All my life, I’ve had the fortune to be surrounded by men who could cook and were willing to do so for me. But in the last few months, I’ve been finally learning how to feed myself. Unfortunately, it’s not all chef’s hats and pretty spices.
This week for instance, I learned how to clean cuttlefish, which involves among other things, getting a firm grip on the head and tentacles while avoiding the razor like, strangely plasticky bone. If you’re lucky, you’ll find a market that’s already done it for you.
Since I’ve been down with the flu, I’ve developed a craving for warm, hearty soups. It’s something I imagine would go down well with anyone on a wet December evening. Looking for recipes online, I came across one – a mildly spiced fish soup – that claimed to be perfect for the season. Unfortunately (well after I had bought my ingredients)
I became possessed of the conviction that this soup would be just too bland. Hence, the version you see below, which is an entirely different beast. Later in December, we’ll try for more obviously Christmasy dishes. But for starters, here’s a recipe for Coriander Seafood Soup (Serves 4).
Ingredients
- 200g thalapath, without skin or bones.
- 200g seer, without skin or bones
- 250g of cleaned shrimp
- 250g of cleaned cuttlefish
- 3 pods of garlic, peeled and halved
- 3 handfuls of coriander leaves
- oarsely chopped
- 4 medium sized onions peeled and chopped
- 4 large tomatoes cut in half
- 4 medium sized potatoes peeled and halved
- 2 large carrots, peeled and halved
- 4 dried red chillies, ground
- 3 tablespoons of butter/margarine
- ½ peel of small orange, slivered
- 2 Kaffir lime leaves
- Pepper and salt to taste
Process:
l To make the base: begin with a large pot. Cut the edges of the fish, taking about 1/3rd of the meat, and add that to 750ml of water. Place tomato, potato and carrots into same pot and bring to a boil. Keep centres of the fish aside for later. You’ll know your ingredients are done once the potato is cooked. Allow it to cool, then take a little of the stock and all the solids and blend using a liquidizer.
l In another dish, dry roast garlic till lightly burnt. Then add first tablespoon of butter and stir for a minute or two. Then add onions and chilli along with second tablespoon of butter. Cook until the onions take on a glassy look.
l Add prawns and cuttlefish to the mix, but before you do so make sure there are no scales, skin or bones remaining. (Tip: A checkerboard pattern cut into the soft side of the cuttle fish will have it curling prettily once it’s cooked.) Add last spoon of butter. Allow the meat to cook for a few minutes before adding coriander. The aroma might be strong at this point, but don’t worry, it will subside, leaving behind a far milder, more pleasing smell.
l Switch back to the pot. Combine sautéed ingredients and liquidised stock. Add orange peel and kaffir lime leaves. Lower the flame, stirring very occasionally. Most of your fish is fragmented by now, so in the last 10 minutes you can add the remaining fish, cut into dainty bite sized cubes. These will stay whole. Once done, garnish with parsley and serve with a wedge of lime. |
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