Malibu PinaColada

Ingredients:

1. Fresh blended/strained unsweetened Pineapple juice - 1/2 cup
2. Condensed milk - 1 tbsp (add an extra tbsp if you like it sweeter and creamier)
3. Coconut Cream - 2 tbsp
4. Malibu Coconut Rum - 1/2 cup
5. Ice - 4 cubes

Method:
Add the condensed milk to the pineapple juice and mix well.
Add in the Rum and 1 tbsp coconut cream and combine.
Add ice to the serving glass and pour in the mixture.
Top off with remaining 1 tbsp coconut cream.
Stir and serve garnished with Pineapple slices, cherries etc.

Black Sea Bass Vatti Pattichatu

Fun fact about Sea Bass - Black sea bass are protogynous hermaphrodites meaning they change sex - they first function as females and then as males.Social interaction plays a role in the sexual transformation; the removal of large male fish from a local population may induce one or more of the largest remaining females to change sex and assume the male role.

Image courtsey - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Black_sea_bass.jpg
These fish are no beauty contest winners; but they make up for the looks in the taste department - they are soft textured with light meat and a delicate sweet flavor.This is a Kuttanadan  preparation that tastes best with Fresh mild flavoured fish .Coconut milk is generally not added.It tastes good even without adding the coconut milk.


















Ingredients:

1. Fish - clean,skin and cut into medium pieces(I used 2 whole medium sized black Sea bass),
2. Kudam puli/cocum soaked in water - to taste
3. shallots - 5 sliced
4. Ginger - 1 inch piece chopped
5. Garlic - 10 cloves (leave half of them whole and crush the other half)
6. Dry red chilly - 5 broken in two and seeds removed
7. Green chilies slit in the middle - 5
8. Curry leaves - 2 springs
9. Methi/fenugreek seeds - 1/4'th tsp
10. turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
11. thick Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup
12. Coconut oil - 1 tsp. 
13. Salt - to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a pan - add the methi seeds and when it splutters add in the crushed shallots, ginger,garlic and dry red chilly and the Green chillies and turmeric powder.
Sauté for 5 minutes .
Pour in the Cocum water and add more water as needed to cover fish pieces and bring this to a boil .
Add salt and taste for the balance of salt,spice and sourness.
Add the fish pieces into the boiling curry and cook until the gravy is reduced - there should be some gravy but not too watery.
Add in the coconut milk and bring to a simmer .After you turn off the flame add in the curry leaves and swirl the pan around to get everything combined. Cover and keep for 30 minutes for flavors to blend.

Pan grilled Salmon with Kumquat,Soy sauce, Ginger, Olive Oil and red pepper flakes.

At the oriental store the past weekend , there was this small group of people gathered around a basket of Kumquat's.I joined the group...and the dilemma started - I don't know what to do with them so probably I don't need them. But because I don't know what they are it made me want to try them all the more.

Straight to the fish monger from the produce section .After the weekly purchase was made the dept manager suggested that I pick some of the Fresh Salmon steaks, he is a good friend who always suggests what came fresh each day and we even exchange recipes while they clean the fish up. After I picked a steak up he announced that it was a Christmas gift specially for me as a thankyou for being a good customer .Now that piece of Salmon deserved to be treated with special care.

Ingredients:

1. Salmon Steak - 1.5 lb
2. Juice of 8 Kumquats
3. Red pepper flakes - 1/2 tsp
4. Soy sauce - 2 tbsp (I used low sodium)
5. Olive Oil - 2 tsp
6. Ginger - 1/2 inch piece cut into matchstick sized slivers
7. Fresh cracked pepper - 1/2 tsp

Method:
Remove the skin and wash and pat dry the salmon steak.
Add all the ingredients to the fish and let it marinate for an hour.
Heat a cast iron pan on medium flame.
Place the fish on the pan and pour the Marinade on top.
Cover and cook in steam for 5 minutes.
Remove the cover and let it brown for 2 minutes.
Flip the fish carefully and cook uncovered on the other side for another 5 minutes.
Serve warm with salad.


















What I did wrong
Having never tried a KumQuat I should have asked someone how to use them , but for some reason I just assumed that it was a miniature version of an orange that might just be more sour and went ahead and cut them in 2 and juiced them for the marinade. During the process I tasted a few - The flesh is really really tart and salty - more so than a lime , I threw the rind away.It just didnt seem right, I knew I was not doing the right thing ...google to the rescue :) The correct way to eat them is whole; rind and all - the sweetness lies in the rind and the outer part of the fruit.The articles even say that usually only the rind is eaten :) - I had done the opposite ,ate the fruit and threw out the rind.

When you eat them whole it really is like a citrus explosion in your mouth ..you can really taste the citrus notes without any of the bitterness.I will definitely buy more when I see them again.Some have been saved for a cocktail.They look really cute.

Shrimp with Chilly and Garlic

Ingredients:

1. Shrimp - 15 medium large (shelled , de-veined ,washed and pat dry)
2. Shrimp stock** - 1/2 cup
3. Shallots - 2 sliced
4. Green chillies - 5 sliced
5. Garlic - 5 cloves shopped fine
6. Ginger - 1/4 inch piece sliced into thin strips
7. Red bell pepper - 1/4 of a whole sliced
8. Spring onion - 1 stalk sliced
9. Fish sauce - 1 tbsp
10. Soy sauce - 1 tbsp
11. Thai chilly garlic sauce - 1 tsp (you can substitute with crushed dry red pepper and 1/2 tsp of vinegar)
12. Lemon grass - 2 inch piece
13. Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:
Add oil to a frying pan and heat it.
Add in the chopped Garlic and ginger and stir fry for a minute.
Add in the shrimp ,sprinkle half of the fish sauce and chilly garlic sauce and cook on high heat for 3 minutes until the shrimp start picking some color. Remove the shrimp from the pan and reserve .
In the same pan add the chopped shallots,bell pepper, green chillies, spring onion and lemon grass and stir fry for 2 minutes - Do not overcook the veggies , they should retain a nice crunch.
Pour in the shrimp stock,soy sauce,fish sauce and chilly garlic sauce and bring to a boil.Add in the reserved shrimp and cook for a minute more.
Serve immediately over Jasmine rice.

**NOTE : to make the shrimp stock wash the shell of the shrimp and add to a saucepan and cover with water , add in a piece of lemon grass and ginger and bring to a boil.Simmer for 10 minutes and strain the broth and use as a stock for soups or gravies.