Brookie Vindaloo!
I'm going to start this by saying that I've never been to India, the people FROM India that I know are more likely to eat a cheeseburger than a curry, and that my only experience with curries is from a lifetime of watching Red Dwarf. I have absolutely no authority to call this dish a proper curry, and even my use of the term Vindaloo (from a Portuguese word, by the way) is dodgy. Disclaimer aside, this tasted like the Vindaloo I get from our local Indian place, although it was fresh and vibrant.
It begins, as do many recipes, with a pot. Oil, garlic, onion, get it all going, brown the alliums and then throw in some minced ginger. Add diced tomatoes. As far as measurements, just use your heart. At this stage what you've got is the beginning of a Marinara with some ginger in it. This is the interesting bit and honestly I was not measuring at all. I can say that ground Chillis and Cumin were the two largest parts, that's about it. I put Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander Seed, Cumin and Ground Chilli into a dry pan and toasted it all a bit to bring out the flavors (and make the house smell very interesting) and then tripled the amount of Chilli. I was left with at least 2 tablespoons of spices that I added to the tomatoes. I also threw in salt, pepper, and a few Bay Leaves. I let this sauce simmer and simmer while I cooked the fish, about 15-18 minutes at 400F in the oven. I let the fish cool so I could work with them easily. The sauce at this stage of the game should be reduced, and now it's time to emulsify it. Don't forget to remove the Bay Leaves! Your sauce should now be simmering on low and completely emulsified. You've been tasting it all along so you know how the flavor is developing. Take the meat off the bones of the fish and put it all in a bowl (so you add it all to the sauce at once.) Once you're done, add the meat to the sauce with a bit more grated ginger and let it stand for about 10 or 15 minutes. Serve over rice. This was hands down the best thing I ever did to a Brookie.
It begins, as do many recipes, with a pot. Oil, garlic, onion, get it all going, brown the alliums and then throw in some minced ginger. Add diced tomatoes. As far as measurements, just use your heart. At this stage what you've got is the beginning of a Marinara with some ginger in it. This is the interesting bit and honestly I was not measuring at all. I can say that ground Chillis and Cumin were the two largest parts, that's about it. I put Cinnamon, Cloves, Coriander Seed, Cumin and Ground Chilli into a dry pan and toasted it all a bit to bring out the flavors (and make the house smell very interesting) and then tripled the amount of Chilli. I was left with at least 2 tablespoons of spices that I added to the tomatoes. I also threw in salt, pepper, and a few Bay Leaves. I let this sauce simmer and simmer while I cooked the fish, about 15-18 minutes at 400F in the oven. I let the fish cool so I could work with them easily. The sauce at this stage of the game should be reduced, and now it's time to emulsify it. Don't forget to remove the Bay Leaves! Your sauce should now be simmering on low and completely emulsified. You've been tasting it all along so you know how the flavor is developing. Take the meat off the bones of the fish and put it all in a bowl (so you add it all to the sauce at once.) Once you're done, add the meat to the sauce with a bit more grated ginger and let it stand for about 10 or 15 minutes. Serve over rice. This was hands down the best thing I ever did to a Brookie.
it sure looks good to me. you are cool Eric!
ReplyDeleteL