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| Goan fish curry |
Goan food is a feast for the eyes and the soul as we discovered on our travels to India in 2011. Eating in a restaurant alongside the palm trees and white sand, surrounded by shop fronts where you can select your fish and cooking style, made for a culinary treat difficult to emulate at home.
The warmth of the welcome and the hearty food marry together in a delicious bowl served on a low beach table and help you forget any troubles as you dig into a bowl of coconut, ginger and tamarindy goodness!
Last week in the supermarket was a big pile of reduced fish for sale. We decided to buy bags and bags of different fish including cod, bream and these herring. Most of the other fish went into our fish pie but the herring remained in our freezer. Although Liz really loves any kind of fish, cooked in any way, I am a little more cautious when it comes to oily and pungent varieties such as mackerel, sardines and, in this case, herring. As such, I prefer to fry these kinds of fish in plenty of butter and serve them with plenty of little side dishes so as the flavour blends in with the other food and is less empowering. We all know that fish can be battered in either breadcrumbs or a wet flour mix (as in our traditional fish 'n' chips) but I wondered if something different could be used - oats.
Food doesn't get much more British than a hearty fish pie. It is believed that it was brought to our shores by the Romans, who would prepare a similar dish when they were on a fast day (for example during Lent when they could not eat meat). A variety of poached fish and seafood, covered in a white sauce and topped with mashed potatoes (the original versions probably had a pastry lid), it is an easy and simple way to enjoy fish.
