harvested by both locals and non-locals alike. The high demand for all of this shellfish has resulted in overfishing and degradation of the habitats. It has threatened the existence of clams in these bays, as more juvenile clams are harvested and their habitat is destroyed by the collection methods. 

The alarm bells have sounded in recent years, which has resulted in some responses to what has become a significant decline in the once abundant shellfish. A modest start involved a local biodiversity board's call for the use of handpicking as the only method to collect clams. This call joins other efforts to regulate the size of harvested clams, quotas on the amount to be harvested, and limiting harvests to locals only. 

All of these efforts are just guidelines, and, they will be effective only as long as people are willing to observe them. This requires people to move beyond the shortsightedness of making money now or enjoying these delicacies in the present, so that they will be around for a long time to come. 

GOAN CLAM CURRY

Recipe adapted from My Heart Beets

Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons ghee (or neutral oil)
• 2 large shallots or 4 small ones finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon Kashmiri chile powder (or more if you want it to be really spicy)
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1/2 cup coconut milk
• 2 pounds small clams, littlenecks
• 1 lime wedge, plus more for garnish
• 2 tablespoons cilantro leaves, chopped

Directions:

1.  Clean the clams. If necessary, soak in cold water for 20 minutes with a big pinch of salt. Lift each clam out of the bowl and rinse with water. (If you are using farmed clams, you can probably just rinse them.)

2. Sauté the aromatics. Melt the ghee in a Dutch oven or heavy pot over medium heat, then add shallots, garlic, ginger and sauté for 6 to 7 minutes. Add the spices then stir.

3. Cook the clams. Add the coconut milk and bring to a gentle boil. Add clams, cover and cook stirring occasionally until the clams are opened, 6 to 8 minutes. Discard any unopened clams. 

4. Finish the dish. Serve the clams in bowls with the cooking liquid and squeeze lime wedge overtop. Garnish with cilantro. 

ENJOY!

Whole Roasted Fish with Gullah Mopping Sauce

"Fishing is the heart of the Gullah Geechee People."

- Marquetta Goodwine, Chieftess of the Gullah Geechee Nation

It is said that, apart from the cuisine of the indigenous peoples,  Gullah cuisine may be one of the oldest foodways in North America. However, unlike native cuisine, Gullah cooking draws its roots from across the oceans. Those roots can be found in the ingredients used in, and preparation of dishes from across the African continent, from Senegal to Angola and beyond. I explored some of that history as it related to the use of rice in my post about Carolina Crab Rice.

Another important part of that history lies with the impact that  Gullah cuisine has had upon the ingredients and preparation of dishes in North America. For instance, there has been a long tradition of barbecue in Gullah cooking. The Gullah (and Geechee) live along the Atlantic coastline from North Carolina to northern Florida. Thus, the centerpiece of Gullah barbecue revolves around pork, particularly the whole hog. The barbecue is an event, centered around family first and then the pig, with sauce being little more than an afterthought. 

Somewhat ironically, it is the sauce that opened the first door into Gullah barbecue for me. I had spent quite a bit of time trying to find an authentic Gullah (or Geechee) barbecue recipe. My research led me to this recipe, Whole Roasted Fish with Gullah Mopping Sauce. By definition, a mopping sauce is a thin flavored liquid that a pitmaster "mops" over the smoked meat. The purpose of a mopping sauce is to add additional layers of flavor while helping to ensure that the meat remains moist through the smoking process. However, the use of fish seemed out of place (in my humble opinion) for Gullah cuisine, because everything I have read emphasized how pork was the principal protein for barbecue. 

In fact, the use of fish, even in a smoked preparation, is not so out of the ordinary in Gullah cuisine. The Gullah and Geechee have been fishing the local waters of the Carolinas since the 1600s. Indeed, many of the Gullah and Geechee were driven to the marshes, coastal inlets and islands, thereby making fishing an important means of survival. Put differently, fish plays an important role in the diet of the Gullah Geechee. Indeed, it was the primary source of protein in their diet prior to the Civil War. More importantly, as at least one study found, the Gullah Geechee are "motivated to fish by childhood experiences that were frequently interwoven into their daily lives and by a sense of cultural preservation of the role and value fishing and fish consumption carries in this population."   

In the end, it was an interesting insight into a culture that I know very little about. My hope is that this small insight will hopefully serve as the springboard into a deeper exploration of Gullah Geechee culture and cuisine. Only time will tell. 

WHOLE ROASTED FISH WITH GULLAH MOPPING SAUCE

Recipe from the James Beard Foundation

Serves 3

Ingredients (for the fish):

• 3 dressed whole trout (1 1/2 pound each)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 8 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 lemons, each sliced into 4 rings
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes
• 1 cup of mopping sauce

Ingredients (for the mopping sauce):

• 2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
• 1 8-ounce can tomato juice
• 5 1/4-inch-wide paper thin slices of lemon rind (only the yellow rind, not white pith)
• 1 cup ketchup
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• Dash of hot sauce

Directions:

1. Prepare the mopping sauce. Whisk the ingredients together in a sauce pot over medium heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove the pot from the heat and let cool. Store this mopping sauce refrigerated in a jar for up to six months.

2. Prepare the trout. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat the fish dry inside and out with paper towels. Make 3 diagonal cuts through the skin on each side of the fish and place on a rimmed sheet pan. Generously and evenly pour the olive oil over the fish. Season the inside and out with cayenne pepper (or paprika), garlic powder, salt and turmeric. Gently stuff the thyme sprigs and lemon rings into the fish's belly. Scatter the tomatoes in the pan and pour the mopping sauce over the fish. 

3. Roast the fish. Roast the fish for 25 to 30 minutes, basting every 8 to 10 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part reads 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the fish from teh oven and serve immediately. 

ENJOY!